Dogs, just like their humans, can easily become overweight or even obese. If you truly love your dog, you can take extra steps to ensure he is fit and healthy. We all know that obesity carries an increased of developing a serious health issue such as cancer or heart disease. However, being just a little bit overweight also increases your pup’s odds of developing a serious medical condition.
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Your pup requires daily exercise, and the more exercise he gets, the better shape he’ll begin to develop. Naturally, your canine fur baby ought to get outside on a regular basis—he’ll enjoy it if you take him outside regularly for playing and exercise. Plus you’ll be helping his health and possibly even extending his life with the right exercise, along with weight management.
Giving your fur baby consistent exercise is fundamental to his good health and weight maintenance. There are various approaches you can take, including treadmills for. Dogs require exercise each day, and the more, the excellent shape they begin to have. A treadmill for dogs can be utilized as an extra tool that makes exercising your canine companion fun and beneficial at the same time.
A Dog’s Treadmill/Treadmill Benefits
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the right treadmill for your fur baby. You should consider the reasons for choosing a treadmill in the first place.
1). Treadmills should not replace outdoor activities. Your pup needs fresh air and sunshine when possible. He also needs the stimulation of being outdoors and interacting with his environment, with other dogs/people and most of all with you.
2). A treadmill can help your pup burn excess energy to lose weight and as a weight management tool, in addition to getting outside activity on a regular basis.
3). Treadmills are also great when the weather’s not conducive to getting out—maybe it’s too hot or too cold, etc.
4). Treadmills can be helpful for dogs who have hip and joint problems—such as disabled or senior dogs.
These are a few of the reasons to buy a treadmill for your fur baby, and some of the benefits he’ll get from regular exercise. Now let’s take a look at what to look for in a dog treadmill.
What to Look for In a Dog Treadmill
What features do you need to look for in a dog treadmill? Let’s consider a few points to consider when looking for the right treadmill for your furry companion.
- Safety: make sure the platform is the right size for your dog. If it’s too short, your dog may be afraid of falling off and change his gait to accommodate. This could cause damage to his ligaments and tendons over the long-term. So be sure the platform is enough to comfortably meet your dog’s stride.
- Running belt: make sure this is a non-slip surface, so your pup won’t slip. Also make sure there are no openings where his feet or toes could get caught.
- Lead binding: never leash binding attachments that tie your dog to the treadmill. If your dog can’t keep up with the treadmill, the leash could tighten around his neck and choke him. These types of tragic accidents do happen when a dog’s left unattended on a treadmill. These are preventable accidents. Avoid this by not tying your dog to the treadmill and/or leaving him unattended with the treadmill running.
- Dog-Safe Electronics: make sure the electronics and the motor are dog-proof and dog-safe. Dog drool, hair, etc. could damage the electronics and/or the motor.
With these things in mind, we’re ready to take a look at some specific dog treadmills—we’ll do a comparison to help you choose the best treadmill for your fur baby!
A Comparison of the GoPet Treadwheel and Dog Pacer Treadmill
We’ll take a look at and compare the GoPet treadwheel and DogPacer treadmill.
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Ask a Vet Live NowGoPet Treadwheel
The GoPet Treadwheel is the ideal solution for your dog’s health and it’s the perfect thing for your dog who needs to walk or run for exercise. The reason the GoPet Treadwheel is preferred by many people for their dogs and pets is the fact that is highly simple and easy to set up.
The GoPet Treadwheel, as the name implies, is a wheel which is used as a treadmill by the pet. It’s very similar to a hamster wheel you may have seen at the pet store. The function is easy: the dog enters the treadwheel and begins to move slowly and the wheel pushes uses the dog’s momentum to push the wheel, which in turn makes the dog move with it. This way, the dog’s made to move and continues to do so. It’s very similar to the treadmills that are utilized in gyms.
Your pup may not initially understand the concept of the wheel, so in the beginning, you’ll have to get your dog started walking in the wheel. You might choose to give your fur baby a treat to get him moving in the right direction and keep him moving. Getting your fur baby to move and get used to the routine of using the wheel for exercise may take some time, but he’ll eventually get used to how it works. He’ll enjoy the exercise and getting rid of excess energy!
Pros:
The GoPet Treadwheel is a great option for you and your pup—let’s look at some of the pros and cons of this treadwheel:
- It’s easy to set up and does not require any electricity. If there is a power outage or if you’re worried about the cost of electricity, there is no need to be concerned. The treadwheel is the best option to go with!
- The GoPet Treadwheel is a durable device and is specifically designed for dogs with weight issues, so you’ll know the wheel will be able to withstand your dog’s weight and momentum as he walks or runs.
Cons:
- You can’t regulate the speed, since the device is mechanical and varies its speed depending on how much the dog inside is pushing it.
- It does require a bit of space, so if you don’t have much space in your home or apartment, you might want to adjust a few things to ensure the treadwheel is able to fit in your home.
All in all, the GoPet Treadwheel is one of the best and positively reviewed treadmills for dogs and offers a great way for your dog to get exercise indoors.
The GoPet Treadwheel Toysmall
The GoPet Toysmall dog-powered treadwheel is usually found at an affordable price compared to other treadmills. It’s equipped with the perfect way to provide your pup with an excellent place to exercise.
This electricity-free device allows your pup to have the activity he needs, but in your own home, rather than outside. The wheel includes a brake that helps you modify your pet’s walking or running speed. It also includes a padded and solid surface that offers secure footing for your pup’s paws while he’s on the wheel.
This machine runs at a speed between 0.7-7.4 MPH and is equipped with a ‘silent’ driving system, so the motor noise shouldn’t scare or distract even the most sensitive of dogs. This is appropriate for dogs under 25 lbs.
The GoPet Treadwheel – Indoor / Outdoor Exercise for Large Dogs
Similar to the design of the Toysmall wheel, this treadwheel is built to accommodate larger dogs. With a dimension of 36 x 240 x 72 inches; and a weight of 240 pounds, this wheel’s suitable for any breed.
This awesome machine can take dogs that weigh more than 200 pounds. It’s equipped with a training door, and tension control included for protecting the dog from falling off. For a more comfortable running surface, mats are included, and the treadwheel offers Freeoff-leash practice, so your pet can keep running at his own natural pace. This feature’s not included with other treadmills.
The GoPet Treadwheel Indoor/Outdoor Exercise for Large Dogs is simple to clean, can be utilized whenever – regardless of whether your canine is home alone or you’re there to monitor his exercise. This wheel’s safe and stable and provides a physical outlet for high vitality dogs.
The GoPet TreadWheel for Large Dogs includes a padded, strong matted surface that secures your dog’s foot, cushions his paws as gets the exercise he needs.
Domestic Pet dogPACER Dog Treadmill
The dogPACER is one of those of treadmills for dogs that you’ll find very effective! The best thing that can be said about dogPACER is that this treadmill has a unique size and offers flexibility in terms of control. The dogPACER, as mentioned earlier, is similar to a human’s treadmill. It will offer your fur baby effective exercise.
The dogPACER is one of the best dog treadmills due to its control panel setup. The controls ensure that dog is provided with an adequate speed, plus the required inclination.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the dogPACER treadmill:
Pros:
- Control: speed regulation is ideal if you are worried about your dog’s health due to a past injury. If you set it at the minimum level, your dog can easily manage to walk and feel comfortable.
- The treadmill also lets your dog feel like its climbing.
- It doesn’t require much space! It’s perfect for small houses and apartments.
- All you have to do is just plug it in and let your dog walk.
Cons:
- None
The dogPACER is ideal for your if you’re concerned about your pet’s weight and health. It comes with adjustable controls, inclination, and the size is just right so it’s easy to place it anywhere in your home.
This machine offers a sleek foldable design, and it can accommodate any dog weighing as much as 180 pounds. For a more intense training effect, the incline of the base can be set up to nine degrees. Another excellent feature is that it can easily be dismantled and folded into up, so it’s easy to store.
This treadwheel also has an onboard pre-set exercise computer program built in for your pet. You can create a program especially suited to training your pet.
dogPACER Mini Pacer Dog Treadmill
From the name “mini,” we can derive that it was built for smaller dogs with a lighter weight (up to 48.5 lbs.). Designed for smaller dogs and smaller spaces, it’s a dynamo that will help your smaller dog manage his weight and his health. With a smaller running area dimension of 38 inches (long) and 16 inches (wide), with a similar running speed of (0.5-7.5MPH) to the other machines, this mini-pacer base can be inclined to as high as 4.5 degrees, which is half that of the domestic pet dogPACER treadmill. While pricey, this treadmill is easy to assemble, works great, and dogs find it easy to adapt to.
We hope this guide will help you choose the best treadwheel or treadmill for your fur baby! He is completely dependent on you for his health and exercise. Help him stay active and healthy, and even increase his life span, by ensuring he gets all the exercise he needs and deserves. A treadmill or treadwheel can help you keep him active, even when you and your dog can’t get outside!
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Julie
Julie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, where she studied Animal science. Though contrary to the opinion of her parents she was meant to study pharmacy, but she was in love with animals especially cats. Julie currently works in an animal research institute (NGO) in California and loves spending quality time with her little cat. She has the passion for making research about animals, how they survive, their way of life among others and publishes it. Julie is also happily married with two kids.
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