We're looking to get a dog in the summer and so are trying to decide which breed would suit us.
We have seen some information about shelties but would like to find out more.
I noticed that a couple of you have shelties and wondered if you could advise us.

Do shelties make 'good' family dogs?
We've not had dogs as adults but i grew up with dogs (cocker spaniel and a lab/collie x rescue).
We're an active family (one child age 9) and want a dog that can come walking with us etc, not lap dog.
There is someone home for most of the day so the dog won't be left alone for long.

I noticed that some of the sheltie breeders say on their websites that owners must be 'experienced with the breed'. 
Does this mean that they are difficult dogs to manage?
I'll take the dog to training classes and might do agility/obedience if the dog seemed willing.

Are they a 'healthy breed'?
I have noticed talk about eye problems and the importance of testing etc.
How common are these problems in well bred/tested litters?

Is there anything else that is peculiar to the breed that we should know about?
Any advise welcome?

Well bred Shelties make wonderful family pets my friends have about 12 btweeen them & they are great with their family's children

They can be a little "vocal"& are quite people orientated, however when they were working they adapted to being left for a few hours each day

They can be a bit"independant due to their historical backgrounnd, they were bred to keep the sheep in the Shetland Islands out of the sea & out of trouble & were often left for 24-48 hours to guard the flock alone on the small islands, but socialkised & trained from being puppies they are a great breed(I'm waiting for the day my friends breed a black & white dog puppy from their lines then I will have one ;))

They can have PRA & CEA like all the collie breeds & all litters should be screened for CEA before they are 12 weeks old & ideally the parents should be DNA tested for CEA & at least one of the parents should be genetically free from CEA then none of the puppies will be affected. The parents should be eyetested & clear with a current certificate(one done less than a year before the puppies are born)

They can have HD although being a small breed the affects of HD are less than in a bigger dog & hip scoring isn't so important although if it is done & the scores are good it is a bonus

Just to add to Moonmaiden's excellent post, shelties are wonderful little dogs that will take as much exercise as you can throw at them but are also very people orientated and will enjoy time spent on your lap equally much. Hamish Brown was the first man to complete all the Munros (Scottish mountans over 3000ft) in one trip and he was accompanied all the way by a sheltie called Storm. We have no children at home but quite a few who come to visit the dogs, and the two shelties in particular - and the kids and shelties seem to enjoy the visits in equal measure. They are extremely easy to train, very quick to lean and very keen to learn. Shelties often feature in obedience/agility.

On the minus side, they need some grooming though it isn't a problem as long as you don't let it get away from you. As MM said they like the sound of their own voices, but they are not constant barkers, just good little additions to the doorbell! They can be reserved with strangers but the shelties we have had got plently of socialisation from tiny puppy onwards, and they love everyone they meet. The only other possible minus I'd note is that some of them have quite a strong herding instinct - ours herd our deerhounds - but they are so easy to train that the herding instinct usually only manifests itself in their obvious preference for keeping their family together on a walk.

All in all terrific little dogs that are easy to train, not at all fragile, but cuddly and responsive and imo an excellent family pet.

Hello!  I'd like to add my own experience with Shelties and comment on what other people have said about them.  First off, I have 2 beautiful Sheltie boys right now, ages 12 and 2.  I have had Shelties all my life, and never desire to own anything else.  First off, to answer your questions.  Shelties make excellent family dogs.  They are intelligent, patient, loyal, and loving to their family.  They can be reserved around strangers and may not greet everyone with a wagging tail, but Shelties love their family like no other.  And they are a good size dog for children.  They are small enough to be walked and played with by a child, but they are not fragile in the least. 
I'm not sure why a breeder would require that owners be "experienced" with this breed.  Many many first-time dog owners have Shelties.  There is nothing about their personality that is difficult to manage.  That's not to say they're perfect, but a novice dog owner can successfully own a Sheltie.  I would disagree with MoonMaiden that Shelties can be independent.  In fact, I could hardly think of another word that describes Shelties least.  They are so people/family oriented, they they would rather be with their owners than anything else.  I don't know how many Sheltie people I have talked to who all experience the same thing: never going to the bathroom alone.  My dogs follow me EVERYWHERE, including the bathroom.  If I go to the other side of my bedroom, they follow me over there.  So, from my experience, Shelties are absolutely not independent.
In general, Shelties are a healthy breed.  There are breed specific problems that need to be tested for, but if testing is done, there are few breed specific problems that arise.  Eye problems can show up, but again, testing can significantly reduce the probability of that showing up.  MM said that Shelties can have HD, but any dog of any breed can get this.  All breeding stock should be hip scored, but Shelties are not a breed known for HD.
Probably the most serious problems in Shelties is vWd, von Willebrand's disease.  It is very rare, but is very serious.  It is a blood clotting disorder, like hemophilia.  A dog can be a carrier for this and still be bred without passing it on.  It is so important though, that the parents are cleared of this.  Again, I have never heard of a dog with this disorder, but it is something that all breeding stock need to be cleared of.
Jas said that Shelties can have a very strong herding instinct, which is true, but it is not usually a problem.  I have never had a Sheltie who excessively herds anything-each other, toys, children, etc.  One trait that is very typical of all the Shelties i have had is that they are very adaptable to your lifestyle.  They would play all day if you wanted to do that, but they are also just as happy lying at your feet for hours.  Both of my boys are sleeping at my feet right now, but if I were to throw a ball outside, they would chase each other for about 10 minutes, then be done!  They can be used as a running partner, or they can function as a couch potato. 
While I find Shelties to be perfect for me, they do have a couple of drawbacks.  Like Jas mentioned, the primary concerns are grooming and barking.  They do need grooming, but it is easy to maintain.  Two 15 minute brushings per week is usually sufficient.  They don't require shaving or clipping or anything a groomer needs to do.  They could use occasional trimming of the feet and ears, but in general their hair is easy to care for.  Because they are herding dogs, they do have a tendency to bark.  My boys are very different in that aspect, though, as my younger boy is reactive to knocks and people outside, but my older boy has never alarmed or been alarmed at any noises or people.  There is so much variability within any breed that some Shelties never bark, and others bark constantly.  This can be a problem if the dog is left outside.  My dogs go outside to go potty and come back in, so barking is not an issue for me.  Because of this, however, make great watchdogs.  I know that if anyone ever tried to break into my house, my younger dog would sound his alarm as soon as he heard anything strange, which is very comforting when I live myself. 
To end on a good note, Shelties are the most amazing little dogs I have ever met.  They are so intelligent and would do anything to please their owners.  Let me know what you decide to do.  I put a new picture of my boys online, so if you want to see their new picture, you can click on the link below.  I hope this all helps you decide if Shelties are right for your family!
http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/ravens016/newboys.html

ravens01, I'm not looking to get a Sheltie, but reading your wonderful description of you chosen breed, almost made me think twice The way you tell us about your dogs just went straight to my heart. It really comes across how much you love and understand the dogs you live with. Thank you for shareing this with us!
Karen

I too am interested in Shelties, and hope to own one within the next year or so, and I'm currently reading everything and anything about them.
I noticed ravens01 that your Shelties are American ones, and was of the impression that there can be considerable differences between American type Shelties and the British type so the original poster may want to keep that in mind. Certainly I can tell the two apart in looks a mile off and I'm no expert! Generally I've heard/read/been told the American Shelties are larger, heavier in bone, more confident/extrovert (so possibly a greater tendancy to bark?) and more coat...of course they're all generalisations and not based off any personal experience so open to interpretation! Just something to keep in mind :)

Yeah, I have American Shelties, I guess I didn't consider that their temperaments might be different than British ones.  Their type is definitely different, which you can tell by looking at them.  As far as being bigger, I'm not sure that is true.  The standard for the AKC says that Shelties must be between 13-16 inches, and anything above or below is a disqualification.  Most Shelties in the UK are between 14.5 - 15.5 inches, and most bitches are within 1" above or below the ideal 14".  So there should be no difference in size.  One of my boys is very large, but he's also not a show dog, he was just part of the genetic variability that makes dogs different sizes!  In regards to bone, the AKC calls for a dog to be "sturdy", which is not specified in the UK standard.  It is suspected that the apparent difference in bone size is a matter of grooming techniques.  In show dogs, they are groomed in a way that gives the illusion that they are large boned.  It is a desired trait to give the appearance of big bone in the US, but that is usually achieved through grooming.  I would suspect the differences in the amount of coat may be due to grooming techniques as well.  As far differences in temperaments, I have never heard anything about that.  I will send a message to a Sheltie list I'm on and see if anyone knows of any differences.  I'll get back to you if I hear anything.

Our previous two shelties looked like the one on the right of the pic shown in the link for ravens01's dogs (I think it was Tango - what a gorgeous boy :) ).  Ours were not American Shelties and didn't have anything remotely American in their bloodline.  The faces of Shelties can vary considerably - some have quite 'rectangular' snouts, others softer and more rounded, some Shelties have heads resembling the Rough Collie (for want of a better description) others don't.  Our present little girl (from the same breeder as our previous two) has more 'rectangular' features whereby our others were much more 'rounded'.  As for size, again, different dogs are naturally different sizes - our previous two were considered on the large size (we never measured them but they were too big to show when fully grown), our current little girl is 'small' (too little to show).  Bone structure wise our previous two were 'big boned' whereas our current little girl is much more dainty.  I presonally don't think there to be much physical difference in American Shelties and British Shelties as, I'm guessing that all of the one's you'll have been researching will have been 'show types' which, lets be fair, there's more 'none show standard types' in the population of the breed isn't there!  As for the fur - one of our previous two was very 'fluffy' the other not so 'fluffy' and our current little girl we think will be in between (she's already got more 'fluff' than our previous girl and she's only 8 months old :) ).  Personality wise - its not something I could judge as I've never knowingly met an American Sheltie but I'm guessing that the same 'characteristics' are 'desired' on both sides of the ocean

:)

I would just like to add that I dearly hope all the interest sparked in Shelties of late (I'm not just referring to on here but out in the 'real world' as we're forever getting stopped by people commenting on our little girl) is not sparked by the film 'Lassie' :rolleyes: Yes they make wonderful pets but they need a lifetime of love, walking and grooming - the average life expectancy is 12-15 years.

:)

Useful to hear your experiences - thanks :)
My interest in Shelties has come from just under a year of watching them at agility both on and more importantly off the course, as well as several other breeds. Shelties are the only ones I've not found anything not to like about, and find most suited to my lifestyle

We've had 2 shelties previously (one male and one female) and now have an 8 month old little girl :)  IME They are a delighful breed of dog, suitable for a family (providing they have been raised around children) - its a case of 'a big personality in a small body' :D  They are very intelligent little things with an unlimited amount of energy but are also quite content to sleep for hours on end in the comfort of their home :)  They are happy to walk for miles and miles each day but will also 'adapt' to a 'less active' pace and will be happy with two 20-40 minute walks a day (of course with regular toilet 'breaks' and potters out in the garden) :)  They do need mental stimulation (which obviously they get outside with the sights & sounds and meeting new dogs/people) which can be as simple as a game of fetch or advanced such as agility training.  They are a very vocal breed who love to 'warn' of approaching 'danger' - be it the postman or an aeroplane flying overhead (our previous 2 shelties would bark at a leaf blowing past the front door and our current one at the food mixer and hairdryer!).  They have relatively long coats with a thick undercoat in the winter months - obviously this is shed around spring getting on furniture, carpets, clothes and up your nose!  They tend to 'drop' hair daily anyway but only in small amounts - sometimes little 'clumps' otherwise just single loose hairs.  Grooming can be time consuming if not kept on top of, which obviously would result in discomfort for the dog when you're having to 'detangle' the knots!  I would disagree with a previous poster saying that two 15 minute sessions of grooming per week are adequate.  If done daily (or at the very least every two days) for a couple of minutes then hopefully no matting will occur.  The fur can be trimmed to a more managable length by a groomer (only the top coat).  Particular attention should be paid to behind the ears, under the front 'arm pits' and the feathers on their rear ends.  In wet weather, after a towel dry, grooming is essential to prevent tangling - this could be twice a day.

Although needing a fair amount of grooming they are delightful little pets!

:)

P.S.  If you are an active family with an older child then there are many breeds you can consider with much less fur i.e. labrador, golden retriever, cocker/springer spaniel, border collie, greyhound/lurcher, terrier (border terrier, westhighland terrier, parson jack russell terrier, etc) or any gundog.  If size is an issue then the cocker spaniel and some of the terrier breeds would be worth a look (but bear in mind cockers also need a fair amount of grooming and also trimming).