With mill or no mill , they will both get the job done . But i like the fact that with a flirt pole you can get one hot faster than you can witg a mill jmho. And its also not just flurting the dog and putting him up, and the same goes for the mill. You have to know what you are doing in order for uou to be in descent shape . Theres a purpose for everything from the food to the workout and even the schooling, it all plays a part . This is one of my favorite topics on hounds . Alot of you have posted great information. Btw i learned the hardway on conditioning. Its a bad feeling when they do their part and you came up short on your end.