By Melissa Heckscher,
Contributing writer
Frankie totally had this.
Twenty minutes into her scheduled run last week, she was short of a jog and hadn’t even broken a sweat — though she was panting.
But she can’t help that.
After all, Frankie is a goldendoodle and one of a growing number of fitness-bound pups signed up to get weekly runs, not in the great outdoors — but on dog-powered treadmills inside climate-controlled vans.
“Some people can exercise their dogs enough, but some people can’t,” said Marc Cleary, the owner of Bark N’ Roll mobile dog gym, a dog fitness company that lets canines run their hearts out without actually going anywhere.
Cleary desribed his business as “a personal trainer for your dog.”
But before you balk — or bark — at the idea of pampered pooches getting playdates delivered Postmates-style, consider this: Some dogs need more exercise than a simple walk.
“This isn’t replacing a walk,” said Cleary, who opened Bark ’N Roll in Redondo Beach in March. “A dog still needs to walk and smell things, see squirrels, feel the sunshine.”
Pups also still need to play with their owners, Cleary added. But even that’s not always enough.
Some people choose Bark ’N Roll — which costs $45 for a 30-minute session — because it keeps their more aggressive dogs safe from potential fights. Some do it to avoid coyotes, which have become a growing problem in parts of the South Bay.
Many, like Sharon Donaghey of Palos Verdes Estates, just like the extra workout it gives their pets.
Donaghey said she’ll take her Doberman, named Hunter, on 45-minute walks several times a day, but the treadmill (technically called a “slatmill” since it’s made of flexible plastic slats pushed only by the dog’s momentum) seems to leave him more tired afterward.
“He’s looking for more strenuous exercise; he’s very fit,” Donaghey said. “The other thing is that he isn’t amazing on a leash. He’s good with us, but he’s reactive with other dogs.”
When Hunter is working out in the van, Donaghey said, she doesn’t have to worry about other dogs or about whether her regular walker can handle his hefty 100 pounds.
Because the slatmill is pooch-powered, there’s no worry Fido will go flying off the conveyer belt. If a dog slows down or stops, the belt slows down or stops with it — allowing the pooch to go at its own speed.
The slats, though, also provide resistance, which gives the dogs more of a workout than a regular walk would.
Dogs are leashed in to make sure they stay on track, but other than that, they’re free to walk as they’d like, though Cleary also offers treats, pats and praise to get them excited to move.
“Some dogs catch on the first session; some take a few sessions,” Cleary said, adding he had one dog who refused to run because he was “just stubborn.”
As for Frankie, she likes to run. But it wasn’t always that way.
When she started with Bark N’ Roll in March, she was more skittish, said her owner, Redondo Beach resident Jenny Treacy.
“The first time, she was not really certain about it, but after that, she was obsessed,” Treacy said. “I was shocked. Before this, literally a flag could whip in the wind and she would run away. But she absolutely loves it and loves Marc. We can’t even say his name around her or she’ll get so excited.”
Cleary knows first-hand how a little extra exercise can change a dog.
He’s a longtime animal shelter volunteer, has fostered 14 dogs over the years and spent many hours working with rescue dogs. Looking back, he said, it was a lack of exercise that made many of his dogs seem “un-adoptable.”
“The common denominator with all these so-called ‘bad dogs’ was that they were just not getting the exercise they needed,” Cleary said. “Every single one of them was happier — that would always be the solution — when they got more exercise. It just calmed them down.”
Cleary said his experience fostering led him to start Bark ’N Roll. It was a leap of faith for this salesman-turned-dog whisperer, though he still has a day job in sales.
“I just love doing this work,” Cleary said. “I’ve always wanted to do something with dogs.”
Cleary, though, is not the only one jumping on the climate-controlled bandwagon.
Across the country — especially in places where temperatures soar into triple digits or dip into the negative — mobile dog gyms are a growing commodity for pet-owners who don’t want to subject their pets to searing sidewalks or subzero streets. In Las Vegas, for instance, businesses like Run Doggy Run are reportedly booming. In Los Angeles, Star Pups Mobile Gym, based in West LA, offers a similar service.
“Heat stroke is a real issue, especially during our hottest times of the year,” said veterinarian Sean Goodell, owner of Bay Animal Hospital in Manhattan Beach. “Around (the South Bay), we don’t have to worry about that as much as places like Las Vegas, so it’s not as much of an issue.”
Still, Cleary said, the treadmill walks offer something different from a regular walk around the neighborhood.
“Dog walkers are great; they’re filling the void of, ‘I’m too busy, please just take my dog,’” Cleary said. “But this is going to give your dog that little bit extra for his health.”
Running on a dog-powered treadmill is safe for most dogs and can be beneficial, Goodell said, especially when dogs can’t properly socialize at, for instance, a dog park.
“Beyond, ‘Is it safe?’ My next thought was, ‘Is it necessary?’” Goodell said. “Initially, I thought, ‘Why can’t you just take a Chuck-It out to the park and run your dog?’ But maybe there are certain circumstances where that doesn’t work, like if you can’t go to the dog park and play fetch because you’re worried about aggression issues.”
As for the equipment itself, Goodell said that he sees no problems.
“The slatted treadmill sounds like it’s pretty safe on their little feet, and the fact that the dog creates the momentum, that sounds good,” Goodell said. “I don’t see anything wrong with it from the standpoint of getting dogs that need to lose weight to burn more calories.”
Some breeds — such as what Goodell described as “very active, high- anxiety dogs,” including vizslas or weimaraners — can really benefit from more exercise.
In contrast, intense exercise can be risky for short-nosed dogs such as pugs, bulldogs and mastiffs because of their narrowed windpipes, Goodell said. But even that’s not an issue, he added, since most dogs will just stop running if they become short of breath.
Climate control also helps.
The Bark ’N Roll van keeps canines cool, with Cleary turning up the air conditioning if the temperature in the van goes above 75 degrees. As for the treadmill, it can hold dogs from about 5 to 100 pounds. So whether it’s a Shih Tzu or a shepherd, all are welcome. Cleary also recently ordered a bigger treadmill, so he’ll also be able to accommodate larger dog breeds and have two dogs running at one time.
To get the dogs going — and to keep them at a good pace — Cleary plays loyal cheerleader, staying by the dogs’ sides the whole time, offering treats, hugs and lots of “Good dog!” commendations as the pups huff away.
“I have a pit bull who is motivated by kisses,” Cleary said. “Some dogs need treats to keep them going, but this pit bull, he just wants kisses.”
For more information, call 310-896-8207 or or visit barknroll.net.