Is the breed for me?

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♥Love Herds♥

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Hello,
As of currently, I do not have a dog, nor have I ever owned one, or even had one as family pet, which is unfortunate. But,that is probably good thing, considering the people I live with. They have zero interest, or very little interest in dogs, & nothing would happen, beside a walk.They know next to nothing about dog behavior, or how to handle one. All I can say, is it would lead disaster once I left for college. So, getting a dog right now,especially a sheltie, wouldn't be the brightest of idea's.

Moving on. I am looking to get a dog anywhere from three to eight years. I want to finish college, before, I own a dog, for many reasons. It just, wouldn't work out for me. However, I might consider fostering before I own a dog, & when I am in college.


Now, what the thread was originally for. Would a Sheltie be right for me
~ I'm an active person. I am totally ok with doing exercise for two hours a day. In fact, I would love to get involved in a dogsport, especially Agility. Dock dogs.
~ I absolutely adore dog training. Beside for basic commands, which I would teach first, I want to train tricks.
~ I am actually really interested in having a therapy dog,& going to hospitals, libraries, retirement homes,& other places.
~ I want a soft temperament.
~ I want a dog with a high drive. No DA, or DR. Prey drive ok.
~ Velcro dog
~ Grooming: Depending on when I would get the dog, I don't know how financially stable I'd be. Professional grooming might be a issue, because it can be costly. As for grooming the dog myself. I would be willing to do it four to six times a week.
~ Has an off-switch
~ Very Biddable
~ Wants to please

Thats all!
 
A sheltie could be an option. If your college schedule is like mine was back in the day, I was home often and a lot. My apartment was only minutes from campus and I went back and forth. However, shelties are barky and that is something to consider. Full sized aussies, especially adults, might be a bit quieter and fit your criteria. Not quite as bright as shelties though.

I would say perhaps make contact with a rescue when you are ready and foster an adult dog and try it. If it is too barky or active an adult aussie is an option. Mine were very quiet as adults.

As to grooming. I never ever use a groomer. A comb through every couple days is good enough. Bathing is pretty easy too.

Hope this helps.
 
Mom2Melli said:
A sheltie could be an option. If your college schedule is like mine was back in the day, I was home often and a lot. My apartment was only minutes from campus and I went back and forth. However, shelties are barky and that is something to consider. Full sized aussies, especially adults, might be a bit quieter and fit your criteria. Not quite as bright as shelties though.

I would say perhaps make contact with a rescue when you are ready and foster an adult dog and try it. If it is too barky or active an adult aussie is an option. Mine were very quiet as adults.

As to grooming. I never ever use a groomer. A comb through every couple days is good enough. Bathing is pretty easy too.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Excuse there being no title. Don't know why that happened.

I'm not in college yet, however I will start in the fall of 2015.

I like Aussies, some are just too big for me. I'm not a huge fan of the breed, but if I found Aussie that fit me, I might consider it.
 
How much dog experience do you have? I know you say you've never owned one but enjoy training- have you ever taken care of one, been around one for an extended period? That might be helpful to give advice.

You also might want to keep in mind that shelties are not water dogs as a general idea. There are exceptions of course but they're not bred for it and there's a reason you see more of other breeds in dock dog competitions (none of the shelties my family has owned has liked the water in any form except in a bowl.)

I didn't get my own sheltie until after I finished undergrad and before starting grad school. Because of the time required for my degree and my extracurricular (which are important for a well round college experience, I made far more friends and even met my husband because I made time for university activities other than class) I'm not sure I could have devoted a proper amount of time to keeping a sheltie, or any other velcro-active dog happy in undergrad. Grad school worked because I was in a professional program and they wanted us to have time outside of class to gain experience. I do know people who got dogs their senior year of undergrad and they were often stressed trying to keep their grades, work to pay for rent and pet costs, and spending time with their pets. Just some things to keep in mind.
 
I had a cat in college -- my husband had pet rats. The dog only came along after we had married, settled into a house, and felt we had time for a needy being.

Just saying shelties are a bit more barky than aussies. Though mini aussies are equivalent. Not as smart as shelties though.
 
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