Is there any of you out there that put your dogs on a treadmill? Mine love it and will stay on it without a leash until I make em get off.

Only problem...they like to poop in the house while actively on it. I always let them out just beforehand before they go but my male is having the worst time. I'll let him off it in the middle of it to let him have a chance to relieve himself but he'll proceed to run around the yard playing instead and not have to go. Put back on it, 10 minutes later there's a mess on the floor. The poop is normal and not runny. Most of the time there's barely any that even comes out.

BF said maybe he's just the type who is stimulated by exercise and I see that, but I believe he can hold it until break time if he can hold it all day in the house.

Is it out of the question to believe this or can they really just not help it?

I use one & never had that problem. I just walked my dogs on it & started it up. No problems. But that is just the way my dogs are. But I do stand there, with them on a leash anytime they are on it. If I felt that it was needed I would have started as I described below.

Sounds like it might be a stress responce. Exercise can trigger a bowel responce in older dogs just like it does in puppies. Take him out on leash & give a potty command & wait until you are sure that he has emptied out before bringing him in to the treadmill. Does he 'go' several times when allowed to run around the yard & play or does he just go one time? If you think it might be a stress responce. Does he pant alot before he normaly would be with the same amount of running outisde? If so that can be a stress responce. Reintroduce the treatmill by binging him in near it mark & treat. Walk away & repeat. Then eventually work him onto the treadmill (not running) & just sitting there, mark & treat. Until you have him on it running slowly for just a few seconds. Keep working your way up to running on it a minute or to & so on.

Maybe you might consider giving him a break for a week or 2 & then starting back slowly like I described above & see if you end up with the same responce. Good luck.

 Quote: Heather Perring

I'll let him off it in the middle of it to let him have a chance to relieve himself but he'll proceed to run around the yard playing instead and not have to go. Put back on it, 10 minutes later there's a mess on the floor.

Keep him on a leash outside until he does his business, and walk him around, instead of letting him run around.

leih

I always make sure he's done both before getting on the mill. He will only go once no matter how much I walk him or let him stay out in the yard. Then when taken inside he will go on the treadmill.

I don't think it's stress. He seems to like it. He'll spend time in the house coming to it and standing on it looking at me like he wants a go. No stressed panting, just a tired mile long tongue pant when he is finished.

I'll try keeping him on lead until he goes when let out for breaks and see if that works.

what would happen if, instead of letting him back up after his break, you just put him up, he's done.

My dog HAS to do both before she can run around and play, and she knows this.
We'll stand in one place till she does it.

Then she runs around and plays.

Because if I let her play first, she'll forget to go to the washroom.

So she understands, if she goes... She gets to play.

So from what I've read, deff keep on leash till he does his buisness.