What is a slat mill?
It’s a self-powered treadmill for dogs. If the dog doesn’t want to move, it doesn’t move. If the dog wants to run full speed, it flies with them. If the dog wants to trot a comfortable pace, they can do that too.
Why would I use one?
Oh. Oh I could go on. The most obvious is simply exercise. Dogs benefit from movement, both physically and mentally. It’s a good way to keep a dog in shape or shed a few pounds.
But that’s just the simplest reason. The slat mill goes deeper than that.
At the start, most dogs are going to struggle with it. The ground moves! They’re strapped in to a harness but can’t “go” anywhere. That’s spooky stuff for a lot of dogs.
And that’s the point.
For many dogs, their experience of something spooky or stressful is that they get to leave, get to avoid it, or the spooky thing goes away.
They never learn to overcome. They never learn that on the other side of stress is safety, is fun, is renewed confidence.
The slat mill lets us show them this. And Abby and I will be there to guide them.
They get to have a safe experience overcoming. They do that with a person, learning to trust they can be asked to do a hard thing. And they realize it leads to fun! They get to run, they get to move.
And they learn they are in control. They can stop it. They can slow it. They have agency and choice.
And they learn they are in control. They can stop it. They can slow it. They have agency and choice.
The slat mill also lets us teach them modulation. We can teach them to go slower, to go harder, and when to stop and start.
(Did I mention it helps file their nails?)
Pricing
Sessions will be a half-hour long and will include breaks for conditioned relaxation.
½ hour = $50
Sessions can be booked during a dog’s daycare day, a boarding stay, or with me directly; resolvecaninetraining@gmail.com