A dog treadmill can be a great addition to your dog's exercise regimen. If you believe a short jog around the block or a short 10 minute play session in the backyard is enough, think again. A dog treadmill can be used for a wide variety of training and exercise purposes.

Looking for dog treadmills is a smart idea if you want to keep your dog in top shape. Believe it or not, many of the winners of the more known dog shows use treadmills to keep their dogs in top shape for the show.

They can also be used for gait analysis. The animal needs to go at a specific pace during the show, so when you use the machine, you can set it to that speed and then tell how well the dog's gait is at that pace. This will help you determine whether or not you have a dog that is capable of taking home a medal, and thus if it's worth it to enroll them in the show or not.

Of course, they are mainly used for keeping your dog fit. If you live in an area where it gets old outside and you want to keep your animal in good condition, this is the perfect method.

A dog treadmill can also be used for sporting dogs as well. They are perfect to use when the weather outside is not ideal. Almost any type of sporting event dog can benefit from a dog treadmill. Treadmills are also great when helping to recover from an injury. Consult with your veterinarian first, but now people are starting to realize that the faster you get the joints and muscles working after injury, the faster the recovery.

Many people think they can use a human treadmill for their dog's training, but they don't work for several reasons. Human treadmills can become full of dog hair and malfunction. Also, humans have a shorter stride than dogs, so having the proper length of treadmill is important, otherwise the dog will have an abnormally short gait.

Before beginning a dog treadmill exercise routine, be sure to talk to an experienced trainer who can set you up with a proper schedule to ease your dog into the workout. At first your dog will likely not even want to stand on the treadmill, but after walking your dog over and around the treadmill a couple of times your dog should stand on the treadmill. Also, when first starting the treadmill up, be sure to stay near the head of the dog to help control him and to give him reassurances.

A dog treadmill that is quality made costs about the same price as human treadmills. A dog needs a quality treadmill that will not feel shaky to the dog.

For obvious reasons you want your dog to be safe and out of harms way when he is exercising so there are a few things that you need to do in order for his workout to be an enjoyable yet safe one. For starters always make sure that you send your dog out to the toilet before he starts exercise.

Secondly try to create a soft landing zone behind the treadmill. Dogs have quite a short attention span and may forget that they can't just stop for a rest.

Thirdly keep a careful eye on your dog while he's exercising. He may overheat, get tangled up, want to stop, be exhausted, the list is endless. With you there watching him all of these things will be eliminated. Don't forget that your dog needs a warm up and cool down just like we do when working out so make sure you put this into his program.