Is a shetland sheepdogs are playful/good/smart with kids?

Answer 1

They are great dogs. Great with kids (I grew up with them) and are rather high energy as they are a herding dog. As long as you have a decent sized yard for them to run and play in they make wonderful pets. Do make sure to go to a reputable breeder as they have lots of health problems. Make sure eyes, and hips are checked as these are the most common problem.

Answer 2

Playful, very smart, not great with kids - they may be nippy, and they bark a LOT.

I'd recommend one of the Sporting breeds for a child (but NOT a Weimaraner or a Dalmatian!) My all-time favorite mid-sized dog for kids is the English (or Welsh) Springer Spaniel. They require some grooming, but don't shed too much, are generally great with kids and easy to train. Females are a little bit easier than males, but either should make a terrific pet. They will need a good thirty minute walk every day.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Pekingese are great too and need less exercise. They are small, sweet and quiet.

Vizslas, Setters, Labs and Goldens are usually great with kids but they're bigger and are very boisterous until they are about two. Labs shed a LOT.

I'd also suggest reading some really good books on training. Try not to do it randomly - there are a lot of bad books out there also! These are some of my favorites and you can get them on Amazon.com
What All Good Dogs Should Know - Volhard
Good Owners, Great Dogs - Brian Kilcommins
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Don't Shoot the Dog - Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method - Volhard
Dog Problems - Benjamin
Cesar's Way - Cesar Millan

Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on TV.


Whatever breed of puppy you decide on DON'T go to a pet shop or buy one off the internet!!!! You'll pay top dollar for what is usually a poor quality puppy mill dog. And you'll be supporting one of the cruelest industries in the country. The breeding animals are kept in deplorable conditions. They probably haven't been vaccinated against contagious diseases or tested for any health or temperament problems or genetic diseases - that costs money and cuts into their profits. A female is often bred every time she comes into heat. When her poor little body can't take it any more, she is often clubbed in the head and tossed into a dumpster or an open ditch. Most puppy mills ship their pups to pet stores at wholesale prices and many pups die before they even get there. These "breeders" have figured out that they can use the internet to ship a dog directly to the customer and thus make more money by cutting out the middleman. If you buy a dog from out of state, good luck getting your money back if there's something wrong with the pup. These people count on you becoming instantly attached to the poor little guy and being willing to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars at the vet to treat whatever is wrong with him.

Find a good breeder by going to www.akc.org or talking to people at dog shows. You can also find info about the breed clubs on the akc site - they probably have a rescue group where you can get an older dog for less money.

Find a breed rescue organization by going to www.akc.org - you can get an older dog for less money. Be VERY careful about getting a shelter dog with children that young. You are often adopting someone else's problem dog. And people often lie about the dog's temperament, hoping he'll get a new home that can deal with him.

Answer 3

It will depend on whether you get a stable dog from a good breeder. Any dog can get snappy if kids play too rough. You know if your children really want a puppy. Just remember, they grow into dogs. That is a long-lived breed, so if you don't want to commit for the lifetime of the dog (12-16 years) don't get a dog.
Shelties are very smart and playful, but like any other dog, you have to be pack leader, and the dog must be below EVERYONE
else in the house. Including the kids. Shelties make excellent agility dogs, because they are so high energy.

Answer 4

I have bred shelties in the past and in my opinion they are one of the best breeds out there for children. They are loyal and very very protective and watchful of the kids. Careful on where you get your sheltie from though, pet stores usually sell the a bad quality version of the breed. I am not trying to say this as to say all breeders are great because they are not. I got my first sheltie from a pet store (before I started breeding) and well while I love her to death (and she was never bred) she is a very high strung dog that can't take loud noises very well and gets nervous very easily. Take time to research the breed and be sure that who ever you get your sheltie from that you see it's parents and how they act, see if it's the dominant pup (you don't want this) or the laid back pup. Watch and make sure it's not fearful of people this can mean they weren't handled well or introduced to people much and can mean they will be hard to train. Most of all just make sure they are healthy and up to date on their shots and no hip problems run in the generation.

Answer 5

There are no absolute guarantees regarding the characteristics of any breed of dog, so the best answer anyone can give to your question is to talk about how likely it is that a Shetland Sheepdog will have the characteristics you are looking for. With that in mind, I can tell you that a Shetland Sheepdog can be extremely intelligent; it can be extremely playful, and it can be absolutely wonderful with kids. These are traits that good breeders find desireable in Shelties, so they tend to breed dogs that exhibit these traits in order to pass the qualities on to their offspring. However, it is not automatic or guaranteed that a puppy will possess the traits you're looking for. That's why much of the advice you've gotten here is very good advice.

To increase your chances of success, find a breeder with a good reputation for producing dogs with the qualities you seek. Yes, the breeder will probably charge more for his/her pups, but yes, it will be worth it.

Spend some time observing the pups that are available. A good breeder will not only allow you to do this, but will probably be hesitant to sell you a dog if you don't. Look for a dog that seems to be displaying the qualities you would like to see in a full grown dog. If a puppy is bouncing all over the place and yipping and rolling and playing with all the other dogs it may be cute as all get out, but you probably DON'T want that dog! What looks cute right now is going to produce an adult dog that is hyper, noisy and domineering toward your children. Look for the calmer, more reserved puppy. Don't be put off if a puppy seems shy toward you - one of the inherent characteristics of Shelties is that they are generally shy and reserved around strangers - and right now, you are a stranger. So a Sheltie pup that seems shy is exhibiting a desireable breed characteristic.

Tell the breeder exactly what you are looking for - he/she will have lots of experience and will have developed an eye for a dog that will suit your situation.

As your dog grows, it is entirely possible that some of the "can be's" won't turn out exactly as you expected. This is where loving discipline and training come in - it will be up to you to shape the dog the way you want it to be, and as long as you didn't pick a pup that was everything but what you wanted in the first place (an agressive, domineering, noisy, hyper rascal) it will not be difficult to turn your pup into an ideal family member.

While Shelties in their general breed characteristics can be precisely the sort of family dog you're looking for, you need to be aware that Shelties, by breed, can also display other characteristics you have to be prepared to deal with. Some of those are:

Shelties are generally barky dogs. They are generally wary of strangers (one-person or one-family dogs). They don't require a lot of room, but they do require regular attention and exercise or they may become destructive. Remember, these are also "can be's" and will not necessarily be true of your pup. One thing that will be true, however, is that a Sheltie will shed quite a bit, so you can expect to groom about once a week. This is not as bad as it sounds - grooming should come to be an enjoyable time for both you and your dog. And Shelties tend to keep themselves clean between groomings much like cats do - they spend a good amount of time grooming themselves.

We've had all sorts of breeds of dogs and mixes over the years and now have two Shelties. We have had lots of outstanding dogs, but our Shelties are in a class by themselves. They are drop-dead beautiful, incredibly intelligent and well adjusted family members. Our one year old grandson thinks he's a member of the pack - and so do the dogs. They have never so much as growled at any stranger, they let any stranger pet them to their heart's content (although it is often quite clear to us that they don't always enjoy it, but rather tolerate it well) and we're absolutely confident that neither of them would ever harm an adult, child or other dog. The only time they ever bark is when we play. When they play with each other it can look a bit unnerving, but they roll around around in a big ball of fur, gripping each other by the back of the neck or the leg, and tear through the house after each other, letting out little growls (never barking). It's great fun to watch once you realize they aren't hurting each other.

But I cannot stress enough the importance of finding a good, reputable breeder - and choosing a dog wisely - not on looks or cuteness, but on the traits you are looking for. The very reason specific breeds exist is that each breed tends to possess a certain set of specific traits - and Shelties tend to possess the very traits you are looking for. It is why, when you say to yourself, "I want a dog that will be good at this, this and this - and will not do this or this" you want to look for a purebred. You may well find the perfect dog for you in a mutt, but you greatly increase (but do not guarantee!) your chances by carefully choosing the right breed - and the right puppy within that breed.

We wish you every bit as much happiness with your dog as we've had.

Answer 6

It somewhat in basic terms relies upon on the particular dogs. beforehand you undertake a Shetland, take your little ones to fulfill it and observe if it tries to herd them or nip at them in any respect. no matter if it really is thoroughly comfortable round them and also then you definitely it will make a sturdy kin dogs.

Answer 7

one of the best breeds for children

Answer 8

they are very good dog and great with kids

Answer 9

they are. in both.