Will a dog treadmill help dog owners who don’t want to walk?
Your active dog won’t forget activity, even if you skip the outdoor walks
You wanted this dog breed so badly when she was a puppy. She looked at you with her floppy ears and fuzzy tail, and your heart melted. But now that lively puppy is getting bigger, faster and more energetic than you were prepared for. While it’s recommended to research what kind of dog personality you’re getting — not just how cute she is — before agreeing to foster, adopt or own a pet, some individual dogs are just more active than others. It could be the dog’s natural curiosity, less training or neighborhood traffic. Either way, that dog will need to be walked. Whether you feel like going outside or not, it must happen. Would investing in a dog treadmill do the trick? Some say yes. I say no. Here’s why.
There are enough videos on YouTube showing how to get a dog to walk on a treadmill. They usually start off hesitant and clumsy, wondering why something underneath them is controlling their gait. Depending on the amount of patience you have, and the dog’s ability to catch on, you may find that your dog will get used to walking on the treadmill. Turning this equipment on may help keep your dog from tearing up your home. But even if you get your dog to enjoy a treadmill walk or two, it’s still important to get her outside. Here’s why.
Socialization is always necessary for non-guard dogs. Unless you want a dog who becomes overly protective of anything coming and going on your lawn, you need to socialize your dog. The earlier in a dog’s life that (s)he can get used to unfamiliar people, objects and noises, the less likely your dog will become disruptive and aggressive around them. Dogs tend to get in the habit of a routine. If you feed your dog at 4 p.m., get ready for a dog who acts like she’s dying of starvation at 3:58 p.m. They just know when treats, food or people are coming. So should you be someone who regularly walks your dog and then stops out of nowhere, attempting to make the treadmill a substitute, don’t be surprised when your dog is still peering at the door.
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Obstacles in your backyard can become fun games to get outside. There is nothing stopping you from paper training your dog or just letting the dog release herself in the backyard. However, without those routine walks, expect new activity — and a lot of extra autographs for you to clean up. While some stubborn gardeners have managed to keep their dogs and their flowers and plants, dog urine in the backyard can start to ruin the look. So can your active dog trampling all over your pretty flowers and pooping behind your plant gates.