2008 Houston Sheltie Sanctuary Events:

Fall Picnic (10th Anniversary Gala!) is scheduled for November 8th at the Rover Oaks Pet Resort in Katy.  Watch for more exciting news about this very special event!

 

As always, time is from 11am-4 pm, and picnics are for HSS members and adoptive families only.

Additional HSS Adoption Events are being Coordinated for this coming Fall Season -- Watch for new announcements coming soon!

Our Shelties
Available for Adoption
Or Going Through Rehabilitation

Page 2

To completely understand how HSS works, be sure
 to carefully read about our rescue Program

 Before you make an adoption decision, please read
 Connie's brief article about special needs Shelties
 and Joan's article about senior Shelties.

HSS always needs foster homes: please read the description of Foster Home Responsibilities, and if you think you can provide a temporary home for one or more of our Shelties, please complete the Foster Application.

[Sheltie Standard from the AKC Page]

The Shetland Sheepdog

Coats

One of the most beautiful, intelligent, active dogs in the canine world, Shelties can have "coats of many colors" and thicknesses, though the AKC Standard is double-coated, dense, and flowing.  The coat needs thorough brushing at least once a week.  Due to their thick double coats, our Shelties must live indoors in Houston's hot, humid climate.  Color Codes:  S/W (sable [tan] and white; usually just called a sable; there are many variations such as mahogany sable and white, shaded sable and white, golden sable and white, etc.; this is the color most people regard as 'like Lassie'; the shaded and mahogany sables are not Tri's); TRI (black, white, and sable; many people confuse this color; the dog is mostly black and white with a bit of tan, usually on the face and forelegs); BI-BLACK (black with white markings; there is no sable in a bi-black); BLUE MERLE (usually called a 'merle': 'blue'/silvering pattern on tri or bi-black genes, some tan; often with blue eyes or one blue and one brown eye); SABLE MERLE (mostly sable with merling effect); DOUBLE MERLE (two merling genes; lots of white with the rest of the colors diluted); BI-BLUE (no tan); WHITE FACTORING (more than 50% white); CHW (COLOR-HEADED WHITE) (body is white-factored; head is 'colored').  See Athro Limited for explanations of genetics and examples; Kyleah's Sheltie Coat Page and  Dogpatch's The Sheltie Photo Album for more variations, information, and beautiful full-color examples. 

Size

As one of our veterinarians once remarked, Shelties can be "gazelles or tanks."  These differences are not necessarily because of breeding but of genetics: the Collie, Sheltie, Border Collie, and Australian Sheepdog all descend from the same working dog in the Shetland Isles; then there were many breeding experiments to produce the breeds we see today.  The AKC Standard for American Shetland Sheepdogs is 13-16" tall at the top of the shoulder. The correct way to judge the height is with a wicket.  The AKC does not specify weight, but most in-size Shelties are 15-30#, though we've seen them as small as 8-12# and as much as 40+#.   Most Shelties fall in the taller range, though some are certainly smaller.  The smaller Shelties, though adorable, are under-sized.  There is no such dog as a 'miniature' , 'mini', or 'pocket' Sheltie.  Any breeder claiming to breed 'miniature' or 'pocket' Shelties would not be recognized by the AKC or ASSA and is undoubtedly contributing to genetic and health problems in this kind of breeding.  Over-size means the Sheltie grew out taller than 16"; and some Shelties do approach the size of a small Collie, but Shelties are not 'miniature Collies.'  The best way to tell the difference is to note that the Sheltie's head is more wedged-shaped, the muzzle is shorter, the stop (point where the muzzle meets the crown of the head) is more pronounced, the body is more compact, the legs shorter.  

Temperament

Shelties are sweet, gentle, alert, extremely intelligent, loyal, eager to learn and please; they are also very comical: enjoying fun times and jokes, followed by their famous "Sheltie Spins and Smiles," floor pats, leaps, and requests for tummy rubs.  They can also be shy with people they do not know and should never be forced as they will warm up in their own time. If they don't to a particular person, then there may very well be a good reason!  Most Shelties adore children and get along well with other pets; sometimes they delight in herding family members and cats, but it's all in fun, as one sees in the bright eyes and famous grin.  Some descriptions of our breed claim they are not 'guard dogs,' but many Shelties are extremely protective of their families and terrific 'alerters' to anything they don't feel should be in their territory.  This is why they are frequently regarded as 'barkers,' but they were originally bred as herding dogs: hence the barking and protection instinct, which we in our program regard as pluses in their behavior.  Most Shelties can be trained to quiet on command after being praised for alerting the family.

NB: Prospective adoptive homes, please remember that the nature of Shelties is to be shy with people they don't know; most warm up quickly, but adoptive homes should be aware this can take 2-3 weeks, especially with rescued Shelties, many of whom have been through abuse, neglect, trauma, and medical problems.  Owner relinquishments can also be vulnerable to shyness because they are going through enormous changes in their lives; they do not understand why they have lost their homes and often need special understanding.  We always keep our Shelties in foster care for at least two weeks to assess their temperaments and behavior.  Because our Shelties are rescues needing special understanding and care, to protect both our dogs and very young children (the coordinators are parents as well as dog lovers), we do not adopt to homes with children under age five.  After adoption, patience and TLC will bring your Sheltie out, and you will be rewarded with a wonderful companion dog.  Also, a lot of applicants want youngsters and the newest dogs as soon as they come in.  Please remember that all our dogs, including the delightful seniors and special needs Shelties, are wonderful and need loving homes.

If you are unfamiliar with Shelties or would just like to learn more about the breed, see The American Shetland Sheepdog Association, The American Kennel Club, Commonly Asked Questions about Shelties, and Beverly Miller's Sheltie FAQS.

Summer in Texas: Please read about Leaving Dogs Alone in Cars

PET THERAPY

Shelties makes great Therapy dogs! Pet Therapy is a wonderful volunteer program training owners and their dogs to work in hospitals and assisted living environments to bring a little sunshine to the lives of patients and senior residents. This one offers free CGC [Caninc Good Citizen]  training classes to prepare them to take the test required for Pet Therapy.  

Faithful Paws Pet Therapy Group [Church's Web Page]
http://www.umtv.org/archives/faithful_paws.htm
Vickey Willard's webpage for the group [Vickey is an HSS volunteer and trainer]
http://www.geocities.com/vwillard61/FaithfulPaws_Pet_Therapy.html

[See the side bar of the main page for more links to boarders, groomers, trainers, etc.]

Prospective adopters  must carefully read about our program,  have the application completed, and the home visit done.  For the reasons we explain in the program description, we do not adopt out of state.

Codes Below: OR (Owner Relinquishment to our program); OTI (Owner Turn In to area shelter); Vetting/Clinicals (dog is in one of our clinics for work-ups); UTD (dog is Up to Date on vaccinations and heartworm preventive); HW+ (dog tested positive for heartworm disease and is going through treatments; should have a re-check 4-6 months after adoption); HW- (dog tested negative for heartworm disease and is on preventative; should have a re-check 4-6 months after adoption); Split Treatment (HW treatment injections are being split over a month in a severe case of the disease--a bit easier on the dog who is 'loaded' with heartworms or otherwise medically compromised); URI (Upper Respiratory Infection); UTI (Urinary Tract Infection); Hooks and Whips (worm infestations); PB (the Sheltie is a purebred; all our Shelties are PB unless otherwise indicated); Sheltie X (the Sheltie is a Mix, which we determine as best we can with our veterinarians); yo (year old; example: 3yo); mo (month old; example: 6mo). 

Shelter Abbreviations: HCAC (Harris County Animal Control--Houston), BARC (Bureau of Animal Regulation and Control--Houston), CAP (Citizens for Animal Protection--Houston), SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), MCAC (Montgomery County Animal Center--Conroe), VAP (Volunteers for Animal Protection--Kingwood), TF (Twyla's Friends--Kingwood), TLAC (Town Lake Animal Center--Austin)

Before adoption, all HSS Shelties are vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and treated for initial ailments as much as possible within the scope of our rescue program. 

Sometimes we have dogs that cannot be adopted due to major medical issues or advanced age complicated by medical issues. We keep them in permanent foster care as program dogs as long as they need us.  See Sheba's wonderful story of a shelter and volunteers who were determined to help her at http://www.houstonsheltiesanctuary.com/Program_Dogs.htm

Most of our rescued Shelties are older. Please read about the joys of adopting these wonderful dogs at http://www.houstonsheltiesanctuary.com/In_Praise_of_the_Older_Dog.htm and think about giving your home and heart to a senior dog who needs you and will give back so much.

We have a lot of males right now: even if you had always thought you wanted a girl, please consider one of these wonderful, affectionate boys as your companion dog. Visit them and talk with their foster homes.

Note about the popular small, young females: In the last few years, we've been taking in ~100 dogs/year.  Of these, about 40 will be female - we tend to get more males.  Of those 40, perhaps 12-15 will be 4 years old or younger - we tend to get older dogs.  Of those 12-15, perhaps 6-7 will be on the small side of standard, or smaller - Shelties are notorious for going oversized.  Of those, perhaps half will be temperamentally suited for a home not actively engaged in agility or a similar performance sport.  3-4 dogs out of 100, and "small young female" is our most often requested category of dog.  Please understand that the more narrow your requirements, the fewer dogs that you may have to choose from.  And there are so many males and older dogs of both sexes and all sizes who need loving homes.

	Adoption Pending! Evan2 Evan was found as a stray and turned into CAP.  He is ~4 years old, 13 inches, 21 pounds (needs to lose a few), neutered, HW+.  Evan will begin HW treatment on 10/30 and be available for adoption ~12/24. Foster home update: Evan is a very sweet, calm boy most of the time, which is a good thing, because he is still going through heartworm treatment.  He loves to lay beside me, with his head on my leg, while I work on my laptop.  If I ignore him for too long, he'll give me a nudge with his nose, as if saying, "don't forget about me."  He travels well in the car.  He's not interested in toys or balls.  He doesn't bark much, unless he can't get to his human. He is crate and house trained.  He sleeps in the crate at night, up in our room.  He barely tolerates the crate during the day while we're gone, but it's necessary while he's going through heartworm treatment.  He is a people dog and wants to be around his human at all times.  He's OK with other dogs, but would rather play, be petted on, by people.  Each time a new foster comes into the house, he has to "posture" and figure out his place in the new pack.  Then he pretty much ignores the other dogs. Evan is a people dog.  If you want a dog with lots of love to share, Evan is the dog for you. Please check back for further updates. Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done.
	Ready For Adoption! Katie5 Katie was found as a stray and turned into CAP.  She is ~6 years old, 13-14 inches, 45 pounds (needs to lose 25 pounds), spayed, HW and fecal negative.  She has a large open wound which is being treated by our clinic and is scheduled for a much needed dental on 11/17. An update from Katie's foster mom: She is a very good girl, loves to be petted, house trained and crate trained - although she prefers to sleep on the dog pillow in the living room or next to our bed. She is learning that the cats are not evil.  She cautiously walks by them, only following them if they are running by; still curious about them, but not worth the effort to chase! She is good on the leash and likes to go for short walks.    Please check back for further updates.   Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done.
	Adoption Pending! Sebastian   Sebastian is an OR due to family circumstances.  He is 7-8 years old, 15-16 inches, 23 pounds, UTD, neutered, HW and fecal-.  He is very friendly and outgoing.  Sebastian will be available for adoption ~11/28.   Please check back for further updates. Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done.
	Ready For Adoption! Precious5 Precious is an OR due to family circumstances.  She is a 3 year old sable merle/sable and white spayed female, 16 inches, 29 pounds.  She is UTD, HW and fecal -.    Her foster mom writes: Precious is completely house trained & crate trained though crating really is not needed.  Precious would do well in an active home with kids or folks with an active lifestyle.  She is quite a busy body and likes to move about the house from room to room with you but is also content to lay at your feet like a good girl when watching T.V. or at the computer.  She loves her stuffed toys and very much enjoys running in the yard with the other dogs and tree climbing after squirrels.  Absolutely NO CATS.  Her prey drive kicks in and it is not to play with them.  She is smart and obedient yet this girl needs an owner that is firm and willing to set boundaries or she will surely try to take over.  Precious knows sit, down and shake and loves to be held, cuddled and tummy rubs. Please check back for further updates. Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done.
	Ready For Adoption! Bear2 Bear is an OR due to family circumstances.  He is 4 years old (DOB 4/24/04), 15 inches, 24 pounds, UTD and neutered.  Bear was diagnosed at one of our specialty clinics with corneal dystrophy, which means that he doesn't produce sufficient tears in his eyes.  Our vet has prescribed inexpensive daily eye drops to treat the condition, and Bear will go for a follow-up visit on 12/8.  Unfortunately, because it went untreated before he came into the program, he has had some vision impairment in one eye, but nothing that impacts his quality of life.    An update from his foster mom: Bear is a delightful high energy Sheltie. He loves people and loves to be petted.  If not getting the attention he thinks he deserves, he will occasionally voice his opinion to let you know. He gets along great with other dogs and wants to play!  Bear will occasionally sniff the cats but mostly ignores them. He loves to play with toys and his favorite sport is to race around the back yard, trying to entice anyone, person or dog, to play chase with him. He loves to be with people, and will follow us around from room to room, always interested in what we are doing. Once we are settled, he is content to settle down as well, after he gets some petting.  If one of us is outside, he will patrol the windows and doors watching for us to return, and always greets us with lots of spins and barks. He knows "sit" and "stay" and we are working on "shake" and "quiet". He is crate trained and house trained and likes to ride in the car. He was raised with another dog and gets along well with our Shelties, so I think he should have a doggie companion.  He is very playful and high energy, and loves to BARK. He would probably be good with kids, since he is so active and people friendly. He is a very sweet and loving Sheltie, who just needs a family to give him all the love and attention he deserves.     Please check back for further updates.  Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done.
Rescue Day: In Foster Care:	Adoption Pending! Cameron2 Cameron was found as a stray and turned into HCAC.  He is ~3 years old, 15 inches, 22 pounds, neutered, HW and fecal -.  He climbed into our volunteer's lap today and snuggled while they waited for his foster mom to pick him up at our clinic.   An update from Cameron's first foster home: Cameron is a sweet dog, that's a bit nervous in new situations, but he quickly adapts.  We only had him over the Thanksgiving holidays until his real foster mom was available to take him, but he seems to be house trained.   It took a few days, but he finally started playing tug and chase with our Sheltie.  Cameron was also learning about balls and toys and I think he'd like to play with both, given more time.  He did not like stairs, but by the end of the four days, he was going up and down with just a bit of coaxing.  Downstairs was the most difficult for him, but once he got on the stairs, he was fine. Cameron is very friendly and will put his paws up in your lap for some loving.  But he doesn't really want to get in your lap or get on the furniture.  Cameron's a great dog.   Cameron's foster mom's update: Cameron is a sweetheart. He doesn't seem to have any behavioral problems or try to establish his dominance with other dogs.  When Cameron was first introduced to our home, he was a shy young man. As time passed, he flourished into an affectionate and eager to please Sheltie. He is a very quiet dog and has not barked since he arrived at our home. He can be accurately described as a lap dog. He will climb into your lap and nuzzle your hand when he wants to be petted.  He doesn't appear to be a chewer or cat chaser. His previous foster home said he was beginning to pick up chew toys and wrestle around with her dogs.  He has a good appetite and he will eat dry or canned food.  He has not had an accident since he has arrived. He sleeps in the living room at night or in our bed where he will loyally stay by our side throughout the night. He is a beautiful, fun loving young man yearning for a forever home. Please check back for further updates.  Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done.
	Adoption Pending! Daisy4 Daisy 4 is an OR due to family circumstances.  She is 3 years old (DOB 4/05), 14 inches tall, 46.6 pounds (needs to lose ~24 pounds), spayed.  Our clinic prescribed an antibiotic and topical spray for a severe skin infection from flea allergies.   Daisy's foster mom writes: Daisy has a sweet face and disposition.  She was shy when I first brought her home, but warmed up quickly to my husband and me.   Daisy seems to favor the security of her kennel but will come when her name is called out.  She enjoyed the walk with Benjamin and I this afternoon and was quite obedient on the leash. Daisy update: The lovely Ms. Daisy has really come into her own.  Since the medication has eased her skin allergies, her gorgeous red-toned sable coat is beginning to grow back nicely on her posterior.   Daisy no longer feels the need to hide in her kennel. She runs, jumps, and plays chase with all her other doggy roommates.  She loves receiving pets, giving kisses, and chewing on her toys.  The many walks and good quality dog food have begun to work on her “few extras” and she has dropped down a bit on her weight.  Daisy loves to take walks and gets extremely excited when either one of us approach the front door or rattle around a leash.   Daisy is crate trained, house trained, and doggy door trained.  She knows how to sit and we are teaching her to shake.  She displays a great personality around both people and other dogs.  Daisy will be a delightful addition to a lucky family!! Please check back for further updates. Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done.
	More Shelties on Page 3 More Shelties on Page 4 More Shelties on Page 1

HSS Coordinators

Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc.
PO Box 840235
Houston, TX 77284-0235
SHELTIE LINE & FAX: (281)-859-0146
E-Mail: Connie / Linda / Joan

Houston Sheltie Sanctuary is a Member of

 

Adoption Program I Adoption Application I Foster Application I Donations

© 2006 Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc. Rescue Program
Saving Precious Lives since 1998
All rights reserved and protected by Federal Copyright Law.
Website created and maintained by Joan McAninch Samuelson
Updated 01/04/09