considering a sheltie

[BarbV]

Shelties will be skittish of people that they don't know trying to catch them. Indy escaped the fence last year and went awohl for a couple of hours. Once I found he was gone, I called the SPCA. They told me he had already been spotted but would not approach the lady for him to see his collar. He eventually came home in time for supper (food hound! )

They will also "play games" with their owner and run away if YOU try to catch them. (Best way around that is to get their attention and run the opposite way.....invariably, because of their nature, they will chase after you!

But as Calliesmom mentioned, they do have a tendency to tune you out if they are distracted or scared. One day at the cottage, Bacca disappeared into the bush for hours. I was frantic! Then he finally woke up from whatever sleeping spot he'd found and ambled home.

In the house, they are my shadow. They want to be in every room that I'm in. If I get up and move to another room, they are instantly awake and alert and follow me.


Abtw - I do not think any of this is unique to Shelties. But the barking surely is!

[Aynesa]

The others have pretty much covered anything I woulod have to say, though I would add that the best way to get to know a breed is to contact the breeder or rescue organization for that breed in your state. (For example, we have the Sheltie Rescue of Southern Nevada here) The breed rescues are a great place to get an older, pre-trained for your convenience dog that desperately needs a home. The best way to get to know that breed is to get to know some representatives of it. Consider rescues, not just breeders. :)