THE TREADMILL DOESN'T MAKE A DOG AN ATHLETE

Why the treadmill belongs in therapy – and not in performance training

There's an image that won't leave my mind. Sled dogs that were diligently conditioned on the treadmill during the summer looked fit, appeared muscular – and then had problems on the terrain. Surprisingly often, these manifested on descents. Precisely where the dog doesn't push, but brakes. Where the rear isn't dictating the pace, but the front has to absorb, support, and control.

This is no coincidence, and it leads us straight to a persistent misconception in dog sports: that a treadmill makes a dog faster, more enduring, more performant. My experience says otherwise. And science, if you look closely, says so too.

WHAT A THOROUGH STUDY ACTUALLY DISCOVERED

One of the most in-depth studies available in the German-speaking world was conducted at the Veterinary Faculty of LMU Munich (Rettenmeier, 2018, based on Zollner, 2012). Ten beagles, 16 weeks of treadmill training, six days a week – basic endurance plus intervals. Conditions were measured before (untrained), immediately after (trained), and after a training break. Oxygen uptake, heart rate via ECG, muscle thickness, and free activity were recorded.

The result is discouraging for anyone who swears by the treadmill:

Under exertion – at 5, 8, and 12 km/h – there was no difference in oxygen uptake between the trained and untrained dog.

Heart rate under exertion hardly decreased with training – a measurable effect only appeared at high speeds, and it was small.

In the summary analysis of both studies, training status had no significant influence on oxygen consumption or heart rate.