Have you ever had or do you have a Shetland Sheepdog? Do you know someone that does? ?

Question

I'm just wondering what they're like. I have two Shelties and have had others that have since passed away. I love the breed dearly and I love my babies so much but there are some personality traits that most Shelties seem to have that are kinda annoying. The first one is that they love to bark! They are very smart and excitible and I think it's their way of trying to talk to you. However, they've gotten us into trouble with the neighbors! And I play and love on them all the time so it's not from me not paying attention to them. Actually, they bark the most when I'm playing with them and my female has this ear piercing bark! Seriously, my ears ring if she barks right by me! The second one is shyness. Alot of Shelties can be quite shy or just weary of strangers or certain people. When people go to pet my male, he always backs away. He wags his tail and he'd never bite but he can be such a scardy cat! My female is much more out-going though. The only other problem with them is that they do require lots of grooming especially when it's burr season like right now (I have to pick burrs out forever after every walk!). It's all very worth it though! They have so many good qualities and these seem to be true for most Shelties I've ever had or seen.

They are extremely intelligent!

They are very protective and loyal!

They are extremely affectionate with the people they love!

They are so pretty!

Oh, I just thought of another thing that's not so good! They do tend to love to chase cars! I always have my two on leashes when on roads but I'm always afraid they may break loose. They also love to chase other animals. My female is obsessed with deer and I'm always like "What are you going to do if you actually catch one, little girl?". When they are at the beach, they constantly chase seagulls up and down the beach! They'll chase them forever along the seashore. They don't bother anyone. Most people think it's kinda funny actually! Here's a couple of pics. of the loves of my life! Sorry, I guess I can't download them right now! I'd like to hear about your Sheltie experiences! THANKS!

Answer 1

They chase cars because they are a herding dog, and the car becomes the herd.  You might also notice them barking in the car, and they are trying to herd up all the trees.  I taught my shelties not to bark when they were babies.  Shelties want to please you, so you have to show them what behaviors make you happy, and which ones don't.  So for "no barking"  I just said "no barking" until the puppy stopped barking, and when she stopped barking, I told her "good girl"  The next time she started barking, I did it again, and when she stopped barking, I told her "good girl"  She learned barking makes me unhappy, and being quiet gets her praises.  I guess you do have to comb their hair, but I like that part of my day.  It is my bonding time with my dogs.  Shelties have bad eye sight, and dogs in general do not focus as fast as we do, so keep that in mind.  When people come to my house, I tell them to ignore the dog, and when the dog comes to them, let the dog check them out before they try to pet the dog.  You think the dog can tell that you are just trying to pet them, but the dogs don't focus as fast as humans, so they might just see a hand coming at their face, and not realize that someone just wants to pet them.  Your shelties are very beautiful.  Didyaknowthat.... you can ask questions about shelties at sheltie-list.com, and sheltie-world.com

Answer 2

YES!!! You described exactly the Sheltland Sheepdog that I know. My friend owns one. It barks like h**l has run loose. It's VERY loyal and affectionate to its owner. It's protective. It growls and snaps at strange dogs (just about every dog except "Lucky," this beagle she's known since a pup).

Also, it is smart. Although my friend hasn't taught it any tricks.