Carpet Mill Questions - Page 1

DISCLAIMER: Yes, I run him and play with him, he gets to do bite work and lives a great life. I want one to build his hind end. I'm not interested in a slat mill at the moment.

Hello everyone,

Hopefully some one that has worked with both mills will jump on here.

I'm getting a carpet mill and can't decide between the Colby and the Grand. I have spoken to both of them the Colby is a few buck cheaper to my door but it's not a determining factor. Can any of you offer up some insight? Otherwise I'll have to buy both and I don't want to do that if I don't have to.

As always I appreciate any and all help.

Michael

If you want to build muscle in the rear of your dog I would not buy ether.  I would buy a weight pull harness and pull a dead weight sled.

I have built several mills and would use a conveyer belt instead of carpet on a hard turning mill. 

Thanks for the input Paul. Load some pics of the ones you built would like to see those.

20 years ago I knew a pit bull breeder with a wooden, Grand type mill - virtually identical to what's advertised currently, and well built from what I recollect. Possibly same company. I know Colby goes way back. 

I don't think much of treadmills when there is so much adventure and bonding to be had doing the activities together.

I suppose if you are disabled or if for some reason doing road/trail/hill/park/water/etc work alongside your companion is not practical, then maybe a mill is worth looking into. I frequently see a lady who uses an electric wheelchair walking her dogs briskly in not the best of neighborhoods.

Not sure what you mean by 'building back end'. IMO a variety of physical activities with the objective of building an overall finely tuned, agile and cardio-fit dog would be optimal. I think of it as dog-crossfit: walk, jog, run and sprint. Swimming. Light disc and ball tosses in soft grass (easy on the joints). Tugging..in the water too. Retrieval and tossing around of heavier objects like old tires and large sticks.










 

If  you are talking just building muscle and strengthening swimming and running on soft sand is probably the best.  If you are talking about conditioning that is probably the easiest on the joints.  If you are talking strengthening a rear end that may be weak or cowhocked then if you have any sand dunes or gradual uphill slopes on soft surfaces will work.  If you are talking  strengthening a cowhocked dog then yes a treadmill at a 5% incline will do that also; maybe 3-5 miles per hour depending on the dog (not too fast).  I would probably start with 2 miles per day and go from there.  I have used a harness with a lead line and hooked up a vehicle tire to the dog in harness and let them pull;  have also used a landcart;  you can also bike them on soft surface.  Like a track at a school is dirt;  that would work, football field of grass would work.  YOu can get a golf cart to run him next to you also would be good.  (PS:  tire without rim to start).  Natural conditioning is probably best but if that is not possible then treadmills work great.

Good luck  Nan

No pictures that was back in the 80's.

Thanks Nan you have a PM.

Thanks anyway Paul would have liked to see those.

Michael I would discuss how to make one and the pros and cons of different mills if you like, on the forum or PM or by phone.

Paul

Thanks Paul, I would like to hear what you think about it as well as the sled info below. I might just buy both mills one for home one for the office. They both seem to be good mills I'm wondering if it's more of a Chevy vs. Ford thing at this point.

Update: I got Asko a weight pulling harness and a drag sled. We tried it out yesterday I hooked him up and put 25lbs on it and he acted like he was bolted to the floor. So I kept dropping the weight till he would pull it around.

I did some reading last night and think I have a better understanding of it now so we'll try again this evening just walking with me by his side for a few days with little or no weight and then I'll slowly add more weight.

If anyone has and training advice with a sled let me know.

Michael

I used to seriously weight pull a decade or so ago and would use various lengths of logging chains attached to the harness for conditioning.  Never used a sled for this type of work.  I had the chain cut in various lengths by weight and would add or remove weight depending on the type of workout I was doing and the level of the dog working.  While I no longer weight pull I do use the harness and chains to condition my conformation dogs on occasion as it does seem to aid in muscle tone and encouraging the dog to drive off his/her rear.

I would go slow and build up the weight.  Remember that a moderate weight and distance will be more effective then loading on the pounds pulled and going a shorter distance.