Previously, we covered an introduction to Dog Treadmills – their benefits and our machine recommendations. We then moved on to the first three steps of Treadmills for Dogs Training.
In the final stages of canine treadmill training, you should begin to advance your dog's ability to change speeds, incline and decline the machine in motion, and increase the duration of the workout.
Along the way, you may encounter challenges that we will work through - so keep reading. You may find some valuable tips and tricks!
We will cover:
- Movement(s)
- Schedule
- Problem Solving
1. Movement (s)
Training your canine to increase and decrease speeds will give you the ability to vary the workout and keep their focus on the treadmill.
Phase 1
This is surface conditioning the dog. In this phase, the dog is moving their feet at a very slow walking pace. The speed of the treadmill should be somewhere between 2.0 and 2.5.
Phase 2
This is when we teach the dog to jog. For each dog, this speed will vary. Here are some approximate speeds:
Small to medium dog: 3.0 – 3.5mph
Medium to large dog: 3.5 – 4.5mph
Giant breed: 4.0 – 5.0mph
Start out in Position 1 (next to dog, short loose leash - see Instruction Part 1 for all positions). You are walking the dog at the normal walking pace. After a few minutes, slowly start to increase speed on the treadmill (gradually) while monitoring the gait of the dog.
If they break stride into a jog, I will continue for a few minutes and then slow back down to the walking pace.
When you increase the speed, the dog may start to lag to the back of the treadmill. Use verbal praise to encourage your dog to stay at the front. If they are not changing speeds when you increase – and continue to lag, you will need to do speed intervals. Here's how:
Turn the treadmill back down to a comfortable walking pace; increase back up to a jogging pace; decrease to walking speed, etc. By doing intervals (speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down) for several sessions in a row, it will increase confidence and train the canine to increase speed as the speed of the belt moves faster.
For dogs that are very uncertain, it may take 5 to 7 sessions to see a little progress. The signs of progress are the dog staying at the front of the treadmill as you increase the speed. The end result for the second phase is your dog at the ideal jogging speed (varies per dog) for 3 to 5 minutes – at the front of the machine.
Phase 3
This is teaching your dog to continue walking or jogging when you increase the angle of the belt – otherwise referred to as incline. By this point, canine treadmill training should be coming along smoothly and your dog should be comfortable with walking or jogging. So, I begin the incline with the dog walking at the normal pace.
I will slowly increase the incline. Each treadmill varies with what interval it will incline to; however, my dog treadmill is 1 to 15. When I first incline the machine, I will turn it up to 5.
I will have the dog walk at this incline for 2-3 minutes and then turn the incline back down to 0. I will then turn the speed up to the jogging pace and again, incline to 5.
After a few minutes, turn off the incline and let the dog jog for a few minutes with no incline. At this point, if your dog is comfortable with incline, you can begin incorporating this into their daily workout.
If the dog starts lagging to the back of the treadmill, I recommend that you move to Position 2 (in front of the treadmill) and use verbal praise to draw the dog forward. You can also use light tugs on the leash to prevent them from falling off the back of the belt/platform.
Remember- safety first!
Phase 4
This phrase is working at higher speeds, when the dog is running on the treadmill. Running speeds will vary based on the size of your dog; but a good rule of thumb is 4.0 to 5.0 for small to medium dogs, 5.5 to 6.5 for medium to large dogs, and 6.5 ++ for large or giant breeds.
A few things worth considering before you attempt this phase are the age and physical attributes of your dog. A young dog that is still growing should not be running or engaged in strenuous activities. This can have adverse affects on the growth of the body.
Another thing to consider is the dog's experience level on the treadmill. In other words, how well your dog can jog, walk and work on the incline previous to this phase. Training your dog to run on the treadmill is the same as all other training phases.
I slowly turn up the machine and monitor if the dog is increasing speed or lagging to the back of the treadmill. For this phase, the handler / trainer should be in Position 1 so they can quickly turn down or turn off the machine if the dog begins to struggle.
2. Schedule
The schedule will vary depending on the skill set of your dog. However, here are the guidelines we use at Neuman K-9 Academy.
Week 1
Phase one, 3-5 minute sessions teaching the dog to jump on the treadmill platform, walk for 3-5 minutes, sit when the machine is turned off, release off the treadmill and reward (lots of praise). Trainer / handler is in Position 1 the entire time.
Week 2
Phase two, 6-10 minute sessions teaching the dog to increase speed from walk to jog (interval training for speed changes). Walk 1-2 minutes, jog 3-5 minutes, walk 1-2 minutes. The dog is required to sit when the treadmill is turned off. Trainer / handler will be in Position 1 the entire time.
Week 3
Phase three, 10-15 minute sessions teaching the dog to walk and run with incline incorporated. The dog is required to sit when the machine is turned off. Trainer / handler will work in Position 1 and 2.
Week 4
Phase four, 15-20 minute sessions having the dog walk, jog, run, speed walk with incline, with warm up and cool down (walking 1-2 minutes at the beginning and end of the workout). The dog is required to sit when the machine is turned off. Trainer / handler will work in all three positions excluding Position 3 when the dog is running.
Week 5+
Begin charting the workout. Write down how far the dog is running (distance / miles), maximum speed running, total minutes of the workout and maximum height of incline. I also recommend keeping notes on your dog's progress so you can continue to advance their ability to run on the treadmill and challenge them physically and mentally.
Do keep track of your dog' weight. This will help you gauge the amount of exercise in relation to the workout and diet, which is important for dogs and humans who are weight-training or physical conditioning.
