I
have been keeping my Shetland Sheepdog for ten over years and am always
fascinated by this marvellous breed of dog. Sweet, gentle and
affectionate, shelties do make very good companions for all ages. With their intelligence, they excel in almost anything including obedience trials,
agility and even perform pretty good tricks. Reserved in nature, gentle
handling is very much needed and harsh treatment should never be inflicted on
them. Loyal as always, they will try their best to please the owners and
follow them wherever they go. However, due to our humid climate,
sheddings could become a major problem and when there
comes a stage when the owners couldn't tolerate any longer, the dogs are
usually given up for adoptions or worse, abandoned.
Of
course, there are other reasons why these dogs are sometimes given up.
It could be due to the lack of knowledge and lack of time from the
owners. Shelties do need a lot of attention and a moderate amount of
exercise has to be given. Frequent brushing is necessary to prevent the
coat from getting matted. Periodical checking and regular cleaning of the
eyes, ears, teeth is required and trimming of the nails has to be done once
every month.
A
proper diet should be ensured to keep the dog in a healthy stage.
Regular veterinary check-ups may be done and annual vaccinations should be
given to prevent certain diseases. Some shelties are very prone to
skin problems here and long-term treatment may be needed. A vet
should be consulted to get the best advice for the treatment and
follow-ups.
For
breeding wise, the Shetland Sheepdog is not an easy breed. Comes in a
variety of colours mainly the sables, tricolours and blue merles, a novice
should never breed a blue merle to a sable or a blue
merle to another blue
merle. Matings of this combination of colours may give u serious defects
in the offsprings that could result in deafness, blindness or even both in the puppies. Breeding is highly not
encouraged but if one really needs to breed, he is strongly advised to do
plenty of research and lots of readings on breeding before making his
decision. Well..
tempting? Or still considering? Get your advice here
and further readings can be found
here.
However, if one
does not have the intention to breed, neutering / spaying of the dog could reduce
its territorial and dominance problems and this may keep it off from roaming
away into the neighbourhoods. This
may in turn, prevents it from getting lost or getting involved in fights with
the neighbourhood dogs, or worse still, accidents. Do check with your
trusted veterinary surgeon for further advices.
Our
discussion board is opened to everyone who is keen to share and learn more
about the breed. If you have a sheltie, do participate in our forums and
exchange tips and experience on owning this breed. Do join us as Members
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