Premium Small Dog Treadmill

Review of Doggie Treadmill When shopping for a doggie treadmill, the most important criteria for me was to make sure I could handle the whole thing by myself. This meant being able to unpack it, set it up and move it around as needed. I’m not big and strong, but I’m also not frail: female, mid-60’s, 115 lbs. The Dog Tread weighs just under 50 pounds (although the shipping weight with all the packaging is 71 pounds), and very importantly, it can fold up and be moved out of the way using the built-in wheels. I took a chance and ordered it. It was delivered to my garage door. I was able to manhandle it into the house by grabbing the strapping tape and sliding it across the garage floor, then maneuvering it onto a throw rug, which I then slid to the rec room where I unpacked it and set it up. Unpacking: Oh boy, that was a JOB. First you will need wire cutters or something similar to cut off the heavy duty strapping tape. I don’t think ordinary scissors will work. The treadmill was packed in a succession of boxes not unlike Russian Matryoshka dolls, with each outer box secured by a boat load of large staples. You’ll need a large flat head screw driver and strong hands to pry them off. I’ve attached a picture of the pile of staples I removed. After removing each outer box, I had to flip the remaining package over to expose the top of the next box to reveal the next series of staples to be removed. I was able to do this on my own. There were a total of 3 box lids to remove before I hit pay dirt. Then it got a little tricky. The treadmill was bolted to a wood frame. The instructions say it takes two people to gently roll the contraption on its side. Gulp. But I managed to do it on my own by carefully sliding the entire bundle out of the box. Then I could operate on it using a large Phillips screw driver to remove the bolts, discard the packing boards, and finally liberate the treadmill. Yes, I did all this myself, but admittedly it would be easier with someone else to help. Set up: The set up itself was not difficult. All the parts were included, easily identifiable, and also easy to install. The only confusing part about the set up was the first step of applying the silicon oil. The picture and description were not very clear and I had to look up online to find an example of how to do this task. Luckily, it’s a standard task for treadmills, so once I viewed a video, I understood what was required. However, I would not perform this step first as stated in the instructions, since subsequent steps require the treadmill to be turned on its side, and there is a risk that some oil would spill out in the process. Operation: OK, I fumbled on this one, but really. The steps for using the treadmill basically say, plug it in, turn on the master switch, and it’s ready to go. You will have to read the instruction manual more carefully than I did at first to find out that you also must place the red safety key on the matching magnet on the side of the console before the belt will actually start running. After I found that little nugget of information in the manual...SUCCESS! I had a working treadmill at last. Start to finish, it was less than an hour. But will my dog use it? A training manual is included with the treadmill. My best advice is “have patience and DON’T RUSH IT”. I let my dog get used to it from a distance, then I put him on it and fed him dinner without turning it on. I continued to let him interact with it while not turned on for several days. Then I let him watch the belt move without him on it so he could get used to the sound (which is, as advertised, whisper quiet). Only after I felt that he was comfortable around the treadmill and not stressed did I give it a try. I put on his harness and held onto it to keep him steady, then turned on the treadmill. The console counts down 3...2...1, then starts at .3 mph, extremely slow. My dog was only mildly curious, not startled, and he began to walk right away while I gently pulled him forward. I started feeding him one food bit at a time, almost continuously, so he was more focused on the food and less on the walking. The walking just became automatic. The .3 mph starting point is really slow, so I began increasing the speed. On the first session, I got it up to .7 with no issues. Now I routinely take it to .9 and may eventually try a little faster. You can use the remote control to manage all the console activities, but I find it easier to just use the buttons on the control panel. I never leave my dog unattended on the treadmill, so I’m already sitting in front of the controls anyway. My dog doesn’t love it or hate it. He just knows when he gets on, there’s food involved and that’s all he cares about. This is a good way for him to get some exercise on these unbearably hot days when he hates being outside, and it will also be good in the winter when the weather is too treacherous for walks. My dog is a 12 pound terrier mix. I purchased the smallest size DogTread treadmill, and it fits him just fine. This treadmill would work for a smaller dog, and also for a larger dog up to about 30 pounds. I discovered after I finished setting it up, that the DogTread company no longer exists, and there is no website, no way to register the product, and therefore no warranty. For anyone concerned about this, it may be a good idea to purchase Amazon’s warranty. For me, I’m hoping the treadmill is well made and will last a long time. Overall, at least for now, the treadmill and my dog both perform exactly as I hoped they would. Two thumbs up.

I gave this treadmill a five star rating because I'm glad I bought it. I did, however, have some issues: 1. I thought the assembly instructions were awful, but it might have just been me. It took me forever to understand the first step. I ended up putting it together the way I thought it should have been put together, which wasn't exactly according to the directions. 2. I had to go to an external site to find what kind of dogs should use a small treadmill, or what it was rated for. The maximum weight for this unit is 30 pounds, but that's not the only criteria to use. According to the site I found, this unit is rated for Shelties (as well as for smaller breeds), but I think a Sheltie should actually be on the medium unit. 3. The packaging. Lord love a duck. There was a box, then a box within a box, within a box. You know those Russian nesting dolls? I think I ended up with four boxes. I still haven't broken all of them down. I would recommend that anyone considering buying a treadmill for their dog check out some Youtube videos. The way I got my Sheltie familiar with it was to put food on the belt, encourage him to jump on, and then feed him once he was there. Once he was familiar with the treadmill (one day), I started it slowly. He picked up the walking right away, although I still give him a piece of kibble every minute and constantly encourage him. He's up to 15 minutes, twice a day. Even with all its annoyances, I'm really glad I got this treadmill. It seems sturdy and powerful enough to last, my dog loves it, and he's walking every day. UPDATE: My Sheltie is up to 30 minutes a day, twice a day. For once, he's getting the exercise he needs. Can't wait until he gets weighed at the vet. UPDATE #2 - 8/15/11 I regret to say that my darling dog needed a bigger treadmill. This treadmill is rated for dogs under 30 pounds. I honestly thought Flash was under 30 when I bought it. Oops, he was 38 pounds. I gave this one to the owners of a little terrier, and he's having a wonderful time. My dog has gone on to a human treadmill, and is up to three sessions of 35 minutes each per day. He's lost 5 pounds, too! But I'm so glad we had this one to start with.

Who thought I would ever buy this? But I did. It is a pricey item and it still worries me that the manufacturer is no longer in business in case I need to troubleshoot an issue. It is very well made and came mostly put together. People who are complaining about how difficult it was to put together are those older posts with the previous model. It is definitely for short legged dogs since it is not a long platform. The belt took a lot of work to adjust so it wouldn’t go to the sides. When first turned on, the screen just gave me some dots and it took a lot of unplugging/plugging in to get the screen to finally show 00:00. Now that it has been used without issues for a few days, I am pleased with it. Still expensive, but it is a good addition if your small dog needs some extra exercise. Both my dogs reacted well to it (surprisingly). It is quiet which is what made me buy this one instead of its competitor. It is also easy to move around and it has a little area to put some treats to help them get started. It was not easy to hit the “place order” button, but so far so good.

At the beginning I wasn't sure my dog was going to like it because she had been walking using the regular treadmill but she loved it. It is so quiet and small. I did not even had to put a leach on my dog for her to walk, she learned to walk right away. I did not want to buy it because it was expensive but this is what I spend on jewelry all the time and this is a better piece and more glamorous. If you are undecided to buy it don't hesitate it works excellent and your dog will love it. Just make sure the front faces you so the dog can be looking at you all the time.

I bought this for my 20 lb Mini Australian shepherd, who needs a TON of exercise since we live in a small apartment. This treadmill is great for mornings when its too cold/wet/icy/lazy to go outside! I usually walk him for an hour and a half in the mornings or run ~45 minutes, but he's perfectly fine when I put him on this treadmill for just 15 minutes and do some indoor activities in the morning. The good: - You can use it flat or at an incline - It looks nice and can easily be put up against the wall when not in use. I was thinking about just getting a full sized treadmill (so we could share!), but this is much more compact, aesthetically pleasing, and convenient. - My dog LOVES it. He can't wait to get on it when I go to pull it down into position. Of course, he ends up getting a lot of treats while he's on it. - It has two little wells at the front where you can place a treat every once in a while to keep the dog motivated. It's very convenient, especially when you're starting out. The not so good: - I had some problems with the belt when I first got the treadmill- it kept shifting to one side. Apparently all you have to do is tighten one bolt and loosen another to get the belt to stay perfectly in the middle. It took a couple tries, but it's fixed now and I haven't had any problems since. - I think the treadmill might be a little too short for my dog. Its perfect at low speeds, but once we reach a fast-ish jog/trotting speed, I get kind of worried that my dog is going to slip off. My dog's front and hind legs are only about 18 inches apart when standing still, but obviously this distance increases when he's walking. If he stays perfectly in the center of the treadmill, he's fine. But it gets kind of iffy if he gets a little distracted and slides a couple inches toward the end. He's slipped a couple of times, but without any damage whatsoever. - There is a learning curve for the dog. My pup jumped right on it the first day and was walking nicely at a low speed for half a minute before he got bored and tried to jump off. Luckily it was slow... But after a while, slowing increasing speed and time, I have no problems. I've had it for a couple months now, and my dog is completely fine. This will probably happen with all treadmills. Overall, this was a great purchase. The price is totally worth it to be able to exercise my dog when the weather outdoors is not cooperating.

We helped our parents choose a rescue young Bijon/terrier mix who we very quickly determined had too much energy for my 80 something parents. They would have been heartbroken to give this dog away. Even though on good days they took her for a walk with their golf cart, too many days the weather wouldn't cooperate. Since I am a big believer in Cesar Millan's methods we decided to try this treadmill. I was able to get her to walk and then run on it the first day. In fact, she was in the "zone" in 5 minutes. My parents invite her on the treadmill 3 times a day for at least 15 minutes at a time (often at top speed) and they have a new and happy dog because of it. They are the hit of their retirement community and their dog is a star! Highly recommended... a real miracle. Amazon service was as always the best.

My wife purchase this to my little almost furniture like Pikachu to get healthier, I was very sarcastic and save the box. Well, I was totally wrong Pikachu was on this machine everyday for 10 min plus, start with speed 3 not in 8 almost like running. I am not making up, she already look skinnier than the day she start and best part is she became less small furniture as before. Buy this, and please take 20min of your time to your loving pup(s), it is life changing for her(him) exchanging 20 min of your time, I was trying upload video but was not working, but I will keep try. Whoever made this, he or she should receive Novel Prize for “Consideration”. Thank you for your product!!!!

I also purchased this treadmill next day delivery and received it right away, about a week ago. I love Amazon. The comments about the packaging were right on. I have to say it was extremely difficult to get the treadmill out of the packaging but that was nothing compared to trying to set it up. After many attempts to get the bolts fitted into the treadmill, I finally was successful only to turn it on and the treadmill was not working. I had to take the whole thing apart to make sure that the connections were connected properly, which they were. The assembly instructions were awful. I noted there was a problem with the black box right away.I contacted Petzen and told them of the ERR1 coming up on the console screen. They were extremely friendly and responded immediately(and it was the weekend) but did not know what the error meant or problem was (huh?) and asked me to start all over again and check the connections. This time they included additional instructions that were not enclosed with the product. So, after about 3 hours of trying to see what was wrong with it, I wrote them an email telling them (again) that it was the black box and or console and I was done trying to figure it out. They are sending me a replacement, which I should receive tomorrow. I love the treadmill (well, I think I will when it is working) but I have an issue that they are not checked before being sent out and they are not knowledgeable about troubleshooting their products. Since this is a very heavy purchase and not easily returned (besides being very expensive), I am not looking forward to returning it. I also take issue with the packaging, horrible assembly instructions and not sending me replacement parts right away since I originally purchased it with next day delivery. I will update when I receive the parts but if I have to return it, I can tell you I will not be a happy camper. *UPDATE - After receiving a new console unit and black box, the treadmill still does not work. I actually took the backing off to see if there were any loose wires but I could not tell. Again, Petzen was extremely responsive and gave me the options of either sending out a service tech or getting a new treadmill. I chose a new treadmill and will most likely receive it in 5-7 days. This is great except that I ordered the treadmill 2 weeks ago. And now I have to assemble another treadmill (which should be pretty easy after already doing it once) and repack the old one....I feel like they should be paying me for my time. :) What a giant pain this has been. They promised they would check this one to make sure it works before sending it out. *UPDATE AGAIN - February 20, 2012 - Received the new treadmill yesterday and put it together. Yes, it works and I thank Petzen for sending out a new one. They are having UPS pick up the other one tomorrow (all at no additional charge to me). Would I order this again had I known? Absolutely not. This was such a hassle, time wasted and bad experience that I wish I had spent the extra money and gone with the PAWWWS treadmill. That one looks awesome and the assembly does not require a college education (however, in all fairness, if they had included the needed directions and knew their product better, I would not be writing this review). The treadmill itself is okay, nothing great.