Are Shelties good apartment dogs?

January 16, 2023
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Are Shelties good apartment dogs?

are shelties good apartment dogs?

Sheltie: all about the breed

Shelty breed

The Sheltie is a small, long-haired herding dog native to the Shetland Islands. They are highly intelligent, sensitive, and affectionate, making them excellent companions.

Origin of the breed

Sheltie (aka Shetland Sheepdog) is the smallest herding breed in existence. These dogs come from the Shetland Islands and were actively used everywhere until the 19th century. Their main purpose was to work with livestock: to drive, drive, cheer up the lagging behind, warn the shepherd with a ringing bark about any trouble.

But in the middle of the 19th century, breeders began to work actively in the agricultural sector, the cattle became larger and more numerous, and the shelties could no longer cope. The breed was on the verge of extinction, and was saved by amateur cynologists, who considered these miniature dogs as domestic companions above all.

In 1948, the first standard was adopted, which defined the traits of the ideal representative.

Three beautiful Shetland shepherds

Description and standard

The standard (FCI-Standard N° 88) states that the characteristics of an ideal Sheltie look like this:

  • Height up to 37 cm, weight up to 11 kg. Bitches are not less than males.
  • The head is elongated, narrow, the cheeks are flat, the cheekbones are not pronounced, the transition from the forehead to the bridge of the nose is noticeable, but smooth.
  • The lips are narrow, close to the teeth. The jaw is strong, with a pronounced scissor bite.
  • The eyes are almond-shaped, slightly slanted, the ideal color is dark brown. In harlequins, blue in one or both eyes is allowed.
  • The ears are small, close set, semi-pendulous. The corner is triangular, at rest they are laid back, if the dog is alert, they rise.
  • The neck is muscular, proportionate, arched enough to carry the head proudly.
  • Paws are straight, symmetrical, with a graceful hand and wrist. The shoulder blades and shoulders are sloping.
  • The body is somewhat elongated, the chest is wide, the loin is strong, the croup is with a smooth bend.
  • The tail is set low, slightly raised in movement, but not higher than the level of the back. Richly pubescent, the tip is usually white and looks up.

The movements are flexible, smooth, the animal is able to easily and far jump effortlessly. When running, it moves with an amble, it can run for a long time and calmly.

colors

The standard suggests the possibility of several colors:

It is desirable to have white spots on the chest, on the frill, on the paws, on the tip of the tail, on the forehead. Their absence is not a disadvantage, however.

Character and temperament

The Sheltie is a breed of shepherd, but has spent a long time as companions and the qualities are slowly beginning to take hold. Because in the features they have a real mixture.

The first is optimism. This is a trait of a companion who should be able to cheer up the owner if he is sad. In shepherd dogs, it manifests itself very pronouncedly, they play with pleasure, run and enjoy life, not letting anyone get bored.

The second is empathy. This is also a feature of a companion, who must feel best dog food storage container the state of the person and adapt. On the one hand, it allows you not to crawl under the arm when the owner is annoyed, and support him when he is sad, but, on the other hand, it increases sensitivity. Shelties react painfully to rudeness, do not tolerate scandals and tensions, and harsh methods of education can completely break their psyche, causing aggression or cowardice.

The third is friendliness. This is still a feature of a companion who should get along well with any people and not distinguish himself one, the most beloved, master. In Shelti, she is not yet expressed as much as in breeds that have been living as partners for many hundreds of years, but still present. The dog will not attack a person and will be happy to communicate with anyone who wants.

Shetland Sheepdog Pros And Cons | Should You REALLY Get A SHETLAND SHEEPDOG?

The fourth is the absence of hunting instincts and liability. This is a feature of a shepherd who is used to living next to the herd and other dogs, and in addition, it will be unsuitable for his activity if he chases every hare. The breed easily gets along with cats and homemade rodents, does not encroach on birds. The main thing is not to give a reason for jealousy, paying the same amount of attention to all animals.

The fifth is smartness. Easy to study. They are sometimes advised to beginners who have never had animals before before.

They get along with children over three years old. But it is better not to let them in the younger ones – if the child causes the animal pain, then it can be frightened or angry, and this is fraught with stress.

Pros and cons

There are many pluses of the breed – not without reason there were people who were ready to save it from death:

  • Optimism. These are very cheerful dogs, you do not get bored next to them. They will always find how to entertain the owner and always join any game with joy.
  • Friendliness. They do not possess security qualities, therefore, without prejudice, they treat all people in general. This makes the soul of the company and the favorite of everyone who meets her from any shepherd. Even with strangers, she itself is politeness and charm.
  • Endo. Many generations of the ancestors of the current dogs worked with herds, and no one led them and did not tell them what to do. The inheritance of their descendants remained smartness and learning: they easily understand what a person wants, and they themselves come up with how best to fulfill the task.
  • Resistance to certain stress. Since the herds were constantly moving, the shepherds are still well tolerate the crossings and changes in routes. They easily adapt to changing conditions.
  • Empathy. Their ancestors were not companions, but they themselves have long been exclusively friends of a person. Therefore, they have a great ability to feel the mood and always act appropriate. Sad? The pet will have fun. Sleepily? The pet will comfortably get nearby and get ready to sleep.

But even the best friends of a person have disadvantages:

  • Shepherd habits. The Shetland shepherd has a sonorous, loud barking, which is constantly used: the doggie sometimes perceives people like a unauthorized herd, therefore it can try to drive together or direct somewhere. It will take a long training so that the habit remains in the past – and still it will not be possible to completely wean from it.
  • Need for communication. The shepherds are social and sociable, poorly tolerate loneliness. They need to be started either together or into a family where there are non-working members. Otherwise, the period of time when everything is at work, the dog will yearn, sad and have fun by its understanding.
  • Unstability to certain stress. Due to high empathy, shepherds really do not like when someone quarrels or angry around them. If the family has an unfavorable atmosphere, this will affect the dog: it will become less, the wool will fade, it can even have a nervous breakdown.

But they have soft wool and flexible disposition. This dog is a revived fluffy piece of good-naturedness, which is always ready to climb and amuse people.

It gets along well with other animals, but it’s better not to let it go to very young children: it doesn’t know how to handle babies and can get scared.

Training and education

In order for a shepherd to behave well and be happy, she needs education and training.

Education is the first stage that takes place during the first few months of a dog's life. Then, when the rules are learned, it remains only to maintain the working system and not let the pet doubt that the owner will be dissatisfied with a certain misconduct, and praise him for another, also long-determined. The main thing in the process is to teach the dog to trust the owner and obey him even where she herself does not like it. For example:

  • Learn the name. This is one of the first steps in training a puppy: he must learn to pay attention to his name. To make this happen easily and without tension, the owner begins to call the baby by name from time to time, and when he is alert, he interrupts the game and comes up – praises and strokes. It quickly becomes a reflex.
  • Learn the concept of "impossible". When a puppy does something it shouldn't do, it is physically disturbed. They take it off the couch. Remove the bitten hand. They take away the food seized without asking. All this is accompanied by the “fu” command and repeated as many times as the behavior is repeated. After a few repetitions, smart kids usually figure out what causes displeasure and stop.

A well-bred dog pays attention to the owner and his opinion, obeys the prohibitions and enjoys these privileges. In parallel with education, there is a process of training.

Teams not only keep the puppy occupied and train the mind, but also make life easier. When the baby is six months old, he should know at least:

  • "To me". Allows you to stop a dog that intends to eat a dead pigeon or cross the road. It is very important to learn as early as possible, because the safety of the pet depends on it.
  • "Beside". Allows you to conveniently move around the city – the owner goes, the puppy follows him at the left foot, not driving away or falling behind.
  • "Sit" and "lie down" allow you to instantly distract the puppy from any action, as well as "place".

If desired, they learn tricks – the ability to bring a wand, look for a hidden thing and rhythmically bend around the master's legs.

Are Shelties good apartment dogs? located only

The Sheltie breed does not have a clearly preferred reward. They gladly accept praise and with no less pleasure eat delicacies offered by the owner. The main thing is to alternate without overfeeding or overpraising the dog, and stop training a few minutes before he loses interest.

Rigid upbringing – jerks, strict tone, spanking or blows – is not applied to them, since one master's disapproval of these complaisant sensitive beauties is usually enough to realize a mistake. (see how best to punish a dog)

Required care and maintenance

In order for the Shetland Sheepdog to feel good, you need to properly care for it:

  • . They are of a specific shape and most of the time they are in a closed state. This creates a high chance of otitis media and other inflammations, since the inside of the ear creates an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive. Therefore, every two days you need to look into the dog's ear, wash off excess dirt and at the same time check if the skin is reddening there, if there is a specific smell.
  • Brush your teeth. This is done using a small brush, movements that are similar to the movements of the human toothbrush. They carry out the procedure every day, at the same time check whether the jaws are blushed, whether the teeth hold well, whether there is pain, if something is stuck in the cracks. The procedure is carried out once every two weeks or less often if the claws do not have time to grow. You will need a clawer, patience and a hard hand.
  • Comb the wool. Since they are lon g-haired, combing is needed once a week, and during molting and more often. First, they scratch them with a comb with long teeth, then with a massage sew, then a pudder. This mode allows you to protect yourself from ubiquitous wool.
  • Bathe a dog. The wool contains a protective fat layer, because swimming is carried out only as they become contaminated and no more often. Using exclusively dog shampoo is used, which will not damage the sense of smell and sensitive skin. And after it – balm or air conditioning, thanks to which wool will be easier to comb. The dogs are active and mobile, like all shepherds. You need to walk with them for at least three hours a day, and at this time you need to do not decorfully walk the streets, but explore new routes, teach teams, play with a wand and get acquainted with other dogs. The more fun the dog will spend time on the street, the more peacefully he will behave at home.
  • Communication. Binding and loving, Scheteland shepherds need the attention of the owner. It is best if a pet can sleep at a person during the day or just sit nearby, watching work. But if there is no such possibility, you need to compensate him for the period of loneliness, having taken them upon the coming from work.

For a person who does not like dogs and does not want a pet, leaving sounds like something tedious and taking a lot of time. But for someone who has chosen a dog, these responsibilities are pleasant and provide the opportunity to talk with a larger favorite.

Lovely shelty puppies

Health and illness

The breed is considered relatively healthy. In the gene pool, she did not have time to accumulate a lot of mistakes, because she is located only to several diseases:

  • . A rare breed boasts a lack of predisposition to this disease. It usually manifests itself suddenly for the owner: the dog suddenly begins to limp and complain about severe pain. Treatment is required, but it will take money and time.
  • Problems with the thyroid gland. As a rule, hormone hypersecretion, which leads to changes in the character of the dog, is not for the better. She becomes naughty, capricious, even aggressive. To compensate for this, you will have to give the pet all your life invented specifically for such cases.
  • Obesity. Like most working dogs, they easily overeat and do not know measures – this is due to the fact that their ancestors rarely ate dosit. The task of the owner to ensure that the pet will receive exactly as many nutrients and calories as necessary for his level of activity, and no more.
  • Allergy. Not food, but on medicines it occurs quite often. Therefore, before treating a pet, you need to make sure that it will not follow an allergic reaction.

With proper prevention, not excessive feeding and adequate care, shelti live an average of 15 years – for a mediu m-sized breed, this is a good indicator. And the smaller the dog will be nervous, get sick and bored, the greater the chance that it will live even longer.

How to feed

Like most dogs, they are not shy about food and absorb everything and always, just give it. These are not spoiled Beijes or Shi-Tzu, who are picky and capricious, and often suffer from indigestion. This is a working breed that is used to eating what the owner will offer, and the lack of nutrients is replenished with hunting.

There are two food options.

The first is dry food. This is easier, just buy a large pack, put in a corner and simply pour a fixed number of granules in a bowl in the morning and evening. There is nothing to make a mistake, there are ready-made assemblies for puppies, for pregnant bitches, for allergy sufferers, for the elderly, for those who have renal failure or diabetes.

The choice of food is best carried out with the help of a veterinarian, but in any case it should be super-premium class: Acana, First Choice and others from the same group. From cheaper they differ in a high content of real meat, and not soy or bone flour.

The second is natural food. It is no useful to feed, and not cheaper, but it offers a greater variety of taste sensations. They usually feed low-fat meat, which was scalded with boiling water, porridge on meat broth with the addition of vegetables and vegetable oils, fermented milk products, add fish and boiled eggs from time to time.

Additionally, the treats for teeth are given: cartilage, large bones (it is best to take a berets and, in no case, nor bird and no tubular pork bones), factory cubes in order to gnaw at.

And, of course, they do not forget about incentive goodies. If shelti is fed with food, then giving her dog cookies and granules of food. And those who eat natural food give dried bread, pieces of fruit, dried fruits and dried offal.

It is impossible to feed from the table, it is also impossible to give human food either. Fatty, salty, with spices, sweet, smoked damage and will cause indigestion. And if you give such food constantly, it will end with a pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, from gastritis to a full ulcer.

Are Shelties good apartment dogs? fermented milk products
Shanna Derrick About Author

Author of dog food articles with a deep understanding of healthy dog nutrition.

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