Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc.
PO Box 840235
Houston, TX 77284-0235
SHELTIE LINE & FAX:
(281)-859-0146
E-Mail: Joan /
Linda /
Connie
Congratulations on adopting your new Sheltie.
By following these simple instructions, your experience with your new
dog will be a smoother transition and help provide a joyous life together. Please understand your new dog may need
two-three weeks to adjust to his or her new home. The following tips are for our
adoptive homes, but we are happy to share them with other Sheltie families as
well. However, we are a rescue group and not trainers or doctors; we do not dispense information
or give advice to people who call or e-mail with training and medical questions. Those should be
addressed only to professional dog trainers and veterinary doctors.
We have a few links on our
General Pets Site.
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Introduce your new dog very slowly to resident dogs and cats. Put the other pets in another room while you gently guide the new dog into the home. Spend some time quietly, offer a treat and cuddles; show the dog the backyard and let him eliminate if he needs to. Gradually introduce the new and resident dogs, letting them explore. If you have cats, do the same. Don't be alarmed if there is a bit of scurrying and testing of the boundaries in the first few days, but do not leave the pets unsupervised for the first two weeks. Though many dogs and cats welcome the adopted Sheltie, keep in mind that there may be a period of adjustment for the first few days up to 2 - 3 weeks depending on the rescued Sheltie's history and personality. During this time, the adopted dog may appear shy or submissive. Shelties, especially, may be particularly wary in a new situation. Your new Sheltie may also have been hit or kicked, which you'll know immediately from his behavior around you and your family. Take it slow and easy; let the dog learn to regain trust; give him hugs and kisses as he can tolerate them; he may be surprised at first, but will eventually relish the attention and return it. As he becomes more confident, he may change his behavior towards resident pets, beginning to play and explore the pecking order. Always feed your pets and your adopted dog separately; consider feeding the adopted Sheltie in a crate if you notice any food aggression between dogs. Be careful when dispensing treats or other high-value items like rawhides or favorite toys. Sometimes what is thought to be food aggression is actually just a territorial imperative that will take care of itself as the pecking order is established and the dogs relax. Keeping this in mind, always supervise the interactions of your adopted dog with other pets. When leaving the adopted dog home alone (even if you have other pets at home), the use of a crate or gate is recommended at least the first few days up to two weeks
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Even
the best-trained dogs may have accidents in a new home for the first few
days. Make sure your new Sheltie
knows where the
door to go outside is. Always use
the same door to go outside. Watch
your new Sheltie for signs of needing to “go.” He may not know how to tell you. Many dogs just stand at the door, while others do
nothing. Continue to work on
housetraining him for the first 10 days. Only gradually allow him more and more freedom as you become
convinced he will behave in the house.
If your Sheltie has an accident, do not ever rub his nose in it:
this is degrading to him and never recommended by responsible trainers.
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Always
use the same word when going potty. This way the dog will learn what you are saying.
Use
phrases like, “Do you have to go potty?”
By learning this phrase you will teach your dog to potty on demand. Never play with the dog when it is time to
potty. They need to learn first and
foremost that outside is for business.
· Understand the signs of a nervous dog, and please be
understanding. Signs of stress are Diarrhea - Excessive thirst - Panting - Hyperactivity
- Shaking - Drooling - Pacing - Not eating – Not eliminating
These should clear up in a day or so, but if not get your dog to your vet and
call us.
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Make
sure you put fresh water out for your new Sheltie right away. It will relax her to know where the
water is.
- The fastest way to get your new Sheltie to bond with you is hand feeding (bits of cheese or hot dog are perfect) and couch cuddling (petting and talking to) It is not unusual for new rescues to ‘go off their feed’ the first couple of days; do not worry, but sometimes mixing Mighty Dog in with their dry food will help re-establish appetite.
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NEVER
allow your new Sheltie to be loose outside in an unfenced yard. It takes a
long, long time for that special
bond to form between owner and pet, so our advice is NEVER
to allow
your Sheltie to be loose outside in an unfenced area. Shelties can be shy and impossible to
catch when they start running.
Even when the bond has finally formed, something could startle
him/her, i.e. a siren, a scrambling squirrel; it doesn’t take much to
distract. It only takes ONE time
to learn this awfully hard lesson.
Believe us when we tell you (we speak from experience) we’ve heard
it many times: “But he never did
that before.” Please always keep
your dog on a leash or confined when outside. R
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NEVER
walk your new Sheltie using a regular collar. Regular collars are for ID tags only. A dog can easily back out of a regular
collar if frightened. Please use
a slip collar or mountain collar when your dog is on a leash. This type of collar gets tighter as it
is pulled on, so it cannot be slipped off. See more info about this below.
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NEVER
leave young children alone with a new dog. Although Houston Sheltie Sanctuary does its best to screen
all dogs, children can hurt dogs, and dogs are less tolerant of children
than adults. Please NEVER leave
them unsupervised until you have seen how they interact and are
comfortable with it. If your child
hurts the dog, even the nicest dogs will bite if they feel
threatened. Also never let puppies and
dogs mouth, chase, or tackle children in rough play. Please supervise all
interactions.
Feeding
Your Sheltie will be fine on Iams, Science, ProPlan, or other quality dog food;
feed according to the instructions, perhaps half a cup twice a day at first and
adjust for your Sheltie’s needs. We
also recommend foods like Innova, California Natural, and Nutro Natural Choice
because they are all natural and don’t have unnecessary preservatives and
chemicals. Many food allergies can be
avoided by using the natural foods.
Shelties love fruits and vegetables and especially enjoy
green beans, carrots, potato skins, pumpkin, apples, strawberries, and bananas; they also enjoy low fat
yogurt, cottage cheese, and raw lean meats occasionally.
Many of us cut the kibble by 1/3 with canned pumpkin or with Veg-All, canned
mixed vegetables, which our dogs love and is great for helping overweight dogs
lose and for maintaining optimum weight and health.
For Sheltie skin, coats, and general health, we also recommend daily
Vit. E (200-400mg) and C (250 mg) in a piece of lean hot dog or low fat cream
cheese. We have also had wonderful success by
sprinkling a teaspoon of Missing Link on the dogs' food. It is available
at PetSmart or PetCo and great for helping skin allergies and growing luxurious coats. Do not give your dog bones,
which could splinter and lodge in the throat; pressed rawhide chews or rawhide
bones are preferred for chewing time.
Shelties tend to have body types of ‘gazelles’ or ‘tanks’ as one of our
veterinarians says. Be careful about
treats, and be sure to exercise your Sheltie daily.
Flea, Tick, Heartworm Control
Our contract requires the use of one of these products of
flea and heartworm control. You may use
either of these combinations. In the
past it was believed Shelties should not use Heartgard, but the formula
has been changed, and veterinarians are now allowing it. Still, we prefer Sentinel or
the Intercepter / Frontline combination or Advantage/Intercepter. You will need to use these products every
month. Here are the differences in the
products:
Intercepter /Frontline Combination
Kills
fleas and ticks
Controls
worms and heartworm
Sentinel
Sterilizes
any flea that bites your dog
Controls
worms and heartworms
Revolution
also kills ear and mange mites
(does not
kill ticks)
Intercepter /Advantage Combination
Kills fleas
Controls worms and heartworm
Please note carefully: most heartworm preventative manufacturers will not cover the treatment if the pills are purchased on line and fail, as they have no way of knowing for sure those were actually their products.
Heartworm Disease
Warning: Because of reports of adverse reactions, the FDA has pulled the ProHeart6 Injectable Heartworm Preventative from the Market: see the advisory at http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2004/ANS01312.html
Dogs get Heartworm from an infected mosquito. If a mosquito ever bites your dog, it is at risk for heartworm. Heartworms are worms that live in the heart. Left untreated, they will kill your dog. Treating the dog is both dangerous and very expensive (hundreds of dollars). That is why we require you to keep your dog on heartworm prevention pills every month. Houston Sheltie Sanctuary has treated dozens of infected dogs, and we can assure you that you never want to go through this with your own dog. One heartworm prevention pill/topical per month will prevent heartworm. Heartworm prevention pills/topical only kill baby heartworms; they do NOT kill the adults. So, if you miss a few months of the prevention pills, you must retest the dog before continuing. You should NEVER give an infected dog the prevention pills. If your Sheltie was treated for heartworms, she may still test positive for antigens up to six months later, and may have a residual cough for a few weeks due to fluid buildup. We assure you she was adopted to you with heartworm disease cleared, this ‘positive’ test is well known among veterinarians, and the cough if present will subside.
Caveat: Please be aware that while your new dog tested HW- while in the program, it takes 4-6 months for heartworm infection to yield a positive reading. For the health of your dog as well as your own peace of mind, we strongly encourage you to get your new dog retested six months from the time of his original exam. While he has been on preventative while in the program, and we trust you will continue a regular program of preventative, these medications do not kill any adult heartworms which may have been present, but undetected, in the bloodstream. Your annual exam would of course detect the infestation, but the earlier heartworms are detected and treated, the less damage they do to the dog's heart. For more information about Heartworm Disease, we have provided a page at http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Farm/3548/HSS_Heartworm_Site.htm
Grooming
Your Sheltie will need a thorough brushing once a week. You will need the following supplies: blunt nose scissors, small hair trimmer, nail clippers,
soft bristle brush, a pin
brush/slicker brush and undercoat rake.
The pin brush may be used weekly; backbrushing small sections, then
brushing forward, which gives the fuller look of the coat. The undercoat rake may be used once a month
to get the dead undercoat out. The
scissors and hair trimmer are used to trim the hair short on the bottom of your Sheltie’s feet. The hair will grow long between his toes,
and will need to be trimmed. It will look
better, and give your Sheltie better stability. Trim all around the foot.
You will also need to trim the hair behind his ears. It will get long and stringy, and stick out
over his ears. Cut it short to match
the length of the rest of his hair. This
will also cut down on the matting.
Shelties tend to get mats behind their ears, so please keep this area
brushed out well. Applying baby powder
behind his ears and working it into the hair will help keep the hair from
getting matted. Be sure and wash this
area well when bathing. A bath is only
necessary about once a month. Place
cotton balls in the dog’s ears to protect them; use cool water (warm water can
cause the coat to loosen and shed); lather up well, rinse and repeat; oatmeal
shampoos are particularly soothing.
Take extra care when rinsing.
Soap that gets left behind can irritate the skin. Extra baths may be needed if your Sheltie
gets extra dirty, but normally once a month should be enough.Your Sheltie’s coat should never smell
bad. If it has an unpleasant odor, take
him/her to the vet as it could be a sign of a skin or parasite condition.
Of course, keep your Sheltie's nails trimmed. If any of this is a bit daunting,
then take your Sheltie to a groomer once a month.
Dental Care
Most Sheltie people brush their dogs’ teeth. Daily is preferable; however, anything is better than not at all. Dogs do collect tarter on their teeth, and it does need to come off. You can scrape it off with a toothbrush weekly, monthly or daily, or your vet can sedate your dog to do a dental cleaning. Brushing your dog’s teeth regularly is much easier. If your dog has bad breath, that is usually the sign of an infected tooth. An infection in the teeth is usually caused by tarter build up. Keep your dog’s teeth clean and watch for bad breath. Report any foul smell to your vet immediately. We recommend teeth cleaning by your veterinarian about every 3-4 years.
The Sheltie Temperament
Shelties are a shy breed. Most Shelties are slow to make new friends, but will warm up if given some time. Please understand and respect this; never force a confrontation. This is also why letting a Sheltie off-lead is so dangerous. Once a Sheltie is loose, most will not come to a stranger and are hard to catch.
If you have a very shy Sheltie
who is possibly uneasy around children or other people, please try some of these
tips. The best thing to do for a shy dog is to remain cheerful around him,
build his confidence, not to play into the shyness or show particular worry or
concern about it, which can ‘reward’ the dog for being shy.
The next best thing you can do for him is to take him through obedience training, both at home and in a class: build up his confidence by giving him opportunities to be successful at certain behaviors and praised for them. You would also have the resource of a trainer, though this person must be skilled in behavior modification; be gentle and kind, not at all forceful. Take him for short walks in the neighborhood, esp. near an elementary school or where he sees kids playing; trips to PetSmart or PetCo where there are other people around, especially children, not letting them run at him or even pet him in the first few outings, just letting him see and be around them, gradually allowing kids to pet him with time. Also, at home during the evening or on weekends, you could have your kids act very casually around him, giving him a cheerful greeting and leaving him a treat, going on about their business. If he seems afraid of, uneasy around, or slow to warm up to a particular person in the family, have that person give him the treats, spend quiet time with him, and take him for short walks. Your Sheltie will gradually see nothing ‘bad’ happened to him, and that something nice actually did happen. He may not respond or take the treat, but he’ll be noticing what is happening. You could also crate him in the room with children and let him watch them at play and quiet time, forcing him in a way to be in their presence and see that they mean him no harm. Do this for only 30 minutes at a time; then let him out, praise him quietly, and let him go on about his own business. Don't ‘make’ them be physically together, which could increase the dog's anxiety, but work on quiet, casual time in the same room, or passing through the room with the treat left behind. If the children run or shout around him; if a man he's afraid of raises his voice or increases his activity suddenly, that increases the dog's anxiety. Better for children to sit on the floor, talk quietly, play among themselves, let the dog see they are good folks he needn’t be afraid of. Praise him when he remains calm and doesn’t flee; ignore the behavior if he bolts. End the session and try again the next day, increasing the time as he begins to calm down more. As he calms, let children pet him for a minute or two; then end that session as well, increasing gradually each day until he begins to trust. Remember to praise every behavior you want from him. Never acknowledge disappointing behavior, but start over the next day instead This is the same training used with people who are afraid of dogs.
Collars and Shelties
Shelties can slip right out of an ordinary collar. It is very important that you use a choke, mountain, or greyhound (regular and choke combined) collar when walking your Sheltie. Never trust an ordinary collar which is for ID only. For Shelties that pull on the leash, keep a 6" grip with your hand over the leash and perpendicular above the collar, and the dog next to your hip. It's almost impossible for a dog with this firm control to pull or bolt. Again, obedience classes with a knowledgeable trainer would help a dog who pulls the leash. Houston Sheltie Sanctuary does not support the use of shock collars.
Keeping ID on your SheltieAs required in our contract, always keep a collar
with our HSS and the ID tags on your dog.
We also recommend Microchipping and/or tattooing your dog as quickly as
possible. In the awful event your
Sheltie gets away from you, call us immediately so we can help you. Put up flyers describing the Sheltie (you can
add ‘miniature collie’ because some people do not know what a Sheltie is) and
offer a reward (don’t say how much), walk the neighborhood and call several
times a day; call all the vets and shelters in your area. Consult our tips sheet for finding lost dogs
on our web site above for more suggestions. If you lose your Sheltie, please call us immediately so we can help you
in the search.
Separation Anxiety
In our experience, treating a dog with separation
anxiety in a matter-of-fact, cheerful manner when humans must leave the home for
work and other activities reassures the dog who is worried about being left
behind. Give the dog a rawhide chew and favorite toy and say good-bye, but
do not make an issue of this, or the dog's concern may increase. Dogs with
severe separation anxiety who are destructive should be crated with the chew and
toy, and a professional trainer consulted for more tips. See also the web
sites and books we have suggested on this page:
http://www.usask.ca/wcvm/herdmed/applied-ethology/behaviourproblems/anxiety.html
Storm Anxiety
It is important to remember that dogs have very
sensitive hearing and other responses to their environment, including air
pressure, that may cause trembling, barking, and racing about in some dogs who
are moderately to severely affected by storm anxiety. Some trainers
recommend putting on a nature CD with storm sounds while playing a favorite game
with the dog to acclimate him to the sounds. Some veterinarians will
prescribe a mild sedative for dogs severely affected. In our own
experience, holding a dog who is anxious, or distracting her with a favorite
game may help her get through the storm. If none of these approaches work,
then the dog should be crated nearby while her humans talk comfortingly to her
until the storm passes. Dogs who are very affected by storms and possibly
destructive to the home should be crated when their human companions must be
away and know a storm is predicted.
http://www.ygrr.org/doginfo/behavior-phobia.html
Chocolate is Deadly to Dogs
Keep chocolate away from your dog. 1 oz. of chocolate can kill your dog.
Even small amounts of theobromine, a naturally occurring alkaloid found
in the cocoa bean, can cause vomiting and restlessness in pets. Larger doses can be fatal.
Plants Toxic To Animals
A. Alfalfa, Almond
(Pits of), Alocasia, Amaryllis, Apple Seeds, Apricot (Pits of), Arrowgrass,
Avacodo, Azalea.
B. Baneberry,
Bayonet, Bear grass, Beech, Belladonna, Bird of Paradise, Bittersweet,
Black-Eyed Susan, Black Locust, Bleeding Heart, Bloodroot, Bluebonnet, Box,
Boxwood, Buckeyes, Burning bush, Buttercup.
C. Cactus Candelabra,
Caladium, Castor Bean, Cherry (Pits of), Cherry (Most wild varieties), Cherry
(ground), Cherry (Laurel), Chinaberry, Christmas Rose, Chrysanthemum, Clematis,
Coriaria, Cornflower, Corydalis, Crocus Autumn, Crown of Thorns, Cyclamen. D.
Daffodil Daphne, Daphne, Datura, Deadly Nightshade, Death Camas, Delphinium,
Dicentrea, Diffenbachia, Dumb Cane.
E. Eggplant,
Elderberry, Elephant Ear, English Ivy, Euonymus, Evergreen.
F. Ferns, Flax, Four
O’ Clock, Foxglove.
G. Golden Chain,
Golden Glow, Gopher Purge.
H. Hellebore, Poison
Hemlock, Water Hemlock, Henbane, Holly, Honeysuckle (only the berries are
toxic), Horsebeans, Horsebrush, Horse Chestnuts, Hyacinth, Hydrangea. I. Indian
Tobacco, Iris, Iris Ivy.
J. Jack in the
Pulpit, Java Beans, Jessamine, Jerusalem Cherry, Jimson Weed, Jonquil, Jungle
Trumpets.
L. Lantana, Larkspur,
Laurel, Lily, Lily Spider, Lily of the Valley, Locoweed, Lupine. M. Marigold,
Marijuana, Mescal Bean, Mistletoe, Mock Orange, Monkshood, Moonseed, Morning
Glory, Mountain Laurel, Mushrooms.
N. Narcissus,
Nightshade.
O. Oleander.
P. Peach (Pits of),
Peony, Periwinkle, Philodendron, Pimpernel, Poinciana, Poison Hemlock, Poison
Ivy, Poison Oak, Pokeweed, Poppy, Potato, Precatory Bean, Common Privet.
R. Rhododendron,
Rhubarb, Rosary Pea, Rubber Plant.
S. Scotch Broom,
Skunk Cabbage, Snowdrops, Snow on the Mountain, Staggerweed, Star of Bethlehem,
Sweetpea.
T. Tansy Mustard,
Tobacco, Tomato, Tulip, Tung Tree.
V. Virginia Creeper.
W. Water Hemlock,
Weeping Fig, Wild Call, Wisteria.
Y. Yews (Japanese
Yew, English Yew, Western Yew, American Yew)
Pet Tips --
Seven Ways To Prevent Chewing (common
in ages puppy through 3 years)
Move valued furniture, loose pillows, house plants and books
out of any area the puppy has access to.
Check carefully for any dangerous objects, such as lamp cords, pins and
needles, pens and pencils.
1. Put him in his
crate when you can’t watch him. He’ll
go to sleep, most likely; the house will stay safe, and you won’t have to
punish him.
2. Give your puppy
his own special chew toys. We recommend
rawhide bones. If you see the puppy
even start to move toward something he shouldn’t chew, say “No!” and give him a
toy. Be consistent. He’ll catch on.
3. A puppy likes to
chew. It’s part of exploring. And she may chew when he’s bored. Exercise
and plenty of attention can help control chewing.
4. Commercial sprays
from your pet store can make items such a furniture legs unattractive to your
pet. Or try spraying with Listerine.
5. Your puppy loves
chewing your old sneaker or sock, because the odor reminds him so strongly of
you. But she’ll love the new sneakers
you’ve worn only once or twice just as devotedly. So keep him away from all sneakers (and socks), old or new.
6. Check with your
veterinarian if your puppy shows symptoms of really bad teething pain. He may paw the side of his face, rub his
face on the floor, or have difficulty eating.
It could be his baby teeth require extraction.
7.
Ease his
pain by letting him chew ice cubes or a damp cold washcloth.
Danger!
Hot Cars
When the temperature is in the high 70's and 80's outside, a
parked car quickly becomes unbearably hot inside within minutes, even in the shade and even with the windows left open a few
inches. If the car is parked in the sun, the inside temperature can quickly reach 160 degrees. Leaving the air conditioner on in
an idling car isn't much help as it begins to labor and can shut down the engine. The dog could also knock the car into gear as he
struggles to get out. As humane societies, law enforcement agencies, and local media constantly warn pet owners, in just 5 minutes,
the temperature inside a car even with the windows cracked can reach 100 degrees or more. In just 10 minutes, the temperature
inside a car can reach 120 degrees or more. The dog has a fur coat designed to retain heat, and he cannot sweat when he is
overheated. As the inside temperature rises, the dog's body temperature has also risen, and he may have just minutes to live. If not
rescued, he will suffer heatstroke, leading to collapse, brain damage, and an agonizing death.
