Pooping on treadmill?

[Mama Soltera]

I really want to get a treadmill for my dog and I to go on when the weather is bad or my kids are home. Every time we pick up any kind of speed though, he poops. He poops usually three times per walk. I'm wondering how his running = go poop issue is going to work out on the treadmill? Any experience or suggestions?

[Oubliette8]

3 times per walk? Can I ask what you are feeding him? My first thought would be to work on his pooping frequency. 3 times per walk seems really excessive to me and might be related to his food. Switching to a higher quality food is likely to reduce the quantity and size of his poop, as well as improve its consistency. Its possible to get a great quality food for a decent price- comparable to many brand names, or even cheaper. For comparisons sake, my dog poops once, maybe twice a day. When we go for a walk she goes, and then stops and goes a second time within 5 minutes and we're done.

Which brings me to my second suggestion- I'd make sure he's "empty" before running him. Most dogs have a predictable potty pattern. with my own dog, if i have to bring her somewhere I don't want her to poop, I make sure to potty her before we go. She goes poop in the afternoon, and is more likely to go quickly if we go for a walk, as opposed to letting her out in the yard. We don't even have to go half a block before she's all done. Learning your dog's pattern will allow you to know if/when he's likely to have an accident.

The last thing you can do is teach your dog to eliminate on command. I haven't taught any of my own dogs, but it can be done. Simply give the chosen command as soon as they are in the act of eliminating, then offer treats and praise. For the first few weeks only say it just when they start or right before they eliminate. Eventually they associate the word with going to the bathroom and you'll be able to say the word, and they'll be able to "perform".

[Mama Soltera]

Hi. Thanks for responding.

I really don't think it's his diet because he has the exact same poop habits as when he was 100% raw, and I am feeding him a diet with no bi-products or anything like that. I also should've clarified that I go in the morning and we go five miles, so he is doing all his pooping for the whole day because of the stimulation from the exercise moving his bowels. He only poops in the yard on days when I haven't been able to walk him.

I have trained previous dogs to poop only at home or on command. I don't know where I went wrong with this guy! He's great in every other way. Maybe I'll look into that and give it a shot. I definitely can't have him pooping in the house if I do get a treadmill!

Thanks again for your suggestions.

[Oubliette8]

Ah, that makes more sense! 3 times on one walk and then done for the whole day sounds normal. I thought we were talking 2 or 3 walks a day! LOL, big difference. I agree, learning to poop on command is probably going to be your best bet, and give him a little time in the yard to make sure its all out before starting the treadmill.

[Mama Soltera]

I have thought of feeding him in the morning after exercising (instead of at night). Do you think that would help? It's so hard to find time to do in the morning; that's what's kept me from doing it before.

[Oubliette8]

He eats once a day? I would assume that would move the time of his bowel movements to the afternoon or evening for you then. You might have to play with it a bit to get the timing right.

what kind of dog is he? Bloat is more common in some dog breeds, and it is recommended that you do not exercise a dog with one or two hours of a meal- some sources say don't feed before, some say, say do not feed before or after. If your dog is of a breed or body type that he is at higher risk, then I would be very careful about this, its probably a good idea for any dog, as all breeds can bloat, just not as often as others.