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is my home a good shelty home?

Discussion in 'Considering a Sheltie?' started by sheltershelty, Jul 17, 2014.

  1. sheltershelty

    sheltershelty Forums Novice

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    Jul 17, 2014
    martinsburg
    Hi, I have a friend who wants to give away her shelty because she is taking care of her baby, and I really like the dog, it's really cute and affectionate! I have no problems accepting responsibility for his care, at this point im really enthusiastic about having him.

    However, my home situation may be difficult, and since I don't want anything bad happen to this dog (i don't want to upset my friend), I want to see how big of a risk I'm taking here:

    Problem one: I have a normal sized dog (i don't know what breed it is, it might be part cayote) already that is very protective and aggressive towards people that she doesn't know and sometimes dogs, but normally this is just when we're around so that she shows off. I have no doubts that at first this will be a problem, but I'm really confident that I'll be able to get them to get along......I have a lot of time I can use for this, I'm willing to spend my first couple days with the dog to ensure it. My dog was alright with the cat we had that recently ran away and never came back (it must have died because we had it for more than a year and it really liked us), even though our dog liked to irritate her at times.

    Problem 2: This is the one I'm most concerned about. According to my friend and research I've done, shelties really love to chase things, even CARS. We have a 19 acre property, and with much training, my dad was able to teach our other dog the limits of our property after much time (can i with the shelty?). Our house is a 1/4 miles from the road, and putting up a fence around our 19 acre property is absolutely not a possibility, neither is teaching it to be indoors because my parents would hate that.

    My friend already has a list of commands I can use, im aware he is hard to train, impulsive and wild. Can I make this work, or is it likely that it will die no matter what I do?

    Thanks
    Calvin
     
  2. ute_fan

    ute_fan Forums Enthusiast

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    My biggest concern is your comment that your parents would have him to be indoors. Do you mean that he wouldn't be allowed inside at all? Shelties LOVE their humans, and I think you'd have a very unhappy dog if he wasn't permitted to be inside with you at all.

    Have you tried getting your current dog together with the Sheltie? I think I'd try that to see how they interact before I'd agree to take it permanently.

    Hopefully someone else will chime in with comments about the unfenced yard. We're on 1/4 of an acre, with a fully fenced back yard, so I have no idea on that.
     
  3. Chris

    Chris Premium Member

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    1) If your Sheltie can't be indoors with you, he will be miserable. DO NOT get a Sheltie if you expect to keep him outdoors. Shelties need to be with their people.

    2) I have four Shelties and live on 6.5 acres; our dirveway is 1/8 mile to a very empty street. Mine know their boundaries -- it's a Sheltie trait.
     
  4. ghggp

    ghggp Moderator

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    Agree...

    Never consider a sheltie unless the dog can be with you always !!! They crave human attention and affection!!! This breed is not right for you unless this basic need is met. Your heart is in the right place... Maybe a good rescue group can help place this sheltie in the correct home. Go to the sheltie tab on sheltie nation for rescue groups near you. Good luck!
     
  5. Mom2Melli

    Mom2Melli Forums Enthusiast

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    I don't think it would be a good fit.

    First, shelties love to be inside with the family. It is very unfair to remove a sheltie from its home and then just stick it outside. There are breeds comfortable with more independent living, but a sheltie is not one. They were bred to work closely with humans and they are not at all happy being without their humans.
    Second, their coats need A LOT of grooming and living outside will be a mess.
    Third, your other dog will likely just chase it off the property and not let it back on since it knows the limits and the sheltie does not. Don't assume a protective dog will quickly accept an intruder (esp. a much smaller dog). It could be very very ugly. There could be blood. More than likely, the sheltie will just leave and try to go home and get killed in the process.
    Fourth, what exactly happend to the cat? Could it have been killed by a passing coyote (since you suggest your dog might be part coyote). Being a smaller dog, a sheltie also will be prey for a predator since you have no fence. There are a lot of things that can and will kill a sheltie.
    Fifth, this comment "im aware he is hard to train, impulsive and wild" -- my shelties are easy to train, not impulsive, and certainly not wild. Has this dog had good manners and training or not been worked with much?
    Sixth, you say you are willing to spend "the first couple of days" working with it. Shelties need A LOT of attention and contact. A few days will not be enough to have a sheltie stay on a strange property, be happy living outside after being transplanted from its home, and know how to take care of itself on a big piece of land. That dog will just leave. The only other alternative is to tie it up which then makes it bait on a string fo your other dog or predators. Unless you have a dog run/kennel/fenced area it is not safe for the dog.

    In my opinion, putting a sheltie into that situation is just plain dangerous to the dog. Your friend should work with a rescue group to help her rehome her dog with someone who is sheltie-experienced and set up with a safe place for the dog. It sounds like you will be having some changes in the next few years (going out on your own, schooling, work, relationships, etc). When you have your own place with a fence, you can let the interest in this breed guide you to getting one of your own and raising it and training it to be the dog of your dreams.

    Sorry, but sometimes you have to wait for the right time in life to take on all of a dog's needs.
     
  6. Watson's Mom

    Watson's Mom Forums Enthusiast

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    There are a number of things that are concerning to me in your post...

    "Problem one: I have a normal sized dog (i don't know what breed it is, it might be part cayote) already that is very protective and aggressive towards people that she doesn't know and sometimes dogs, but normally this is just when we're around so that she shows off. I have no doubts that at first this will be a problem, but I'm really confident that I'll be able to get them to get along......I have a lot of time I can use for this, I'm willing to spend my first couple days with the dog to ensure it."

    -This could get really ugly, really fast. Has your current dog ever received any training to teach you and her how to deal with her aggression and protectiveness? I highly doubt that the a couple of days will be enough to address this sort of issue- but certainly enough time for something really awful to happen.

    "My dog was alright with the cat we had that recently ran away and never came back "
    -Shelties aren't cats- my sheltie was mauled by a dog that lived quite peacefully with cats. How good was the dog really if the cat ran away?

    " This is the one I'm most concerned about. According to my friend and research I've done, shelties really love to chase things, even CARS. We have a 19 acre property, and with much training, my dad was able to teach our other dog the limits of our property after much time"

    -What kind of training methods? My sheltie stays by my side however, I also know that when he is really, really scared of something- he WILL bolt and he WILL NOT listen to anything, therefore, he is not off leash anywhere unless it is fenced in.

    "putting up a fence around our 19 acre property is absolutely not a possibility, neither is teaching it to be indoors because my parents would hate that."
    -I don't have a fence, and I don't think they are a requirement to own a sheltie. However that being said, I walk my sheltie 3-4 times a day, planned and he goes out whenever he asks. He is definitely a house dog and would NOT resemble anything that could be construed as happy if I kept him outside all the time.

    "My friend already has a list of commands I can use, im aware he is hard to train, impulsive and wild. Can I make this work, or is it likely that it will die no matter what I do?"
    - hard to train, impulsive, and wild is pretty much the opposite of what a sheltie SHOULD be. If he already has a list of commands that he obeys, how hard to train and impulsive could he be? What kind of living situation has he been in?

    Your last sentence "... or is it likely it will die no matter what I do?" makes me sad. I don't think your home is the right fit for this little guy but I think your heart is in the right place.

    Like others have mentioned, look under the rescue tab, try to find a rescue near you and your find to try to work with and get this guy into a home who can provide what he needs at this time. Maybe sometime down the road, if you are drawn to this little guy you may find yourself in a position where you can provide everything that a sheltie needs to be healthy and happy. Good luck to you and your friend.
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2014
  7. Sumac3890

    Sumac3890 Forums Sage

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    I can only ditto what every one else is saying- this is not the breed for you or your situation.
     
  8. Watson's Mom

    Watson's Mom Forums Enthusiast

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    I'm going to pipe back in with some positive for you though...

    I do applaud you for coming here FIRST. For asking questions of a group of people that you must know care for their dogs and for the breed and for giving us the nitty gritty on your situations.

    Like I said in my first post- I do wish you and your friend luck and hope you can work with a rescue to find the right home for this little guy.
     
  9. Sullivan

    Sullivan Forums Enthusiast

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    I too echo all sentiments stated in the other posts. A Sheltie is not a breed for your situation or home environment as you have mapped it out to Sheltie Nation. It sounds like your heart is in the right place, but I'm afraid to bring this Sheltie into your home would be a disaster. This breed is VERY human orientated and must be with "their people", and are NOT full time outside dogs, he will not do well in the situation as you have described it. The bigger "coyote" dog will pick on this little Sheltie relentlessly. Please do not bring this little dog into your home, I am afraid this will only be a death warrant for him. As others have suggested, please check out a Sheltie rescue in your area. Good luck to you and your friend.
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2014
  10. sheltershelty

    sheltershelty Forums Novice

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    Jul 17, 2014
    martinsburg
    Hi everyone, thanks for your brutal honesty, it makes me a little irritated but I'm glad I know, here are my final comments though:

    When I said he can't be an "indoor dog", i just meant he will usually be outside. My parents on most nights bring the other one inside to sleep. I personally would be able to give the dog enough attention as long as I didn't have to be at home constantly.

    I hear you about my other dog though....I might have made it sound a little more dramatic than it actually is because she warms up pretty easily, but I don't want to do this unless they can actually be friends, and my other dog absolutely must be outdoors all the time.
     

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