Is a Slatmill or Doggy Treadmill Better?
Let’s face it, keeping up with your dog can be challenging at best. For the highest energy dogs it can be impossible unless you have hours everyday to keep them moving. In an ideal world we would have all the time in the world to spend with our dogs and everything else we need to get done. But reality doesn’t make it that easy for us. We have limited time to spend with our dogs which means we have to be creative to meet their exercise needs.
Fortunately, there are options for burning off some of your dogs energy indoor that isn’t a snuffle mat or food puzzle that just takes the edge off a bit. Dog treadmills and slatmills are becoming more popular options that are sure to leave you with a tired, happy pup at the end of the day.
Dog Treadmills versus Slatmills for Large Dogs
The two most popular options for indoor dog running are a slatmill and a more traditional treadmill. So lets look at some of these differences in more detail.
Power Source
The main difference between a slat mill and treadmill is how they are powered. Unlike treadmills which move on their own, slatmills are powered by the dog. They have no electrical components or speed controls. The dog is attached to the slatmill with a leash and harness, as the dog starts moving they pull against the metal frame which results in the slats they are standing on moving behind them.
There isn’t a clear winner here as there are pros and cons for each of these systems. With a slatmill the dog controls its own speed, it may choose not to go at all, or it may run at an all out sprint. Depending on your goals for your dog (weightloss, energy burnoff, or injury recovery) this can be a good thing or a bad thing.
Treadmills on the otherhand are controlled by you. If you choose to attach your dog to the treadmill (we do not recommend this) the dog has no choice but to walk or run on the treadmill. This means you have to be aware of your dog at all times while on the treadmill and make sure they are not being overworked to the point of injury or exhaustion.
Size
In particular large dog breeds will need a large track to run on. You may look at a regular treadmill and think that your large breed dog could fit on it, but you have to consider stride length rather than the standing length of your dog. It’s important that the track length allows for a full range of movement for the entire stride of your dog or you risk injuring your dogs joints. A track that is too short will result in your dog shortening its stride and running with an unnatural posture.
A slatmill can be shorter because the dog is attached to the frame. This means that while the dog is running they are less likely to drift forward and backward on the machine. If they do drift the slatmills speed adjusts with your dog. However, slatmills have larger frames and are more difficult to move or breakdown. A slatmill would need a dedicated space in your home to be useful.
A treadmill will need to be longer than a slatmill to allow for a full stride and extra room if the dog drifts. Dog treadmills are shorter than slatmills and lighter though so they are more portable. Some are even designed to fold up for easier storage.
Exercise Type
This may be the answer that you came for. Do slatmills and treadmills work the same for a dog or are there big differences to take into consideration? Your dog will burn more calories per mile on a slatmill than on a treadmill and may develop larger muscles due to the pushing movement on the slat deck below them.
You can think of the difference as a dog running on a treadmill as a slightly easier version of running outside. This is because the dog doesn’t have to propel themselves forward in the same way since the treadmill is doing the propelling for them.
Running on a slatmill is like a dog running with a parachute behind them especially as they start running. Initially the resistance the dog feels while running on a slatmill will be more than they would experience running outside. This is because they have to physically pull against the frame to get the slats moving below them. There will be more resistance throughout the workout but as the momentum of the slats builds the resistance will lessen into something more similar to outdoor running.
Safety
Your number one concern while exercising your dog should be its safety regardless of the exercise type or where you are. Some dogs are a detriment to themselves, especially those with a high drive. We have to step in and monitor our dogs to make sure that they are safe even if they want to keep going.
Generally speaking slatmills are considered to be safer for dogs. This is mainly due to the fact that it is powered by your dog. If your dog tires the slatmill slows down, this isn’t the case for a treadmill. Your dog is also attached to the slatmill so they are less likely to fall off or try to jump off than with a treadmill.
If your dog overdoes it on the exercise front or is recovering from an injury a treadmill may actually be a safer bet. This is because you control the speed. If you don’t want your dog in an all out sprint, you can control that. In fact, on a treadmill high speed running isn’t encouraged for safety reasons.
Price
One of the major differences for these two products is the price point. Doggy treadmills can be bought for around $500 while slatmills cost at around $1,000 and can go up to $6,000 or even more depending on who makes it and the overall quality. Given the large price tag for a slatmill, it would be a good investment to try out a slatmill prior to purchasing one of your own.
Summary
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