It is in the nature of dogs to run outdoors. However, more and more pet dogs are kept in captivity. Owners of these dogs need to train their pets to run every day. As a result, pet treadmills are in vogue. How to get your dog to run on a pet treadmill?
Leash your dog, bring it into the room, and keep the treadmill off. Some dogs will be frightened by the treadmill sound, and you don't want your dog's first reaction to be fear. Make sure there is enough space for you and the dog to move around freely.
Let your dog sniff and check the treadmill while the treadmill is off. When it does, remember to praise it while giving it a small reward. This helps your dog have some postivity on the treadmill.
Bring your dog to the treadmill belt position and let him walk to the treadmill belt. If it goes there without any problems, praise it. If it really doesn't want to walk to the treadmill, repeat step 2. After standing for a minute, take your dog for a walk around the treadmill.
Repeat step 3 as many times as necessary for your dog to become comfortable walking to the treadmill. Once he has no problem doing this, gently lead him to the treadmill with the belt and praise him and give him some reward.
Have your dog sit near the treadmill. Turn it on and set it to a very low speed. If it appears unresponsive, praise it. If it's in a hurry, repeat this step as many times as needed until the noise stops bothering it.
Lead your dog on the treadmill. Once it's on the treadmill, give it a command, "Stop." Step aside, hold its leash, and turn on the treadmill set to a very low speed.
Compliment your dog, then gradually increase the speed until it walks comfortably. The pace will depend on your dog's size, but should be a comfortable walking pace. If your dog starts to panic, stop the treadmill immediately. After a short break, start the process slowly.
After about a minute of walking, try to throw away the belt and let it walk on its own until the treadmill stops. Give it a small bonus and more kudos.
Repeat steps 6-8 every day to gradually increase the time your dog is on the treadmill. According to experiments at the Rescue Training Center, it takes about a week for a dog to walk comfortably on a treadmill.
After a week has passed, if your dog can walk on the treadmill comfortably, remove the leash and let your dog walk longer. Slowly increase the time on the treadmill, starting at 5 minutes and gradually work up to 10-15 minutes per day, some dogs may be able to walk longer.
