From Zero to Hero: My Journey with the Breed - the Good, the Bad, and the Challenges I Faced

Hello everyone.

I've always been an animal lover, but dogs hold a special place in my heart. They're incredibly smart and understanding creatures that can sense a person's emotions and try to win them over with their gentle charm. As a kid, I used to spend hours watching owners interact with their dogs from the windows of our apartment or while sitting on a hill in the countryside. Of course, my parents were against it. Like with any pet, they weren't exactly enthusiastic (I'm the only animal lover in my family, and that's putting it mildly...). I couldn't blame them, though – I was just a kid, and who knows how to properly raise a dog? Despite that, I did my research and even talked to some dog owners in our building. My dream was to have a German Shepherd. Since I couldn't have a dog of my own, I started training the animals at my grandmother's farm. In the end, a goat learned to play football with me, kicking a ball with its horns, and we'd even play tag. A cat could jump from one chair to another and would respond to commands. They loved the training sessions so much that they'd always greet me with excitement, and the goat would even get jealous when I played with it near a stray goat from the neighbor's farm. Years went by... My dad passed away, and I don't really remember the first few days after that. I do remember crying a lot. On the heels of that, my mom finally agreed to let me get a dog. I was over the moon and quickly went to pick one up. Some friends of friends were giving away a 2.5-month-old black German Shepherd, and I adopted her. At the time, I was around 20 years old.

I've been flying home as soon as I could to spend time with my dog since she moved in. We'd play, go for walks, and I'd read to her from the books I had. But after she got her shots, she had to stay home in quarantine. I didn't know any better, so I showed her where to go to the bathroom on the balcony – I'd lay down a tarp and some paper. She picked it up quickly, and would ask to go out by whining and running to the balcony. Every morning and evening, or on my days off, I'd clean up after her.

My puppy was super smart: when I'd leave and she'd be playing with a 2-month-old puppy, I'd get a pang of sadness from missing my dad. She'd drop what she was doing and come to me, whining and jumping up to sit on my lap, looking up at me with these sad, brown eyes. It was like she was saying, 'Hey, what's wrong? Don't cry.' It always made me smile, and she'd quickly forget about it and go back to playing.

Now my puppy's five months old. Her legs and face are growing, and she's starting to look like a duckling – not the fluffy little ball of fur she used to be, but not quite a beautiful, grown-up dog yet either.

I love watching her. We're just out for a walk in the park, and people are always recognizing her - 'is that a black German Shepherd? Yeah, it's her, she's a rare breed.' At one point, I got tired of yelling at her and she started running off, not even looking back. I decided to hide. Cutting off the path (my Jerry had run off ahead again) I sat behind some trees so I could see her but she couldn't see me. And I watched. There she's running off ahead, looks back over her shoulder like 'where's my slow-moving owner?' - and then she's gone. It was hilarious! The look of confusion and fear in her eyes was priceless - 'where's my owner? where did she go?' - it was written all over her face. The dog went back to where I last was, stood there for a bit, shook her head, took off again, then came back, then forward. I thought she'd start sniffing around to find me, but nope, she just seemed lost. She was getting anxious, scared - it was clear from her eyes. And then I called out to her - 'hey, looking for me?' And she came running back to me like a madwoman. Ever since, she's never strayed more than a few feet away from me and always keeps an eye on me, making sure she's close by.Now how could you not love an intelligent creature like that? One that's so selflessly devoted. Before this, I only loved dogs from afar, but now... I don't know how I'd survive without her. My friends would say things like 'you need a real man, not a dog, you're wasting your love...' and all my girlfriends are out there looking for husbands, but I'm just happy with my dog.

Time went by and the dog was totally fixated on me. She'd only listen to me, ignoring the rest of the family. When I wasn't home, she'd listen to my mom, but when I was back, it was like I was the only one who mattered – she'd ignore everyone else. I didn't know how to explain to her that my mom and brother were part of the family too, but they just didn't seem to be on her radar. This was when the puppy was just 5 months old. For some reason, she had to go on quarantine at home for a week. The dog ended up going back to the balcony again. Our neighbors started complaining about the pee dripping from the ceiling. I tried putting down more newspapers, but it didn't seem to make a difference... I'm not sure why I didn't think to grab some old rags or something to seal the gaps...

My family members were getting fed up with the dog being in the house, saying she was making a mess and that they didn't want her around. I started buying rawhide chews and giving her more toys, hoping that would calm her down. But when I explained to them that she was still a puppy and needed time to learn, they just wouldn't listen. To make matters worse, the dog wouldn't listen to them either and would sometimes snap at them. I'd tell her off, but when I wasn't around, she was a bit harder to manage...

Long story short, I was told: 'we're going to give the dog to a private owner, she's just not fitting in here.' I was panicking – living in my parents' house, I didn't have anywhere else to go. I tried working with the dog, teaching her, but it takes time. You can't just turn a puppy into a well-behaved dog in a few months or weeks. It takes patience and time to teach her to listen and obey. I just wasn't giving her enough time to learn...

I still remember the day I left my friend's place in the next town after her birthday celebration for four hours. I couldn't bear to be away from my dog, Jerry, for that long. But when I arrived, Jerry was nowhere to be found. I'm writing this now, and I'm getting emotional just thinking about it. It was a tough experience, and it still hurts to this day. I withdrew into myself for a bit.

My family loved me, but they just didn't get my passion for dogs. I'd given up on the idea, but a part of me still held onto the dream. When I asked to see Jerry, they'd try to avoid showing her to me, thinking it would be too painful. But I needed to see that she was okay, even if it meant facing some difficult emotions.

Fast forward 15 years. I've gotten married, and we have kids. My husband is a cat person, and he's not a fan of dogs. But I never gave up on my dream. I'd watch dog training videos, read forums, and learn as much as I could. I realized that I'd made a lot of mistakes with my first dog, not understanding her needs and not involving my family enough. I wanted to do things differently this time.

That's why I chose the Shetland Sheepdog breed. I figured it would be a great breed for a beginner like me.

Speaking of the Shetland Sheepdog, I think it's an ideal breed for new dog owners.

IntelligentPicks up commands quicklyAdapts to family mode fastDoesn't try to lead: all family members are equal to her (which was important to me)Almost odorlessLong coat (trust me, there's less flying fur at home if your dog has a long coat. With short coats, the fur's everywhere, and those pesky little hairs get stuck in your socks and clothes. But with a long coat, the fur just forms a big clump on the floor - easy to sweep up and throw away, whereas those tiny hairs are a nightmare to collect)Not too big (although I prefer bigger, more robust dogs) - perfect for taking on planes or on tripsThey have excellent health, aside from genetic sensitivity to certain medications (some common vet meds can be deadly for this breed if they have the MDR-1 gene)Get along great with cats (we have a mischievous one who's also trained - she knows commands like 'sit', 'stay', 'squirrel', 'paws' (puts her paws on a stool), 'walk', and 'snake' (jumps from one stool to another) - and she knows how to slither along the floor)However, there are some challenges to finding a Shetland Sheepdog puppy:

It's tough to find a reputable breeder who focuses on the breed itself, not just the dog's appearance or exterior. To be honest, there aren't many Shetland Sheepdog breeders out there.It's even harder to find a three-color puppy (if you didn't know, there are three or four accepted coat colors - three-colors, sable, mottled, and bi-colors).It's challenging to find a puppy that's not too large (Shetland Sheepdogs can range from small to large) - that's one of the complexities of breeding this breed - you never know how big the dog will get. You can only make an educated guess.Puppies can be overly timid. Shetland Sheepdogs are generally gentle and sensitive creatures, so they require a gentle, non-intimidating approach. If you end up with a puppy that's extremely fearful... well, good luck to you, especially if you're like me and have experience with a breed like German Shepherds, where you've learned to assert dominance with your voice and firm commands.And, as it turns out, not all breeders will introduce you to the puppy's parents. The parents' siblings are usually no problem, but the parents themselves? Sorry, not possible. I asked one breeder why they wouldn't let me meet the parents, and they just said they don't do it - that's it.So, to make a long story short, it took me and my husband about 10 years to convince each other, and then we had to wait until our kids were old enough to not be overwhelmed by a new puppy's presence. We even had to get our kids' blood tested for dog allergies before bringing home our Shetland Sheepdog. It turned out to be negative at first, but later on, when our kids spent more time with the dog, the allergy showed up. We had to get them tested again...

Fast forward a year, and we finally found our breeder, and we got lucky three times: we met her (what a wonderful woman - interested in the quality of the breed, her temperament) and her dogs, met the future mom (she was small for her breed - exactly what we needed) and she was already in early pregnancy from a small dad during our acquaintance.

Vision is blurry, but I can see the mom, momand this is the dad. The dad, of course, is fluffier and more charming. But males always look more vibrant and charming than females.

dadThe mom, as it turned out, has longer hair,

while the dad has shorter hair, and more exposed paws. Two months later, I finally got the long-awaited news: the puppies were born! Among them, two girls: the bottom two. The one with the white spot (at the very bottom of the photo) - that's now our dog. The middle one is a big girl, and the top one is a boy.

🐾 FINDING THE RIGHT PUPPY 🐾

I was on the hunt for a pup that fit our family's vibe.

I wanted a three-color pup - everyone in the family fell in love with the idea of a black pup with a rusty outline and a white chest.I was dead set on getting a girl - we didn't want to deal with the constant 'potty breaks' every few feet, or the frantic chases after a stray ball. We realized we wanted a girl when we started getting invited on walks with friends who had dogs, or when we'd visit shelters just to see the difference between boys and girls.I wasn't looking for a giant pup (again, for the same reasons as before - boys tend to be bigger).I wanted a pup with a great temperament and no fear issues.I'm not going to name all the shelters I called (it's all pretty personal, and people choose their own way of interacting with shelters), but I did call a bunch in St. Petersburg and Moscow, and none of them really stood out to me :

Many people are willing to send you pictures of the puppy, but not its pedigree;They're not willing to show you the parents before breeding, not willing to show you the parents in person. I wanted to see them in real life, to see how they behave, how they interact with the world, so I could get an idea of what to expect from my own pet...You absolutely need to meet the parents before taking the puppy. Why not after? Because the dad is usually a stranger, and it's unlikely you'll meet him in person after the puppies are born. And the mom looks like a mess after giving birth, her behavior can be different from normal - she's exhausted, she's got hormones, and on top of that she's shedding... The puppy is a mix of both parents, of course there can be variations, but if both parents are friendly, not aggressive, and affectionate, it's likely the puppies will be the same. But if the parents are timid - they'll cower at any noise, try to bite, hide... I wouldn't consider puppies from parents like that. I have no idea what they'll turn out like. And on the pictures - all the puppies look adorable... And puppyhood is short, and the dog will change a lot physically... I'm not buying a puppy, I'm buying a dog that I'll be living with for at least 10-15 years, or more, so I care about their mental health. If you're not picky about this, you'll be saying that all dogs are worth loving, regardless of breed or parents, and you should just adopt from a shelter. That's true, I agree with you, so go ahead and adopt, and in 4 months I'd love to discuss with you about loving all animals just for themselves... Okay, that's a tangent, I'm getting off topic.

So, getting to know the breeder and making sure the dog is chill (future mom of pups), she's great with kids, curious but not aggressive around new people - she doesn't go up to them, but she doesn't back off either. If you get too close, she switches from barking and growling to friendly behavior - sniffs, licks, stops barking, looks down, and takes the affection. Good temperament. You can see this in the photos of the pups or the parents, by the way. And the kennels I've called are all registered with the Russian Kennel Federation, and the breeders say their pups are super popular abroad. Maybe it's just for show.

Pricing for puppies varies (2021, St. Petersburg and surrounding area) - from 40-80 thousand rubles. Two years ago, the price was from 20-60 thousand rubles. Girls cost more than boys (I'm not sure why, maybe because a girl can just give birth, while a boy needs to win a lot of awards at dog shows to be eligible for breeding - although a girl won't be let into official breeding just like that). There are some categories of puppies - pet, breed, and show. Pet is a household pet with no prospects for showing, breed is a well-built dog by anatomy, but with some minor flaws that don't qualify for show (in our case, it was a low height and small weight) - in the future, such a female can be (if you want) released into breeding with the right partner and possibly getting show-class puppies; and show is a promising puppy that can participate in dog shows and later (if you win prizes) in breeding. Pet is some kind of defect in the breed: it can be health issues or exterior flaws (for example, coat color, bite, height...). You can't put such a puppy into breeding, and in dog shows, you'll always be without prizes. Breed is close to show, with minor flaws that are allowed to be released into breeding, but with the right partner selection. Show is promising, but it's not a guarantee that you'll win all the prizes. It's all about luck and the judges' sense of beauty, which is different for everyone. In general, I didn't go into too much detail about breeding, but I looked at prices for classes to understand what we're getting and what future investments are waiting for me. I read about Shetland Sheepdogs and Collies on a forum about dog shows, breeding, and understood that profits (if you're a responsible breeder who wants to improve the breed, looking for promising parents, not just making money off dogs) are unlikely to be made - everything goes to the dog. What about the costs of raising a litter -

This whole experience has been a real headache, and buying a puppy from a breeder comes with its own set of risks. To be honest, I'd never considered breeding myself, and after reading about it, I'm even less inclined to do so – I just feel for the breeders.

So, I was thinking of just getting a healthy puppy, and if there's a slight color variation, that's okay, as long as it's healthy. But after talking to the breeder, my husband and I decided that if the puppy has show potential, we won't turn it down. Who knows, maybe later I'll decide to show the puppy and discover that's what I'm passionate about – not breeding. If not, we'll just stick to being a regular dog family. My main priority is getting a healthy puppy that we'll love.

In short, after choosing the breeder, we started waiting for the puppy to arrive, and in the meantime, we decided to prepare for the costs associated with raising a puppy until it's about two months old.

🐾 What you need at home before getting a puppy 🐾

You don't need a lot, but you can't get by with just nothing either.

2 bowls (for food and water) of 250 ml each. I bought ceramic ones. The breeder uses stainless steel dishes.A mat or a basket for sleeping. The breeder had a bed where the thin fur coats were lying, so I bought a similar one to make the environment more familiar for the puppy.A brush (comb) with coarse teeth, fine teeth, a massaging brush, and a brush with natural bristles. It's best to consult with the breeder - which ones are actually needed. For example, these three turned out to be rejects. I had to look for and buy others, and I found some decent ones on AliExpress, which I'm using now (by the way, the one on the photo is the one I sold and replaced with others). In the end, I ended up with these brushes: Keller Bursten MaxiPin large brush with metal bristles and a Vakoofa plastic dog brush in a "metallic" color with droplets, the comb I bought on AliExpress. I'm really happy with them, and I always collect a lot of fur. An ID tag - you can order it through AliExpress or at any photo studio. Mine cost 650 rubles. I ordered it after buying the puppy.A collar, choke chain, or half-choke chain (in the first few days, you can use a leash, which we also useNow, the tricky part. After reading up on the Sheltie forums, I understood that most breeders take their puppies out on a choke collar or a slip lead. This is due to the breed's head structure, which makes it prone to slipping out of a regular collar at the worst possible moment (when crossing roads, encountering cyclists, or spotting ducks in a frozen pond...). This could lead to serious injury or even death. However, kenneled experts advise against using choke collars on puppies younger than eight months, as their neck vertebrae are still fragile and can be damaged irreparably. It's recommended to get a collar that's at least 25 cm (neck circumference) in size. You can buy one immediately or wait until you've measured your puppy's neck, especially since you won't be able to take them out for a while after their vaccinations. A collar with an automatic snap (carabiner) is a lot more convenient - just snap it on and you're good to go. Almost everyone on the forum agrees that a nylon collar is the way to go, especially if your Sheltie has long hair. It's more comfortable and doesn't get in the way. Leather collars are a thing of the past, as they're not hygienic and tend to wear out quickly. I ended up getting a standard, thin collar with a light leash. If you need more info, feel free to comment and I'll share where I bought it and which one I recommend. As for choke collars and slip leads, I've never had to use them - my Sheltie never tried to break free, and I only had to hold the leash occasionally. I've been using a plain, 1 cm wide collar with a snap, and it's been working just fine. The color doesn't matter, as it's usually hidden by the fur.

I'd recommend getting a leash that's at least 1.2-1.6 meters long, at least for the first while. This will give you some extra room to maneuver and prevent your puppy from getting tangled up.

When it comes to the leash, I opted for one that's around 2-3 meters long, just to be safe – our pup can get a bit far away and it's always easier to catch them. I didn't consider a retractable leash at first (I got one later for my husband, as it's more convenient for him), but kinkologists recommend using a leash during the initial training phase, as it provides a more delicate control than a retractable one. Plus, a leash should have some slack, whereas a retractable one is always taut, and our pup started to get used to pulling it.

When it comes to food, this is something you need to discuss with the breeder. Initially, we were feeding our pup on natural food, just like the breeder recommended, but we soon encountered some digestive issues (it's really hard to find high-quality meat and unprocessed chicken). So, we switched to dry food, which is more balanced and has a consistent energy and vitamin composition. I opted for a holistic dry food with natural ingredients and a high meat content, and I've been using it ever since.

As for toys, you'll need a lot of them, especially in the beginning, to prevent your pup from chewing on your belongings. I recommend getting a bunch of toys, including:

Plenty of balls (make sure they're hollow and no bigger than 5 cm in diameter)Various rubber and plush toys (without plastic noses or eyes)Old socks or old tights tied in a knot (these make great tug toys)Crunchy rubber bonesPull toysShelties are notorious tug-of-war enthusiasts, and they love pulling on strings – just be sure to supervise them when they're playing with these toys, as they can easily swallow them. I've heard of some friends who had to take their pup to the vet for a procedure to remove a swallowed string, so be careful! It's also a good idea to rotate your pup's toys regularly to keep things interesting and prevent boredom.

Apart from that, you'll want some toys that are specifically for outdoor play, some for indoor play, and 1-2 that are always within reach. But ones that can't be chewed up and swallowed are a must. That's why our top pick is this super-favorite toy, and this one helped us during teething - it's an awesome chew toy.

When your puppy's little, they need potty pads. Disposable ones are a good idea to get from the baby section - they're way cheaper than the pet store, and the quality's just as good. But, I realized later that reusable ones are actually a better deal. It's a huge savings, even for our little pup, who could use a 60x90 potty pad for 1-2 days a time.We also got a dog litter box from the breeder, and it's called a "küvet". As it turned out, it's completely useless. I'd only recommend getting one when your puppy's at home and you can see the need for it. Check out my review on it here.Medicines: a personal thermometer for rectal temperature checks (once a week) + petroleum jelly, a clippers, and a first-aid kit (I recommend reading up on how to treat common dog injuries and which medications to carry for emergency situations).A crate or travel bag. It depends on where you're coming from and where you're headed. We borrowed both a crate and a bag from friends, and in the end, our puppy just rode on our lap, wrapped in a blanketBecause I just couldn't help myself. The entire car ride was a blur, but I was drooling like crazy. Luckily, there were tissues nearby.

The exercise pen was a lifesaver at first.The linoleum (if you have smooth floors and no carpets) was a game-changer for joint development - I flipped it over so the nap was facing up, and the puppy could run around on it without slipping or falling over - her paws stayed put.Next, we planned to get her microchipped and run some genetic tests for MDR-1. After we'd waited the required amount of time, we headed to the breeder's to pick up our new furry friend. We arrived, met the mom, checked out the puppies, drew up a contract, showed off the supplies, and handed over the cash. As it turned out, our little pup is a Brid-class puppy, according to the breeder:

Since the puppies are now 8 weeks old, we weighed and measured them. Your puppy weighs 1650 grams, gaining an average of 200 grams per week. Her length is 20.2 cm. By all accounts, she's on the smaller side, with a predicted adult height of around 33-34 cm (the lower end of the standard range). What does this mean for you? She'll be the perfect size for any travel (including plane rides) and can be easily carried if needed. If you meet all the necessary requirements, you can even breed her in the future (Brid-class). She won't make it as a show dog due to her shorter height, but her other stats are all within normal range. There's always a chance of error, and if she grows to 35 cm, she might just become a star, you never know.

I was prepared for the big day by making a list of questions and jotting them down in a notebook, so I knew exactly what to ask the breeder about caring for the puppy, food, daily routine, and the like. Once we'd discussed all the details, we picked up the adorable little furball and headed home. At first, I tried to put the puppy in a carrier, but it whimpered and tried to wriggle free, so I ended up wrapping it in a blanket and holding it on my lap for the entire 2.5-hour drive. The puppy would occasionally peek up at me, and we'd get to know each other.

The breeder's place was quite far away,

so the drive home took around 2.5 hours, and the road was pretty bumpy. About an hour into the trip, the puppy started drooling, but luckily, it didn't vomit, and I had some dry wipes on hand (I'd made a deal with the breeder not to feed the puppy for 3-4 hours before we left). When we got home, I had a meal prepared for the puppy, the house was puppy-proofed, and the floor was covered with linoleum (with a shaggy surface so the puppy could run around safely). I'd also set up a one-level enclosure (to keep the puppy safe from any potential hazards while we were away).1 day 2 monthsI waited a bit before feeding the puppy.

1 day 2 monthsJessie, whom we've affectionately named after her lineage, Marvithol Halias, took it upon herself to explore the new house and get to know the cat - who, by the way, was surprisingly gentle with the puppy, probably because we adopted her from a dog shelter in the first place.

2 day, 2 monthsI tried my best to be there for her, sleeping next to me or on me. 3 day, 2 monthsShe looked