A Treadmill for your Dog!
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I am the proud owner of a treadmill, and I love it when it’s too hot, too rainy or just too inconvenient to get out for a run. It doesn’t do my dog any good, but it keeps me fit.
You may be surprised to learn that treadmills are now available for dogs, for the times when it’s not good for them to go out for a run. This could be because of the snow, or because of the heat – as we find here in Queensland at this time of year.
While they are probably good for keeping a dog lean and fit, I’m sure they are dead boring. If it wasn’t for the movies I borrow from the video store, I’d be bored on the treadmill too. My dogs love to sniff and explore as they run, and they can’t do that on a treadmill. Still, if it’s the only way they can exercise, then fair enough.
Even more “interesting” is the hamster wheel for dogs. I can’t link directly to the website because my antivirus software doesn’t like it, but you can see it by clicking here. I must admit, I do tend to agree with the writer of that blog post. This is the lazy person’s way of exercising their dog. At least with a treadmill you are there with your dog, talking to him and encouraging him. This hamster wheel set up looks like it is set and forget – pop your dog inside, and leave him to run for half an hour. I also have concerns about the wire flooring and its effect on his toenails.
What do you think of these newfangled exercise machines for dogs? I’d love to hear from you.
1 Comments
February 5th, 2011 at 10:39 am
Interesting article, thanks for writing. The one thing I love most about walking or running with my besties, is the pure enjoyment they get from just being out and about. Their noses go into overdrive and I love it! I am lazy by nature, but the enjoyment we all get when we go out far outweighs that fact. Having said that, I can think of many dogs, both my families and others, who would benefit from the use of this treadmill. As an adjunct to doing “Out And Abouts”. And perhaps to alleviate the boredom, a reward based training program could be incorporated into the treadmill session, the end result would be 3 pronged. Your dog is healthier, she has had mental stimulation from the clicker games, and you have just spent 20 or so minutes one on one with her, challenging yourself to find ways of making it fun for her. So now, what tricks and behaviours could they learn, and how? As for the hampster wheel, my gosh that is just wrong. On so many levels and for so many reasons, but the only one I have in my head is, it just LOOKS WRONG!!!