So today I wanted to do something a little different. Next Wednesday will be our last agility class for the summer, as the temperatures will be too high for training @ 6pm in the evening. And, since I have not been a good student for the past 16 weeks, I haven’t practiced like I should. I decided Riley was going to be a model student for the rest of the summer.
A couple of weeks ago I posted about Strength & Conditioning, well this is the conditioning part. I think one of the reasons Riley shuts down a little during our lessons is her lack of endurance, which is very important for trials. I am partially to blame for this as we are not consistant with taking walks. Since summertime is upon us the asphalt and pavement can become dangerously hot for the little pads on a dogs feet. So today I decided to introduce Riley to the Treadmill. I was very fortunate a while back as I was cruising Craigslist and came upon a dog treadmill for sale. SNAG!!
One great thing about Riley is that she is clicker trained, which makes introducing new things to her very easy. Unfortunately for me though, I have lost another clicker and I can’t seem to find any around the house.
Here is the video of her training,
Shih Tzu Fitness: Steps in Training the Treadmill:
- Introduce her to the treadmill. Click or use marker word (yes) for looking at the treadmill and treat (CNT)
- Touch treadmill. Riley is very tactile so she willingly will touch an object with her paw (CNT). I do this until I know she is very comfortable touching the new object.
- From this point on I do not ask her for a behavior. I wait for her to put one paw up on the treadmill (CNT).
- Next I wait for her to give me two paws up (CNT)
- Completely on Treadmill (CNT)
- Finally I turn on the treadmill with her on it (CNT), encourage the walk (CNT)
These are the steps I took…time lapsed over the course of approximately 20 minutes. This is not a training video. If you are new to clicker training, or want to know more about it, I highly reccommend The Thinking Dog: Crossover to Clicker Training by Gail Tamases Fisher.
A big barkout to SlimDoggy and co-hosts Peggy’s Pet Place and To Dog With Love for this wonderful Blog Hop!!
I love the way you are gently introducing the treadmill. Looks like a great start! Riley is a sweetheart.
Peggy Frezon recently posted…Around the Campfire, K9 Kampers Tell All!
Wow! Riley does great on the treadmill! I hear you about summer agility, we used to take the summer’s off too. We decided to continue on this summer though, since we’re still inside doing mostly foundation work.
Your pals,
Diane and Rocco
Diane @ To Dog With Love recently posted…Pictures from K9 Kamp!
I’ve always wondered how you’d get a dog started on a treadmill…I’d love to see more videos showing how Riley got used to it and actually started walking
GizmoGeodog recently posted…K9 Kamp Ends on Fitdog Friday
I’ll make another video this weekend about it. I am sure that we will have to start again from the beginning, as she is timid for a while until it becomes second nature. So I’ll make a longer video showing a little more detail 🙂
Great treadmill tips. I just got a DogTread small dog treadmill for the dogs and have no idea how to get them to use it (it’s not even out of the box yet). My style would have been to just put them on it and ask them to walk. They are pretty good with the “sink or swim” method when it comes to athletic things because they are go-getters but I was afraid the noise of the machine might traumatize them 🙂
Jessica@YouDidWhatWithYourWeiner recently posted…Three Ways My 10 lb Dog Made Me Look Bad at K9 Kamp
Jessica, I just let GismoDeodog that I will be making another video this weekend about training your dog on the treadmill. I will let you know when it is ready 🙂
Treadmills are a great alternative for exercising your dog. We used one frequently with Jack to supplement his daily walks as we built him up to running. They are perfect for locations where the weather impacts the ability to get out be it heat, rain or snow. Just cause the weather isn’t cooperating doesn’t mean your dog doesn’t still need their exercise! Thanks for joining the Hop – good tips!
SlimDoggy recently posted…FitDog Friday- K9Kamp Recap
Thanks so much!! I love to contribute as much as I can. But the real reason I don’t go for walks is the fact I was approached by a stranger in a truck last year out on my walks. Luckily my neighbor was outside and didn’t see him. The second he saw my neighbor he took off like a bat out of hell!! It was a scary situation and I went out and bought pepper spray, but I still don’t go for walks 🙁
I think that is fabulous that Riley uses a treadmill! Would LOVE to get Dakota to do this but I am doubting that he ever would 🙁
Caren Gittleman recently posted…Welcome Summer!!
You know it is amazing sometimes what a little motivation (treats) can do! Because Riley can be timid, I was very slow at this process. If you don’t have access to a dog treadmill, you can always outfit a regular treadmill to make it doggie safe. If I had a regular treadmill I would make side rails out of PVC & fabric, that way it keeps the dog in a forward motion and they are not able to jump off the side.