The Cellar - View Single Post - Okay, new question for dog people (cat people skip this)

vsp · 12-24-2001, 09:44 AM

...look for a Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie, Miniature Collie).

(The "biased" reference is because I've had two of them myself.)

Shelties are small-to-medium-sized, quite manageable (more so than the full Collie). They are a highly intelligent breed, and very loyal to their owners and family. Shelties love to run and play, and have no compunctions about sticking their noses into whatever it is you're doing.

They're quite attractive (to me, anyway) and require no unusual grooming (good brushings and general hygiene do nicely).

Shelties bond quite heavily with their adoptive families; if they sense that their owners are being physically threatened, they'll get hyper and bark quite a bit. (In other words, if the dog spazzes out when visiting Aunt Myrtle gives you a big bear hug, don't be surprised.) It tends much more heavily towards "bark and dance" than to "jump and attack" in these circumstances, thankfully. If they grow up around people and get a lot of attention, they should get along fine with strangers and/or visiting kids under most circumstances. They do love friendly attention -- their first impulse when confronted by a stranger is to be friendly unless they detect something amiss.

Many Shelties bark a lot, and they tend to be on the energetic side. There are exceptions -- my second Sheltie was extremely laid-back and easy-going. My first ran laps around the dining-room table and barked whenever anyone entered or left via the front door, and actually wore a path in its fenced-in yard from years of running laps out there. Your mileage may vary.

As far as the prey thing goes, Shelties are quite territorial, and will gladly bark at and/or chase away critters that get too close. One of mine caught a rabbit once, but only once, and it was a rabbit that had a suicidal fixation on hopping through the fence into the dog's yard. It tempted fate once too often. When confronted by an animal (big or small), its usual modus operandi is to bark its head off, and the average critter will vamoose accordingly.

I've never had one unfenced, so I'd look into that, but they're smart enough that I'm sure they can be trained to know where "home" is.

jeff. Sounds like a good match, but use your own judgement.

12-24-2001, 09:44 AM	#2
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	If I had to give a (biased) recommendation... ...look for a Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie, Miniature Collie). (The "biased" reference is because I've had two of them myself.) Shelties are small-to-medium-sized, quite manageable (more so than the full Collie). They are a highly intelligent breed, and very loyal to their owners and family. Shelties love to run and play, and have no compunctions about sticking their noses into whatever it is you're doing. They're quite attractive (to me, anyway) and require no unusual grooming (good brushings and general hygiene do nicely). Shelties bond quite heavily with their adoptive families; if they sense that their owners are being physically threatened, they'll get hyper and bark quite a bit. (In other words, if the dog spazzes out when visiting Aunt Myrtle gives you a big bear hug, don't be surprised.) It tends much more heavily towards "bark and dance" than to "jump and attack" in these circumstances, thankfully. If they grow up around people and get a lot of attention, they should get along fine with strangers and/or visiting kids under most circumstances. They do love friendly attention -- their first impulse when confronted by a stranger is to be friendly unless they detect something amiss. Many Shelties bark a lot, and they tend to be on the energetic side. There are exceptions -- my second Sheltie was extremely laid-back and easy-going. My first ran laps around the dining-room table and barked whenever anyone entered or left via the front door, and actually wore a path in its fenced-in yard from years of running laps out there. Your mileage may vary. As far as the prey thing goes, Shelties are quite territorial, and will gladly bark at and/or chase away critters that get too close. One of mine caught a rabbit once, but only once, and it was a rabbit that had a suicidal fixation on hopping through the fence into the dog's yard. It tempted fate once too often. When confronted by an animal (big or small), its usual modus operandi is to bark its head off, and the average critter will vamoose accordingly. I've never had one unfenced, so I'd look into that, but they're smart enough that I'm sure they can be trained to know where "home" is. jeff. Sounds like a good match, but use your own judgement.