One thing that has surprised me is the wide range of sizes of Shelties. Our family has had two Shelties, the first was about 25 pounds, the second about 35 pounds. It amazes me that Shelties come as small as 10 pounds!
Regardless of size, I think most Shelties have common characteristics, especially a herding instinct and excessive barking (“talking”). But, our two Shelties have displayed these characteristics in different ways. Our first Sheltie, Lucky, loved to push a jumbo ball around with her nose, as if herding the ball- she could entertain herself for a long time doing this. Our second Sheltie, Lucy, broke the first jumbo ball we gave her within minutes. Instead, she enjoys playing frisbee and chasing after tennis balls. And, while Lucky barked when the mail arrived and when the phone rang, Lucy does not bark at these things (preferring to save her voice for just about anything else). Also, Lucky did not care for other dogs, seeming to think that they were inferior to her (because she was a person, of course), but Lucy loves playing with other dogs once she warms up to them. And, one of their biggest differences is their chewing habits. Lucky only chewed on a piece of furniture once. She chewed a button off of a chair when she was a puppy. And, she kept staring at that chair until we figured out what she had done. Lucy, on the other hand, practically chewed off several chair and table legs. While she is much better now that she is older, she probably can never be fully trusted. Despite their differences, one thing is certain, to our family they will both be the best dog ever
