Shelties are possibly the couch potato’s best buddies, but before they learned to loaf around, they were already living a colorful history. They started out in the 1700s in Shetland Islands off Scotland, and they were busy the whole day guarding and herding farm animals.

They are currently known for being good companion dogs, and are all-around and capable of adapting to a range of ages. They are even tolerant of young children (but as with all dogs, supervision is a must), and will appreciate ball games in the background or long walks. But lazing on the couch beside their one favorite human (they play favorites too!) makes the day of the average sheltie.

Shelties have not completely lost their working history, and make great little watchdogs. They are not aggressive, but are noisy barkers when they feel threatened.

In fact their alertness and intelligence helps them to be excellent watchdogs. Responsible owners also need to know that this is a breed that needs to be spent time with by its owner; otherwise, it will simply deteriorate. Puppy classes, obedience training and socialization are also musts.

And believe it or not, shelties are also smart enough to understand the gift-giving that goes on during Christmas. Stories have been told about shelties who knew exactly which gift under the Christmas tree was theirs, and who would guard it from the other family pets!

When it comes to sports, the well-trained sheltie exudes confidence and the eagerness to please, not only at showing, but even in other dog sports. They do well at basic training, but do equally well in obedience and agility.

The sheltie’s thick coat calls for a guardian who can spend some regular time grooming their dogs. Shelties are notorious for their shedding, and unspayed bitches are the heaviest in terms of moulting. To prevent the dog’s hair from forming their own layer on the floor, dog experts recommend a good bath, a thorough brushing once a week, and a combing through the feathering on their ears and legs.

The sheltie is generally not prone to disease. There are a few bothersome hereditary problems however, and care needs to be taken that the dog come from a registered breeder who is conscientious when it comes to filtering out faults from the bloodline.

Examples of these hereditary illnesses are hip dysplasia and the collie eye. One way to double check is to inquire about whether testing has been performed on the pup’s eyes at eight weeks, how is the stock screening, and what are the dog’s parents’ hip scores.