A week ago we "borrowed" him from my parents. He passed his trial period with flying colors and now has earned the right to sleep at the side of my bed (on the floor) and meet me at the door when I come home.
Background
For those of you who aren't aware, he was originally my grandma's (on my Dad's side) dog. I believe my parents got him for my grandma shortly before she had to move into assisted living a few years ago. My grandma had originally named him "Prince", but my parents changed his name to "Quincy" when he came to live with them. Naturally, I called him "the dog formerly known as Prince". Now that he's living with us though, I'm trying to come up with a name (or nickname) that I can call him besides "Quincy". Any ideas?
About the Breed
The name Sheltie is actually short for Shetland Sheepdog (a herder). The Shetland Islands are a Scottish archipelago off the northeast coast of Scotland. According to wikipedia, "the Shetland Sheepdog is an outstanding companion dog and is intensely loyal. It is lively, intelligent, trainable, and willing to please and obey. Shelties are loving, loyal, and affectionate with their family, but are naturally aloof with strangers. The herding instinct is strong in many Shelties. They love to chase and herd things, including squirrels, ducks, and children. Shelties love to run in wide-open areas. Shelties are very good with children. Shelties also are very smart, making them highly trainable. According to Dr. Stanley Coren, an expert on animal intelligence, the Shetland Sheepdog is one of the brightest dogs, ranking 6th out of 132 breeds tested. His research found that an average Sheltie could understand a new command in less than 5 repetitions and would obey a command the first time it was given 95% of the time or better."
The Family
Stacey is getting used to him, but I think it's safe to say that Julia loves having him around. She calls him "da-da", and likes to point at him and walk or crawl across the room just to pet him. A few days ago we told her to "give Quincy lovies", and she lowered her head so that it was resting on his head (her way of giving him a hug). This morning she let out a squeal when her outstretched arm and finger met up with Quincy's wet nose.
Kitty doesn't seem to mind him at all. If anything, I think she has come around us more since he's been at our house (instead of diving under the bed). They frequently sit or walk close to each other...however, I doubt they'll ever be BFFs.
My Take
Basically, I think he's the perfect dog for us. I've wanted a dog for awhile now since I grew up with them. With a 1-year old though, training and house-breaking a new puppy wasn't feasible. In the past I've thought that he would be a great dog to borrow and take on a hike, etc. However, I never really saw much of him when I visited my parents because a certain Yorkshire Terrier kept him walking on eggshells, especially when food or Julia were the center of attention. Basically, the terrier would ambush Quincy simply for getting too close. The fault completely lies on the Yorkshire side...but the English and the Scots never did quite get along, so it's not surprising.
He's submissive, so he's great with Julia and will listen to my commands. He's small enough to be a great house dog yet large enough that I can eventually take him to the park or jogging/hiking this summer. His personality is great, and he loves attention yet isn't "all up in my grill" when I don't want him to be (he'll come and go when told). So far he won't bark unless there is someone or something outside, making him a good home security system.
I've already enjoyed learning/seeing some of his personality quirks...like how he snorts/sneezes repetitively in excitement when I ask him if he wants to go outside. Alluding to the breed's intelligence, the funniest moment so far has been him learning to get into his cage when we're leaving the house. After only a time or two, he's learned. This weekend I took a small doggie treat and had him follow me into the basement. I told him to "kennel" while holding the treat in my hand and he practically bent the backside of the cage because he went flying into it with a NHL caliber body-slam caused by "treat euphoria". What a spaz.
Background
For those of you who aren't aware, he was originally my grandma's (on my Dad's side) dog. I believe my parents got him for my grandma shortly before she had to move into assisted living a few years ago. My grandma had originally named him "Prince", but my parents changed his name to "Quincy" when he came to live with them. Naturally, I called him "the dog formerly known as Prince". Now that he's living with us though, I'm trying to come up with a name (or nickname) that I can call him besides "Quincy". Any ideas?
About the Breed
The name Sheltie is actually short for Shetland Sheepdog (a herder). The Shetland Islands are a Scottish archipelago off the northeast coast of Scotland. According to wikipedia, "the Shetland Sheepdog is an outstanding companion dog and is intensely loyal. It is lively, intelligent, trainable, and willing to please and obey. Shelties are loving, loyal, and affectionate with their family, but are naturally aloof with strangers. The herding instinct is strong in many Shelties. They love to chase and herd things, including squirrels, ducks, and children. Shelties love to run in wide-open areas. Shelties are very good with children. Shelties also are very smart, making them highly trainable. According to Dr. Stanley Coren, an expert on animal intelligence, the Shetland Sheepdog is one of the brightest dogs, ranking 6th out of 132 breeds tested. His research found that an average Sheltie could understand a new command in less than 5 repetitions and would obey a command the first time it was given 95% of the time or better."
The Family
Stacey is getting used to him, but I think it's safe to say that Julia loves having him around. She calls him "da-da", and likes to point at him and walk or crawl across the room just to pet him. A few days ago we told her to "give Quincy lovies", and she lowered her head so that it was resting on his head (her way of giving him a hug). This morning she let out a squeal when her outstretched arm and finger met up with Quincy's wet nose.
Kitty doesn't seem to mind him at all. If anything, I think she has come around us more since he's been at our house (instead of diving under the bed). They frequently sit or walk close to each other...however, I doubt they'll ever be BFFs.
My Take
Basically, I think he's the perfect dog for us. I've wanted a dog for awhile now since I grew up with them. With a 1-year old though, training and house-breaking a new puppy wasn't feasible. In the past I've thought that he would be a great dog to borrow and take on a hike, etc. However, I never really saw much of him when I visited my parents because a certain Yorkshire Terrier kept him walking on eggshells, especially when food or Julia were the center of attention. Basically, the terrier would ambush Quincy simply for getting too close. The fault completely lies on the Yorkshire side...but the English and the Scots never did quite get along, so it's not surprising.
He's submissive, so he's great with Julia and will listen to my commands. He's small enough to be a great house dog yet large enough that I can eventually take him to the park or jogging/hiking this summer. His personality is great, and he loves attention yet isn't "all up in my grill" when I don't want him to be (he'll come and go when told). So far he won't bark unless there is someone or something outside, making him a good home security system.
I've already enjoyed learning/seeing some of his personality quirks...like how he snorts/sneezes repetitively in excitement when I ask him if he wants to go outside. Alluding to the breed's intelligence, the funniest moment so far has been him learning to get into his cage when we're leaving the house. After only a time or two, he's learned. This weekend I took a small doggie treat and had him follow me into the basement. I told him to "kennel" while holding the treat in my hand and he practically bent the backside of the cage because he went flying into it with a NHL caliber body-slam caused by "treat euphoria". What a spaz.
