Breed Information

* A Sheltie will be fully mature by the time they are three to five years old. Don’t expect your puppy to have a fuller coat until at least 2 years of age. A healthy, balanced diet will promote a healthy coat.  We recommend Purina Pro Plan puppy food, and when your dog is a year old, change to Purina Pro Plan Adult food. 
* Shelties bark more than the average pet. However, if you train them properly while they are a puppy you have a better out come. You must do it before they are 6 months old or it can be very hard to break the habit. Use a pop can with pennies in it, or a spray bottle with water, and avoid leaving your Sheltie outside for more than 20 minutes at a time, the barking will be kept at a minimum. Very few Shelties bark inside for no reason. They mostly bark if they hear someone drive up or knock on the door. Some even bark at the vacuum cleaner, but with proper training you can teach your Sheltie to bark appropriately.* Predicting a Sheltie’s size is very difficult for even the most experienced Breeder. On average, Shelties range from 19 to 28 pounds and 13” to 16” in height. They vary below and above this range. Shelties can live from 10 to 13-plus years.  A puppy with very large or small feet or legs can sometimes be expected to be outside the normal size limits.* A fenced yard will protect your Sheltie by keeping other people’s unvaccinated pets out of your yard, keep your Sheltie from wandering off and, no matter how trained it is, a Sheltie is a herding breed and will herd whatever it can, including children, rabbits, squirrels, other dogs, lawnmowers, four wheelers etc.* Shelties are one of the healthiest breeds. However, there are certain problems that all Sheltie owners need to be aware of. Make sure the breeder gave your puppy at least one set of vaccinations (Distemper, Adenovirus, Hepatitis, Corona virus, Parinfluenza). If you purchase an older puppy, it may also have had Leptospira, Bordetella, and Lyme vaccinations. At six months of age, your puppy will require rabies vaccine. When you pick your puppy up from the breeder, it will be under a great deal of stress. Take your puppy to the vet within two or three days of when the next vaccination is due.