Are Dog Treadmills The Way To Keep Your Mutt Healthy?
If you own a dog then you probably really enjoy taking it for a long walk every day to burn off some energy. The problem for many dog owners is that the time they have available to exercise their pet does not match its energy levels and there is nothing worse than having to share your home with an overly energetic dog!
One way to combat this is to invest in a specially designed dog treadmill. Like a human treadmill this kind of machine can give your dog a specific range of exercise and fitness benefits, it can get rid of excess energy, make sure that they get a walk in bad weather and it can save you time when you are busy.
Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a lazy route to dog fitness -- you should still be prepared to walk your dog in the regular way as this is good for you both socially and from a fitness perspective. But there is no reason why using a treadmill cannot be beneficial too.
This kind of machine can also be beneficial in other kinds of health related ways. It can, for example, be a good tool to use if your dog is overweight, if it is getting on in years or has specific health problems. Like any other treadmill you can set a machine here to match the actual needs of the dog as well as your own.
If you ask any dog owner what the biggest benefit to using a dog treadmill is then most of them will tell you that it is the fact that their dog finds it fun. Most dogs love to take exercise and this is a great way of letting them burn off some steam in a controlled way.
Do bear in mind here that you can choose between buying a specially designed dog treadmill or you can use a standard treadmill and adapt its program for use by your dog. This could even help you get fitter and healthier into the bargain! Do be careful to make sure that you adjust any settings here before the dog gets on the machine and don't work them too hard.
In either case it is vital to pick a model that suits the size of your pet. A larger dog will need a longer treadmill than a smaller one. If you put a large dog on a machine with a short belt they will find it hard to get into a useful walking rhythm and probably won't enjoy the experience too much so think about their stride pattern here.
It is also important to start off slow to get your dog used to using the machine. Simply sticking the machine on and then dumping your pet on the belt will simply scare it and could put it off using it at all. Make this a fun experience and you'll probably find your dog sitting on the treadmill waiting for you to turn it on whenever it feels like a walk!
One way to combat this is to invest in a specially designed dog treadmill. Like a human treadmill this kind of machine can give your dog a specific range of exercise and fitness benefits, it can get rid of excess energy, make sure that they get a walk in bad weather and it can save you time when you are busy.
Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a lazy route to dog fitness -- you should still be prepared to walk your dog in the regular way as this is good for you both socially and from a fitness perspective. But there is no reason why using a treadmill cannot be beneficial too.
This kind of machine can also be beneficial in other kinds of health related ways. It can, for example, be a good tool to use if your dog is overweight, if it is getting on in years or has specific health problems. Like any other treadmill you can set a machine here to match the actual needs of the dog as well as your own.
If you ask any dog owner what the biggest benefit to using a dog treadmill is then most of them will tell you that it is the fact that their dog finds it fun. Most dogs love to take exercise and this is a great way of letting them burn off some steam in a controlled way.
Do bear in mind here that you can choose between buying a specially designed dog treadmill or you can use a standard treadmill and adapt its program for use by your dog. This could even help you get fitter and healthier into the bargain! Do be careful to make sure that you adjust any settings here before the dog gets on the machine and don't work them too hard.
In either case it is vital to pick a model that suits the size of your pet. A larger dog will need a longer treadmill than a smaller one. If you put a large dog on a machine with a short belt they will find it hard to get into a useful walking rhythm and probably won't enjoy the experience too much so think about their stride pattern here.
It is also important to start off slow to get your dog used to using the machine. Simply sticking the machine on and then dumping your pet on the belt will simply scare it and could put it off using it at all. Make this a fun experience and you'll probably find your dog sitting on the treadmill waiting for you to turn it on whenever it feels like a walk!
About the Author:
Richard Bolton helps people find discount treadmills at his website on discount treadmills.
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