Treadmill Training Instructions Part 1.

 

By Josiah Neuman CMT, CDT
In Dogs We Trust, LLC. / Wir Vertrauen


 

Training your dog to walk, run, and enjoy the treadmill is simple and a very effective way to exercise your dog. At the Neuman K-9 Academy we teach each and every boot camper to run on the treadmill, this plays a vital role in the training process, especially when addressing behavioral problems.

In this article, I will share with you each training phase, the weekly schedule, and issues that you or your dog may encounter.


1. Equipment

2. Positions

3. Surface Conditioning




Article on treadmill canines

Position 2 (kneeling) - with Maximus (APBT)
1. Equipmet
The equipment list for training your dog on the treadmill is relatively short:
Treadmill – Electronic human powered treadmill, the belt length should be sized according to your dog. For small and medium sized dogs a 50” – 54” long belt is recommended. For a large breed dog I suggest 60” or longer. If your belt size is not long enough, it will prevent your dog from working at higher speeds because they will not be able to extend their gait and move freely.
Leash – I suggest a 6’ leash, material is a personal preference but I like to use something easy to grip and not too narrow (5/8” or better).
Flat Collar – Leather or nylon is standard. I do NOT recommend using a choke chain, pinch collar, or harness. Correction is not needed nor recommended for treadmill training dogs.

2. Positions

The position of the handler / trainer is a very important part of the training phase. As you read this article I will be referring to three positions:
Position 1: Standing on the right or left side of the dog next to the treadmill.
Position 2: Standing or kneeling in front of the dog and treadmill
Position 3: Standing in front or diagonal to the the machine at the end of the leash.

3. Surface Conditioning

One of the most important parts to getting a dog up and running on the treadmill is surface conditioning. This means, first getting your dog used to jumping up on the machine, and second walking on the moving surface second.
I begin the process by baiting the dog up on to the machine. I do this by having a handful of tasty treats cut up small, I show my hand to the dog and lure them to the machine. I first lure them up to the machine (give a treat), lure the front paws on to the machine (give treat), back paws on machine (all four paws on machine / give treat), release (okay, click, or whatever your queue is) and lots of praise.
Repeat this process several times until the dog is readily jumping up on the machine with enthusiasm. For some dogs this will take several sessions, for others they will be jumping up on the machine after the first couple tries.

Treadmill Training Your Canine - Instruction Part 2