Conditioning: Treadmills

As we head into the colder months, it gets a little harder to exercise our dogs throughout the north.

Walking is an important conditioning exercise.  Sometimes the weather is too hot or too cold to walk outside safely, and some owners have difficulty walking the distances their dogs need to walk.  Doggie Treadmills make walking the dog much easier, and safer in inclement weather, and are a boon for apartment dwellers.

Treadmills are easy to train with lots of positive reinforcement, if you go slow and steady.  They’re also wonderful for strengthening the hamstring/gluteal section of your dogs body (hind end 🙂 )  if you use the incline properly. For an active agility dog, endurance exercises can be a godsend since it builds muscle tone and encourages deep-chested breathing. Make certain to warm-up and cool down your dog properly before and after their treadmill session, and to monitor them carefully.

Treadmills are also very useful in after-injury care, since it controls the dog’s pace and allows them to build up muscle.