Solutions for Sheltie (Shetland Sheepdog) behavior issues

Are behaviour problems communal successful Shelties?

Shelties are intelligent dogs that are quality orientated and eager to please. This makes them comparatively easy to train. However, behavior problems tin create successful Shelties specified arsenic destructive behavior, nuisance barking, digging, and herding behavior. These usually travel arsenic nan consequence of insufficient workout and intelligence stimulation, inconsistency successful providing rules, boundaries, and expectations, deficiency of socialization, and their earthy herding drive.

Are Shelties aggressive?

In general, Shelties are not aggressive. They are people-orientated and enslaved very intimately pinch nan group they know. However, they tin beryllium wary of strangers and sometimes tin go fierce retired of fear. Shelties besides person a beardown herding drive. Often what is perceived to beryllium aggression is really their instinctive herding thrust and beardown protective nature.

Every canine is an individual and immoderate Shelties tin successful truth go aggressive. This tin beryllium said astir immoderate canine breed. The logic an individual Sheltie whitethorn beryllium fierce is not truthful overmuch a trait of nan breed. There are apt to beryllium different underlying causes.

A favoritism needs to beryllium made betwixt what is existent aggression and behaviour related to their instinctive herding drive.

Actual aggression by a canine is defined arsenic an unprovoked and forceful attack. Shelties tin person a estimation for biting erstwhile successful truth they are nipping. This is not aggression but is still an unacceptable behaviour that needs to beryllium nipped successful nan bud (excuse nan pun). It is much to do pinch herding thrust and control.

Nipping is an instinctive behaviour successful galore herding breeds utilized to get livestock moving by nipping. It is not a wound but much for illustration a pinch. It tin beryllium still wounded and origin bruising if they do it to a quality but they don’t usually tie blood.

Shelties are besides very loyal dogs and go attached to their proprietor and family. This makes them very protective. They tin beryllium wary of strangers and group they comprehend to beryllium a threat to their family members. This makes them fantabulous watchdogs but they tin beryllium overprotective.

When dealing pinch what is perceived to beryllium aggression successful a Sheltie it is important to find if, successful fact, it is aggression. It whitethorn beryllium their earthy herding thrust astatine play aliases they are being overprotective. Either way, it tin beryllium an issue, nan attack taken to lick nan behaviour is different.

If you find your Sheltie has an existent aggression rumor alternatively than a herding aliases overprotective issue you should activity pinch an knowledgeable master canine trainer aliases behaviorist. Aggression tin beryllium a tricky rumor to woody pinch and nan incorrect attack could good make things worse.

Types of aggression successful dogs

Not each canine aggression is nan same. The type of aggression will dangle connected nan circumstances and nan dog’s information for nan aggression. Some dogs whitethorn beryllium fierce towards different dogs but beryllium good pinch people. It is uncommon for a Sheltie to beryllium fierce towards different animals. Types of aggression tin see –

• Pain-related aggression: this is erstwhile a canine is successful symptom aliases discomfort. They whitethorn respond to being touched aliases person a fearfulness of being hurt.
• Territorial aggression: This is erstwhile a canine shows aggression to a personification aliases animal that is connected their territory.
• Possessive aggression: this tin besides beryllium known arsenic assets guarding. The canine whitethorn consciousness that a personification aliases animal is trying to return distant a weighted resource. this whitethorn beryllium nutrient aliases a toy.
• Maternal aggression: a mother canine tin beryllium highly protective of her litter and will go fierce if she feels location is simply a threat towards them.
• Redirected aggression: when a canine tin not get to nan target of its aggression specified arsenic different canine it whitethorn move and onslaught nan personification trying to power them.
• Social aggression: this is erstwhile a conflict arises successful a societal business pinch different canine aliases person.
• Sexual aggression: this tin hap erstwhile 2 males are competing complete a female connected heat. It tin besides hap betwixt 2 females fighting for entree to a male.
• Fear aggression: If a canine feels threatened aliases trapped it whitethorn lash retired successful fear. This tin often beryllium an constituent successful different types of aggression also.
• Dominant aggression: Dominance is not aggression, it is an attitude. This is erstwhile a canine thinks they are nan leader and tin do immoderate they for illustration and tin power different group and dogs. This tin move to aggression if this cognition is challenged.

Major causes of behaviour problems successful Shelties

Most behaviour problems usually person their guidelines successful 1 of these 4 causes. This tin see destructive behavior, digging, nuisance barking, and truthful on. It often is nan consequence of frustration.

Insufficient workout and intelligence stimulation

The Sheltie is simply a hard-working progressive moving dog. They require a bully magnitude of regular workout and beingness activity to pain pent-up energy. Around 1 hr a time of energy-burning activity is recommended but they will not opportunity nary to more. Toys tin beryllium an fantabulous measurement to supply energy-burning activity for a Sheltie.

If you don’t supply capable workout to meet this request they will look for different outlets. This includes problem behaviour for illustration barking, destructive behavior, and digging. For a full guideline to Sheltie workout pinch suggestions see here.

Shelties tin beryllium highly hyper dogs if they don’t person an outlet for their beingness and intelligence needs. For much on calming a hyper Sheltie see here.

Shelties are highly intelligent dogs (see conscionable really smart here) and require enrichment to situation their minds. They require a bully magnitude of intelligence stimulation and enrichment regular to forestall them from becoming saturated and frustrated. Problem behaviour tin often beryllium a crippled they person created to entertain themselves. For ways to provide mental stimulation and enrichment for a Sheltie see here.

Providing puzzle and enrichment toys tin beryllium an fantabulous measurement to situation a Shelties mind.

Lack of workout tin besides origin superior problems successful Shelties that are near location unsocial a lot. Shelties require a reasonable magnitude of human relationship and attention. Couple that pinch excessive pent-up power and it tin beryllium a look for superior behaviour issues. For much a leaving a Sheltie location alone see here.

Inconsistency successful providing rules, boundaries, and expectations

Shelties were bred to activity alongside a quality handler. This useful good arsenic agelong arsenic they respect and understand that nan quality is nan boss. They tin beryllium strong-willed and if they deliberation they are successful complaint they will return over. It is important to beryllium patient and accordant pinch nan rules to beryllium a bully leader for a Sheltie.

Being patient does not mean punishing them if they do thing wrong. It does mean correcting nan unwanted behaviour successful a calm patient manner. Shelties don’t respond good to harsh training methods.

Often nan simplest measurement to hole nipping behaviour is to springiness them a patient “No” aliases Leave it” bid erstwhile they spell to nip.

Socialization of your Sheltie from a young property is important to person them behave pinch different dogs, animals, aliases people. They are societal animals and will get on good pinch different animals and group if well-trained and socialized. Even if you person an older Sheltie they tin still beryllium socialized. It conscionable takes much clip and patience.

If a Sheltie is not good socialized they whitethorn beryllium timid aliases controlling of different animals and people. This tin besides lead to aggression.

The 2 traits of Shelties that request to beryllium taken into information erstwhile socializing them are

• They tin beryllium unsure and suspicious of group they don’t know. The much opportunity they person to interact pinch different group and dogs nan amended they will beryllium astatine knowing who is simply a genuine threat.
• Shelties person a beardown herding drive. Often they whitethorn want to herd and power different group and animals. Giving them plentifulness of believe gathering different group and animals and not allowing herding behaviour will lick this issue.

When socializing a Sheltie puppy aliases moreover an big canine it is important to make affirmative associations pinch caller experiences. Reward them for engaging pinch nan caller experience, person, aliases animal. This tin beryllium by giving a treat, verbal praise, and pats.

Remember to beryllium calm and assured erstwhile introducing caller experiences to your Sheltie. Shelties are very bully astatine reference quality assemblage connection and emotions. If you are anxious they will deliberation it is thing to beryllium wary of.

Baby steps are nan champion attack to nan socialization of your Sheltie. Don’t unit them to do thing they are not fresh for. This tin lead to them emotion overwhelmed. If they are unsure of thing let them their abstraction and clip to adjust.

Natural instinctive herding drive

Herding is nan occupation they were bred to do and person a earthy instinctive thrust to herd. You can’t train an instinctive behaviour retired of a canine but you tin negociate aliases redirect nan behavior.

Chances are you don’t person entree to livestock for them to herd but utilizing a herding shot is nan adjacent champion thing. Shelties were bred to pursuit and power moving objects. Teaching your Sheltie to play herding games will really trim their desire to herd group and different dogs arsenic herding breeds often do.

There are a mates of herding balls I recommend. Because Shelties tin nip nan livestock aliases successful this lawsuit nan shot you request a shot that is strong. They will ruin a softer shot successful nary time.

See present for my recommended Herding Balls for Shelties.

Common Sheltie behaviour issues and recommendations

These are immoderate imaginable behaviour problems that a Sheltie tin create if their request for exercise, attraction and quality interaction, and deficiency of training is not met. The champion measurement to woody pinch immoderate problem behaviour is to not let it to create successful nan first place.

Failing that, taking action earlier nan problem behaviour becomes a superior wont will usually consequence successful nan behaviour being fixed quickly. If your Sheltie doesn’t understand that it is an unwanted behaviour aliases what nan wanted behaviour is they are simply guessing.

Nuisance barking

Excessive barking is astir apt nan astir communal behaviour rumor galore Sheltie owners study they have. Shelties are a breed that is prone to bark a batch much than galore different breeds. Barking is simply a earthy behaviour of nan breed and tin very difficult wont to stop. You astir apt will ne'er beryllium capable to wholly extremity a Sheltie from barking, but nan nuisance barking tin beryllium controlled.

Not each barking is bad and is simply your Sheltie communicating. If you group a bully instauration of training, socialization, and providing for their needs your Sheltie will not go a nuisance barker.

For much on training a Sheltie not to bark see here.

Hyperactivity

Shelties are a high-energy breed and becoming overexcited and hyper tin beryllium common. The cardinal to having a calmer Sheltie is to guarantee they person capable beingness exercise, intelligence stimulation, and enrichment, and study to calm their minds.

For much on how to calm a hyper Sheltie see here.

Destructive behavior

A Sheltie aliases immoderate canine tin create destructive and chewing behaviors. This is usually because they are not receiving capable workout and intelligence stimulation on pinch not receiving capable attraction and relationship pinch people.

This type of behaviour is often nan consequence of being near location unsocial a lot. They tin go anxious and disappointment and are looking for an outlet. For much on leaving a Sheltie location alone see here.

Jumping up connected people

Jumping up connected you aliases different group tin beryllium a rather communal behaviour problem pinch Shelties. This behaviour tin beryllium frustrating for you and tin origin you embarrassment erstwhile they jump up connected different people.

Your Sheltie tin besides unintentionally origin harm aliases wounded to you aliases personification else. If they are jumping up connected mini children aliases aged group they tin easy sound them over. If they do sound personification complete they whitethorn deliberation it is simply a crippled and get moreover much excited. They tin besides do existent harm pinch their claws.

There are rather a fewer elemental and effective methods you tin usage to show your Sheltie that nan jumping-up behaviour is not wanted and to reward them for keeping each 4 paws connected nan ground.

Summary – Sheltie behaviour problems

The Shetland Sheepdog is an active, highly smart, herding dog. If their needs are not catered to they tin create behaviour issues. These tin see destructive behavior, nuisance barking, digging, and herding behavior.

These behaviour problems tin beryllium avoided arsenic agelong arsenic they person capable workout and intelligence stimulation, beardown leadership, consistency successful providing rules and boundaries, and bully socialization from a young age.

It is besides important to understand that they person a beardown instinctive herding thrust which needs to beryllium managed and redirected successful a affirmative outlet.