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They
are herding dogs and I did have a horse so that made sense. My daughter,
Suzette and I tramped around Fort Worth-Dallas area in hopes of finding
the perfect Sheltie and of course we found just the perfect one. She
was five weeks old but we did not know that until I got back to Odessa
and I had no intentions of going back for a couple of weeks.
Right
away she was a big hit the other animals. The pugs took a sniff and
forgot about her, the bullies scared her with their big bark and the
horse did like her. They became big buds as we traveled together. At
one show she left the stall after I did only to show up at the gate
and watch as if to say good job Mom!! I never had to worry about her
going off because she had just one problem. She was standoffish to the
point of not letting anyone pet her until you ignored her then she wanted
to be friends. She was almost perfect unless the person had a car and
then in she would go, because she loved to go and traveled well. As
she became more secure with age and hormones, she became a Queen Bee
of the house by her own vote. Most of the toys were hers as she was
quick to tell the others know in case they thought about playing with
anything.
Nessie in Agility
© 1999 Tien Tran Photography |
Nessie
had a lot of energy to get rid of, Because of her speed and quickness
to learn, I did obedience with her. She did well and got her title
in three tries, so we moved on to agility. She loved to run and
did whatever it took to please me. She was quick at turns, fast
to learn, and loved to jump . I loved the game as much as Nessie
did. About this time, a friend left us a litter of puppies to watch
and guess what kind???? My husband fell in love with a male and
told her that I needed just one more. Hamish came into our lives. |
Hamish
is lovable, sweet, and anybody's dog that will pet him or feed him or
hold him. He is calm, quiet, and hates to get out of a jog. This is
a real problem when it comes to agility. He did his obedience in three
tries so he is quick to learn and eager to please. He does agility just
because he knows that it pleases me. He loves the horse, the bullmastiffs,
(he thinks he is one, ) and the pug. He is a sweet dog and fits in perfect
with everyone, even with Nessie.
The
noise level did change once Nessie showed up at the house. She thinks
it is her sole job to tell the whole world that the phone is ringing.
She jumps straight up in the air, about four foot, and barks at the
bell outside until it quits ringing. Hamish, being quick to learn, can
do the same thing. The doorbell is another big announcement in our house.
I
have to do the grooming thing about once a month. They have an undercoat
that keeps their long hair looking good. It keeps them air-conditioned
and warm. They shed about twice a year in big clumps and it is very
important to groom them when it starts coming out. If you do not, it
will mat and then it is a real chore to get the dead hair out of the
long hair. The females will shed out after a season and often loose
their long hair at this time.
Cats
live in my barn and Nessie just hates to have them on the place! She
chases them every chance she gets. They do not dare come into the yard.
Hamish loves the kittens and cannot figure out why the big cats do not
like him. He was so upset when the big cat scratched him for no reason.
Nessie just laughed and gave him that famous Sheltie smile!!
Shetland
Sheepdogs are very lovable, a lot of fun, but each with their own personalities.
They are very adaptable to where ever they, in a house, outside, in
a hotel room, or traveling all day in the car. Shelties are good companion
dogs and good with children. If you want to be active or have a quiet
moment, a Sheltie will understand what it is you want to do. Loyalty
is a big part of a Sheltie.
They
should stand between 13 and 16 inches. They can be sable, black (with
tan being a tricolor, without tan being a bicolor or bi-black), and
blue merle (with or without tan). All of these can be with or without
white marking as long as it is not over fifty percent.
About
the Author
Alice
Jolley is a member of the Permian Basin Obedience Training Club,
in Midland, Texas. She works her dogs in AKC Obedience and Agility.
Alice also trains others to compete in agility. (See Events Calendar
for dates and times.)
For more
information on the Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie)
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Hamish in Agility
© 1999 Tien Tran Photography |
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