Maybe someone can help. I have 2 pit mix'z. 14 months and 6 months. I am concerned with the3m getting enough excercise so I just brought home a treadmill. Long story short they ran to thier crates. They hate it. Any suggestions on how to introduce them to this so they will use it?

Nobody wants to chime in on this?

So funny. My wife just walked in the house and told me that a friend told her today that we should not keep any ropes around the house for the dogs to pull. It will strenghten thier jaws and some day they will turn on us and kill us. From my own wife!

I don't know what that last post is all about but in response to the treadmill, marker training should work. First mark and treat for them touching their nose or paw to the treadmill. Then for standing on it with it off, then for walking slowly on it, etc.

Lucy wouldn't go near the treadmill at first. Now she thinks it's a treat machine and love's it. Now I will find her standing on it waiting for a treat. Now that she is used to it she only get's a treat when she is done.

Sorry about that last post but I couldnt resist. My wife came home and told me that out Pit Mix's should not play with the knotted ropes that I use to play with them for the reasopns I gave

Be careful never to leave the dog unattended while on the tredmill. You may also want to look into dog laws in your area. Some citys view them as dog fighting tools and they can be illegal. Sucks huh!

Bob, that is funny, I can't think of a state that illegals a dog treadmill, I think if my 75 year old mother has a treadmill for her King Charles, I doubt she'll go to jail for it. I think the only way you would go to jail regardless of states is that IF you have a pit ring in your back yard , treadmills, scared up dogs, and a scale and let's see, oh yes, the great videos of your own dogs fighting ( which helps prosecutors later )
I think if you do not have a collection of the above ...you are safe to have a dog treadmill

Good thinking Bob, and I second not ever leaving a dog unattended on a treadmill.

My dogs are all trained to walk on treadmills for the days when I am overloaded with work or the weather is particularly bad or I am sick. Marker training, building up from the very bottom of sniff/nose touch on treadmill = treat to one foot, two feet, 3 feet, all four feet etc. Make it slow.. do not turn the treadmill on for a while, not until the dogs are completely comfortable with the presence of it.

I also will feed my dogs on the treadmill - does not matter if their feet are on it, but I will feed them morning and evening meals for 3-4 days on the treadmill, and then in the room with the treadmill running, next meal the bowl is closer to the running treadmill, next day even closer, until the bowl is right next to the treadmill. Then again with the marker training - sniffing/interest in running treadmill = reward, but don't let them step on it while it is running.

There is another thread that discusses introduction to a electric wheelchair or scooter that was discussed some time ago. It had some GREAT info in it. I will see if I can find it and then post it.

Basically, you want to introduce the treadmill very slowly. When the dogs go near it on their own, mark and treat. Then gradually have them step on it, eat off of it and once they are comfortable you can try turning it on, on the lowest setting and start over again with the intro process. I would do this individually with each dog. If you try and do it with both of them at the same time, one dog may feed off of the other and if one spooks, they may both spook.

Do not talk to them or baby them if they do not like it at first, this will just reinforce the nervousness around it. Only mark and treat for what you want, which id for them to check it out.

And, if they spook while it is on, turn it off and keep doing the intro while it is off. If you have already tried to put them on it and they had a bad experience, this may take longer than normal.

Don't give up, it can be done.

Hmmmm, I found one but it is only one page and I thought it was discussed more....I will keep looking, but I think I found it and it did not have near what I thought.....urg...me and the search function....