I`m also trying to get them used to the bike but I need a way for the rest of the family to exercise them. I`m the only one who takes them on walks or who will toss Einstein`s ball till he`s tired(about an hour in our small yard). The treadmill would let them be lazy and the dogs would still get exercise even if it`s only for a little while before the belt wears out.
I can`t change their diet. I`m 16 and my mom is convinced that even raw bones are dangerous so she insists on feeding "premium" kibble(nupro) even though 2 of our dogs are showing signs of a grain intolerance. They`re only getting about 1 cup of food a day anyway. It`s really the lack of activity that`s made them gain weight. When we lived in St.Louis we had a huge yard that was on a hill. They were nice and lean then. We moved to Phoenix and now we have a very small flat yard with a block fence so they have a couple mad dashes when they play but other than that they just go out to poop. We have a big park about a block from our house but somebody still has to take them there and I`m the only one that does that. I have a job and I`m going to school full time. I don`t have the time to take them for walks everyday. It`s very frustrating.
I looked up training dogs for treadmill on the internet but they`re all written for stable dogs being introduced to a free spinning mill. Our dogs aren't nearly as stable as a working pit bull and it seems to be a lot different teaching them to run on a motorized treadmill than a slat mill.
The lab can be motivated with his ball but he seems to get kind of overly excited and he looses focus easy. The boxer has pretty much zero drive. Even with his favorite foods he`d still rather be lazy.

I plan on getting that building drive and focus video for Einstein but I need to wait for my next paycheck. I got three of Elvis`s paws on the treadmill tonight and Einstein is starting to get the idea of facing the right way.

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...rest of the family ...

Aint gonna happen, In my case my kids are too young still and my wife will throw down food/water for them, feed them junk and think they'll behave because they "love" her. Training, exercise and health care is totaly my responsibility.

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......my mom is convinced that even raw bones are dangerous so she insists on feeding "premium" kibble(nupro) even though 2 of our dogs are showing signs of a grain intolerance......

I know this is only a part of the challenge, but it's fixable. Google DOG FOOD, GRAIN-FREE and you'll find choices that will fit your mom's ideas about "premium" foods.

If you can fit in a 15-minute walk twice a day (brisk), that will help more than you might think. It's definitely better than nothing for burning calories, but it also helps to use up frustrated energy. Even a big yard isn't a substitute for structured exercise, IMO. Good luck!

There are more alternatives to good nutrition than JUST raw...although raw is very good.

Take her to this website... http://www.martinsk9formula.com for some good info. He has great kibble that helps keep a dog lean. Also, feel free to boil chicken quarters and pull the bones out if raw and bones bother your mother. And use it as a supplement (1 quarter per day) with the kibble while reducing the kibble until you get the leanness you desire.

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.....Also, feel free to boil chicken quarters and pull the bones out if raw and bones bother your mother. And use it as a supplement (1 quarter per day) with the kibble while reducing the kibble until you get the leanness you desire.

I'm sure you know, but want to point it out just in case, that using muscle meat without bone will upset the calcium/phosphorous ratio, so you'll want to read up on the bone meal/bone powder/egg shells to add to muscle meat if you are going to use muscle meat for part of their diet on an ongoing basis.

I definitely agree with Lee that there are really good commercial foods available nowadays. I prefer to make my own (mainly raw), but I believe my dogs could thrive on a carefully-selected commercial diet.

Cindy Easton Rhodes let us know about a food that I think is a *great* substitute for or backup to raw: The Honest Kitchen. I was glad to find out about it.

I actually feed my dogs raw chicken ground up on occation with the bones...but I have done it the other way too. I have used meat without bone (venison/deer and beef) with ZERO PROBLEMS and actually prefer it over the chicken. HOWEVER, we also fed Martin's K9 Formula to our dogs with it.

There are some studies out there that show most calcium absorption occurs not from bone, but from calcium found in the muscles themselves. I haven't studied it much myself...as I have found as long as you are using this a supplemental and not as a total replacement things are fine. We have done this for about 5 years now.

I used to feed raw venison and beef..which I prefer but it got pricey...so I bought a grinder and use chicken now.

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.....I have used meat without bone (venison/deer and beef) with ZERO PROBLEMS and actually prefer it over the chicken. HOWEVER, we also fed Martin's K9 Formula to our dogs with it.....There are some studies out there that show most calcium absorption occurs not from bone, but from calcium found in the muscles themselves. I haven't studied it much myself...as I have found as long as you are using this a supplemental and not as a total replacement things are fine. ...

I'm not familiar with the studies you mentioned, but will look for them. Billinghurst, Schultze, and Pitcairn are pretty specific about bone-to-meat ratio and the need to mimic the ratio that would be consumed by devouring a wild kill.

http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm#ratio
http://www.caberfeidh.com/NaturalDiet.htm

I certainly can't claim to have read everything there is to read, so I'll respect your own research and agree to disagree. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

To me...it isn't something I have a strong oppinion on as I still use kibble which VERY WELL COULD fix any cal problem that could occur by ONLY using meat...and maybe the reason I didn't experience any problems. Although I know people that use all meats exclusively, I don't recommend them for long term.

I use about 2/3 kibble and 1/3 meat. I just bought 800# of raw chicken quarters to grind up and when I do this I leave the bone in. I got it at 29 cents per pound...800# for $248 after taxes...and couldn't pass it by at that price. I might even leave 100# unground for us. LOL.

So does anybody have any advice on how to teach your dog to run on a treadmill? Wasn't that what the first question was geared toward? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />I have a Husky that sure could benefit from running on one. When it's freezing cold, the wind is blowing, and there's a blizzard out, the treadmill idea sounds pretty appealing. Any ideas or training tips on that would be greatly appreciated.

Lee, your advice was great, I could get my Australian Shepherd to run on one by trying the method you described, the feeding advice was very helpful too, however, Willow, my Husky, has absolutely no play drive, she's a food hound, and she loves to run. Running like the wind, and chowing down on doggy treats is the only thing that gets her excited. Do you have anymore tips?