Sheltie Puppies?

Ineeda....

After much discussion with the family we finally settled on a shetland shepherd to be our first family dog. We had two close neighbors who both had Rough collies but my mam isn't the keenest on large dogs so our compromise was a Sheltie. For the last few weeks been waiting for someone to put a liter on donedeal or the likes but haven't seemed to have any luck. Wondering if anyone might know of any recent liters. Not looking for champion bred dogs just a family pet. Any info would be great.

kylith

FYI, free ad sites like donedeal, buyandsell, and the like are hives of irresponsible breeders and puppy farmers. A cheap puppy from there will likely wind up costing you a lot more than an expensive puppy from a responsible breeder. I'm not saying that there are no decent breeders on there, but they're difficult to find amidst all the dodgy ones.

Get in contact with the kennel club, and any breed clubs you can find. You may have to wait a while for a pup because I don't think it's a very common breed in Ireland, but a well bred pup is worth waiting for.

DBB

Adrenalinjunkie on here got a Sheltie pup last year, and did a lot of research beforehand, and knows who's breeding them in Ireland (although AJ got her little fella in the UK in the end).
There is a good thread or two about the breed in here somewhere in which AJ imparts her experiences, well worth a search, or maybe drop a pm to AJ.

Try go with DBB's suggestion, and find a breeder through somebody you know of. Irish Kennel CLub is not 100% with responsible breeders either.

Cherry Blossom

Shetland Sheepdogs aren't a good choice of dog for BYB's because they have very small litters, this makes it very unlikely for them to be sold on advert sites. The breeder I got my dog from I believe had two bitches in their last litter and kept them both which meant they didn't sell any puppies at all for the year.

The only real option you have for finding a Sheltie pup is to contact the breed clubs (North and South of the border) and ask them to put you in touch with breeders, you then will have to wait until one is available. This might mean joining a waiting list with several breeders.

I found they don't come cheap even with breeders that are not so reputable so make sure you are completely happy with the breeder you choose, I didn't come across any for sale for less than €550 so be prepared to part with your money and when your parting with that sort of money make sure you are giving it to the right sort of breeder. There are a few good breeders in NI, the breed club should be able to give you their details.

Ineeda....

Thanks for all the advice. Ye I've realised now I shouldn't rush into buying a dog and need to do my research. I had the impulse this week and luckily didn't buy one. I'm going to bide my time and find a breeder where I can put my name down for a dog in there litter.