What is your experience with Shetland Sheepdogs?

Question

Are they good with children? Babies? Are they affectionate dogs, and easily trainable?

Answer 1

i am a pet groomer and have quite a few shelties for clients and in my opinion, these dogs are wonderful. they are patient and intelligent. my customers that own these guys have nothing but praise for them. one owner is an 11 year little girl and the 2 of them are a joy to see

Answer 2

I have a three month old sheltie, and I love him to death! He's extremely smart, at 6 weeks learned sit, down, come and stay. They are very inquizitive; you can tell when he's thinking about something, and they can be almost intuitive about what we want him to do. He loves people, is very affectionate, and loves cuddling.

Shelties are extremely loyal to their masters and if not properly socialized as a pup may become overly shy to strangers. Most would simply wait to approach a stranger until they had a few minutes to size them up. Mine loves everyone, even the vet.

I don't have any kids, so I can't personally comment on it. However, the breeder we got the pup from has two young girls and they seemed to be very good with the kids. The breeder is also a family friend, so I didn't make that judgement off of an isolated encounter.

The only thing I would caution you on is they are a very high energy dog. They require a lot of attention and affection, and need to be walked at least 2 miles a day as adults. Also, time spent on grooming is a must.

Answer 3

I had a sheltie who was the most awesome friend. Unfortunately, when she was only 6, she developed an incurable kidney cancer. I still miss her. She was a "herder." That's what sheepdogs are bred to do. When either family member would leave, she would bark like crazy. When the doorbell rang, she would do the same. Her whole goal in her precious life was to herd and protect our family. She was very smart and trainable and she was the most loyal and precious friend you could ever want. Yes, a sheltie would be wonderful for a family that would love it. They are a very special breed. Be prepared, though, they shed really bad in the warmer months. That was 7 years ago and I still miss her. Her name was Sandy.

Answer 4

My mom owns one and he is a great dog. He does not jump, bark, very calm,and loves all things human and animal. They are also very smart and easy to train. They do have alot of hair that will require grooming and they shed. If you want agreat dog and can care for and handle the hair I say they are great.

Answer 5

these dogs are really smart.you can teach them to do almost anything if you catch 'em young.they're very sweet tempered, but they can get excitable.they are, however, high maintenance.their coat is so thick, you have to brush it out at least once a week or the hair gets matted and can cause skin infections.all in all its a great breed.