Hanne
Forums Sage
Minnie is not a spinner 
- sometimes a single spin when she must have her dinner - but always before pooping.
- sometimes a single spin when she must have her dinner - but always before pooping.
Does Your Sheltie Spin?
- Thread starter RikyR
- Start date
Caro
Moderator
Deska's tend to be airborne too - always accompanied with barking. Watch out poor Tully if she's standing next to him. Deska loves spinning, he thinks it's fun - always reserved for when he's being silly, which is a lot.
corbinam
Moderator
Enzo is a circler, not a spinner, if that makes sense!
Jess041
Forums Enthusiast
My first sheltie was not a spinner. Missy is definitely a spinner. I don't think it's a huge problem, and I don't think it's OCD. She definitely spins when she's anxious. When she's waiting for me to get upstairs and open the door, she'll give a spin or two. At agility, she will spin and bark when she's too excited. Definitely past her threshold. She also spins in her crate sometimes when she wants out to play flyball or agility. Those are not the tight little spins you see the crazy shelties doing. It's just here and there. I did not teach her how to spin, this is just something she does naturally. And fun fact- she spins both directions. She also circles (herding behavior).
MissyGallant
Forums Enthusiast
Annabelle is a spinner. It's only when she is excited. She spins to make things in the yard go away. She also flags her tail for this. I think she is trying to look big and intimidating. When she has made her point, she stops. Clarabelle and Tara spin a little. Cooper does sometimes.
ClantyreSheltie
Forums Sage
"Spinning is a natural behavior in herding dogs."
I heartily disagree. There is no useful purpose to spinning when working stock. It would actually detract from the dogs ability to maintain contact and pressure on the stock. My stock-Sheltie circles in large (no smaller than 10 foot diameter) circles, and even that detracts from his ability to hold pressure because it's his default behavior when he's stressed (and always come-by, or clockwise). So no, I do not now nor have I ever allowed spinning as a "natural" behavior.
I heartily disagree. There is no useful purpose to spinning when working stock. It would actually detract from the dogs ability to maintain contact and pressure on the stock. My stock-Sheltie circles in large (no smaller than 10 foot diameter) circles, and even that detracts from his ability to hold pressure because it's his default behavior when he's stressed (and always come-by, or clockwise). So no, I do not now nor have I ever allowed spinning as a "natural" behavior.
Cara Sandler
Forums Enthusiast
Then how exactly do you explain the fact that many, many border collies and shetland sheepdogs display this behavior - EVEN AS PUPPIES? I hardly think the (literally) hundred or so herding dogs I've seen are doing this do it neurotically. These are well adjusted dogs with stable temperaments. Just because you do not allow it doesn't mean it's not there.
SheepOfBlue
Premium Member
For Sca it is a way to run without making progress. In other words I am not moving fast enough with the tennis ball or food. He does not want to get further away but has to move. Spitfire only does it when Sca (his hero) does and even then only sometimes.
Jess041
Forums Enthusiast
One explanation for puppies doing it is it can be genetic. I think there is a huge difference between spinning out of excitement, like my dog does, and spinning out of compulsion, which you will see in border collies and shelties and many other breeds. The compulsion spinning is the problem. But I don't think spinning out of excitement is necessarily bad.
RikyR
Premium Member
Since I never taught or encouraged Zulu to spin, and he has never been around other dogs that spin, it would stand to reason it must be something in his genes. If that is indeed the case, I wonder what purpose it would serve? Some type of signal? For him, it is most definitely due to excitement.