Do Dogs Like Baton Rouge Treadmills?

If you live in a small apartment in Baton Rouge, your dog may not be getting the same amount of exercise as a pup who’s running around a large suburban home, or one that has access to a fenced-in yard with a doggie door.

While you can take your four-legged best friend out for a walk or a jog in nice weather, there are plenty of times when you may not want to venture outside with your pet. We often see high winds and hard rains in this area, as well as extreme temperatures in the summer months that can leave dogs panting, dehydrated and worn out.

In severe weather, a walk outside may do your pet more harm than good. But how do you get them the exercise that they need?

Baton Rouge Treadmills – can’t go outdoors? No time for that early morning walk to the park?

One solution to this problem is the dog treadmill. These are often used for physical therapy purposes when a dog is injured and needs to regain muscle, but now there are also dog treadmills for sale that everyday consumers can buy and keep in their homes.

There are a few benefits to buying a treadmill for your dog:

• It can help overly energetic dogs and puppies burn off steam. If your dog seems to never stop jumping and running around, even well into the evening, then it may need more exercise. While you could add a few more hours of walks to your day, it would be more convenient to buy a treadmill that your dog could use to wear themselves out.
• If your dog needs to lose weight, you probably can’t do it on your own. Research shows that owners don’t have enough time to provide the exercise that’s needed for an overweight dog to lose weight. But, if you get them a treadmill, they could do the work on their own while you complete other chores (always keep an eye on them, though).
• It can reduce stress on your dog’s joints. When your pet uses a walking treadmill, its weight is distributed evenly, which eases any stress on its joints. Underwater treadmills do this even more efficiently. If stressed joints are an issue for your pet, this could be a solution.

But your dog isn’t the only one that needs some exercise. Check out the following top-rated treadmills available from Fitness Expo Stores and get in the best shape of your life this season:

• Horizon Treadmill T202 – dependable and affordable
• Horizon Elite T7 Folding Treadmill – High end and perfect for small spaces
• BH Fitness S3Ti Treadmill – feature rich, whisper quiet motor, suspension absorption, personal cooling fan, 15 built-in programs, and more!

Dog treadmills and sticker shock

If you’ve decided that using a treadmill is right for your pet, you may now be wondering which of the dozens of options you should pick.

While there is a myriad of designs and models, the basic selection boils down to animal-powered treadmills, which are manually powered and also called carpet mills, and motorized treadmills, which more closely resemble what humans typically use. The costs for either of these models range anywhere from $300 to $5,000, depending on how many features you want or need and the size of your dog (doggie treadmills for small dogs tend to be less expensive).

If the thought of buying a dog-only treadmill at those prices scares you, there may be a third option for your furry friend.

Human treadmills, but for dogs

While there are treadmills made specifically for dogs, they’re not very cost-friendly. Instead, you could consider buying a treadmill to use with your pet that could also benefit you.

It’s not recommended that large dogs use human treadmills, as they have a longer gait than we do that the running belt may not be long enough to accommodate. But for smaller dogs that can keep up, the size could work.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when setting your dog up on the treadmill for the first time:

• Set aside some time to warm up and cool down your dog. Since your pup will be jumping from the couch to a workout, you need to practice some warm-up exercises with it so it won’t sprain or strain any muscles. Similarly, take some time to cool down when your pet hops off the machine.
• Don’t tie your dog to the machine. While you may think this will make it stay on the treadmill, treats and supervision work much better to train a dog. Your dog relies on you to help it and guide it, and tying it to the machine may cause anxiety or injury if it tries to get away.
• Don’t feed or hydrate your dog around the workout. Eating or drinking directly before or directly after exercising can bloat dogs and cause accidents.

Ease your dog into this new habit

While dogs can be trained to use treadmills, it’s important that you take time to ease your pet into this new experience and take care to make it interesting for the dog as well.

Before anything else, let your dog get comfortable with the presence of the treadmill, and then turn it on so it can get used to sounds the machine makes and how it looks when it’s powered on. Then, with the machine turned off, place your dog on the treadmill and give it a treat. Turn it onto the lowest speed and continue feeding your dog treats to keep it on the machine. Stay in front of it while giving it the treats, so it stays focused ahead, and also so your pet stays comfortable.

After a few training sessions and a few more times when your dog feels comfortable, you can start increasing the speed or try changing the incline slightly to give your dog more varied and challenging workouts. Work out with your dog and buy a treadmill of your own. Start your New Year right with essential fitness equipment.