Thanks, NewFosterMom and Tami, I couldn't have said it better. Like dog food, dog treadmills are for dogs, not people. It is not about laziness, it is about maximizing exercise for a bored animal who has to stay cooped up in a house all day. I don't want to risk a pet turning unlikeable or vicious because of frustration from lack of exercise (don't take this lightly, please. I've seen it happen).
Throw a ball or frisbee? That's fun and exercises the dog, but if dog treadmill enthusiasts are being critisized for laziness, ball throwing isn't much different. And retrieving is not the sort of exercise that will cut the energy build-up of an active, mid to large-sized dog. Unless, of course, you want to throw the ball for a couple of hours non-stop in a big area (not your average back yard)and keep your dog focused.
I can't rollerblade, like the Dog Whisperer, through the streets of my city or jog along unpopulated paths. But I can put my two active dogs on the treadmill made just for dogs (to accommodate their longer stride) and give them a solid 15 minutes of exercise, THEN take them out for a 30-minute walk that I can physically handle -- a moderate gait for them.
All this, and not to mention the reduction in vet bills more than pays for the dog treadmill.
Nay-say all you want and be sure to throw in enough scorn. But my dogs will continue in good condition and won't turn vicious. Will yours?
Throw a ball or frisbee? That's fun and exercises the dog, but if dog treadmill enthusiasts are being critisized for laziness, ball throwing isn't much different. And retrieving is not the sort of exercise that will cut the energy build-up of an active, mid to large-sized dog. Unless, of course, you want to throw the ball for a couple of hours non-stop in a big area (not your average back yard)and keep your dog focused.
I can't rollerblade, like the Dog Whisperer, through the streets of my city or jog along unpopulated paths. But I can put my two active dogs on the treadmill made just for dogs (to accommodate their longer stride) and give them a solid 15 minutes of exercise, THEN take them out for a 30-minute walk that I can physically handle -- a moderate gait for them.
All this, and not to mention the reduction in vet bills more than pays for the dog treadmill.
Nay-say all you want and be sure to throw in enough scorn. But my dogs will continue in good condition and won't turn vicious. Will yours?