Shelties?

[treehugginmama]

We are thinking about adding to our family. The rescue we got our current dog from has what they think are Sheltie mixes. Here's the link (because she's to cute not to share) http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/p...easterville-PA

I don't know much about the breed though. I have heard herding dogs can be trouble if you don't know how to handle them. Anyone have any experience they can share?

[RiverRock]

I don't see much of the sheltie in there, but definately the sheepdog colouring and the terrier shape. I suppose there are acceptions for all breeds, but the sheepdog is a "working" dog and could be very loyal to your family (protecting the children). They like to have a "job". My minimal experience with shelties is that they are intelligent, highly trainable, but have a yappiness about them that lead some pet owners of purebreads to remove their voiceboxes (I know of a breeder in my town who does this to all of her shelties that she keeps as pets and breedstock). I personally find terriers to be aggressive and/or stubborn. I would not want a dog that is aggressive, but I would consider a stubborn breed as a pet (ie Scottish Terrier). Terrier is the only part of the puppy I would be concerned about. I think that adorable puppy would also be a high energy dog for many years, but could definately be a good family pet.

eta: We had an Australian Cattle Dog that is a herding breed and it was a very stubborn dog. It would listen to me, but I had to spend a lot of time training it. One day it disappeared. We think it might have been stolen.

[sherry]

We used to have them when I was younger. Very loyal, very affectionate but also very high strung. It may just have been the breeding, but the dog couldn't tolerate being left alone for more than a couple hours and needed to be within sight of her people all the time. I also remember a whole lot of brushing - they got matted very easily. But very loving dogs.

[treehugginmama]

Thanks River Rock and Sherry. We are going to pass on the sheltie. DH isn't interested in the grooming part.

We keep going back and forth between a 4 yr old rat terrier or a 6 month old Chiuhauha. We have chi/doxie/Smooth Fox terrier mix (we had him dna typed) now so I think either one of those breeds would be a good size and active enough for him.

Shelties are wonderful! They are totally "my" breed, although they're not for everyone. The grooming is really not bad, and it depends a lot on the texture of the particular dog's coat. I mean brushing a couple times a month, and every month or two doing some more in-depth grooming.

But..... I don't think that dog would take so much grooming, because he really doesn't look much like Sheltie. And he does not have the Sheltie puppy coat. I have a thread about my new dogs right on this board; take a look at the puppy and his coat. It doesn't look like that. In fact, I don't see much Sheltie at all in that dog. Much too square, although the paws could be sheltie-like. The sable coloring is pretty common in different breeds. Frankly, I would guess they listed that in the mix because it's a breed that makes a lot of people smile, and there's a vague chance it could be in there. Just a guess, but I've seen plenty of sheltie puppies.

For future reference, Shelties are a wonderful breed -- happy, loyal, energentic, snuggly, gentle. If taken care of (and not allowed to run around in packs like at a breeders) they are not yappy, and similarly their coats shouldn't be much of a problem. They were bred to work sheep in the rain, not be petted all day! BUT.... they do take the proper care of them. They have a very intense relationship with their primary person, and need interaction with that person. They are very smart, and quite active, so they need to be busy. I find their energy level perfect for our active family, as a SAHM, but for someone who likes an oh-isn't-he-cute dog off in the corner chewing his bone, it isn't for you. They can be kind of sassy and independent thinkers, which is fun if you're working with them and really frustrating if you just want them to just come in and not bother you any more.