Why did you pick Shelties?

Sharon7

Sharon7

Moderator
So many of us have had Shelties in our lives for years and I wondered about everyone's backstory. Why this breed?

My attraction started as a kid. A neighbor up the street had an oversized Sheltie boy named Kip. I absolutely loved that dog and used to knock on their door and ask to walk him. This was when I was about 12 and begging and begging my parents for a dog. Annnnnd, what did I end up with? Certainly not my choice. My neat-freak mother decreed only a poodle (non shedding) would cross her doorstep, so I got a miniature black poodle girl. Actually, she was a great dog I have to say.

Fast forward to marriage 35 years ago, whereupon I inform my new husband (we had just bought a house) that since we had a house and yard we were getting a dog ASAP! He was not a dog person at all though. Then he insisted on a BIG dog. We looked at a litter of Goldens, but walked away, they just didn't call to me.

My goal was always a Sheltie. Finally that's what we got and we never looked back. Skye came into our lives in 1987 and we have not been without a Sheltie since, and often multiples.

They just absolutely suit us as a breed. We do not care in the least that they aren't friendly with everyone they see. We love everything about them.... well except maybe the barking! :winkgrin:

So, what's your story?
 
What a great story Sharon, I'm pleased you managed to get your Sheltie in the end!

I fell on the breed by chance. I had a Boxer in my family home. After a while in the big world I decided I wanted a dog of my own and started looking around Shelters and adoption ads.

I went to a private rescue and luckily noticed a small shed at the back. When I had a look inside it had some Sheltie puppies (I didnt really know what a Sheltie was). I asked about them and they had been handed over by a breeder for what-ever reason. They were beautiful but there was one with crooked teeth, an ear hanging to the side and a limp. I knew the others would get a home but thought he would struggle so I picked him....and that was Harley. We spent 15years together and he was so special that I decided I could never have another breed except a Sheltie.

So when he passed on I looked for another Sheltie and along came Monty.......who couldn't be more different from Harley .....but In a fun...and challenging way lol.
 
Sharon7 said:
So many of us have had Shelties in our lives for years and I wondered about everyone's backstory. Why this breed?

My attraction started as a kid. A neighbor up the street had an oversized Sheltie boy named Kip. I absolutely loved that dog and used to knock on their door and ask to walk him. This was when I was about 12 and begging and begging my parents for a dog. Annnnnd, what did I end up with? Certainly not my choice. My neat-freak mother decreed only a poodle (non shedding) would cross her doorstep, so I got a miniature black poodle girl. Actually, she was a great dog I have to say.

Fast forward to marriage 35 years ago, whereupon I inform my new husband (we had just bought a house) that since we had a house and yard we were getting a dog ASAP! He was not a dog person at all though. Then he insisted on a BIG dog. We looked at a litter of Goldens, but walked away, they just didn't call to me.

My goal was always a Sheltie. Finally that's what we got and we never looked back. Skye came into our lives in 1987 and we have not been without a Sheltie since, and often multiples.

They just absolutely suit us as a breed. We do not care in the least that they aren't friendly with everyone they see. We love everything about them.... well except maybe the barking! :winkgrin:

So, what's your story?
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We got Sandstorm ten years ago, I had met a sheltie before and fell in love with the way it looked at me, like it "knew". SS has been a wonderful sheltie, but we should have done more with him. They are so smart! Then Minnie, now I finally realize how smart they are. I didn't have dogs growing up, so I didn't know. Minnie is our 5th dog and we've now got it right. Finally! It's the right breed for us, oh and the beauty of a sheltie of course is a reason, they are also non threatening looking. I could go on and on. We all could. I never thought dogs could bring so much joy, but these two do. The barking can be a problem but no breed is perfect. I can see myself with a miniature poodle as an old lady, they are also so smart- but that sheltie look!!
 
I wanted Lassie but parents weren't in favor of a collie so we had a cocker spaniel growing up. then in grad school, I decided to get my own dog- looked in the newspaper and saw an ad for a border collie - close enough I thought but already gone by the time that I called. also in that paper, there was a litter of mixed breed puppies so my first dog was a basset/cocker mix. After he got sick, I realized that I couldn't have a big dog as I had trouble getting him in and out of the car. so then I got Happy the beagle mix (smaller dog) after that and then Callie to keep him company. because by then I had discovered smaller dogs that looked like Lassie but that I could pick up:yes::smile2::winkgrin:
 
Riley was actually my first Sheltie but I didn't get him as a puppy. I met Riley probably when he was a year old or so during visits with my client (I work for the government run home care program). Riley belonged to her daughter and I fell in love with him as a dog (I didn't really know much about the breed at that time). Fast forward 4 years when Riley's owner passed away suddenly and my client's elderly neighbor was keeping him for my client. There didn't seem to be any family who wanted him (I thought he'd have numerous homes to choose from) and about a month after Susan died I went to visit Riley. My heart absolutely broke when I saw him...he was well cared for but so so sad. Happy to see me but I could see such heartache in his eyes. I asked my client if she didn't have a home for him I'd take him and the rest is history...
After getting him I educated myself on the breed and a year later when I had to put my Cocker down I knew it had to be a Sheltie and along came Piper.
I wouldn't choose a different breed now
 
Great question, and it’s fun to read other people’s stories!

When I was a kid I desperately wanted a dog, but parents said no..

When I was 11, me and my father went to a store and the owner had a very sweet blue Merle dog. I loved that dog! When we left, I asked my father what breed it was. He said Sheltie because he didn’t know Border Collie’s came in Merle. The dog was actually a Border Collie, which I found out years later:) But that was the first time I heard of Sheltie’s and I really loved that dog.. I also remember writing an essay around 7th or 8th grade about how a Sheltie would be the perfect breed for me (yes I researched the breed). My parents were not convinced!

I wanted a smart active dog, mainly to be my friend and companion. I wanted to go hiking and play with the dog, but wasn’t yet set on agility. I liked Sheltie’s because I thought they weren’t as crazy as BCs, but were still highly intelligent active and beautiful.

When I was 14 I finally convinced my parents to let me get a dog. We visited a conformation show and talked to 2 breeders. Of course I wanted a puppy, but one breeder had a 7 year old looking for a home and that was how I got my first Sheltie, Noel.

Then I got my 2 non Sheltie dogs, Jessie and Geri. I didn’t look for either one - they found me. Jessie was abandoned near our farm, and Geri I found starving and terrified along the road.

When Noel died I did not really plan on getting another Sheltie. I wanted a BC this time, and was on the waitlist to get a puppy from a really good breeder. But then the breeder didn’t have any puppies, and I started thinking about how much I loved Noel, and how I missed having a Sheltie so much... I joined Sheltie Nation, and everyone encouraged me to contact my dream breeder (I’d admired her dogs for years) and that’s how I got Kip! Very very glad I got another Sheltie.

I still will probably get a BC, but I also think I would be very happy if I had nothing but Shelties for the rest of my life. They’re smart, energetic, funny, sweet, beautiful, adventurous, and just very wonderful dogs that make me very happy!
 
I grew up with a Sheltie, Charlie a/k/a the best dog in the world. My parents got him when I was 5 -- so not only was i herded as a child, but as an angsty teen (and who isn't?) he was the ideal companion; he listened to me cry and carry on. As an adult, when hubby and I decided to get a dog, we adopted a mixed breed, Mathilda. When she passed we decided to go with a purebreed puppy. Enter Mercutio, the Samoyed. Absolutely wonderful dog. At 10 he had either a heart attack or a stroke and died almost instantly. We decided our home needed a dog. We couldn't go with another Samoyed -- they all look exactly the same and it wouldn't be fair to the non-Mercutio to constantly see Mercutio in him/her. We also felt that we weren't really up for a puppy and adopted a mixed breed, Dulcinea. Unfortunately, it was not a good match. She had been abused throughout her life, a fact that was not shared with us, and was aggressive with both dogs and people. After an absolutely heart-wrenching month we made the heart-breaking decision to return her to the shelter we had gotten her from (a no-kill one) based in large part on our vet telling us that after her first bite (she had bitten someone in Petco) if she bit again she'd be put down and we'd be in jail. After that I just couldn't deal with the risk of another older dog, and felt that a Sheltie puppy was the right choice to help us heal from both Mercutio's death and the surrender of Dulcinea. Fortunately we found Oberon's breeder, who lived about 10 miles from Dulcinea's rescue organization. So on the very same day that we dropped Dulcinea off we were able to pick up Oberon -- who at the time was 2 days shy of being 8 weeks old. I guess sometimes the universe just works.
 
Everyone has such great stories.

Mine is boring - I grew up in the 60s/70s during the Lassie craze in Australia and had a Sheltie breeder through the gate in the fence, so we had several Shelties. When I got older I naturally gravitated to Shelties but after my Sheltie Benson died, followed by Sam the cat, I swore I'd never get another pet because they broke my heart. And I didn't for a long time because I moved around the country with work and worked long hours.

Then one day I was assaulted and developed bad PTSD. My neighbour lent me her gentle lab so I could go into the yard to hang the washing or garden and my sweet psychologist suggested getting a dog myself. I started checking out breeds and picked several, put my name down with some local breeders, only the Sheltie breeder had a litter due but they were all promised. One day on impulse I drove up to Sydney to meet a Sheltie puppy, but it was sold by the time I got there and the breeder only had a boy she was hand-rearing and wanted to keep (it was her first solo litter). Well that puppy crawled up to me, and after I picked him he refused to go back to the breeder. The breeder bawled, and I ended up driving home with a puppy called Des (who became Deska). Few months later the local breeder said one of her promised puppies was too wild for conformation and needed to go to an active home, was I still interested - so I got Tully. From zero to two puppies in a few months.

This is Benson (Benny) dressed up for my wedding.
2007-05-20 00.03.00.jpg
 
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Our first family dog was a Sheltie. Steve’s Mum & Dad in England had one and I laugh because compared to wee Monty their Sheltie resembled a Collie! Her name was Misty Diamond as she had a diamond shape white fur.spot on her side. We loved her, she was the runt and so sweet and stayed with us for almost 15 years. We swore we would never get another Sheltie as we would most likely not find another like her. In between we had a Great Pyrenees and then a rescued Pyr with him, an American Chocolate Cocker, and a rescued Shih Tzu. When Doogal our Shih Tzu left us we knew we would not be without a dog and we had a shortlist of another Shih Tzu or “maybe” a Sheltie. Well you all know how that went!! lol. Totally different from Misty and yes we sometimes do say..”Misty never did that naughty thing” lol Coop is an oversized Sheltie and not timid like Misty was. He is our wild child and as seniors he keeps us on our toes, but we love him dearly.

I think this picture says it all wrapped up in a bow!!

View media item 7252
 
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