You go to the gym and so can your dog. Sometimes more unconventional dog exercise equipment in the home is mistakenly thought to have its roots in dog fighting. This is simply not true – dog exercise equipment can benefit owners who are unable to spend as much time as they’d like exercising their dog, don’t have a safe neighborhood to exercise their dog in, are physically unable to give their dog the exercise it needs, or are training for a competitive dog sport.

I’ve compiled a list of some less conventional dog exercise equipment here. We’ve all seen the Agility jumps and see-saws, so here are some dog fitness tools you may not have considered before.

Dog Treadmill

A dog treadmill can be a great tool to exercise your dog if you don’t have the time or the luxury of a safe neighborhood to run with your dog, or if you’re physically unable to run. Nowadays there are various types of dog treadmills being created by many different companies. When using a dog treadmill, be sure to follow the safety instructions and ramp up speeds/distances slowly, at a pace that’s right for your dog.

Spring Pole

You may have seen spring poles being referred to when people talk about dog fighting. Even some animal protection organizations speak badly of spring poles, stating that seeing a spring pole in someone’s yard is one way to spot a dog fighter.

What exactly is a spring pole? Basically, a spring pole is a “springy” device which is attached to a surface that the dog can bite. The dog jumps up, grabs onto the spring pole, and tugs as the springy mechanism provides resistance. A spring pole can be a great way for your dog to burn off excess energy – energy that in many breeds can turn into dog or human aggression if it is pent up and not utilised.

Sure, spring poles are often used by dog fighters. So are dog treadmills, so are sticks and tennis balls, and so are food and water bowls and kennels. A tool is only as “evil” as its owner.

Remember that your dog must be fully grown, its bones and joints fully developed, before you should undertake any jump training or jumping exercises. If you’re teaching your puppy how to use a spring pole, try lowering it so that they don’t have to jump up to grab onto it.

Cart and Weights

Get a cart and harness for your dog to pull and fill the cart with reasonable weight. Teach your dog to pull the cart, as dogs are trained to do in the sport of weight pulling. This can help to build your dog’s core strength. You’d be amazed at how heavy the weights that professional weight pulling dogs can handle are, but always remember to build your dog’s strength up gradually – the load must be only as heavy as your dog can handle.

You can start small, like this little girl

Bite Sleeves

I list this here simply because it is a dog exercise tool, but I do not condone anyone using the bite sleeve without the supervision of a qualified protection dog trainer. A dog bite or protection sleeve is a sleeve that goes onto a person’s arm or leg to protect them from dog bites. These sleeves are often used in personal protection dog training or training for dog sports such as Schutzhund or French Ring Sport. Because training with a bite sleeve actually encourages the dog to bite, a bite sleeve should never be used by amateur dog owners.

Check out an example of basic Schutzhund bite training below:

We always recommend that you consult a vet before undertaking an exercise regime or start using a new tool in your dog exercise sessions. Remember that dog exercise equipment isn’t a substitute for going outside, getting a chance to run around, and socializing with other dogs. There are more unique dog exercise tools out there – if you find something interesting, let us know in the comments!