This little sweetheart is Ashley and she is a very petite Shetland Sheepdog, commonly called a Sheltie, who is small for her breed and only weighs 14lbs. Ashley came to us from a commercial breeding operation where she wasn’t wanted anymore. Thankfully she found her way to rescue and her life of pumping out puppies to line the pockets of greedy breeders is behind her. Ashley is a darling little dog who wants to spend the rest of her life being pampered and adored, as a teeny little Sheltie should be!
Ashley is a sweet and very happy little dog. She is timid, but that is common with puppy mill dogs who get no socialization for their time spent breeding. Ashley has a very friendly spirit though and absolutely wants to be with people and to be social. She is just timid of being held, but is more than happy to get pets on the floor. Her whole body wiggles with big wags when you approach her and you can often get Sheltie spins when she is happy too. We know that in more time she will be 100% good with all affection and touch, but for now, a slow and kind approach is best and meeting her at her level on the floor. We bring her up with us on the couch from time to time to get her used to being held and coddled like this little princess should be, and she is warming to this…we know in time she will be an A+ lap dog, its just going to need more time. Ashley always has a big smile on her face and when you look her way she starts with the full body wags; she is a very easy dog to fall in love with. She is just the cutest and happiest little dog .
Ashley is being fostered in a home with other dogs and cats. She is fine with both. We will say that Ashley isn’t one for rough housing and will not enjoy a home with a young dog that pesters to wrestle. But she would be fine with a calm and mature dog that will be a companion but not a pest. She would also be just fine being the only dog and getting all of the pets and attention! Ashley loves hanging in the yard with the dogs and does enjoy a good game of chase. Ashley has quite the bounce to her run and it is so cute to watch. Ashley completely ignores the cats in her foster home so we don’t see any issues there for her. Ashley would like an adult only forever home or one with gentle children over the age of 10yrs who will sit quietly with her and pet her, but not expect her to play with toys or in the yard with them. Ashley is only just now starting to even show an interest in toys and has yet to pick one up or play. This will come with time.
Ashley adores being out in the fenced yard and being able to safely run freely. Her forever home will need to have a secure fenced in yard for her enjoyment but also because she need the yard for all bathroom business. Ashley is not yet comfortable doing potty business out on walks. This will come in time we are certain, but for now, the freedom of a fenced yard for bathroom duties is needed. Ashley also loves exploring the yard and in particular loves to roll in the grass. Having never had this opportunity before she relishes in the smells and sights out in the yard and the feel of rolling around in fresh grass feels so great to her. She also loves to run freely in the yard and she will run bouncing circles around us with a huge grin on her face. We love watching her get such enjoyment outside; it makes us so happy that we can offer her this life now.
Ashley is doing well on her leash training and is now accompanying us on pack walks. She is still timid of certain noises and sights but is doing
well and is brave. Ashley enjoys the walks and will need multiple walks a day to be happy, plus yard time. She is a moderate energy dog who likes to quietly rest once exercise time is done. She will need her people to be patient with her while she adjusts to her new home and neighbourhood. We always have to remember that up to a few months ago her entire life was living in a barn with no exposure to the outside world, so the fact that she is already up to going for walks and enjoying them is a testament to how well this dog is coming along. She just needs her person to be fully aware that she startles easily and you never know when a random noise or sight is frightening so a firm grip on the leash is always needed. She is also still learning how to walk nicely at your side on leash; right now she is more about stopping and starting and some circling…but she is getting there and will only get better with more practice. Ashley is currently fostered in a rural area and this suits her ideally, but she would be fine in a small town or quiet subdivision as well. She wont be suited to big city living with a lot of noise and commotion or on a main road. She needs her home environment to be quiet and peaceful.
Ashley is generally a very quiet dog in the home. Being a Sheltie though she is prone to alert barking and so far we have found that doorbells or beeping on TV will elicit some barks, or when visitors stop by there will be a few barks, nothing excessive though. She also likes to bark at the goats and donkey at her foster home, her herding instincts kick in when she sees them, but we don’t expect that this will be an issue in her forever home! We did discover that Ashley is afraid of thunder and will bark when there is a storm. Spending time in her crate, covered, helped with that. Speaking of her crate, Ashley is fully crate trained and her crate is her save haven. She readily goes in her crate for meal time, to sleep at night, and whenever she needs to be left alone in the home. Ashley is a dog that gains comfort with her crate so it should always be available to her.
Ashley is a dainty eater who doesn’t eat a lot. She is definitely not a dog that will eat you out of house and home. It took a while to find the diet that suited her, she is very picky, but we have now found a top quality small breed kibble that she enjoys and she should not be changed from this. Ashley eats in her crate, partly to emphasis positive crating routines, but also because Ashley eats so daintily, it drives our other dogs nuts!!! Ashely will eat her food one tiny kibble at a time, chewing each piece and savoring her meal…while the other dogs scarf down their meals and then look in at her longingly for her meal, completely perplexed as to why she isn’t wolfing down her food too!!! Ashley would be a dog that could nibble away all day with a free fed meal should she be the only dog in the home, but as that isn’t a possibility here in her foster home, she eats what she can at meal times and then we give her the rest to finish off in her crate over night or if we leave the house.
Ashely is getting used to car travel and isn’t a huge fan right now, but is quiet and doesn’t get car sick which is nice. We crate her for the ride and she travels quietly the whole way. She will come to enjoy car rides with more time and practice.
Ashley has a soft and silky coat that needs regular brushing. She is getting used to her grooming routines and likes the attention she gets with it. Her person will need to keep up her grooming to ensure she doesn’t get mats or tangles in her silky locks. Ashley has been spayed in our care…no more puppies for this sweet dog!! She also got a dentistry while under so she is set and ready for her new life with her new family. She has no health concerns other than a soft heart murmur, grade 1 or 2 out of 6 that was noticed when in for her spay but wasn’t noticed when in for her initial check up…so it is very minor and not a concern. She also has rear dewclaws that are not a concern to her, you just have to remember to trim those nails too at nail trim time.
If you love the Sheltie breed we know you will love Ashley. She is just the cutest little dog and everyone who meets her comments on how sweet and adorable she is. She is just as sweet and adorable in temperament as well. We know that she is going to get a lot of interest and are looking for her ideal fit where with a kind and patient person or family who will continue her on her path of confidence building as she navigates the wide world ahead of her.