Off-Leash Hike with My Heeler: Talking E-collars, Breed Temperaments, & Training Styles
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
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I go into how I have trained Cowboy to be able to go off-leash basically any hike we go on.
E-collars can be a valuable tool when used correctly. DO NOT use if you do not put the time into using one correctly and buying good equipment.
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I had a blue, his name was willie. He was an amazing trail buddy. One time and one time only he ran off, after that he would not get out of sight from me. Absolutely loved hiking with him. He had to carry the biggest stick he could find. Always felt safe with him, knew he would protect me no matter what. He would herd my horses and bring them in for me. He died March 19, 2020. Miss him with all my heart!! Still cry for him.
🙏🏼
willie is a great name :)
I'm so sorry. But his memory is always with you.
My old boy (red heeler) just turned 14 and is battling arthritis (but loves his pain meds) so the days of heavy exercise and hiking are over. He mainly sleeps, eats and farts now - which is ok...he's earned it.
haha nice. You feed him any supplements for his joints and arthritis?
@@DogLifeWithJack yes. Arthrisoothe. He gets anti inflammatory and a pain med and 2 chews am and the same pm. First dog I have ever had the takes the pills freely (doesn’t need to be hidden in a treat or peanut butter or similar), he simply takes the white chalky af pill.
I would feed him grass fed beef, because they are carnivores.
Got this heeler at 1 1/2 she had 6 homes before this one. Have had heelers for 34years. This one was a challenge to train but we are getting there after 3 years now.
My cattle dog was such a challenge for me ( got 1 as my first dog lol) and he turned me into a dog trainer , I start training dogs Monday and I get to take him to work with me every day. So grateful I got a cattle dog
Gus hikes off leash 99.99% of the time. The only time he is leashed is if we are in a high bear or cat activity area and there is lots of sign, a swift river crossing or areas were a fall is very possible. We actually had a USFS ranger compliment us on his manners and command responses. I have Gus trained to stop and sit when I say WAIT! He is also trained to not round corners on the trail and when I say "Off Trail" he moves off the trail and waits for people to pass by.
Bringing home my first Blue, "Nova" on 12/7! I can't wait! I have only had working dogs, I look at it as training for my Heeler. I agree with your training methods. Subscribed!
I had herding dogs all my life. From the time I was born until now, I'm 32. I've had 1 acd and 1 mix that is half acd and half border collie. Cautious is the best word to describe them. Their level of attention and skepticism is not matched by many, if any at all. They are tried and true "supervisors".
I have a frisbee loving Texas Cow dog. At least two hours at the park everyday. He works so hard and stays focused the whole time on his frisbees. Also a great trail dog on a hike or Mt biking… never leaves my side. Keep up the great content…
the best trail dogs for sure!
I have a beautiful red heeler that i got from the local animal shelter in March. I AM IN LOVE
My 1.5yo ACD is a work in progress..lol. He had a huge prey drive. Getting better with leave it when he's not super excited or those darn bunnies dart across the yard. I have used ecollar on occasion. Buzz to strengthen "come" and a quick tap to reinforce leave it. His worst trait currently is the reactivity to other dogs and some people. If only he wouldn't lunge at every bicycle and scooter!!! Love your pup. More vids!
Cowboy used to try and bite bike tires too. Solution: desensitize the heck out of him. Keep him on the leash and bike your guy next to you. Correct him if he goes for a tire but keep the leash short enough so he can't get it or else he could get hurt. Stay consistent and you'll get there. Took a while to break cowboy of that one for sure. He still trys to get a nip every now and then on a tire. I can't speak as much to dog reactivity as Cowboy has never had that issue but its the same idea: desensitize
Just rescued(like literally out of a drug house) a Cattle/German shepherd mix. Your videos are super helpful for me in learning to train her. I've had huskies for 25 years, but this one is different for sure.
Had a wonderfully behaved blue heeler, Bandit for 4 years. He had perfect heel and recall with me off leash. My boyfriend took him for a walk one day and didnt use the leash like i said to. He went across a street to greet a person he recognized on our front porch and was hit by a truck in front of my house. These are one person dogs, they don't respond to other people telling them the same commands. Wish I had known about e collars back then. Thanks for sharing this information.
Oh my gosh this is heartbreaking...
I'm on my 5th heeler over the last 35 years. Although they were a little different from each other. They all are so similar. Thanks for the great videos
Charlie, my heeler cross kelpie is the best, I didn't realise heelers were so popular in the US.
Give 'em your time, love and a feed and they're yours forever. Next level best friend
I have 4 cattle dogs and a toy fox terrier
I walk off leash with my 15 month old male ACD twice a day, everyday. My Ozzie is a great dog on the trails and loves being off leash. Best part is when it’s time to be put on the leash, no problem. My third Heeler, my first male. Great informative video as usual.
That is awesome!
I had an Ozzie as well. Brilliant dog never left my bike. I'm getting old now got a Australian Terrier he's crazy high energy loves the trails
Im a first time sometimes frustrated blue heeler owner, got him at 8 months old, only had him for about 3 months. Thanks for your videos, I
I know the feeling. Stick with it! The more time you put into learning how to train and training the better your relationship with your dog will be.
I have a 15 week old Bluey it's my 6th cattle dog, my aim is to have him as good as cowboy. Good work and love your content mate.
6th! wow you're a cattle dog veteran. thank you, I appreciate that! I'm sure he'll be awesome
I worked with a trainer to learn the use of the Ecollar and it is a great tool, she listens well now and is very responsive. I’m lucky we have a ranch where she has more freedom. She knows if I hit vibrate she needs to respond so she doesn’t need any stronger unless she doesn’t come or tries to blow me off. She is a small working Aussie and is two now and I see growth in her thinking and reasoning, but when little she challenged me at every opportunity. Always have had this breed and so many different personalities and gifts in each. My last Aussie would alert to rattlesnakes, something you really can’t teach them.
It’s Cowboy! He’s super super cute the content isn’t too bad either. Cheers
appreciate it!
Tried positive reinforcement training with my heeler. It's great for developing foundations but later I discovered that she excelled with e-collar training.
i've only ever had heelers. I don't think I would ever have a different companion. SMART, SMART, SMART!!! How some lists have them at #10 kills me! Brave, exhausting, loving. They can swim, too. Not their favorite thing, but more than willing. You'll never have to worry with one of these guys around.
Got a 1 year old ACD, shes still a work in progress lol but shes making great strides, your content really helps!
Cattle dog!! Blue heeler. Your training tips has worked better than any i've tried. thanks keep making them
Glad they're helping. Thanks for following along James. Always open to suggestions for videos if there is something you have in mind!
We love your videos and own a wonderful Red Heeler named Maverick. Yes, this breed is so intelligent!!
Just subscribed. I have a young German Shepherd. He is my fifth and they are my heart dogs. Grew up with Brittanies. This is the first dog I have used an e-collar on. He is so responsive I only need to use the “buzz” feature.
I have a red heeler (my second acd) and I completely agree with you about balanced training. I enjoyed the last couple videos I've watched from you, me and my dog get out cycling and hiking a lot too, so I hit that subscribe button.
appreciate ya!
When Mars hit those teen months, he was a nightmare. :) He was into tipping the trashcans. One day I gave up and bolted the plastic cans to the side of the steel toolshed. By the next day he'd ripped them off the bolts.
I gave up and bought a fiberglass Navy Surplus missile shipping container and converted it into a dumpster. Then I had to add a latch to the hinged lid I made, because of course Mars was still jumping on it and opening the lid.
Somehow we both survived. He's 9 now, so he's mellowed down to the level of a "normal" dog. Asleep at my feet right now. Knows the mail truck when it's a quarter mile away but still in sight. Has one specific type of bark for the one specific carrier who loves to talk to him. All the other carriers get the Fuck You bark. He recognizes mail trucks, UPS trucks, FedEx trucks, orange aprons on the people at Home Depot (they have the treats!), knows if I hug or shake someone's hand that they're "Friend," when I have to drive into NV from AZ, I stop at Goldfield because he has His One Bush that he has to pee on. Also knows the Hidden Treasures store where Brian (passed last year) would give him cookies. Has recall like I've never experienced, it just came naturally. He's my hiking buddy, just like you showed in your video here. And he knew every farmcat who ever lived on the farm where we used to live; strays wandering onto the property got the bum rush.
I know he won't live forever, and that's gonna be hard someday.
Great tips every dog owner and hiker should follow! I invested a lot of time, training and love into my little buddy and we almost run everywhere off-leash, and we always having a good time on the trail. You definitely got a new subscriber here, you are a great team guys. Best wishes, Mario
appreciate it Mario!
Have my Lucy red heeler. We are on 370acres and walk/hike off leash daily. We have E collar that I have not attached electrodes to. Just have vibrate and page modes engaged. Serves our needs.
Thanks for video .. always enjoy your content. Bought a ‘Mini Educator’ ecollar about a year ago but have been hesitant to use it in that I didn’t want to have our Red Heeler have any training regressions due to misuse. After watching video I decided to give it another .. so far so good .. she knows her basic commands .. but .. when she ‘locks on’ to something .. it’s hard to get her attention .. today we used only vibrate mode .. and so far we’ve had success. Keep videos coming .. we can relate to what to are saying ….
appreciate it paul! I use the Boss educator. I had a garmin but it didn't do anything for Cowboy. The vibrate on the educators are even more powerful and they have the low settings too so more versatile from my experience between the two. good call.
glad this helped!
Blue heeler, super smart and did amazing with ecollar training, walks off leash in town and on trail. In town he stops and sits at all roads, isn't interested in people or dogs on walks.
Love Cowboy!! We adopted a husky/red heeler mix at 3.5 months. Thank you for these videos!
I have an ACD Blue Heeler.
Great video. I have a red heeler that is recently adopted from the Denver dumb friends league and is a companion to my retriever Australian shepherd mix. I appreciated your advice on the e collar and training. I want happy and safe dogs and this really put me at ease.
Ayyy Uncle Stonnie is the best! Enjoying the content you’er putting out brotha! Can’t wait to get my ACD!
my german shepherd pitt mix willow we didnt even train her she knew to come check on us, if we left one person as a group she stuck with the solo person, recall is amazing. she was only bit once by a diamond back because she go intreged and my family was laughing loud on the tral so she didnt hear my call back. but thatnkfully it was just a dry bite!
this is my very first Aussie Blue Heeler he will be 6 months this sunday
Great music too!!!!
My ACD mix has always been good off leash. She doesn’t stray more than thirty feet before she plants herself and waits for me. Recall was easy to teach.
Thanks for posting -just got a male cattle dog" he's a bro! newsub from Idaho!
Welcome!
My Stumpy is very prey drive. Lots of training involved on our morning run to not dart off at the sight of any small prey. It took about 6 months. Now she stops, points, looks back for permission to pursue. P.S. If you can't find your herding dog when outside, and call and call w no response, look behind you... P.S.S. In your area, you forgot coyotes, large bobcats & a rare mtn. lion.
Red Heeler (Rusty) 10 weeks old. Taking CDA classes.
right on! Love the name rusty. How are things going?
@@DogLifeWithJack going great. Learning patience for sure. We have been socializing. He still has a lot of puppy in him so he tries to be all over people that come over. Loves to be petted. he’s doing pretty good with the place command. Just haven’t successfully been able to teach him to stay there.
I believe it will come in time. Just got to be consistent.
Never been married but I've had a few heelers! Money in the bank feels good...! Timmy C Arizona
Great choice
Hello from England. I have a Parsons Russell Terrier.
I’m currently protesting against proposed legislation in the UK to ban the use of the e-collar.
I don’t know about cowboy but my dog has pulled his leach so hard he busted his collar and he was gone ! He ran away from me for 1/2 hour I followed him but it wasn’t until he saw my small dog did he run back to greet her and I was able to catch him. Thank G-d he didn’t get hit by a car.
Red heeler /black lab/Australian shepherd.
I have a Tri-Tronics E-Collar. For my Heeler and I use the tone 90% or more of the time.
That's all my dog needs and he's 5 months.
I have had past experience training my own labs hunting.
I've have 5 labs in this past.
I don't think my labs had the recall that my heeler has.
And my labs were out of hunt test parents.
love it!
Blue heeler mut. Very new to me. They are different
Mix of blue heeler chihuahua. 3 1/2 yrs rescue.
How do you teach/encourage them running for ball and bringing it back.
I had a blue watched some of you fidios to train him
Do you use anything like the extender wing pads on the E-collar? I have a heeler, her dense undercoat really gets in the way of consistent contact with the probes, and I wondered if other heeler owners know what the best option for contact probes is for the breed.
I have 2 border collie blue heel mix’s and for Christmas my husband got me a 8 week old red heel…
I have a blue heeler pit bull mix
Dogs are so easy to tease.
Never lie to your dog.
Blue heeler/ husky mix!
We were doing some miles before C-19, We would get up an few hours before dawn and I would let her off the leash mostly during the winter. And the deer and other things would keep her going. It did sound like a good idea but a mile or more from houses it gotten a little scaring
ACD here.. 5 months, Tuxedo/Tux (Because he has a Red Bow Tie on his neck!) Nipping is the Biggie.. you're right about often he's hungry or full of energy. Getting control, but there is some obsession there. He KNOWS he's being bad, but can't help himself. Anyway, I found a new weapon! Vet's Best Flea and Tick Spray! I keep the green bottle closeby, and when he get's Nippy, I just touch the spray bottle, occasionally give him a fake Swat. If he actually does plant a "Bite" I spray him and he goes Total Postal! GET IT OFF OF ME!! Running around, trying to wipe it OFF. Anyway, enough of a punishment, he's starting to give in. This particular brand has a Long Range very focused spray which is especially effective.
Where does Cowboy live? Very interesting area.. Colorado/North Ariz?
...farmer. always had cats (I love cats; what can you do) heelers have always been good with the kiittys. Never had a problem with the prey drive.
My heelers will not leave my side I never trained them that way they just walk with me.
We just got a mutt. 38% cattle dog, 37% lab, 13% poodle and some low percentages of various breeds like German Shepard, cocker spaniel. I do see some of the herding traits all ready. With a mix like this, any advice? We are training, exercising and setting boundaries. I just do not know what breed portion I should consider most?
I have a one year old Australian blue heeler I rescued but was picked on from the last owners pitbull so he don't like other dogs and I'm also trying to train him on it and I was jw what can I do for that and along would the e collar be a good fit for him
They are Australia's favorite dog.
I'm enjoying your vids; I grew up in South Australia in the wine-growing area of Barossa Valley, and my hometown had a few biker gangs. Back in the early 1990's I was walking past one of the many pubs (bars, but pubs back there the whole family socializes) and outside were a row of Harley-D's and every 3rd or 4th bike had a heeler guarding the metal chariot... beautiful dogs, but interestingly enough, not a common house-dog back there, just the farmers and the "Bikies"
Every dog should be off leash trained.
What brand of e collar do you recommend?
hey, i'm not trying to be an a-hole about the balanced trainer vs positive reinforcement. I have my ABCDT and use strictly positve reinforcement. My cattle dog is now 5yrs old and we compete in agiility, flyball, and several other sports. When my red heeler makes a mistake, I show him what he did wrong and then rework my training plan for it to be errorless so that my dog rooster feels success 99% of the time. Rooster was 9mo old when I got him from a working dog farm. Poor thing had never even worn a collar. The only thing he knew was drop it. I had to teach him leash handling, basic obedience..I mean everything...he knows 27 different commands now and can differentiate between 15-20 different objects for item retrieval within my home.
He is clicker trained with treats and as he progresses in the behavior both treats and the clicker have been faded out. He knows how to help me with laundry and can even count to 16. All of the methods I used with him are based on scientce with reasearch papers to back this up and as I work with my clients with their dogs, they are more understanding of how choice impacts behavoir. A dog will find reinforcement where they please, however, it is my job as his handler to always ensure that I am the most reinforcing element in his vacinity.
I'm not trying to say that your methods are wrong as there are mulitple ways to teach a dog a certain behavior. I will say that I have developed teamwork with rooster through positive reinforcement methods. All I'm asking is that you don't knock it till you try it. Through the quadrant we see positve reinforcement, positive punishment, negative punishment and negative reinforcement. As long as the behavior plan has an action for each quadrant then the plan works.
Does this mean I never correct my dog? No. It's called a no reward marker. It is not a correction, all it means is whoops! lets try that again. With this my dog never gives up and is rewarded based on quality of the performace. I can ask for all 27 different cues wihtout treating and only using my tone of voice. I don't pressure my dog because he wants to work for me and he belives in the work we do. The amazing part? It was all his choice. To me, this is what freedom to a dog means.
Now, we also backapck, hike, do scentwork, and we go on regular outings....even to busy outlet malls....without the treat pouch. It's as simple as asking, are you ready to work? and at the point he knows he has a job to do. When the work is done, he is released by verbal cue and the rest is history.
My question for you is this. During your training sessions, has there been a point where your dog understands his mistakes or do you just correct him? As the handler, are you helping him recover or is he just sensitized?
Rooster is my first dog I have ever owned, period. I got him when I was 27yrs old and now I am 31. Him and I have made amazing strides in the last 4yrs. Now, do I know everything? No. I do have clients, I volunteer at a local shelter where I work with dogs and was a supervisor for a dog daycare for 2yrs. I have pledged to never stop seeking information and to keep myself up to date with certifications. I now have 5 of them.
Not to be rude, however, your dog's body language in the video suggests that he is in work mode, however, his tail and his nose is pointing down. The body is loose, but do you believe that your dog is enjoying the work you have provided? With the body langauge I see.....there are mixed signals indicating stress which may be the result of becoming sensitized.
Cowboy looks as though he came from good stock with the deep coloring and speckled fur, much like mine looks. I belive there is a better way to achieve the same results. In this video and previous ones you have, I see that recall has been brought up several times. Threre are 2 diffrent types. There is the standard recall and then there is the emergency recall. Also, your girflriend's dog.....did y'all try positive reinforcement or positive punishment? Or was it straight to negative reinforcement?
I am a firm believer in giving my dog a chance when I have set the foundations for what is expected of him. At that point I have given him the tools from my toolbox and it is up to him to decide how to use those tools. If not, I show him the error he made in that moment and then reset him to provide the proper behavior. If he still decides he's not ready then he doesn't get to participate in learning until I revise my training plan. How will they learn if we don't offer a chance to put these practices into use? How can I as his guardian be an advocate for my dog?
Again. I am not trying to be rude, but I am genuinely trying to understand your method. For me, I find this work to be really reinforcing to me and having an opportunity to change the mindset with the people I work with has not been the easisest, but these owners? They have done an AMAZING job with their dogs and I tell them all the time. I praise the heck out of my clients, their dogs, my dog, and the homeless pets that I work with. When their eyes light up because someone has told them that I believe in you so much that I am willing to teach you how to do this correctly and quickly...well is it not worth it to see a different POV?
I am willing to understand your side, if you can see where mine sits. You have a beautiful dog and I appreciate your dedication to creating this channel. Please, don't read this as a person coming from judgement. Just don't bash a certain training technique that has worked for millions of others. We are all here for the benefit of every dog as professionals. Please, be respectful of that.
Amen
What about the bard buddy device ? It works on my mini Texas healer to get his attention back to me . But it’s so true I walk with him without a leash n he stays with me . If he walks off in the woods he’ll be looking for me to make sure I’m still there. It’s so funny .
I have a Pembroke welsh corgi his name is Dakota is five years old
Do you use the default prongs or extended prongs on your e collar, I have a cattle dog but not sure if hes feeling it
default usually. some heelers have thicker coats though
ISO: I have a red heeler. I’m trying to get nipping under control. He does well with listening to my wife and I commands. But he’s two now and still has trouble with nipping when to excited
So, how does that work with the leash law when the law says you have to have your dog on a leash at all times.
My dog is a mutt, he is a German Shepherd Pit Heleer Lab Mix. But I feel like he acts a lot like a German shepherd and Australian Cattle dog tbh he's about 8 months and he is a ball of energy 🤣🤣🤣
I have a 7 month old red Heeler named ELLIE ,what type of collar do you recomend? I have tightened her collar ,don't want to hurt her but she always manages to slip out out of it , I have 16' lead and when I'm working in the garage ,she has a 50' cable run, she is my 2nd heeler , my best friend Joleen lived to be 17 years old, she was Blue,
Im using the boss educator. The educator mini is good too!
@@DogLifeWithJack Thanks
red heeler
Cómo puedo enseñarle el ven con el collar eléctrico por favor
How do you stop barking all the time
Had a blue great dog always stayed behind never went for the tires. Got a little Australian Terrier now crazy high energy loves chasing the bike. Doesn't take long to wear him out though but thats okay I'm getting long in the tooth now myself 😂
I got a heeler but definitely not as good looking as cowboy.. best turtle dog ever.. he is obsessed with turtles lol
haha thank you
I got the bathroom down where she goes to the bathroom but I have to pick her up and take her away from where we live so she can walk on the leash and use it you know the bathroom but when she's done she wants to run as fast as she can back to the house but that is on the leash but she does a lot of sleeping
My blue girl is the best lol she is at the front gate rite now going crazy at someone or something that's not getting in my yard 🤣 and her recall is the best even if another dog is out off leash walking my girl is rite next to me I've never used a e collar. If I say sit, wait I'll be back in a minute. I don't have to tie her up she will sit and wait rite where I tell her. I've lost count of how many times I've heard get over here or get back here then all of a sudden there's a dog off leash that has shit recall I instantly say heal sit and she does wat I say the owner will run up and opologise I just think how embarrassing it must be when my girl shows off her obedience lol
LINELIFE 🤟😎👍SUBBED 👍
appreciate ya!
However, I could understand how somebody may need2
I can’t find a place to walk without leash laws! Ahhh
Believe it or not but the stop and look at you is a Dingo trait , they don't scare easy
Not a fan of e collars. My brother swears by them with his dogs. My heeler is well trained but yes, her recall could be better if she’s tempted by rabbits or other.
to each their own. I just share what has worked for me. when used properly even just the vibrate function could really help tune in recall
Shock functions should be removed from all e-collars. A simple vibrate, like what you get from your phone when you put it on vibrate, is more than enough. After all, the only thing your dog needs is a reminder of what to do.
its not a shock like an electric shock, it is like a TENS maschine stimulus. TENS machines (google it) stimulates the muscles and is used for humans in the medical field, therefore a TENS stimulus can not hurt the dog. It can be uncomfortable though, it is supposed to, otherwise it would work as it is inteded for, but it can not hurt the dog. However, I believe there are shock collars, but those are the cheap collars that come from china and you really shouldn't buy those, but ecollars such as ecollars technology and other good brands are safe.
ACD
I will never ever under any circumstances using the collar
2:55 and still no advice for training
Lost me with the ecollar. This dog needs her master. As fun at it is to let her off leash. She will never again
Are we talking shock collar? Oh HELL NO
Rather than a shock collar, how do you think some kind of 2 way radio collar would work where u can calmly say drop or com back into your radio and have it talk to him when he is way up front if u know what I mean?