Any SHELTIES out there?

[halo]

This has easily turned into my favorite thread on BYC. Thank you so much for sharing, it has been such a joy seeing everyones puppies (they're all puppies to me, even when they are old). Makes me want to go home right now and get some puppy kisses.

 

[BarbK]

I miss my shelties so much. This thread is making me cry but I can't stop coming back to it. I can't wait till my DD is old enough for me to get another!!!

 

[pardygwyn]

Quote:
Huh. Ever heard of Golem Kennels? Your description made me think of her working shelties' personalities. She also gives them awesome names... my favorites are Brick and Pow.

And for fun, here's the whole family:

 

[yoker]

I love all these shelties!!!!!!!

 

[cthrash1]

Our beloved Amy passed on over Rainbow Bridge back in October of 2009 at 9 yrs old(She died of kidney failure). She jumped up into hubbys chair 3 days before we were to have her put down(so she didn't suffer anymore) and went to sleep never to wake again...Now her spirit is chasing and herding animals of all kinds on a gentlemans farm. I cry as I write this as she meant the world to us. Our daughter got her for her birthday on September 4th, 2000 when she turned 10 yrs old. Amy was only 4 weeks old at the time, born on August 4th, 2000. We considered her a rescue, as she was the only pup to live out of 4 that were born to a poor Sheltie that the folks let the male breed every time she came into heat... By the time this dog had the litter Amy was in, she was very skinny and had sparsely any hair, poor thing... This momma dog died the following year. Anyway, the folks didn't want to have to bother with weaning so they just gave Amy to us. She was super smart, we had her housebroke by 6wks old, and had natural instincts... At 6 months old she herded our then toddler son away from the road before I even had a chance to respond... Not that I didn't pay attention but she was just quicker because she would follow about 3ft behind him everywhere he went... She knew her job and did it well. He was her lamb and was below her so she didn't play with him like she did the rest of us... Matter of fact she didn't even like him til he got older.
This was her favorite way to sleep with our daughter, although here she is in our bed here because when daughter went off to college she slept with us or our son. She had her own pillow with a silk pillowcase that she slept on in daughters room. This was taken the day before she died.

This is her with hair... We would have her shaved about twice a year because her undercoat was so thick and heavy it would even make her pant in the winter.

This is Summer of 2008 when me and the kids put the popup out in the yard and spent the night in it. This is daughter with her baby girl, Amy. Amy and Foxy had just had their haircuts. Foxy(my Chi a pom) crossed over rainbow Bridge in March of 2009 at 13 yrs old.

 

[Windrider]

Quote:
I don't know who bred Melody, I only know that she came from the Eastern Sierras in the Bishop/Chalfont Valley area. It could be she was from working lines. She did like to herd children and bunnies. Is Golem Kennels in California? I am always interested in knowing of breeders with working shelties and collies.

Oh, I have a funny Melody story. She is my only Sheltie that ever tried to bite anyone. I was dating this loser, only I was young, stupid and was dazzled by a wealthy older man with lots of cool things like a Corvette and airplane. My mom hated him and Melody barely tolerated him (should have listen to them). Anyway, one day my boyfriend and I were having a pillow fight and he had me on the floor whapping me with a pillow. Melody came inside through the doggie door, paused in astonishment for one second, then went for his throat. He was a black belt in karate and was able to deflect her at the last minute, but she was serious. No warning growls, nothing. She was right... he was a dangerous jerk, but I didn't know it at the time. She never, ever even nipped at anyone else her entire life.

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

Beautiful dogs.. A Sheltie will be my next I love them

 

[pringle]

I use to have a sheltie named harry,he was overgrown so he was huge.2 years ago he died sadly but he lived to a ripe old age of 15.

 

[pardygwyn]

Quote:
Golem Kennels is in North Carolina, but she may have gotten some of her foundation dogs from elsewhere. I've fallen out of touch in recent years. :x

Offspring of the original collies who still retain the working instinct are often like that - laid back until someone threatens or seems to threaten their person/family. My English Shepherd mix Oscar had an episode like that, too. It all started when my brother flew cross-country to help me out after my husband passed away. My brother arrived at my house late in the evening and followed me down the hill to milk goats. Already too busy being upset, I forgot to introduce him to Oscar as a friend. Oscar saw the Bad Stranger(TM) lurking behind me and bit him in the butt. Drew blood and everything before I called him off. D:

 

[Windrider]

LOL at Oscar biting your brother in the butt. I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time, but now you know he was just doing his job. I'm glad to know Melody wasn't alone in this. She was the best behaved dog ever, but she saw me being "threatened" and didn't fool around with warning barks or bites - she really was going for his throat.

Quote:
Same here. But honestly, I don't know where people get the idea that Shelties are supposed to be teensy and collies are supposed to be huge. Collies are supposed to weigh 50 to 65 pounds (re the breed standard) and the well bred ones do, there is even a trend towards girls slightly smaller than that. But we've frequently had giant male collies come into the rescue that are 100 pounds! This is supposed to be a herding breed and they can't be that big and be agile enough to herd!

Then there's the Shelties. The breed standard says 13 to 16 inches at the shoulder. I don't know what is going on with the breed, but all the Shelties I've seen in the conformation ring are NOT even 13 inches! Certainly NONE are pushing the upper range of the limit. Again, this is supposed to be a herding breed NOT a toy! When I get my next Sheltie, I'll be looking for one around 16 inches. Don't know where I'm going to find her, but those good-sized American Shelties that kicked butt at the International Agility Championship must have come from somewhere and I need to find out where!