Are Shetland Sheepdogs the Most Troublesome Dogs? 8 Common Complaints About Them

Shetland sheepdogs or shelties are beautiful herding dogs. However Shetland sheepdog owners tend to share some common complaints about these pups!
Common complaints about shelties include excessive barking nipping at heels while trying to herd people or pets and a tendency to chase things that move quickly like cats or cars. Theyre also clingy energetic and sensitive. Shelties are prone to some genetic health problems.
In this article well address eight common Shetland sheepdog complaints how to solve some of them and whether the breed is right for you.

Are Shelties Good Dogs?
Shelties tend to make good family dogs but they arent suited to every household.
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First lets note that shelties arent bad dogs by any means! However they arent right for everybody.
A Sheltie is a good dog for you if you have the time and energy to provide moderate daily exercise have a family that can spend most of the day with the dog and you dont mind a dog thats protective and often wary of strangers.
If its important to you to have a dog that behaves offleash in unenclosed spaces you cannot tolerate barking or you dont want a clingy dog shelties arent the right match.
Well dig deeper into their faults below.
1 Theyre Prone to Chasing and Nipping
Without proper training your sheltie might chase moving objects pets or people.
One way that herding dogs herd livestock is by nipping at their heels. This is a common trait in shelties that can be hard to break since its instinctual!
They also tend to chase anything that moves which includes prey or traffic while offleash. It can also include children or cats in the home which can be dangerous especially when accompanied by nipping.
That said good training and management can resolve this issue. When in doubt it helps to call in a professional forcefree or positive reinforcement dog trainer to help.
2 Shelties Bark a Lot!
Shetland Sheepdogs tend to be very vocal.
As a guarding breed shelties tend to bark at strangers. They might also bark at other things that excite them such as other animals outside. This barking can be excessive especially if the dog isnt getting enough exercise mental enrichment or training.
Funnily enough the first step to stop excessive barking is to teach your dog to speak on command. Once theyve learned that you can teach them to be quiet in a distractionfree environmentand then slowly begin adding distractions such as a