For people who own/have owned/know people who have owned Shetland Sheepdogs?

Question

Me, my mum, dad and sister have wanted a dog for a while now and heard about Shetland Sheepdogs and have been looking up about

them for about 2months (It may seem like a long time but we don't want to get the wrong one or not know anything about it) and we found out that it seems to be a very friendly (which is good considering i'm 14 and my sisters 11, so their good around children as well) but the only bad side is we heard they are very energetic. So, what i'm asking, is if we didn't take it on quite big walks sometimes, or didn't take it for a walk every now and then would it get quite annoyed? Because we heard it wants constant attention all the time.

Answer 1

We had a shetland sheepdog and my uncle has two.  My uncle never walked his dogs - he's one of the type of ppl to just have a dog and that's it, they did ok, didn't terrorize anyone, wasn't yappy, all in all would've been great dogs if they had went to the right family.  

Our sheltie was walked a lot during the first few years, and as our schedule got busier the walks decreased but she still did fine; however, she was a bit of a barker, to the point that our neighbor complained to the humane society.  That's the one thing i didn't like, there are plenty of ppl that complain about the barking for this breed, but not all, like i said my uncle's shelties were perfectly fine, find a good breeder with not too many dogs, some pups learn to bark at a young age because they were raised with many other dogs and pups, this can contribute to futher barking in the future.  

shelties are smart dogs - we trained ours easily, gives paw, next paw, high fives, we can open the gate and she won't run out (of course it takes training).  she wasn't hyper and very mellow too.  If you guys find the right one i'm sure it'll do really well with ur family - but remember even if u dont have time for walks, always put aside 10 to 15 minutes to groom a sheltie, u don't want the fur matted.

Answer 2

We live in a place that has weather issues, so walks are not always possible.  We trained our shelties to play in the house when they were little.  We play hide and seek a lot, and ball, and throw toys and stuff.  They are a herding dog, so we hide in the house, and they come find us, and then we chase them around the house and hide someplace new.  It sounds silly, but they like it and it drains energy before bed.  We also have plenty of toys to play in the garden too.  You can join sheltie-list.com, and sheltie-world.com and you can ask them questions about shelties, like you can here, and you will get a ton of help.

Answer 3

I have a Shetland Sheep dog. They make wonderful family pets and are among the smartest of breeds. Only the Border Collie is considered to be the least  bit more intelligent. They are easy to train and they seem to understand everything. They are energetic, but not to the point that they are annoying. They know when it is time to go to bed and when it's time to eat, etc. Good luck and best wishes

Answer 4

My shelties don't get long walks because I am disabled.  They do get a good bit of indoor exercise playing ball or tuggie, but not an unusual amount of such.  They are happy and well adjusted dogs.  The nice thing about shelties is they are an "on/off switch" dog.  They are ready to play or work hard when you ask them to, but calm right down into couch potato mode what you are ready to chill.  A well bred sheltie is NOT a "go go go" dog.  They do indeed like attention, but that attention is gained by shadowing you around the house.  They are velcro dogs.  Tossing a sheltie outdoors tied to a tree 24/7 is the cruelest thing you can do to them.  They tend to choose a favorite person, but will still be a friend to the whole family.  They aren't an "in your face" dog either though.  They are content to lie near you and sleep.  It's kind of hard to describe.

You are very intelligent for trying to learn which dog will fit best for your family.  I wish more people would. The most important thing you can do is find a responsible breeder, regardless of what breed you finally settle on.  A responsible breeder will:

1) be breeding to the breed's standard..no teacup, micro, mini, imperial,

king, or other goofy term for runts or oversized dogs.  No intentional

"rare", meaning unaccepted by the breed standard, colors either.

2) will be actively showing or working the parents.

3) will have genetic health testing done, such as OFA or PennHip, CERF,

VonWillebrand's, etc.

4) will give you the results of that testing in writing

5) insists on spay/neuter for pet pups.

6) has a contract citing the spay/neuter clause and also offering to take

back the pup at any time for any reason for the rest of its life.

7) is open, honest, and available to the new owner, and can talk aobut their

breed for hours.

8) does a home check before placing a pup, and will turn down homes that

might not be suitable for a pup of their breed.

9) does not put money above the well-being of their animals.

Visiting dogs of responsible breeders can help you decide if the breed is really right for you.  Good luck!

Answer 5

Keep in mind that yes certain breed do have certain traits, but also that each individual dog is going to have it's own personality. So, you may end up with one that doesn't require that you are petting it 24/7 or you may get one that is slightly ADD, you never know. Whey you get one, may try to visit with it for a little while before taking it home to try and get a feel for it's personality. Every dog is different.  

Answer 6

Shelties  can be real sweethearts. The good thing is they are very smart and learn quick. They are active dogs and love to chase and retrieve balls, etc. Mine would do that for hours!  All dogs really need a fenced yard so they can run, chase and play with their family. Mine trained to leash and off leash real quick. Once he knew his yard boundary he never went past even if chasing his ball. They train quick. That was great because we could go to dog parks or to nature trail and he would stay right with me.

Can also teach them to run along side a bike which lets them really get good exercise.  I am glad the family is taking time to research the breed and get a good dog.

Answer 7

They do get annoyed and may have behavior issues if they don't get enough exersize.

Everyday.  At least an hour.  More while they're young.  They're also smart.  You'll do well to find agility classes or flyball.

If they don't get enough exersize, they tend to bark.  Constantly.

They are people pleasers.  They aren't super needy/clingy.  They get along with just about everyone and everything.  They are sweet, fun and make excellent pets.  Do get one.  Just be prepared to go for walks.

Answer 8

They are energetic dogs and you need to not only walk them but keep their minds busy!!

Check the breed energy levels and match it to your energy level,  Never get a dog with a higher energy level than you as this means problems.

There are LOTS of breeds out there with lower levels of energy if not any breed can be either self destructive or take up destructive habits :o((( Please take the time to find a quieter breed as I can tell by the question that you are not a high energy person.

Answer 9

They are amazing!!

I have a sheltie X border collie for about 15 years, she was a little bit bigger than a pure sheltie, about 40 lbs. And she was the greatest!! She was extremely patient with all kids and all our small animals. She was the greatest dog ever!! She died a little over a year ago and I miss her so much I am getting another sheltie!! A pure bred this time, in spring, and I am so excited!!

Some people down the street from us used to have 2 shelties, and they were just the same as mine, very friendly and playful, not overly hyper. A girl I worked with got a new one and it is crazy hyper, but her old one wasn't, so out of all the ones I know of. I only know of one very energetic one.

They do like nice long walks though, because they are a working dog, so you have to keep them occupied.

Answer 10

I'll start by saying that my family does have a Shetland Sheepdog - she is 11 years old, and we've had her since she was a couple of months old.

First of all, any dog, no matter the breed, needs at least one good walk a day.  A dog is able to release energy on walks, and therefore without walks a dog is left with pent up energy.  And, oftentimes when a dog has pent up energy, that energy is redirected to hyperactivity, obsessive chewing, whining/crying, and other such behaviors.  So, for the dog's sake (and for your own sake), any dog really needs to be walked/exercised for at least 30 minutes to an hour a day...

Now, getting back specifically to Shelties...Starting with the first things you mentioned about Shelties, they are generally very sweet dogs, and ours is definitely an extraordinarily sweet dog.  Shelties are known for being loyal to their family and for being sweet, but do keep in mind that a dog doesn't just learn to be a good dog on its own - you will have to socialize and train a Sheltie (or any dog) in order for it to learn to behave and be good around people.   Also, you may or may not have read this, but Shelties can be pretty notorious for their barking - I have yet to meet a Sheltie that doesn't love to bark, so perhaps keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to get a Sheltie.

And as for the walks, I don't know your family situation, but in order to have a Sheltie I really would suggest you find a way to give it at least one good walk (or jog, etc.) a day.  Shelties can be very high energy dogs, just as any herding dog.  So, a walk is almost a necessity, or else you will have a hyperactive dog with pent up energy on your hands (and that is no fun).  Also, without a regular walk, any dog, such as a Sheltie, really isn't happy - on walks a dog is able to see and sniff new things, and a dog that isn't allowed to do that is not a happy dog.  Maybe your family members could take turns walking the dog, and you don't just have to go on walks to give your dog exercise - you can help your dog drain energy by running/jogging with it, taking it with you on a bike ride, or going roller blading with it.  Any form of exercise is fine, as long as the dog gets at least 30 minutes to an hour of exercise a day.  And especially when a dog is young it needs a lot of exercise.  My family's Sheltie gets usually 3 short walks a day - because she is 11 she can't walk too far at one time, so we take her on about 15 minute walks three times a day.  And she needs those walks - if she doesn't get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, she honestly sort of goes nuts, because she has pent up energy.  So, my opinion, after having a Sheltie for 11 years, is that a Sheltie really needs to be given at least one long walk a day, for both your sake and the dog's sake.

Best wishes!