Low Energy Shelties

A walk with our two three-year-old shelties is an experience: George is all bark, and sniff, and pee, and run, and run; Gracie is walk, sniff, eat the rabbit poop, rest, lie down and roll in the grass, walk slowly, sit down and become 10 pounds heavier in an instant (I don't know now she does that--kind of intensifies her gravity!)
We had her checked for thyroid, but have come to the conclusion that she is just that way. My daughter says they reflect my husband and I!
 
What's a low energy sheltie? Low energy is reserved for retired dogs around here and not always even then!
 
Georgie'sMom said:
Gracie is walk, sniff, eat the rabbit poop, rest, lie down and roll in the grass, walk slowly, sit down and become 10 pounds heavier in an instant (I don't know now she does that--kind of intensifies her gravity!)
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Ah, the rare Plutonium Sheltie!! We have one like that -- Annie Laurie can increase her atomic weight at will!
 
Caro said:
No, only low energy shelties I've known have been really chubby and I think that sapped out the energy.

However what you're describing can also be an underlying physical issue. It reminds me of my male, who would lay around a lot, lag behind on walks, but he could still manage to chase bicycles. Eventually, after many visits to vets thinking it just didn't seem right I discovered he had elbow dysplasia and early onset arthritis as a result.
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He has been like this as long as I can remember. Even when I first met him at 6 weeks old, he went over to the corner to sleep while all the other five puppies were running around me!

Jet is about 4lbs over weight at this point, he has lost 6lbs so far since his diet started a few months ago. Some of his weight gain was due to how little energy he uses compared to our other sheltie as we fed them both the same amount.
 
I would have his bloodwork done. Check for hypothyroid and also liver dysfunction.

My Bacca had both. He was diagnosed early I.e. Less than 2 years old. It's not uncommon for them to have the diseases so young, but often won't show symptoms till later.

Like your pup, he would periods where he would suddenly burst into high gear, and other times when he couldn't feel up on a slow walk.

He died in February at age 6. I would definitely get your dog checked.
 
Sca is not lazy but generally pretty laid back most of the time. Spitfire on the other hand was doing zoomies last night and he is 3 now.
 
BarbV said:
I would have his bloodwork done. Check for hypothyroid and also liver dysfunction.

My Bacca had both. He was diagnosed early I.e. Less than 2 years old. It's not uncommon for them to have the diseases so young, but often won't show symptoms till later.

Like your pup, he would periods where he would suddenly burst into high gear, and other times when he couldn't feel up on a slow walk.

He died in February at age 6. I would definitely get your dog checked.
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I e-mailed my vet yesterday, he contacted me back this morning (on a Saturday, lovely!) I'll have to save up for a bit before I can go ahead with checking these checked. :)
 
Yup! Ajax is the king of laziness. he is completely satisfied to have breakfast, pee and poop and go back to bed until dinner time. I even suspected he has hypothyroidism for a while, but he has no fur loss. hes been this way all his life, he MIGHT play with alfie for 5mins a day if he feels like it. He is fine staying home and not go for walks. its like hes the one going with you for a walk. "Fine, if you must go out ill follow" lol

I think hes actually a cat.
 
xerospin said:
Yup! Ajax is the king of laziness. he is completely satisfied to have breakfast, pee and poop and go back to bed until dinner time. I even suspected he has hypothyroidism for a while, but he has no fur loss. hes been this way all his life, he MIGHT play with alfie for 5mins a day if he feels like it. He is fine staying home and not go for walks. its like hes the one going with you for a walk. "Fine, if you must go out ill follow" lol

I think hes actually a cat.
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Fur loss? What were you expecting in particular? Bald patches or excess fall out? I ask because when I brush Jet a lot more hair comes out of him than when I brush our hairier sheltie Cosmo.
 
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