I have been thinking about getting a dog so I have been looking at different breeds. I think that shelties are cute but do they make good pets? Does anybody know how much excercise that they should have daily? Thanks!
shelties are excellent dogs! they have very similar temperments as collies but are smaller. since they are herdiing dogs,they do require a reasonable amount of exersize.
My first dog is a collie, which is like a big sheltie. Although I have been around many different dogs all my life because my nana was a dog breeder for 24 years. She now has two shiz-tus, one lhasa abso, one jack russel, and an akita. My collie is sweet and always ready to please me. He learns quickly and is sometimes too smart for his own good lol
Convincing the parents is the most difficult part lol I have convinced my parents to let me get 4 animals. You just have to know alot about your parents decision making. My mom is a sucker for all animals and then when I have her convinced, she ends up convincing my step-dad for me lol.
The good thing about herding dogs is that they are very intelligent which often makes them easier to train. They were originally bred to herd livestock so they are naturally loyal to their owners. Since they used to be bred for herding, which requires alot of exercise, they do require a good amount of exercise. I take my collie on one or two 30min walks daily plus let him run in my fenced in yard for a while each day. They are more happy to be inside since they are more of a family dog. So I would not recommend keeping him/her entirely outdoors (even though they can be outdoor dogs).
Also when you are looking into where you will get your sheltie, make sure you do not go to a back yard breeder. This is someone to breeds there own dogs and often unresponsibly. Go to a good, reputable breeder or get one from a shelter. Depending on where you live, shelties may not be common in shelters and rescue facilities. You may want to stick with getting one from a breeder, especially if this is your first dog. Although a dog from a breeder is more expensive than a puppy from a backyard breeder, make the right choice and put more money into a dog that is less likely to have problems. My collie puppy was $850 canadian. Most breeders will ask you to send them a deposit for your puppy to hold the puppy you want.
Shelties come in three coat colours; sable, tri-colour and blue merle. Each are beautiful in my opinion. My puppy is tri-colour. Lassie is sable. You have to think about what colour you would prefer and then when you look for a breeder, look for one that specializes in whatever coat colour you want. Here is an idea; show your mom and dad pictures of the three coat types and tell them which one you like best. Then ask them their opinions. This is what I did with my mom. I personally liked the sable best but my mom liked tri-colour so I let her pick the coat colour so she would be more likely to want the dog.
Keep in mind that each dog has certain grooming requirements as well. The shelties and collies coats are beautiful and that draws many to this wonderful dog breed. But these dogs need to be brushed everyday or evry other day to keep them free of matts and tangles. Puppies do not require as much brushing because they have their 'puppy fluffy fur' which does not tangle as easliy.
Also keep in mind that dogs can be expensive. You can not just feed them low-quality food because it is not very good for them to live on. Yuo have to buy them toys and treats. You have to provide them with somewhere to sleep (dog bed or your bed lol). You have to bring them to the vet, especially when they are puppies. You have to get them fixed (many breeders demand this when they sell you the puppy).
You also have to have enough time for a dog. We give a dog our extra time, extra space, extra money and extra love; while a dog gives us everything they have. You cant just expect to get a dog and not pay attention to it or spend time training and caring for it. Also, do you have enough room in your house and your yard?You also have to think about training.
If you are still going to get a dog with all of this in mind, then i say go for the sheltie.
Tell me if this helps and what your parents say.
PS it might be a good idea to convince any siblings you have before you talk to your parents to make sure there are no objections with them.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: mod_kelly,
omg lol i just spent the last half hour writing this long post for you about shelties and how to convince your parents and i accidently exited out of it ughhhhhh
anyways. hi my name is dani. i am 16 from ontario, canada. where do you live and how old are you? how many people do you have in your family?
I have been doing some research on shelties and I think I would like to get a Sable Sheltie. The breeders in my area are selling them for $400-$700 so I will have to save up if I want one. I have tried to convince my parents to let me get one and I think the only way that they will let me is if we move and get a bigger house
It took 5 years to convince my dad to let me get a pet bird (there are pictures of her in the Pet Pics Gallery). So it is unlikely that I will get one. I will probably have to wait a couple years and get one when I move out
Aww i love sable shelties and collies good luck anyways! I understand what your parents are saying. The only reason I was allowed to get my collie was because we are moving to a farm in october. what kind of parrot do you have? 5 years for your parrot?Thats alot of time for your parents to crack lol
She is a Parrotlet. It was mostly my dad who didnt want me to have her. My mom is way nicer when it comes to pets. When I asked her if I could get a sheltie she considered it but my dad just said no.
I used to have a guinea pig and she used to sit under my neck with her head in my hair. A couple times she thought it would be funny to chew off a chunk of my hair lol
If you train your dog not to bug your bird they wont...i have a hamster and none of our pets bother him much at all. Just remember Shelties are very high matinence dogs and you have to groom them everyday.
Yeah dogs can be trained to leave alone certain animals, but you would have to get him/her as a puppy so you can teach her what is not acceptable (with your bird) from a young age
I love SHELTIES!!! I own one named Teddy, he is a Sable/White Sheltie and very lovable. I think shelties make great dogs. My dog is very friendly and playful bue he does need alot of exercise-since he is a herding dog.
Teddy is very intelligent and is a quick learner so he is very teachable.
Teddy is very good with other animals. HE could get along with my old, old hamster MJ last time and when I visit cats he wags his tail all the time. The cat also rubs against him and doesn't mind him being around.
On the whole, I think you SHOULD get the sheltie. But that's really all up to you. Just remember, they need to be combed everyday.
Now all I need to do is convince my family to let me get one... 
ughhhhhh
