cool gadget

[Nikki]

I sooo want this doggy treadmill not to replace walking but for extra exercise when the weather is bad...

[kjwarnold]

I'd like to know if anyone has gotten their Cairn to walk on a treadmill, and how they did it. We're tried to get Packy to walk on ours for fun, but he jumps off when we turn it on. We've tried holding him and leading him, "baiting" him with a favorite treat, but nothing works. He will get on it when it's off and he sits and watches me when I walk on it, but he doesn't want to do it himself.

[bradl]

Yes. When I was showing Biscuit I could not get her to gait properly. She seemed correctly put together so we had her evaluated by a vet. He said her only problem was "here" ... tapping her head. He suggested it was just a habit she'd got into, possibly while going through 'growing pains' and we could probably train her out of it. So ... upstairs to the treadmill.

We started with it off, just baiting her from back to front. I think I may have then stood next to her (show lead on) while it started at the slowest possible speed. Baiting, baiting, always baiting from the very front (so she didn't have to turn her head). After than I was able to set her on it with it off, move to the front, start baiting her while turning it on to the slowest speed. Once she was in a rhythm I would bait, stand up, bait, take one step back, then step forward and bait, then one step to the side and then back to bait, etc. Gradually I was able to stand beside her holding the lead while she'd gait, only occasionally baiting her. Finally I could just sit down while she walked and only occasionally get up and give her a treat.

After a while, if we even opened the door to the upstairs, she would race up the stairs, hop on the treadmill, and wait (or plead) for us to turn it on. I kid you not.

It *did* help with her gait, by the way. If we got exactly the right speed she'd gait perfectly normally. I had to learn to move her in the ring at about that speed though. Any lapse in concentration and she went back to her irregular gait. We never did finish her though, for other reasons. But she sure loved that treadmill!

[Tuckersmom]

I tried to get Tucker on my treadmill too - didn't have too much luck, we both went off the back!

[bradl]

You could possibly put x-pen sections along each side to keep her from leaping off sideways. I do recall we had to work a bit to overcome that instinct.

[Nikki]

oh scotty is already trained on the treadmill I just like the idea of one more suited for a dog..its much smaller and doesn't take as much space.

the way we trained scotty on the treadmill was I stood in front of the treadmill with a bag of bill jack treats I tied his leash to the top of the treadmill. but you have to stand in front of the treadmill to make sure he doesn't try to hurt him self. At first you bait them with treats and then faze it out. after a few times of this we didnt even need to to keep him on the leash and did it on his own and liked it!!! we would set the timer for like 20 mins and he keep going so I let him. I will have to find my video of him on the treadmill. Cairn are really smart if treats are involved at first they usually can figure it out.

basically I tried him they same way ceaser millian did with the firehouse dog (the dalmatian) in the 2nd season

this is a bigger version of my signature...and its scotty on my moms treadmill

[Nikki]

this is the video of scotty on the treadmill but the quality isnt that good since I used my cell to take the video

[bradl]

Looks like he's enjoying it!

[Kramersmom]

Oh my how cute! Scotty is a pro on that treadmill. I think I will let Kramer try out mind. He watches me on it but never goes on it unless its off then he will. Something to try tomorrow! Scotty is so cute on the video I was cracking up watching it. He really walks it well.