I was at my heaviest in 2014. Getting a large breed energy dog was the best thing that ever happened to me. It wasn’t easy and came with challenges, but my girl taught me that I was the one who needed to be exercised. I’m way more active than I’ve ever been. She changed me for the better. I miss her. My dobe passed away Jan 1st, 2022. I’m currently looking for a more robust and durable breed.
My blue heeler was my sobriety savior! When my mind would race at all hours of the day, Dingo was ready to hit the road and run or walk. Everyone knew us in my town. I miss him so much
Great to put this information out there. I'm on my second heeler - my blue lived to 14 and hiked right up until the end. My red is 2 yrs now and a 15 km bike ride is easy for her. We also hike regularly and do dog agility on weekends. I love being active outside, so this breed works for me. Their intelligence and desire to stick close to their human while on the trail are two other great traits.
I have two female sister Australian Kelpie/Cattle dogs and they're amazing! Brought them home from a dairy farm they'd been dumped on, the owners were having problems with people dumping dogs on their property a lot and were going to have to shoot them. So my partner and I brought them home 11 years ago as puppies and they've been nothing short of amazing and hard work! They pick up on training very quickly, they're so intelligent and do well with strong leadership. Exercise is ESSENTIAL just the same as food and water. I joke that my girls still have more energy than me after all these years. We get out almost every day and they love to run and chase the birds. Then we come home and they sleep the day off, it's great. Anyone who tells me their dog is misbehaving, my first question is, "How much exercise do they get?" That is the single most important things for dogs and their mental health. Its important for us too!
My Red does same!! Tried to get away with just walking around the block a couple times. Same! Came in and sat on the couch she started circling me talking all kinds of woooo wooo !! not barking doing the talking type thing . had to throw her in the truck and take her to the park , no rest ever with the cattle dog ever just like you said, but the love of my life , joy , the loyalty is worth it plus I’m in excellent shape because of her❤️🐾❤️🐾❤️🐾❤️
I couldn’t imagine leaving the house especially for exercise with take my boy. He goes to work with me every day, we go to grocery stores ( local Trader Joe’s ) that excepts him, I changed my consumer life to accept him.
I know this is a year old but we just got a blue Heeler pup for my son and it’s great. We also have an older Australian kelpie. We live on a cattle farm so he’s got the space to run. And when we don’t feel like getting on our bikes or running we take the quad or ranger/atv out and get them running beside it and we just drive around the fields and they love it. It’s so cute. And when the little one gets tired they jump in and ride for a few minutes. Then her back out and run some more.
I have Field Bred Springers and yes, it's a myth that more exercise makes them tired - it can be just increasing their need, just like if you worked out everyday. It has to be the right amount of exercise for you and your dog. Thanks for addressing this.
Love this! I have a heeler/terrier cross, I’m a horse trainer so I work on ranches all day and my dog comes with me from 5 am, follows me while I feed and on rides, and still has energy to chase a ball or stick at any time. But she is the most loyal, smartest dog I’ve ever had and so trainable. She does crash out all night from like 8 pm til morning which is awesome. It’s cool to see how you trained your dog to stay behind on the bike, I’ve actually been training mine to stay in front on trail rides with the horses so she won’t get kicked so it’s fun to see different techniques. Cowboy is adorable 🥰
Great vid. Cowboy is a neat dog! My Bella is a Blue female; 4 1/2 years old. Her father was a Red and her mother a Blue.Iv’e read so much about these dogs needing 2-3 hours of vigorous exercise a day. While that would be ideal, realistically, how many people have that much free time?? If I give Bella 45 minutes to an hour of hard exercise, she seems to do very well with that. It’s a very intense exercise. I hit balls with a tennis racket. I’ve got a new one in the air before she even drops the last one at my feet! No rest. When she needs a breather, she lies down for about a minute, then we’re back at it. Same thing with frisbees. Make her jump high in the air repeatedly. These dogs are such amazing athletes! But as the literature says, a walk around the block ain’t gonna work!! Enjoy your Cattle Dog!!😊👍
A walk won't scratch the surface for a heeler. I let mine run at full bore for 1. 5 hours both morning and evening and she still finds energy too play.
Everyone that met my Benji wanted one 'just like him', but I always tried to dissuade them... if I thought their temperament was a sit on the couch and cuddle type of 'owner'. I am one of those too - but we put miles on every day so we could have that 'cuddle' time. He was big for a Heeler, more like dingo sized at 55-60#, but he could do inertia-less turns and keep up a steady run for miles - dog trot? All day long. I will miss that boy every day for the rest of my life... Never was such a dog. 17 years old.... Had to say goodbye... I love watching you with Cowboy. I also love the name - a neighbor of mine had a Red he'd named Cowboy - always liked that dog.
Love your relationship with Cowboy. Everything you said makes sense to me, especially how you need to give ACD's a big day of exercise to work off that energy. I take our Bella (now called Rebella) for 2 hikes a day in our forest. She turns on the turbo when there's a deer or squirrel to chase. I supplement this routine with 1 day at the Dog House, a place where she plays with other dogs all day long. This schedule seems to be working pretty well.
Bought a house for the first time in 2014 as well as my dobe. Didn’t think about exercising high energy dogs until sprinklers stopped working and cable tv stopped working. Out of boredom she chewed through cables, ac units wires, sprinkler systems plus other home damages. Long story short she got me to lose weight in order to satiate her high energy levels. This is not me complaining, just confirming what others have been saying is true to the bone!!
I got a 1 y/o red heeler a year ago. I didn't know how high energy this breed was. I had handles chewed off my ice chest and potted plants dragged all over the yard. After research i learned that they require lots of exercise. I went from 205lbs. to 150. Everyone asks me how I lost all the weight and I tell them I have a training partner that requires 3-4 mile hikes everyday. Love my heeler.
Depends on the dog. Our cattle dog is a bit lazy. One thing is giving them a job to do.......ours is the guard dog of our apartment building which means 3 patrols each night. He gets beach time and hikes as well but he sometimes loves just chilling at home.
I am definitely interested on how you trained him to run behind you! My boy attacks all tires..lol. Haven't been able to get a ride in with him yet. Love your Cowboy! Thanks for the vid.
have this request a lot. I will make a video specifically on it! Short answer, started on a leash and corrected him when he went for the tire. He listens pretty well to vocal commands too and I used to get on him if he went for it.
@@diydogguy That would be great! We are working on just looking at the tire move 2" without being crazy..lol. My boy does decent with a verbal "leave it" unless tires are moving. That takes e collar corrections, so we don't do desensitization for very long. Thanks!
We live in a beach community and love to ride bikes. Before bringing home Jack, our Blue, we researched to be sure he could accompany on all adventuring/fitness activities. Now at 8 months old, he loves the beach/swimming, but we have rode less bike as he has such strong will on the leash. Would love to learn how to safely train him on the leash to ride bikes where there is potential for high community foot traffic
Another fantastic video, thank you for that. I have a video request, it would be amazing if you make a video about how you taught cowboy to run behind you when your biking
Great video, just subbed, and looking forward to more of your content. We've got two heelers (you really have to be gluttons for punishment, right?!...or really love em), and I have to say you're bang on with the pace of exercise. Bike rides have to be the best way to get these guys whooped, hiking is tons of fun with them, and we've even taken them splitboarding which they loved. A tired healer is a good healer, though it does seem like they mellow with some age and can contain themselves if you need to skip a session or two. Thanks again, cheers!
Thanks! Two is double the fun..or double the crazy hahah. Agreed that as they get older they can skip a session or two if need be. Split boarding is fun I bet! Haven't tried that one yet.
Love your video's! So true that you can condition your ACD; i have 2 and a big yard so one day a week i purposely don't go out on walks/bikerides. No fun at home with the 1,5 yrs old, but it's a strategy that worked out with my 5 yrs old; there will be days you are prevented from long walks!
Yea they do have a lot of energy. I have a mini Texas heeler n I’m constantly playing with him outside n walking him . We’re outside playing for at least four hours a day . Plus some training.
I am so glad my girl (1/2 Border Collie 1/2 Blue Heeler) loves other dogs. Can take her to the dog park for the run time. She will usually find a dog 2x her size to wrestle with and get the energy out.
My heeler only needs to run maybe every other day. She's 6yrs old and runs between 3 and 5 miles a few times a week. They definitely need to get outside and do something - not the kind of dog that wants to sit around and watch tv all day. i work from home all day and she sleeps and chills until around 430 when she knows i'll be done soon. :) fantastic dogs - so smart and unique!
That's some beautiful country side. If I may ask where is that at? We have an area in San Dimas California that's a popular trail for hikers and bikers. And another in Chino Hills California.
Love your videos. Love cowboy But if you could see the size of the cattle stations (farms) these dogs are made to round up on you’d see why they have so much stamina The biggest station here is the size of New Jersey state
My Red looked just like this and I found the perfect exercise routine for her. First, I was in knee braces from grade 4-12, so never developed any eye-hand coordination; I was terrible at sports. Athletic build, but terrible skills. Got guilted into playin co-ed softball and 1st game k'd 4 times; no contact with the ball. Vacations meant my next game was in two weeks. Instead of throwing the ball at play time, I started hitting the ball. In my mind was "don't dip the shoulder, eye the ball into the bat, level swing". I did this for two week, every day, 3 to 4 hours a day. I got good! Next game I was 4/4 and the next 18 games and 5 seasons I never didn't get a hit. Now, if someone scouted me, they would have stood 15' behind second base and would have got me out each time.....but who scouts in co-ed, slow pitch softball. I had hero moments for many seasons, hitting in the game winning run from 3rd in the last inning. Absolutely glorious! League wide I was known as a 'pure hitter'. (I'm actually low key and humble. No fist pumping arrogance). None of this would have happened without Red. She brought the ball back to my feet 100's of times a day, for years. 17 years we were together and her passing is still one of the top painful moments in my life.
Do you mind if I ask what region this is? The landscape is gorgeous! I don’t have a place nearby I can ride a bike with my girl off-leash. Too many cars.
Love your show. Found you when I was looking for a playmate for our pointer @meanderinggrace. We got her for running and when she was not tired after our lil 5k runs we took up MTB. Now she is our trail dog. We decided against the cattle dog due to it not being a right fit but it is fun watching your show. Are you doing the snake aversion training? We got her first snake vaccine and she went in heat so we have to start over ugh.
Pointers are great. Similar energy, but very different personalities. Pointer is a better runner for longer distances for sure ( just a lighter body structure ). We haven't done snake aversion but he's had his rattlesnake vaccine.
Duuuuddde I had the same issue with my Rocky Boi. He was soo adaptable and we built up such stamina and I was ready to divy it up 😂 so we made it one jog every other day and play everyday
Off leash walks with a Heeler is super important. I think my boy caught a deer in the haunches yesterday. Woods walk with a white tail 20 feet off the path. Stupid deer flinched and he saw it………. The look of satisfaction when he comes back to me. Like yoooooo dad I did it!!!!!!!
My five month old Red Heeler is so aggressive at retrieving that he keeps re injuring his leg and paw. I am wondering if I should not play fetch for a few weeks or month or what the solution may be. I do not want him to keep getting these recurring issues. Great video !
Good question! I will make a video specifically on it! Short answer, started on a leash and corrected him when he went for the tire. He listens pretty well to vocal commands too and I used to get on him if he went for it.
I love it! I just took my six month old Heeler for a ten mile run this morning. I was riding so she alternates between a sprint and a jog. I wonder if that’s too much? Also, do you worry about his paws? I wonder if I need to worry about hers.
Awesome! I would say that might be a little far for that age. General rule is their growth plates aren't fully developed until they are two and too much constant impact can harm their growth plates. While they CAN run that far at that age, you might want to consider cutting it back a bit just until she is older. As for paws, just monitor her and try to avoid too rocky of terrain.
That is a bit too much . Good to start off with some long hikes until age 2. Then started with a 5k run program. Once he reached 4 he trained with me on my trail marathons 26.2 . We stopped at creeks and water breaks too.
Jack Cole - @diydogguy - ACD community: Please advise. A Southern California internet rescue site is featuring a 14-week-old cattle dog puppy with a shattered back leg. The "dog rescue personality" fostering this puppy engaged his followers on "saving" this puppy's leg instead of amputating. Fans have donated $Ks to "save the leg." The puppy just competed 8 HOURS of surgery two days ago and is still recovering at the vet's. Thousands of followers were passionately cheering this effort on. I was one of a handful who questioned this choice vs. amputation. My concern was the lifelong pain and suffering of this dog from an arthritic leg, and that's even if the leg survives. Folks who favored amputation were called "heartless." Now that I've seen Jack's videos on ACDs' exercise, activity, and training requirements, I'm even more convinced amputation would have been a better, less painful long-term option. This puppy will lose its critical puppyhood on pain meds and restricted movement and survival of the leg after 8 hours of surgery isn't even assured. ACD community, any thoughts? What would you do in this situation?
@@diydogguy Thanks for the reply, Jack. I love Cowboy, btw. But so glad I don't own him - that Arf! and those teeth! Couldn't do it. Best of luck and every success to you both in your Back 40 venture.
What is your “Cattle dog” Cowboy mixed with because he’s obviously mixed with something looks like Corgi mix he’s very small and muzzle is short but he’s cute.
I have a question.. I just got a red heeler pup. She's 8 weeks and I take her on walks with my border collie, and I have a sling to put her in when she gets tired, or so I thought. I didn't let her run more than half a mile because she's so small, but she acts irritated that I don't just let her go till she drops. Which is I have no idea how far. The next walk I let her go an entire mile, but I don't want to harm her. Since she's so young, isn't it best to just not let her go too far at once? And how far is too far?
bc she is only 8 weeks old yes you can definitely over do it. let her run all she wants in the yard but keep walks short like you are now. each dog is different but at her age she doesn't need long walks
My blue is a forced surrender. We adopted her after we lost our 15 year old blue. Cassie was chained outside the first 9 months of her life. She is now 11 and hates being outside. We don't force her to do anything she doesn't want to within reason.
If your dog is used to it and the terrain isn't gnarly they should be ok. He has put some holes in his pads from running on his own in the past because he's so intense playing but they get tougher. Start smaller distances to toughen up the pads if you're worried about it. If they crack put coconut oil on them
@@diydogguy hey man, thank you for the video. I also MTB with my heeler and I'm just figuring out how far can I go with her. I understand it's a matter of training but anyway, what is the longest distance you have pedaled with Cowboy? Today I went 18 miles on gravel and I think it was a a bit much for her
How much exercise does a Cattle Dog need? If that dog isn't slurping water, pacing for a few minutes and then dropping into a deep, deep sleep, they haven't had enough exercise. An EXHAUSTED Cattle Dog is a happy and well-behaved, Cattle Dog. Period. End of story. There is no middle ground. Give them good food, proper veterinary care, LOADS...LOOOOOOOADS of exercise. That's it. That's the formula. ...OH....and lots n' lots of kisses. :)
Energizer bunny's got nothing on a heeler. My best investment ever was probably a Chuckit ball launcher. 60-yd wind sprints for an hour will take the edge off for sure. :-)
Finally a decent type.Hes very nice Do not overheat him or you will induce brain damage and epilepsy If you exercise them that much they need to cool down by swimming
you have to be careful not to run them too hard when they're young. Walks are fine, mental stimulation like teaching tricks or bringing places tires pups out.
my heeler has been exercised everyday with a frisby and bike rides but my heeler is in a lot better shape than yours. i’m guessing you do quite a bit of exercise with your boy but why is it that he is so overweight?
My girl Khloe is crazy. I run her with my car she will do 20km in about an hour.. shes a year and a half old an an absolute machine.. she will play for hours camping with friends she always find someone to play ball with her and she will bark or be pushy.. they really do require alot of stimulation and a firm owner like she knows when I say f*#k off and go to your kennel that she isn't going to herd me into what she wants.. I really think kennel training a heeler is best because they will try and herd you and spiteful my dog goes to work and just everywhere with me get Home and wanna get it on with my girlfriend and the dog will he eating her Hoodie or something.. like they really aren't a dog for the faint of heart and for how much of a pain in the ass they are they make up for by being attentive and cute and every time you throw the ball your going to get 110% effort into getting it..
Sort of agree but just having a big area doesn’t always work if they have no farm animals they’ll be bored or lonely and just sit by the door they need attention more than exercise, both is best, but my ACD is cool with learning activities or wrestling when it’s too rainy (Seattle) but rain means nothing to the ACD.
I was at my heaviest in 2014. Getting a large breed energy dog was the best thing that ever happened to me. It wasn’t easy and came with challenges, but my girl taught me that I was the one who needed to be exercised. I’m way more active than I’ve ever been. She changed me for the better. I miss her. My dobe passed away Jan 1st, 2022. I’m currently looking for a more robust and durable breed.
Dobies are awesome. High on my list for my next dog.
Get a Blue heeler
My blue heeler was my sobriety savior! When my mind would race at all hours of the day, Dingo was ready to hit the road and run or walk. Everyone knew us in my town. I miss him so much
Great to put this information out there. I'm on my second heeler - my blue lived to 14 and hiked right up until the end. My red is 2 yrs now and a 15 km bike ride is easy for her. We also hike regularly and do dog agility on weekends. I love being active outside, so this breed works for me. Their intelligence and desire to stick close to their human while on the trail are two other great traits.
"As much as you want"
I have two female sister Australian Kelpie/Cattle dogs and they're amazing! Brought them home from a dairy farm they'd been dumped on, the owners were having problems with people dumping dogs on their property a lot and were going to have to shoot them. So my partner and I brought them home 11 years ago as puppies and they've been nothing short of amazing and hard work! They pick up on training very quickly, they're so intelligent and do well with strong leadership. Exercise is ESSENTIAL just the same as food and water. I joke that my girls still have more energy than me after all these years. We get out almost every day and they love to run and chase the birds. Then we come home and they sleep the day off, it's great. Anyone who tells me their dog is misbehaving, my first question is, "How much exercise do they get?" That is the single most important things for dogs and their mental health. Its important for us too!
My Red does same!! Tried to get away with just walking around the block a couple times. Same! Came in and sat on the couch she started circling me talking all kinds of woooo wooo !! not barking doing the talking type thing . had to throw her in the truck and take her to the park , no rest ever with the cattle dog ever just like you said, but the love of my life , joy , the loyalty is worth it plus I’m in excellent shape because of her❤️🐾❤️🐾❤️🐾❤️
they certainly keep us in shape!
I couldn’t imagine leaving the house especially for exercise with take my boy. He goes to work with me every day, we go to grocery stores ( local Trader Joe’s ) that excepts him, I changed my consumer life to accept him.
Great you’ve got him behind. I love sprinting my blues, they’re so frisking athletic !
most athletic dog we've ever had for sure
you are right mate, I built my boys stamina up to a level it got too insane and I needed to cut back. Its like building up a performance athelete
Awesome video!
Just adopted 7 year old red heeler, Rusty! He’s always ready
I own a treeing cur, 4 mile walk with his friend visits, after I get off work. Keeps us both healthy but that our lives together not everyone!
I know this is a year old but we just got a blue Heeler pup for my son and it’s great. We also have an older Australian kelpie. We live on a cattle farm so he’s got the space to run. And when we don’t feel like getting on our bikes or running we take the quad or ranger/atv out and get them running beside it and we just drive around the fields and they love it. It’s so cute. And when the little one gets tired they jump in and ride for a few minutes. Then her back out and run some more.
I have Field Bred Springers and yes, it's a myth that more exercise makes them tired - it can be just increasing their need, just like if you worked out everyday. It has to be the right amount of exercise for you and your dog. Thanks for addressing this.
Love this! I have a heeler/terrier cross, I’m a horse trainer so I work on ranches all day and my dog comes with me from 5 am, follows me while I feed and on rides, and still has energy to chase a ball or stick at any time. But she is the most loyal, smartest dog I’ve ever had and so trainable. She does crash out all night from like 8 pm til morning which is awesome. It’s cool to see how you trained your dog to stay behind on the bike, I’ve actually been training mine to stay in front on trail rides with the horses so she won’t get kicked so it’s fun to see different techniques. Cowboy is adorable 🥰
Cowboy is poetry in motion.
Great vid. Cowboy is a neat dog! My Bella is a Blue female; 4 1/2 years old. Her father was a Red and her mother a Blue.Iv’e read so much about these dogs needing 2-3 hours of vigorous exercise a day. While that would be ideal, realistically, how many people have that much free time?? If I give Bella 45 minutes to an hour of hard exercise, she seems to do very well with that. It’s a very intense exercise. I hit balls with a tennis racket. I’ve got a new one in the air before she even drops the last one at my feet! No rest. When she needs a breather, she lies down for about a minute, then we’re back at it. Same thing with frisbees. Make her jump high in the air repeatedly. These dogs are such amazing athletes! But as the literature says, a walk around the block ain’t gonna work!! Enjoy your Cattle Dog!!😊👍
A walk won't scratch the surface for a heeler. I let mine run at full bore for 1. 5 hours both morning and evening and she still finds energy too play.
I love their vitality, energy. They just about keep up with me!
Everyone that met my Benji wanted one 'just like him', but I always tried to dissuade them... if I thought their temperament was a sit on the couch and cuddle type of 'owner'. I am one of those too - but we put miles on every day so we could have that 'cuddle' time. He was big for a Heeler, more like dingo sized at 55-60#, but he could do inertia-less turns and keep up a steady run for miles - dog trot? All day long. I will miss that boy every day for the rest of my life... Never was such a dog. 17 years old.... Had to say goodbye... I love watching you with Cowboy. I also love the name - a neighbor of mine had a Red he'd named Cowboy - always liked that dog.
You guys some chunk-alunks! The other day I took my Queensland Healer on a 35 mile run off leash on a pedestrian trail. Best dog I’ve ever had.
Love your relationship with Cowboy. Everything you said makes sense to me, especially how you need to give ACD's a big day of exercise to work off that energy. I take our Bella (now called Rebella) for 2 hikes a day in our forest. She turns on the turbo when there's a deer or squirrel to chase. I supplement this routine with 1 day at the Dog House, a place where she plays with other dogs all day long. This schedule seems to be working pretty well.
nice! glad your routine is working
Yeah I have a red heeler and a Great Dane. Weather Tech floor mats and seat covers are a must!!!
Thanks for you video, I really wanted to adopt one at our local shelter. But now I think I’ll have to reconsider.
Thanks for posting- good cattle dog info! just rescued / adopted one- He's my Buddy!
Great Dog great informative video. People need to know herding dogs need lots of exercise and jobs to do.
Bought a house for the first time in 2014 as well as my dobe. Didn’t think about exercising high energy dogs until sprinklers stopped working and cable tv stopped working. Out of boredom she chewed through cables, ac units wires, sprinkler systems plus other home damages. Long story short she got me to lose weight in order to satiate her high energy levels. This is not me complaining, just confirming what others have been saying is true to the bone!!
I got a 1 y/o red heeler a year ago. I didn't know how high energy this breed was. I had handles chewed off my ice chest and potted plants dragged all over the yard. After research i learned that they require lots of exercise. I went from 205lbs. to 150. Everyone asks me how I lost all the weight and I tell them I have a training partner that requires 3-4 mile hikes everyday. Love my heeler.
Great video, I play with my corgi a bunch of times fetch to wear her out
Depends on the dog. Our cattle dog is a bit lazy. One thing is giving them a job to do.......ours is the guard dog of our apartment building which means 3 patrols each night. He gets beach time and hikes as well but he sometimes loves just chilling at home.
I have two 9 month old sisters who are super crazy, but they really do love to just veg on the couch if that's what I feel like doing
I am definitely interested on how you trained him to run behind you! My boy attacks all tires..lol. Haven't been able to get a ride in with him yet. Love your Cowboy! Thanks for the vid.
have this request a lot. I will make a video specifically on it! Short answer, started on a leash and corrected him when he went for the tire. He listens pretty well to vocal commands too and I used to get on him if he went for it.
@@diydogguy That would be great! We are working on just looking at the tire move 2" without being crazy..lol. My boy does decent with a verbal "leave it" unless tires are moving. That takes e collar corrections, so we don't do desensitization for very long. Thanks!
A correction or a firm no is how I stopped mine from going after my skateboard wheels 🙂
We live in a beach community and love to ride bikes. Before bringing home Jack, our Blue, we researched to be sure he could accompany on all adventuring/fitness activities. Now at 8 months old, he loves the beach/swimming, but we have rode less bike as he has such strong will on the leash. Would love to learn how to safely train him on the leash to ride bikes where there is potential for high community foot traffic
Omg. He looks like my dog, Koda. I have 2 fox hounds and 1 heeler... it's extremely entertaining to have these three in the yard.
Another fantastic video, thank you for that.
I have a video request, it would be amazing if you make a video about how you taught cowboy to run behind you when your biking
yes! this has been requested a couple times so i will add it to my list. thanks
@@diydogguy thank you so much
I'm looking forward for the video
Great video, just subbed, and looking forward to more of your content. We've got two heelers (you really have to be gluttons for punishment, right?!...or really love em), and I have to say you're bang on with the pace of exercise. Bike rides have to be the best way to get these guys whooped, hiking is tons of fun with them, and we've even taken them splitboarding which they loved. A tired healer is a good healer, though it does seem like they mellow with some age and can contain themselves if you need to skip a session or two. Thanks again, cheers!
Thanks! Two is double the fun..or double the crazy hahah. Agreed that as they get older they can skip a session or two if need be. Split boarding is fun I bet! Haven't tried that one yet.
Love your video's! So true that you can condition your ACD; i have 2 and a big yard so one day a week i purposely don't go out on walks/bikerides. No fun at home with the 1,5 yrs old, but it's a strategy that worked out with my 5 yrs old; there will be days you are prevented from long walks!
Yea they do have a lot of energy. I have a mini Texas heeler n I’m constantly playing with him outside n walking him . We’re outside playing for at least four hours a day . Plus some training.
I am so glad my girl (1/2 Border Collie 1/2 Blue Heeler) loves other dogs. Can take her to the dog park for the run time. She will usually find a dog 2x her size to wrestle with and get the energy out.
The more you give them, the more they want. I miss when my boy would run alone side me. He would run at the front when keeping his eyes on me.
My heeler only needs to run maybe every other day. She's 6yrs old and runs between 3 and 5 miles a few times a week. They definitely need to get outside and do something - not the kind of dog that wants to sit around and watch tv all day. i work from home all day and she sleeps and chills until around 430 when she knows i'll be done soon. :) fantastic dogs - so smart and unique!
That's some beautiful country side. If I may ask where is that at? We have an area in San Dimas California that's a popular trail for hikers and bikers. And another in Chino Hills California.
Love your videos. Love cowboy
But if you could see the size of the cattle stations (farms) these dogs are made to round up on you’d see why they have so much stamina
The biggest station here is the size of New Jersey state
My Red looked just like this and I found the perfect exercise routine for her. First, I was in knee braces from grade 4-12, so never developed any eye-hand coordination; I was terrible at sports. Athletic build, but terrible skills. Got guilted into playin co-ed softball and 1st game k'd 4 times; no contact with the ball. Vacations meant my next game was in two weeks. Instead of throwing the ball at play time, I started hitting the ball. In my mind was "don't dip the shoulder, eye the ball into the bat, level swing". I did this for two week, every day, 3 to 4 hours a day. I got good! Next game I was 4/4 and the next 18 games and 5 seasons I never didn't get a hit. Now, if someone scouted me, they would have stood 15' behind second base and would have got me out each time.....but who scouts in co-ed, slow pitch softball. I had hero moments for many seasons, hitting in the game winning run from 3rd in the last inning. Absolutely glorious! League wide I was known as a 'pure hitter'. (I'm actually low key and humble. No fist pumping arrogance). None of this would have happened without Red. She brought the ball back to my feet 100's of times a day, for years. 17 years we were together and her passing is still one of the top painful moments in my life.
Brilliant advice thanks
Gotta say love your products cleared up my girls skin issues 👍
Happy to hear that! Appreciate the update and your support Cody 🤘🏼
Get/build a slat or carpet mill for those winter months and your cattle dog.
I loved the honesty in this video! Thank you!
Do you mind if I ask what region this is? The landscape is gorgeous! I don’t have a place nearby I can ride a bike with my girl off-leash. Too many cars.
Beautiful dog.
Love my cattle dogs
Love your show.
Found you when I was looking for a playmate for our pointer @meanderinggrace. We got her for running and when she was not tired after our lil 5k runs we took up MTB. Now she is our trail dog. We decided against the cattle dog due to it not being a right fit but it is fun watching your show.
Are you doing the snake aversion training? We got her first snake vaccine and she went in heat so we have to start over ugh.
Pointers are great. Similar energy, but very different personalities. Pointer is a better runner for longer distances for sure ( just a lighter body structure ). We haven't done snake aversion but he's had his rattlesnake vaccine.
Duuuuddde I had the same issue with my Rocky Boi. He was soo adaptable and we built up such stamina and I was ready to divy it up 😂 so we made it one jog every other day and play everyday
In the past, I've used the Kubota and Club Cadet
What does a cattle dog and Harley Davidson motorcycle have in common? At the end of the day they both come home in a ute/truck.
Off leash walks with a Heeler is super important. I think my boy caught a deer in the haunches yesterday. Woods walk with a white tail 20 feet off the path. Stupid deer flinched and he saw it………. The look of satisfaction when he comes back to me. Like yoooooo dad I did it!!!!!!!
My five month old Red Heeler is so aggressive at retrieving that he keeps re injuring his leg and paw. I am wondering if I should not play fetch for a few weeks or month or what the solution may be. I do not want him to keep getting these recurring issues. Great video !
How did you train to run behind you biking?
hes a good boy,, my cowboy is still in demon puppy mode,,,,, HB
Great video, thank you!
How did you train him to run behind your bike?
Good question! I will make a video specifically on it! Short answer, started on a leash and corrected him when he went for the tire. He listens pretty well to vocal commands too and I used to get on him if he went for it.
@@diydogguy yay, a video would be awesome, thank you! :)
How did you train him to stay behind you? My Red always wants to be right beside me on the bike
check out our video on creating the ultimate trail dog! I go over that. Leash work and teaching them to be behind off a bike first helps.
I love it! I just took my six month old Heeler for a ten mile run this morning. I was riding so she alternates between a sprint and a jog. I wonder if that’s too much? Also, do you worry about his paws? I wonder if I need to worry about hers.
Awesome! I would say that might be a little far for that age. General rule is their growth plates aren't fully developed until they are two and too much constant impact can harm their growth plates. While they CAN run that far at that age, you might want to consider cutting it back a bit just until she is older. As for paws, just monitor her and try to avoid too rocky of terrain.
That is a bit too much . Good to start off with some long hikes until age 2. Then started with a 5k run program. Once he reached 4 he trained with me on my trail marathons 26.2 . We stopped at creeks and water breaks too.
Get you a cart to pull behind bike take for rides till bones get stronger
Jack Cole - @diydogguy - ACD community: Please advise. A Southern California internet rescue site is featuring a 14-week-old cattle dog puppy with a shattered back leg. The "dog rescue personality" fostering this puppy engaged his followers on "saving" this puppy's leg instead of amputating. Fans have donated $Ks to "save the leg." The puppy just competed 8 HOURS of surgery two days ago and is still recovering at the vet's. Thousands of followers were passionately cheering this effort on. I was one of a handful who questioned this choice vs. amputation. My concern was the lifelong pain and suffering of this dog from an arthritic leg, and that's even if the leg survives. Folks who favored amputation were called "heartless." Now that I've seen Jack's videos on ACDs' exercise, activity, and training requirements, I'm even more convinced amputation would have been a better, less painful long-term option. This puppy will lose its critical puppyhood on pain meds and restricted movement and survival of the leg after 8 hours of surgery isn't even assured. ACD community, any thoughts? What would you do in this situation?
tough situation. Theses dogs are survivors 3 legs won't slow them down...
I mean that in the best way...dog would probably live a great life with 3 legs and still be more athletic than most dogs
@@diydogguy Thanks for the reply, Jack. I love Cowboy, btw. But so glad I don't own him - that Arf! and those teeth! Couldn't do it. Best of luck and every success to you both in your Back 40 venture.
What is your “Cattle dog” Cowboy mixed with because he’s obviously mixed with something looks like Corgi mix he’s very small and muzzle is short but he’s cute.
I have a question.. I just got a red heeler pup. She's 8 weeks and I take her on walks with my border collie, and I have a sling to put her in when she gets tired, or so I thought. I didn't let her run more than half a mile because she's so small, but she acts irritated that I don't just let her go till she drops. Which is I have no idea how far. The next walk I let her go an entire mile, but I don't want to harm her. Since she's so young, isn't it best to just not let her go too far at once? And how far is too far?
bc she is only 8 weeks old yes you can definitely over do it. let her run all she wants in the yard but keep walks short like you are now. each dog is different but at her age she doesn't need long walks
I’m still working on having mine not bike my bike tires and kill us both😮
Even when they solid like this fine specimen, they will always take the slack and thrive
My blue is a forced surrender. We adopted her after we lost our 15 year old blue. Cassie was chained outside the first 9 months of her life. She is now 11 and hates being outside. We don't force her to do anything she doesn't want to within reason.
I have two, they killed a coyote last week and one last month. Pretty good on the farm.
How does his feet do on those long rides?
So long as it's not too hot or cold, they're like little tanks. Strong and extremely resilient. They're built for tough work 💪
If your dog is used to it and the terrain isn't gnarly they should be ok. He has put some holes in his pads from running on his own in the past because he's so intense playing but they get tougher. Start smaller distances to toughen up the pads if you're worried about it. If they crack put coconut oil on them
@@diydogguy hey man, thank you for the video. I also MTB with my heeler and I'm just figuring out how far can I go with her. I understand it's a matter of training but anyway, what is the longest distance you have pedaled with Cowboy? Today I went 18 miles on gravel and I think it was a a bit much for her
is two hours a day a enough exercise for a blue heeler
With proper structure around that 2 hours and throughout the day I think so. Every dog is different and they are adaptable.
How much exercise does a Cattle Dog need? If that dog isn't slurping water, pacing for a few minutes and then dropping into a deep, deep sleep, they haven't had enough exercise. An EXHAUSTED Cattle Dog is a happy and well-behaved, Cattle Dog. Period. End of story. There is no middle ground. Give them good food, proper veterinary care, LOADS...LOOOOOOOADS of exercise. That's it. That's the formula. ...OH....and lots n' lots of kisses. :)
Energizer bunny's got nothing on a heeler. My best investment ever was probably a Chuckit ball launcher. 60-yd wind sprints for an hour will take the edge off for sure. :-)
If I stop playing ball with my she barks or in a blue moon she dose a low grow
omg, where do you live? Or what trail is that?
Northern San diego
He'll damn sure go till you fall over.
Isn't that the truth 😂
Mine snoring as I’m watching this 😂
haha nice
Finally a decent type.Hes very nice
Do not overheat him or you will induce brain damage and epilepsy
If you exercise them that much they need to cool down by swimming
They need a lot.
What did you do to exercise him as a puppy?
you have to be careful not to run them too hard when they're young. Walks are fine, mental stimulation like teaching tricks or bringing places tires pups out.
Carefull. Don't give him a heart attack. It's easy if you're on a bike
yes have to know your dog and condition them for sure. Can't jump into this you will run them into the ground!
Buying and training an ACD is the best thing for human's mental and physical health.
my heeler has been exercised everyday with a frisby and bike rides but my heeler is in a lot better shape than yours. i’m guessing you do quite a bit of exercise with your boy but why is it that he is so overweight?
He has lot a lot of weight since this video. I was out of town and someone was watching him so he got a little chubby here lol
Pretty stout beast
Another velociraptor takes control of the day…
My girl Khloe is crazy. I run her with my car she will do 20km in about an hour.. shes a year and a half old an an absolute machine.. she will play for hours camping with friends she always find someone to play ball with her and she will bark or be pushy.. they really do require alot of stimulation and a firm owner like she knows when I say f*#k off and go to your kennel that she isn't going to herd me into what she wants.. I really think kennel training a heeler is best because they will try and herd you and spiteful my dog goes to work and just everywhere with me get Home and wanna get it on with my girlfriend and the dog will he eating her Hoodie or something.. like they really aren't a dog for the faint of heart and for how much of a pain in the ass they are they make up for by being attentive and cute and every time you throw the ball your going to get 110% effort into getting it..
Do not get one of these dogs unless you are prepared to spend 1 hr + exercising it. They really are farm dogs and need a big area.
Sort of agree but just having a big area doesn’t always work if they have no farm animals they’ll be bored or lonely and just sit by the door they need attention more than exercise, both is best, but my ACD is cool with learning activities or wrestling when it’s too rainy (Seattle) but rain means nothing to the ACD.
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