Hello From Queensland :D

[emmadactryl]

I don't think it's too early to start talking to breeders. I was talking with people about a year before I got Juliet! And was speaking with her breeder about 6 months before she was born. It's good to build the rapport and get to know the breeder.

I'm looking at two years minimum before I can even start to think about getting her, unfortunately though. In fact, two years is probably a bit too optimistic- three to five would be a better estimate. Ugh... It's so long

I've never had a purebred before, or gotten a dog from anywhere but a shelter, so this is a whole new and rather nerve wracking experience. I'm definitely going to be asking for loads of advice re what I should be asking, what I'm going to be asked, what I can expect from the whole "breeder experience".

You may wish to speak with Sheila of Safaree shelties? Her dogs do herding (and she also shows) and runs a herding facility. She's in QLD too. Tiakina shelties (breeder's name is Carol) do alot of agility and very well too.

Safaree sounds really familiar. I think that might have been one of the breeders I came across from either the CCCQ website, a Dog World magazine or through a Google search. I'll pop back into my history and see if I can find her website again. Tiakina I will have a search for, too. Thanks If I can find a breeder that is actively involved with agility, I'll be super duper happy.

My shelties get along great with kelpies and border collies - they have the same drive and crazy sense of humour! So Charlie will probably get along really great with a sheltie.

Charlies loves littler dogs; he can be a bit defensive and fear aggressive around dogs bigger than him, but anything smaller and he's a doll. When we move out, Jack'll be staying with my parents and he's never been an only dog, so I think he'd be happy a new little sibling to play with.

 

[labgirl]

Welcome to the Forum, I am also one of those yet-to-get-a-sheltie folks, though I hope to have a pup fairly soon.

I've belonged to this forum for a good 18 months and they've put up with all my silly questions during that time! Oh and everyone is kind enough to treat my lab Cadbury as an honorary sheltie

Charlie is really handsome, you can see the Kelpie in his head, what a stunning dog. I love his coloration.

 

[SheltieChe]

welcome! we just returned from pooch park where all herders did play together/ 2 BC and 2 Sheltie/ very nicely. I have noticed that they all seems to enjoy similar type of play/ games but seeing herders herding herders is quite a fun!

 

[mbfrench]

My name's Emma and, as the title suggests, I'm from QLD, Australia. Although I don't currently own a sheltie, I'm pretty set on getting one in a few years time once I move out and can have a second dog- darn council regulations So I thought I'd join up here and get some information and tips from people who actually own them. I currently have an almost three year old kelpie cross border collie (Charlie), and my family also has a ten year old staffy mix (Jack). Charlie and I train in rally obedience and trial in agility and jumpers, which I will definitely be doing with my sheltie when I can finally get her.

A pic of Charlie, 'cause even though he isn't a sheltie, he's pretty darn cute http://s715.photobucket.com/albums/ww153/emmadactryl/?action=view&current=DSCN2235.jpg

Darn..Charlie is very handsome! I think it is the first time I have seen a picture of this breed.Never heard of kelpie. He looks so very focused,and intelligent.

Reading threads here before you bring your sheltie home,is a great way to read & learn about the sheltie.It's what we did in the weeks prior to beinging our first pup home.
Trapp is now a year old.His half brother is also now home with us.We just love this breed.We also have Earnhardt,the alpha male~6 year old lab mix,and a blind himalayen cat,now 2 years old.

Glad you are here,and am looking forward to reading & seeing more of Charlie.

 

[mbfrench]

Welcome to the Forum, I am also one of those yet-to-get-a-sheltie folks, though I hope to have a pup fairly soon.

I've belonged to this forum for a good 18 months and they've put up with all my silly questions during that time! Oh and everyone is kind enough to treat my lab Cadbury as an honorary sheltie

Charlie is really handsome, you can see the Kelpie in his head, what a stunning dog. I love his coloration.

Isn't it fun to have an honorary lab,to belong to such a great group of sheltie owners.

 

[Jan244]

Welcome to the Forum. Your Charlie is a very handsome boy!

 

[emmadactryl]

Charlie doesn't play with other dogs- he always just tries to herd them, or loses intrest and goes to find a new human friend. It's the funniest thing. He was off lead, able to play with a vizsla and rottie at one of our agility classes, and all he did was just stand in the centre of the area and turn around in circles, watching as the other two raced about He tried to block the rottie and got bowled over; she's only seven months old and is taller and heavier than him, so it wasn't a very dignified moment for the poor boy. Having two herders trying to play together is definitely going to give me some entertainment.

Welcome to the Forum, I am also one of those yet-to-get-a-sheltie folks, though I hope to have a pup fairly soon.

I've belonged to this forum for a good 18 months and they've put up with all my silly questions during that time! Oh and everyone is kind enough to treat my lab Cadbury as an honorary sheltie

I figured the best place to get accurate information and learn as much as I can is from sheltie owners. And I was lurking about yesterday and came across your thread with the agility instruction video. Cadbury is such a little cutie

 

[granite]

Welcome to the forum! Wow...you are a super long-range planner! I don't know anything about Kelpies but your dog looks very alert, handsome, and healthy!

 

[Caro]

Mine are the same. Tully prefers playing with herding breeds because they aren't in her face - they are happy to chase a ball with her and they share. Deska likes to play 'chicken' with other dogs - he runs at them really fast and veers off just at the last minute. He does a few chicken runs when he first sees his doggy friends and then spends the rest of the time going from one person to another for cuddles. I think its partly the nature of a herding breed to stick closely to the shephards and to watch over the 'flock'.

 

[Justicemom]

Thanks for the warm welcome

I'm scouting around for breeders at the moment, even though it's way too early to even think about contacting anyone, so if there are any recommendations from anybody I'll happily snatch them up. I'm trying to look for people who, while they do show their dogs- I need an ANKC pup to be able to trial- put just as much focus on the dog's working ability and drive as they do with the appearance. I'd love to get involved with herding, and I want the high drive for agility, so standard perfection isn't my main priority.

Quite a lot of people think Charlie's a pure kelpie; I adopted him from the pound when he was nine weeks and, if I hadn't seen one of his brothers from the same litter who looked like a pure border collie, I'd have been questioning the mix, too. But I got two of my favourite breeds in one awesome dog, so I'm super happy.

Welcome to the forum. I hope you enjoy it here and learn alot.

Charlie is very handsome. Very Kelpie. You do know that there can be 2 or more sires for a litter. So if mom was bred to a pure bred Kelpie and then a BC jumped the fenceand bred her too there can be purebred Kelpies and mixes in the same litter. Regardless great looking dog. The kelpies I've met rival the BC for intensity.