Free Training Tips for Sheltie Dogs

Shelties, also known as Shetland sheepdogs, are one of the more intelligent breeds of dog, and the training process should not be too much of a challenge. Shelties have a strong desire to please their owners and are naturally good companions. Although they are rarely aggressive, shelties can be prone to other behavioral problems. These problems are usually a result of wanting to be close to their owner and to protect them and can be corrected through training.

  1. The Foundations of Sheltie Training

    • The first and most important step in training a sheltie successfully is to bond with it, building a caring relationship to win its confidence and trust. The best time to do this is while it is a puppy. Mutual trust and respect between dog and owner make the dog more likely to respond to training. It is also important that a sheltie puppy is never scolded but is always rewarded with praise.

    Training Sheltie Puppies

    • Training a sheltie puppy should follow five steps. The first is teaching, during which an owner demonstrates what he or she would like the puppy to do. Second is practicing the action with the puppy. Next is the generalizing stage, which involves practicing in different environments. The fourth stage involves testing how well the sheltie puppy has learned the lesson in many locations with a range of distractions; this stage should be continued until the puppy succeeds repeatedly, praising each successful attempt. The final stage is internalizing, in which the sheltie should be able to do everything it is taught, with or without command.

    Barking

    • Shelties are predisposed to barking. They were originally bred to guard flocks of sheep on the Shetland Islands, and this means that they bark every time a potential danger is spotted. Although the genetic predisposition of shelties is usually the cause of barking, it is important to check that it is not barking for a different reason before acting. A successful, traditional way to train a sheltie to stop barking unnecessarily is to hold its muzzle gently shut until it stops resisting, hushing it and firmly looking into its eyes. This technique asserts an owner's dominance and should begin to take effect after a few days.

    Separation Anxiety

    • One factor that can often lead to undesirable behavior in a sheltie, as well as being unpleasant for the dog, is separation anxiety. Shelties are particularly prone to separation anxiety as they are natural companions and become anxious when separated from their owners. However, there are ways to train shelties to overcome this problem. Shelties need to be gently acclimatized to being left alone. One method is to practice leaving the house several times before actually going out. By jangling keys, putting a coat on, opening a door and then sitting down without leaving the house, a person can help the sheltie get used to being left without becoming distressed over the shock of being left in a hurry. After a while, the dog will cease to be distressed by the process of the owner's leaving.