About to be owned by a sheltie!

B

brandy_michelle

Forums Novice
Hi there! So my husband and I finally decided to get a sheltie and I was lucky enough to find this website! We are so excited, as you can imagine! His name is Eli and he's a 6-yr-old black tri. (We wanted an older dog, for now, until we have our own home and aren't renting.)

I'm driving to pick him up next weekend, and I've tried to make a list of everything that I need to buy beforehand. (I want him to come to a home and not just a new house. :smile2:) Any suggestions? The breeder has given me a ton of them, and I've bought a large kennel, but I'm not sure what size doggie bed to buy, or whether or not I need to buy a harness for our ride home...Also, I don't know what type of brushes? I've heard stuff about the Furminator??

Any replies would be greatly appreciated!
 
Welcome to the forum. We will want to see pix of Eli.

The doggie bed should fit the bottom of the kennel - take the kennel measurements and go to the pet store with them and check out the beds.

There are a lot of threads here about proper grooming tools. I would start with good nail clippers (or a Dremel if he will tolerate the noise), a good pin brush, a comb, spray bottle for water to mist him when brushing, a good pair of barber shears (I found a really nice set for not much money in my local grocery store), a slicker brush. As you go along, you will find out what exactly you need for his grooming and purchase what you need. Keep baby powder or cornstarch handy for behind the ears - either one of these will prevent mats. Shampoos are a matter of personal preference. I am using Wahl puppy shampoo for my two who are just over a year old.

Cameras are a must!:lol:

You may want to consider a good harness for the ride home. We had a discussion a while ago on the forum about what type of harness. If you search you should be able to find it. It is better to harness him in if you can - keeps him and you both safe.

I started off with just a few things for Emma and have gradually increased what I have. Liam I got almost a year after Emma and therefore can use for him what I have for her. Just bought some toys for him, but they share all of them. My one splurge was ceramic dishes for their food and for the water (I have three, one in the living room, one in the bedroom, and a large one in the hall that goes outside in the good weather (when there is no snow)).
 
Welcome aboard!

One thing I recommend is finding out what type of food your breeder is currently feeding him. Buy the food before hand, so that you have it when he arrives. Some foods are harder to find than others, so you want to make sure you are able to get it where you live. If you can't find a store and don't want to order online, ask your breeder to provide you with enough kibble for a week or two. This way you can transition him to food you like and is available near you. Always do a gradual transition, so you don't upset his tummy. Of course it's best to not switch foods right away, because he might be a little stressed in a new home, but sometimes you have no choice.
This happened to me. My breeder gave me enough food for two weeks and when I went to buy the same food, I couldn't find it in my area, so I had to do an instant switch.
 
Thanks!

JessiaR: Thank you!

Emmasmom: Thanks for the suggestions! I've been trying to read up on tips in my spare time, but I hadn't heard about the baby powder! I will definitely be looking into a harness, too, because our road trip is going to be about 5 hours or so on the interstate...I just feel like there's so much to do to get ready for our new addition to the family! :biggrin2:
 
take4roll10 said:
Welcome aboard!

One thing I recommend is finding out what type of food your breeder is currently feeding him. Buy the food before hand, so that you have it when he arrives. Some foods are harder to find than others, so you want to make sure you are able to get it where you live. If you can't find a store and don't want to order online, ask your breeder to provide you with enough kibble for a week or two. This way you can transition him to food you like and is available near you. Always do a gradual transition, so you don't upset his tummy. Of course it's best to not switch foods right away, because he might be a little stressed in a new home, but sometimes you have no choice.
This happened to me. My breeder gave me enough food for two weeks and when I went to buy the same food, I couldn't find it in my area, so I had to do an instant switch.
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Thank you, take4roll! The breeder sent me a list of dog foods that she recommends, and she said she is currently feeding him Diamond Natural's Lamb and Rice, but I haven't checked for it in my local store yet, so I definitely need to do that, too!
 
If you can find out what is being fed, check out your local supply beforehand. That way you can have some ready when you get home.

No one I don't think has ever said anything about water. I use a Brita filter for water for the pups, just because of the chemicals in the town-treated water. I feel better this way.
 
Emmasmom said:
No one I don't think has ever said anything about water. I use a Brita filter for water for the pups, just because of the chemicals in the town-treated water. I feel better this way.
Click to expand...

You are right. Water from different areas can upset a dog's tummy as well. Just like with food, you can a transition from the breeder's water to your water. You can ask the breeder to fill an empty water gallon jug with their tap water (if the breeder uses tap). I personally use bottled water.

I would also ask the breeder not to feed him a few hours before you are picking him up. My breeder feed my puppy before right we arrived and let's just say the ride home could've been better!
 
welcome to the forums! Glad you're getting a Sheltie they are amazing!


Oh and a Fuminator sucks for a Sheltie in my opinion :) lol

Works great for a German Shepherd and the cats love it, too.. but Toffee not so much! Probably because of the long guard hairs, plus I never learned how to do it properly like some pthers on here who use it... So, I just gave mine away when the roomies GSD moved :)
 
Welcome to the forum! Can't wait to hear more about Eli.

It sounds like you are doing a great job of preparing, but I thought I'd add my two cents.

For brushes, I love Chris Christensen's pin brushes. I will never get anything else because they're great! I order mine online. I also use Chris Christensen shampoo (Day to day), After bath and Ice on Ice spray. The spray is great since you shouldn't ever brush your sheltie's fur dry.

Hope that helps a little!
 
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