LF 3.1 Full Size Dog Pacer Treadmill

Unser Hund hat es sofort angenommen. Es ist leicht aufzubauen.Momentan quietscht es aber ganz schön.Stört unsern Hund nicht, ist aber unangenehm.

We bought this for our dog who has several health and behavioral issues, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that this treadmill has changed our lives! A little about my dog, Nilla: she is a 2 year old rescue who has hip dysplasia (among many other health issues) and needs a total hip replacement. Along with her hip dysplasia, she also has severe fear aggression and anxiety and cannot go for walks because she is constantly lunging and pulling relentlessly on the leash which in turn, exacerbates her hip dysplasia pain. We work with a behavioral veterinarian and have tried countless anxiety medications but nothing seems to work well enough for her to walk calmly on a leash outside. This is also the reason we cannot do a total hip replacement - she would certainly ruin her surgery if she were to pull as hard as she does now on a newly operated hip. While I was thinking of ways to safely exercise Nilla after a surgery the thought of a treadmill came to mind. We had already started hydrotherapy sessions to help strengthen her hip so she was already familiar with the sensation of a treadmill under her feet. After I though more about it, a treadmill was also the perfect solution for Nilla to get exercise before surgery. She could walk inside her home, with nothing triggering her, and she wouldn't need a leash so all of the leash pulling and stress on her hip would be eliminated! After researching different treadmills we decided to go with this treadmill and it has been a godsend. It came very well packaged and set up was fairly simple. We decided not to install the handle bar near the front of the treadmill and did not install the side panels. We felt it would be best for our fearful girl to feel like she could get on and off without any barriers and that approach has worked well for her. I was surprised at how quiet it is - wonderful bonus! I also like that the incline can be adjusted since post-op exercises require incorporating walking up inclines. We started slow and after a few weeks she was a pro. She now ASKS to go for walks on the treadmill! We have it facing a window so she can enjoy the view outside. We open the window to let the fresh air in while she walks and I think it helps make her feel like she is outside. She walks without any leash or harness so there is nothing for her to pull against. She is finally able to have a lovely, relaxed, even-paced walk. It's wonderful! This treadmill has SO many uses. For us, it's a way to exercise our dog who otherwise would not be able to go for walks, and it is a solution for post-op walking and strengthening. In the future, we will be able to use this once her hip has fully healed to exercise her a bit more vigorously so that we can take the edge off before we head outside to work on our behavior modification. Additionally, it is a great way to walk her during snowy weather. I am so happy with this purchase and hope there are others out there that might be in a similar situation feeling a bit hopeless about how to exercise their dog - get this treadmill!

Got this treadmill to exercise an energetic 1yr old 70lb pitbull mix. I like that the runway platform is extra-long (it's maybe 1-2 feet longer than a typical human treadmill) so that she has room to extend her stride, and occasionally lag towards the back. It runs pretty quiet and seems sturdy. The box was pretty heavy--I'd recommend getting two people to move it. Once it's set up though, it does have wheels on one side so it's not too hard to tip up and roll into position. I didn't really read the manual, it was pretty easy to set up. I was confused for a while at why the treadmill seemed to change speeds on its own--turns out it has pre-programmed workouts where the treadmill speeds up and slows down. Use the P0 manual mode if you just want one speed. I like the pre-programmed modes so that my dog will have a couple minutes of running, then a couple minutes of slower jogging rest time. Dogs are built for burstier kind of running, not steady long distance running anyway. The magnetized emergency stop is a great feature. I like being able to instantly stop the treadmill. I tried attaching the clip to my dog's collar once, but the clip and magnet is kinda big and awkward for that, and she got scared by the magnet clanking on the ground when she pulled it off, so I just keep it unclipped and pull it myself whenever I need to. It took about a week to get my dog used to walking on the treadmill. She wasn't scared of the treadmill or the noise, but it was pretty awkward for her to get used to the idea of the ground moving underneath her. First she got treats for standing on the treadmill. Then I would turn on the treadmill for only a second, while giving her treats, and giving lots of praise for walking forward on the treadmill instead of getting scared and jumping off. Then more treats for getting on the treadmill and standing still while it's still of. Each day, I would gradually extended the on time to a few seconds. Each new session, she seemed more and more comfortable walking while the treadmill was moving. Lots of patience, repetition, and treats. Eventually, she was able to keep walking forward, as long as there was the promise of a treat in front of her nose. I've slowly upped the speed and the time intervals of giving her treats. Now, two months later, I'll give her a treat every 10-20 strides or so (I try to keep it random), and she can do 8-15 minutes at a time on the fast program setting. I can tell she's getting tired when she starts to lag behind on the back half of the ramp, instead of being at the front eager to be fed. If it gets too fast for her, she'll just stop and let herself get rolled off the back of the ramp. I try not to have her get off like this, but she's young and agile and there's no ledge at the back where her feet might get caught in, so I'm not overly worried about her doing this. I tried attaching her leash to the top bar while she was wearing a harness, but she balks at having any leash pressure while on the treadmill. Your experience will vary depending on your dog. Just be patient and let your dog become comfortable slowly.

I purchased this treadmill to get my two rough collies in better shape ahead of the upcoming spring dog shows. Both dogs have taken to it easily and adjust to the changes of pace in the programs that came installed on the unit. The programs can be adjusted to fit the dog. I've started them with Program 1, which is the lowest intensity workout, but 1.5 MPH is too slow for even my senior collie (shown in photo) so I bump up the speed to 2.0 MPH when the program drops to the lower speed. Setup wasn't too difficult and we only needed to refer to the online video once (to attach the red side pieces). It is quite large and requires space both in front and at the back to allow the dog to get on and off and for a person to stand at the front. So take this into consideration when deciding where to place it. Supposedly it is movable but it's pretty heavy so moving it should be a rare event.

I purchased the large DogPacer treadmill after using a Fitfurlife treadmill with my dogs (two male Labrador Retrievers) at a local dog training school. I wanted to ensure the dogs would acclimate to it well prior to making the purchase. I chose the DogPacer model to purchase because the price point is significantly lower than all of the other large treadmills on the market today. The treadmill I ordered thru Amazon was from MidwestPets. It was packaged very well. It was shipped to me via FedEx and required my signature for delivery. I am not a technical wizard by any means, but I found it pretty easy to set-up; the instructions provided were sufficient. In fact, the hardest part was removing the shrink wrap (you will see what I mean when you get yours). After setting it up (I placed it on mats of my own that I already had to the floor although DogPacer sells mats too if you need them), I turned it on and hit start. At first it did not go; the treadmill belt did not roll. Because I had this happen to me with the Fitfurlife at the dog training school once I knew what to do and manually moved the roller a bit and then it started going. Just needed a push the first time after it was plugged in... The one at school does that too if it is unplugged. The treadmill has a manual incline that, should you choose to use it, must be set prior to starting the dog's treadmill session. So far I have just set mine one way and left it at that. But just know you cannot change the incline without stopping the treadmill and removing the dog (you can change it automatically on the commerical grade Fitfurlife for example). Many non-commercial grade treadmills are like this though so its hardly a deal breaker. The treadmill speed includes 3 pre-programmed, 30 minute interval training work-outs. You do not have to have the dog do the entire 30 minutes. You can start the dog on the session and stop it at any time. The Level 1 workout has interval training from between 1.5 - 3 miles per hour and is labeled as the easy workout. The Fitfurlife treadmill at school does not have interval programs on so my dogs had been starting on a REALLY slow pace of under one MPH and I gradually increased speed. The first time doing the interval program each dog wanted to jump off because the treadmill changed speeds faster than they were used to... But they got used to it quickly. One of the features I definitely like about this treadmill is the interval programs and the fact that while the program is running you can also manually increase or decrease the speed of the interval. I can also choose to not use the pre-programmed workouts at all and just let the dog use a set speed or change the speed on my own manually whenever I like during the workout. I wish I could record and keep my own interval program for each dog. If I could do that this review would be 5 stars. The computer alternates between 4 things on the screen throughout the workout, Elapsed Minutes (if manual) or Countdown Minutes (if running exercise program) Current Speed Distance Treaded (shown in increments of 1/10ths of a mile) Calories Burned The flyer that comes with the treadmill has a table and graph that shows the timing and speed level of each interval change, but this is not a visual on the computer. I made a copy of the page and keep it next to the treadmill to refer to during the workout if I want to. It would also be a nice addition if the computer would keep track of each dog's total lifetime mileage, but to my knowledge none of the treadmills on the market today do this. The DogPacer website does offer reasonable cost replacements for the computer ($37). Hopefully someday they will include the ability to record custom interval program(s) and track lifetime mileage. I would then pay to upgrade the computer and change my review to 5 stars as that would make a good product outstanding. The treadmill also comes a care kit that includes a little bottle of lubricant and instructions on how and when to use it (after so may miles re-apply, etc.). Time will tell how things wear on it, for example how long will the belt last and will it be comparable to belts on other machines... How much will it cost to replace, etc... I think the belt should last a long time for home use if it is properly maintained and not over tightened (which is also stated in the manual, but visual guides are provided on the machine and instructions in the pamphlet on how to tighten, was easy). Also, my dogs nails are kept very short so should not be an issue for me, but not sure if long dog nails would impact the belt over time. I do hope at some point DogPacer will also offer more choices in side panels without having to pay more, or the option to just buy side panels in different colors that are more agreeable to a home interior, but for now these work fine. Overall right now I am very glad I made the purchase. My dogs are too. At first they were nervous and I did have to do a little coaxing and training, but once they realized it wasn't going to eat them they relaxed and now they jump right on and like their treadmill. UPDATE: 11/5/13 - The dogs still love their treadmill. The younger one usually does the P2 level program although I reduce the highest MPH intervals to ~4.5 MPH for him. My 6 year old does either the P1 level program or I manually set one for him and adjust it manually periodically from 1.5-3.8 MPH. I turn the treadmill off and then unplug it when it is not being used to avoid any possible problem in the event of a power surge. I do notice that when I turn it on I have to wait like 20 seconds prior to programming it or starting it as if I do not it doesn't start when I hit the start button. It counts down and the timer starts, but the treadmill fails to advance. If I wait like 20 seconds or so after turning it on and then program and start (and maybe give it a push with my hand) then it starts no problem. And in between dogs there is no problem starting it again once it has been run for the prior dog. The treadmill also inspired me to move my hand weights to the same room so I can do some upper body workout while also watching the dogs on the mill.