Most Popular Questions on Firepaw Dog Treadmills – Interview by Business Insider
How did you get the idea to do this product?
Hello my name is Georgi Simeonov, I am the founder of Firepaw Dog Treadmills.I have two adopted pitbulls at my home and couple of years ago had to spend too much time on keeping them fit and healthy. They are dogs full of energy and drive to play and serve. Meanwhile pitbulls are not always friendly with other dogs and cannot just bring them in the park to play.6 years ago I saw a random picture in the internet of a very old wooden treadmill driven by sheep to run some kind of a sewing machine.I was thinking that my dogs would love to run on something like this and asked my father to make one for me. It was a great mill and I still use it, not much different than the treadmills we make now.
It turn out to be very useful tool and it more or less replaced the daily cycling with two dogs or searching for a safe place to let them run or swim
Why did you want to have a product like this?
The treadmill turned out useful and time saving for me and I believed it will help with the same with many other dog owners given the fast paced daily life. What is more, the mechanic treadmills are an effective alternative for conditioning and rehabilitation of dogs for owners facing challenges like bad weather, crowded parks or physical limitations. They are also very useful for breeders, dog trainers, vet clinics and dog hotels.
Firepaw Dog Treadmills are only mechanical and dog is not forced to run, it can stop anytime if it doesn’t want run or there is a trauma, this is impossible with popular on market electric treadmills for dogs. What is more dog can achieve its maximum in speed and stamina and fulfill full physical potential all controlled by itself. They last longer and could be used on field.
How is it helpful for you and your dogs?
My dogs actually liked it from the very first time. They saw it as funny game and enjoyed it a lot. I think the treadmill established a better connection between me and them because as they see I am happy with them working on the mill they were getting more and more enthusiastic as pitbulls and most dogs are eager to serve their owners. And of course it saved a lot of time for me.
Some people may think is a substitute for walks, what do you say for these people?
In my opinion dog walks should not be skipped – they help our four pawed friends to socialize and provide experiences and emotions which are hard to be substituted. It also should be considered that different dog breeds have specific physical needs and walks are not
always enough to keep them fit and healthy.
What types of dogs need or would benefit from having a treadmill?
Most of all bull breeds, shepherds and hunting dogs because of their high energy levels and drive to serve and play. Overweight dogs. I would recommend Firepaw Dog Treadmills for giant dogs as an alternative of long walks and running because of the shock absorbing system treadmills have, this helps with the joint issues massive dogs experience.
How do you train a dog to use it?
This is very individual, some dogs start running from the very first time and others might need one or two weeks to start running.It depends on the breed, the dog’s character and its connection with owner. The dog should not be forced to run, the use of treadmill should be seen as a fun game for him/her. In the beginning some treats or a favourite toy might be very useful to attract the dog’s attention and make it feel comfortable. We have a detailed step by step guideline at our website.
What materials do you use to develop it?
We use powder painted and welded solid steel for the frame and there is no limitation in weight of dog. That why is we prefer solid steel not aluminum for the construction. The running belt is made of strong hardwood joined with a very strong plastic belt. The main wheels and small running wheels and are custom made from aluminum equipped with specific fast moving bearing. It is all handmade.
Interview by Business Insider
