Treadmills for Rainy Days!

Treadmilling is just one of the many new skills dogs can learn during board&train! On super rainy or stormy days, it’s nice to have some options to give our drivey dogs (like border collies, GSD) exercise and treadmilling is a fantastic way to get our dogs body moving while also engaging their mind. I also love treadmill work as a leadership building exercise because once the dog masters the initial awkward feeling of the moving floor, they start enjoying and looking forward to their time treadmilling and also building a deeper trust and connection with their handler. As with everything we do, safety is always a top priority so I always recommend staying very present beside the dog and treadmill giving him guidance as needed to make sure he stays well centred on the belt and keeping pace. I stand at the dog’s head and use the leash to help ‘steer’ him and keep him centred on the belt.

In this video, Phoebe is stepping on the treadmill for the very first time and to help assist her, I’m using her leash and remote collar to teach her where to walk and how to keep up with the speed of the belt. Phoebe’s remote collar is our number one communication tool that I’m using to help teach Phoebe this great new skill! I love treadmill work because the dog has to concentrate super hard to stay in the right position on the belt and also to match the speed and incline which means that the dog gets an intense workout even when she’s just walking!