E MILL KEEPS

[Crofab]

Not so. By the very admission that an emill "isn't building muscle," and that actual running is "definitely different" in what it accomplishes, you are thereby admitting they are not "the same."

Your error here is in confusing "moving your legs" with actually running. With an emill, you're just "moving your legs" while a belt is moving underneath you. By contrast, out in the hills you are actually running, which means propelling your whole body forward against the inertia of gravity. This absolute difference in what is actually happening between the two exercises is precisely why true running is ultimately superior to emilling.

Moving your legs at a slow pace is walking, while moving your legs at a fast pace is running. I'm not disputing what's best for the animal. The physical act of running is still the same whether it's on an emill, a slatmill, a carpetmill, jenny, etc. Yes, there is more work involved with some as opposed to the others. No one is disputing that fact.

Neither would I. But because dogs can "come out winners" placed under a wide variety of keeps, what this shows is that there are other factors to winning than "what keep" the dog is placed on ... the most important of which is what dog is being used, and at what weight?

Agreed. There are other variables and factors that come into play when dogs are matched as most winners are simply better than others. I believe it shows all of the things you mentioned along with the keep.

That is not true. Bicycling a dog, or weight pulling a dog, involves human effort and constant attention. Even flirtpoling and ATVing a dog require more effort than putting a dog on a mill and just standing there, and (what's more) they're ultimately better for the dog too.

In reference to weight pulling, I guess that would depend on how a person goes about doing such a task. There is no work involved in flirtpoling aside from me laughing and snickering at dogs! ATV requires effort in driving and watching the dog, neither of which is forcing the individual to do any work. Either way, it's all a "lazy man's" way of working the dog unless the man is truly working strenuously alongside the animal every step of the way.

This is true for that animal, but that doesn't mean the emill is the best way to condition in general ... it is just all that particular dog can be coaxed to do.

I never said the emill was the best way to condition in general. I was simply pointing out that the ideas revolving around emills and keeps simply aren't all the same. That, in fact, it can be used as a tool to get a dog in shape to win as opposed to just walking which is what seems to be the prevailing idea on how to use an emill for many people.

Yep. The flirtpole, the jenny, and two other contraptions are what comprise my own keep, and dogs that don't want to work these devices will be at an exercise disadvantage compared to the ones that do.

Jack

110% agreement!