Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie)

I really advise that potential owners do their homework on the breeder they are considering buying from.

We checked out a number of breeders on line, followed up by phone. requested photo's of both parents. Living conditions, and recommendations from other owners.

If the breeder is of worth, they will provide this information without question.

This must be followed by visits to the home/kennels of the potential puppies.

The behavior of the dog is often resulting from over-breeding, inbreeding dog farming and poor training.

The result of us doing the hard miles before purchase resulted in a dog which immediately took to the family, was easy to train. Is completely obedient. willing and fun to have around.Does not nip the children, is very docile but protective with children.

We took 3 months to find a breeder with all the right requirements. As such we have a wonderful Sable dog who has been part of the family for two years.

We live in South Wales and traveled to Yorkshire to collect him.

Result, money well spent.....

We got our blue merle male at a year and a half old from a breeder who was showing him but didn't want to breed him because of his shyness. He was more of a possession to her than a pet... and never socialized properly. I have worked with him extensively... training him was a breeze. Getting him over his shyness has been slow... but with patience... we are all enjoying the results. He will never be as outgoing and friendly from the get go as a lab or a golden... but on the other hand... his amazing intelligence, personality and loyalty more than makes up for it. Our guy will warm up to most people after awhile.

The sheltie needs a lot of brushing. And they can be barky. But they can also be trained to keep quiet after raising the initial alarm.

I was put off puppies for a very long time because of a couple of bad puppies I had met over the years. I had rescued dogs but never had a puppy of my own until I met Alaska. I was suppost to be getting a pug but my boyfriend had talked me into looking at shetland puppies, I knew they where cute but wasnt sure if I wanted such active dog.

I went to the breeders house to meet Alaska who was 4 weeks old, she was beautiful and so calm. (all pups are at that age) So I put money on her and waited until she was 8 weeks old.

She has been the best dog I have ever had, loyal, funny, friendly and very very loving.

Easy to train too. Sometimes way to smart.

The only fault I can give is the barking and obsessive licking.

They are a great pet, you must never allow barking and chasing or it totally gets out of hand (I know from experience!) But, such a wonderful friend that its ok!

I did notice someone mentioning Shetland Sheepdog nip and don't mix with children and don't like sudden movements?! They are a sheep dog they shouldn't be nervous of sudden movements otherwise they couldn't work with sheep! So this is obviously a training issue as is the nipping most likely as it is highly unusual.

They make great pets because of their size and amiable temperament, they can be noisy sometimes and do need reasonable exercise (a walk round the block 2x a day will not cut it).

But remember they are bread to work they need training and activities or they will get bored and start showing behaviour problems.

Make sure you socialise pups with humans early and groom them EVERY day, they have sensitive skin like many long haired breeds and it doesn't respond well to over washing.

There are plenty of groomers out there who can help top up your grooming but it will still need to be done by you as well on a daily basis.

They can live happily with other animals as long as you train them properly again they are a farm dog and bread to live with farm animals including cats, so they are a great breed.

We had sheltie 20 years ago which was brought up with our 2 children and fitted this combination was a joy to see. She went everywhere with us and was always so happy to be near us. We now have a 10 month old Sheltie pup, who adores being with our young grandchildren, and also loves people in general and other dogs. She is tremendously interested in everything around her and is a joy to watch when we are out and about. Her main aim in life is to please us. If you have plenty of time and love to give, then a sheltie is ideal. There is nothing they like so much as doing things together with you.

I love my two tricolour Shetland Sheepdogs, and I wouldn't swap them for the world. They are a beautiful, intelligent, easily trained, full of their own individual characters and a true pleasure to own. They need an average amount of exercise, as they are not as energetic as larger Collies, and their coat needs to be looked after to prevent knots, so getting them used to being groomed as puppies is a must, as you will be spending extra time at moulting on the coat. My two love the mud and not the water, so I guess they are all different. They are said not to like water, but I have a friend who regularly takes her Shelties to the beach, and they love a swim, so there is always a story to prove a theory wrong... All I know is, this is a very special breed. If you want a boisterous, rough and tumble dog - get a Retriever, not a Sheltie! They need lots of love, kindness and trust, and in return you will have a truly loyal friend, with a very knowing understanding.

Shetland Sheepdog - I've had 2 Shelties they both were the sweetest, funniest dogs ever. if you are considering getting one then do. Sadly our 1st died of epilepsy, but the breed isn't generally succeptible to that disease.