Shelties and cats

[mbfrench]

When my parents brought our first sheltie home almost 9 years ago, I was very worried about my cats. My sweet girl Natasha, at the time 13, I was the most worried about. She'd never had any dog experiences before and i was afraid she'd be tramatized. Boy was I ever wrong! It only took her about a week to get used to the puppy and she was wonderful with him. Natasha would allow Milo to cuddle up to her, jump around in her face and drop his toys on her (an invite to play). They were good friends till she died 4 years later.

Mangey (Mr. Mange E. Beast), my laid back ex tom cat who was 12, I was sure would adapt in no time. Boy was I EVER wrong. Mangey never got used to him and used to try and attack him. When Milo got older he'd try and egg Manegy on. Eventually there was a truce of sorts and the dog lived upstairs while Mangey lived downstairs in our finished basement.

It really depends on the cat I guess. Although Mange was fairly laid back most of the time he did have a history of attacking strange dogs who wandered on his property. It happened a long time ago and we also thought it would be different if we introduced them properly. Something we definitely should have taken into account. It was always annoying but something that we learned to deal with. It also helped that our cats were also allowed to go outside (although he was fat and lazy and we had to force him) so it wasn't as if Mangey never saw the light of day.

Melissa
That is so very true.I really think it depends alot on the cat.When I moved here from NY,I brought my domestic shorthair Nick.He had never been around a dog.But after Brian & I were married and we moved into the rental house,is where we met Scoobie.(Earnhardts mom)

Both of those babes got along wonderful.Nick was so comfortable around her,and she was the same.I remember early weeks after the puppies were born,Nick would calmly peek his head in spare room,which was the whelping room.(had no furniture in there) And Scooby would let Nick wander in and peek at the babies.

 

[Calliesmom]

No problems,
Psychological effect on Kitteh: 0
Psychological effect on Toffee: Priceless

First born kitteh had trained Toffee within seconds of meeting... but my anti-social cat took two months of sneaking around, giving me dirty looks, sleeping on top of Closet etc etc
Then one night I wake up and the two of them sharing a couch... She likes Toffee more than the other cat, sleeps on bed together with him now

Just give them time and a safe place.
This is Toffee's poodle over for a play date and cat takes over couch and makes it awkward, as he has trained the Poodle now too, lol (Saturday)

Other photo is Anti Social Cat taking Toffee's food bowl over, after she now trusts him! (last year photo)

Toffee is saying- Mooooooom - that's my fooooooooood.............

 

[skstylez]

so we just ordered our puppy, thanks to you guys. I know this is a bit off topic but i thought i'd show everybody http://www.sanfranciscosheltiebreeders.com/s.f.-puppies-for-sale/?id=170913

In the description is says he is very laid back and not very hyper... i was sorda looking forward to a hyper, energetic dog... i thought ALL shelties were that way ( i never went and read the description maybe my fault). Will he grow to be energetic or have you experienced a laid back sheltie? Still very pleased to be getting him

 

[Toffee's Mom]

so we just ordered our puppy, thanks to you guys. I know this is a bit off topic but i thought i'd show everybody http://www.sanfranciscosheltiebreeders.com/s.f.-puppies-for-sale/?id=170913

In the description is says he is very laid back and not very hyper... i was sorda looking forward to a hyper, energetic dog... i thought ALL shelties were that way ( i never went and read the description maybe my fault). Will he grow to be energetic or have you experienced a laid back sheltie? Still very pleased to be getting him

Please make sure you get to see the dog and the parents before you commit??? Some of these sites are known puppy mill buyers! The below quote from the website is typical for this. Please, please reconsider getting your puppy from there.
"All of the puppies listed on this website are from our nationwide network of breeders and may not necessarily be located in San Francisco."

I know you guys are excited about getting a Sheltie puppy, as you should
But you can get a wonderful pet quality Sheltie from a reputable breeder, which is healthy and WITH papers, even for half of what you paying there. This website will NOT let you see the dog before you buy it, nor will they allow you to see where the dogs are bred. You will more than likely end up supporting puppy mills by buying there.

 

[Caro]

Oh no, you dont want a hyper one - unless you are planning on doing a lot of physical exercise and training! Most shelties are a little bit wired - they are sheepdogs after all, but will learn to adapt to your lifestyle. The hyperactive ones can be very trying to raise - great if you are planning on dog sports but perhaps not the best without lots of experience. My little girl does flyball and agility, gets walked twice a day and chases a ball at least an hour every night and still has the energy to keep going - she was a nightmare as a pup.

 

[mbfrench]

so we just ordered our puppy, thanks to you guys. I know this is a bit off topic but i thought i'd show everybody http://www.sanfranciscosheltiebreeders.com/s.f.-puppies-for-sale/?id=170913

In the description is says he is very laid back and not very hyper... i was sorda looking forward to a hyper, energetic dog... i thought ALL shelties were that way ( i never went and read the description maybe my fault). Will he grow to be energetic or have you experienced a laid back sheltie? Still very pleased to be getting him

Would'nt it be better to get a puppy from a breeder,that you can actually see & visit.I read the page,and from what I am gathering this pup may be coming from god knows where,and not nessarially in your area.

If I could not see the parent,premise,meet the owners..I would be running the other way.I really hope you have not commited yourself.

Getting a sheltie puppy should be a really happy time for you & your family,and since you already have reservations,because you would rather a more energetic pup,why commit yourself to a puppy with a total complete opposite of what you want.
JMO~

 

[skstylez]

Oh no, you dont want a hyper one - unless you are planning on doing a lot of physical exercise and training! Most shelties are a little bit wired - they are sheepdogs after all, but will learn to adapt to your lifestyle. The hyperactive ones can be very trying to raise - great if you are planning on dog sports but perhaps not the best without lots of experience. My little girl does flyball and agility, gets walked twice a day and chases a ball at least an hour every night and still has the energy to keep going - she was a nightmare as a pup.

Actually, that is more what i was looking for.... haha, call me crazy, or stupid, but i will commit.

Unfortunately, there are no sheltie breeders we could find in california... trust me i would LOVE to visit them first ( i thought these puppies were raised in SF when i first found it). They will give us information on the breeding site and we will meet the breeder in person... i don't know if it's not too late to cancel since we already paid... but they have great customer service. Once again thanks

 

[skstylez]

and if you have any suggestions on breeders... let me know. I couldn't catch a flight until maybe in about 6 weeks,,, and dont know if i can cancel my order now. Trust me i wasn't trying to do anything wrong... i see puppies sold here all the time. I didnt think it was associated with bad breeding due to the price,,,
still wondering has anyone had a completely mellow shelt pup that in a few months was a whole different character?

 

[mbfrench]

and if you have any suggestions on breeders... let me know. I couldn't catch a flight until maybe in about 6 weeks,,, and dont know if i can cancel my order now. Trust me i wasn't trying to do anything wrong... i see puppies sold here all the time. I didnt think it was associated with bad breeding due to the price,,,
still wondering has anyone had a completely mellow shelt pup that in a few months was a whole different character?

Nope...both of ours were pistols from the beginning,but thats the way I prefer them.Both were gutsy,no fear attitude.and Trapp is 8-1/2 and has not wavered one bit.
Jasper is the same.But we needed them to be able to stand thier own,as we also have a labrador,so the pups needed to learn to play with the big dog~

 

[tofu pup]

Unfortunately, there are no sheltie breeders we could find in california...

There are some excellent resources out there that will help you find responsible breeders in your area.

The American Shetland Sheepdog Association lists two breeder-referral contacts for the state of California:
http://assa.org/breeders.html#California

There are also not one, not two, but six ASSA-member Sheltie Clubs in your state. These clubs are made up of Sheltie enthusiasts and breeders who would, I am certain, love to help you connect with a responsible breeder in your area.
http://assa.org/clubs.html#California

I won't get into the subject of puppy mills, but I want to assure you that, with a little effort and research, you can find many excellent, reputable, responsible breeders in your state who will be there to guide you through your pup's whole life - not just until you click "submit" on the online-payment form.