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Caring & training

If you haven't raised a puppy before, new puppy training classes are great. Basically the classes train you and your dog how to be effective, loving companions.
They train you yo train your puppy on how to effectively potty train, walk on a leash and how and when to discipline and give praise
 
I didn't say this before, congratulations! Please post pictures when you little nipper comes home.

One more thing, your puppy WILL mess in the house at least once. But a pet safe enzymatic cleaner like Natures Miracle. Pro tip: throughly blot urine or remove the solid poop. BEFORE you use carpet cleaner on the area, use the enzyme cleaner full strength. If you use carpet cleaner first the enzymes will be used up by the cleaner and not the odiferous stuff.
 
Relatives of mine told their 5 year old, when they got a puppy,
what the letter "P" meant in the word *puppy*.

poop
pee
puke
 
sooo cute! :D
Congrats!!
Is she going to be an indoor/outdoor dog?
What breed?

Current thing I can think of at the moment is to use hand signals when training commands.
Dogs will learn to understand hand signals before they learn to understand the words.
It also helps if you want her to do something from a distance, where perhaps she can see you, but can't hear you so well. Or when you have people you're talking to and you want the dog to do something without interrupting the conversation.
 
You have a very intelligent but servile breed of dog there which means once bonded and trusting of you, there wont be much you can't train her to do if your heart's in it :)
A lot of collies love learning tricks and what's termed 'obedience' (but generally means following instruction, first time)
You'll never have to raise your voice to train her,
(because let's face it, dogs are far from hard of hearing)
Just experiment and find what motivates her. Makes training a little easier.

Because they're intelligent dogs they require 'brain games' or having a job to do, as much as they need exercise and grooming.

They're wonderfully loyal, clever dogs.
Ask her breeder lots and lots of questions about the puppy stages, socialising and training.

All exciting stuff eh? :D
Good luck with her :)
 
I never heard of doggy boots before, is it for deep snow? The training is simple really, you have to work them every day just like a horse.

You want to get help with the feet. The claws have to be trimmed about once a month or so, and it's not easy to do. A great groomer is the best option there. The animal sometimes will pull away and sometimes run off.
Happy for you. I had a dog he was amazing
 
Everyone has already been super helpful it looks like, and another thing I'd like to seriously suggest are puzzle toys- Shelties are very intelligent. There are different levels of puzzle toys, and you can keep increasing the level as your puppy figures each one out. For my dogs I started with a puzzle that you hide treats in and the dog has to turn the puzzle in different directions to get the treats out. Other good ones are treat dispensing balls, scent hiding puzzles, toys where they have to squeeze a ball out of a cube with a specific shape, and toys that they have to figure out how to get something out of a specific hole and then back in. My dogs have (mostly) mastered these and get bored after a while lol (the youngest has not quite gotten the hang of the ball/cube toys) but they'll keep an intelligent puppy occupied for a good period of time.
Not sure if I'm allowed to post links to retailers, but I would suggest Googling the Outward Hound toys and puzzle toys by Nina Ottosson. They're available in most online dog specialty shops.
Shelties are also really great at Agility and Obedience competitions! They're one of the only breeds that can keep up with the Border Collies in Agility :tearsofjoy: I do Agility for fun with my Dogo Argentinos but they're way too slow! My little mixed breed dog is awesome at Agility and Flyball tho and she's around the size of a Sheltie. My Dogos are pretty good Obedience competitors but I think Shelties are a lot more commonly seen in that field. Shelties are also very good herders.
Google Dog Agility, Flyball (dog sport), Obedience trials, and herding trials. You're located in the UK, correct? In the USA we have a certification where a dog can earn a Trick Dog title for learning specific tricks! My three older dogs have their Canine Good Citizen title too (there's probably an equivalent to that in most countries, you can look that up as well).
You don't have to compete to win in any of these things :blush: They're designed for the dog to have fun and get intellectual and physical stimulation, and for the handler (you) to enjoy yourself too!!
I'll also add that it's great that you met your puppy's family... when I purchased my three purebred dogs as puppies it was crucial to me that I met the parents and looked at the whole litter before choosing one. You want to get an idea of temperament, personality, health, and get an idea of what the pup will look like (if that matters to you- I show my dogs in traditional shows too so I wanted a specific look, even though I mostly show them for fun). Looks are not super important unless you're looking for a show dog or a dog that you're going to breed. All dogs are great dogs, regardless of breed, mix of breeds, or what they look like! I've had quite the range of purebreds/mixed breeds, and lots of different looks. The only thing I regret is that when I purchased my first dog her ears were cropped :cry: I made sure not to repeat that mistake with my other two of the same breed and chose a different breeder.
I got sidetracked as usual :tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy: But yes, dog sports are fun!! For you AND your dog... and mental stimulation is extremely important, just as much as physical exercise.
Beautiful puppy btw, and beautiful parents. My mom's family used to breed Rough Collies and they had a few Shelties and Border Collies too. I have a soft spot for herding dogs. :hearteyes:
 
@crewlucaa_ thank you. Very much appreciate the information. I am in the US. The puzzles sound as though they will be helpful while the puppy is growing up. Since winter is often too cold to go outside, (Montana) we will have to be doing playtime in the garage on those super cold days.
One person told me shelties don’t like getting their paws wet. Another person told that is nonsense. Until there’s snow & ice we can go to the dog park during quiet times.
:)
You're very welcome!!
No idea why I thought you were in England :sweatsmile: My brain is really fried. Lol
I live in Boston... gets very cold here too in the winter. My dogs are heat tolerant because the breed originated in Argentina, but not so much cold tolerant. Playtime for us is indoors sometimes too. Shelties are from the Shetland Islands (who would have guessed? :tongueclosed:) and they're pretty cold-resistant but probably good to keep them indoors in the winter in Montana.
I've never heard that Shelties don't like getting their paws wet... my Border Collies loved to swim. I think it depends on the dog. The only dogs I know for a fact hate water are English Pointers!
Do you live near a dog park? They can be really great for socialization. Make sure your puppy has had her first few rounds of shots before you go though! :blush: I actually live right between two dog parks!! :fearscream: One I like a lot more than the other tho... some dog parks have issues with aggressive or uncontrolled dogs being loose. Talk to other dog owners so you know which park is the best one :blush:
 
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Yes, Kongs are great!! They keep my dogs occupied for a long time when I have to leave them in another room while I do something else. Also not very easy to chew through or destroy.
Should also mention though that human peanut butter can be toxic to dogs, some of it has xylitol in it- I'm sure you knew that, Suzette and Watersprite, just clarifying! :)
You can get organic or natural peanut butter at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, possibly Stop & Shop, or at a pet store. Chewy.com sells dog-safe peanut butter that's specially made to put in a Kong.
I also use these things for my dogs- they've held up for over a year with two dogs that are 100lbs, and one six-month-old who will be 100lbs at adulthood, that all have about 500lbs of bite force! Also good for the little tiny dog with very sharp teeth. Lol
You can get these at Chewy, or at pretty much any pet store. I think Marshall's sometimes sells them in the pet department too.
chew.JPG
 

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