Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

I'm new to the board - and looking for slat mill info for my whippets. Before ya laugh at me and my skinny dogs, bear with me...I'm crazy enough that I do bitework with some of these wacky hounds.

All told, I have 11 whippets that I lure course and race. Living in Colorado makes training in the winter difficult, if not impossible sometimes. When spring racing season hits, my guys are outta shape!

I bought a carpet mill earlier this year...and while some of my whips can open up and sprint on it, the resistance is too daunting to others...and even the ones who WILL sprint on it get winded after about 1 minute.

In doing my research a bit more (should have done it the 1st time around before spending the $$$ on the carpet mill), I think a slat mill is actually what I need. I'm looking to build cardio/stamina for the straight track, oval track, and lure coursing - which include sprints of 200, 350, and up to 900 yards, respectively.

Now I'm a bit gun-shy about putting out a ton of money unless I know I'm getting the right thing this time AND that I'm getting what I pay for. I've looked at both the DogTrotter.com site and the RPMillmaker.com site. The difference in cost is considerable. Does anyone have experience with either of these companies? Is there somewhere else I should look?

Used would be fine, if it's well-made. I read somewhere that a well put together slat won't be that much louder than a carpet mill. Is this true?

And just for fun, if you want to watch a skinnyboy run the carpet mill, you can check out my boy, Feynman: [video=youtube;7GTCqY7U2Uo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GTCqY7U2Uo[/video]

Thanks in advice for the help.

Jennifer Hime - Front Range K9 & Horsetooth Whippets

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

U need à Slatmill that is smooth
We have à custemor with whippets,and THE Hf Mill
Works perfect

Check them put on Facebook Or YouTube

Bye

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

That dog would fly on a slatmill lol
Nice looking dog

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

Thanks, PureGameness...he really loves the carpet mill. But unless the individual whippet I put on it is full of drive, they really struggle with the amount of work it requires. I can see their frustration...they just want to run all out, but it takes all they've got to make it go like they want, so they tend to give up pretty easy...way more fun to chase a bunny than run the mill.

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

No one is laughing at you or your whippets.A working whippet is a very cool dog..!Carpet mills SUCK.!It's like night and day between carpet and slat.I've seen apbt's have a hard time on a carpet mill.If your LUCKEY to get a dog to run a carpet mill your only going to build big muscle's like a bodybuilder.A slat builds tons of endurance and lean muscle's perfect for your whippets.LOL back in the early 90's my jackrussell pup ran my red river curley slatmill now thats funny to see a little 10lb female pup peddleing away on a slat and LOVING it.My staffybull ran it like a freight train coming down the tracks my apbt's ran it like a greyhound.Back then red river curley slats were big with apbt's guys.The guys into conditioning there apbt's will know who makes good slats these days.These mills will be the same mills for your whippets trust me.Spend some money bite the bullet because you'll need a good one for 11 whippets.Whippets are plenty big enough to run a slat but light enough to put way less wear and tear on your new slatmill.LOL,,,I got divorced and had to move 6 years ago so I had to sell my red river if not for that it would still be up and running.I'm actually thinking about buying a new slatmill when I have a couple of younger dogs in the house right now my dogs are old and just need normal play and walk.You should proudly post some photo's of your whippets,,,before I die I will own a whippet or a whippet small terrier cross..!PEACE

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

Get a dog trotter and be done with it

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

Cool video. Yup, go with the Dog Trotter. RPmillmaker is from overseas and I've read of a few nightmares on shipping. Plus with the Dog Trotter you can get the right size for you Whippets. He's pretty reliable and done no one wrong.

You also have Cali Mills:

Cali Mills |

And Ghostrider Mills:

SlatMills

I have the Ghostrider myself but it's I'm not sure how a hound of rangy stature would do. I know for bulldogs it would be for a 55 lbs dog max.

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

Hi, toom...thanks for thinking the whips are cool. I came from having great danes and German shepherds. I swore I'd never have a dog that needs to wear a coat in the winter, LOL, but now I'll never have anything else but whippets. They are the toughest little guys, with enough terrier blood still in them that they have way more fire than greyhounds and other sighthounds.

Glad to know the slat mill will work better for them than the carpet mill! When you're ready for a whippet, holler...if I don't have anything on the ground, I can at least point you to someone who's not breeding crap.

And I'll take you up on that picture posting proposition. Here's my number one gal, Penelope (mother of the boy Feynman in my video, above): http://www.horsetoothwhippets.com/images/Fun_Run_0409_009.jpg

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

Thanks Steeldog...will check those links out tomorrow (eyes are crossing from all the mills I've looked at online today)!

My biggest whippet is 42 lbs, but is 24.5" at the shoulder and very leggy...

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

LOL...Thanks Boogieman...I am shy about how free spinning the Dog Trotters are, just from some of the posts I've read...but it's gotta be better/freer than my Grand Carpet Mill, right????-

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

yes and for the money I would go with the ghostrider. I have owned several mills including the dog trotter(best materials and quality just didnt spin real well) and my next mill will most likely be the ghostrider. If you need contact info pm me and I will pass it to you, the man is real cool and is legit.

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

I would like to see a Whippet compete in a treradmill race with some Bulldogs. Thanks for posting.

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

my buddy can build a quality mill, he typically sells for 15, but im guessin hes pinched for money cuz hes lettin em go at 12 right now, not sure how much shipping from cali would be. but its a replicate of TL's winmill.....nice mills, if i had the money id buy 2 of em! lol

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

btw, i was told from multiple dogmen not to get too wound up about free spinning.....while of course you want it to spin freely and smooth you dont want it to the point where you blow on it and it spins 10x lol, but more along the lines of comparing it to roadwork.......you still want the dog to push its body weight, if its too free spinning you run the risk of a dog hurting himself when he breaks stride, plus at that point you aint doin nothin a e mill wont do........good luck in your search!

btw, id do more homework on RPMILLMAKER, as ive heard of folks not even gettin theyre shit! although that killer spinner does look nice! lol

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

Wow - just want to say a big thanks for ALL the helpful insight & input I'm getting on this thread. And for the warm welcome to me and my skinnydogs and all my questions. You guys are great.

 

Re: Slat Mill comparisons? Education & Advice, Please!

Nice dog, I like any dog that work, nothing worste then a dog getting fat n useless. Nice dogs n you'll find plenty of hook ups on here u came to the right place