My husband and I are in the market for a sheltie puppy. I found a few
breeders with litters but all they have left are the males. I've just
never had a male before. If you get a male fixed early will this
prevent him from "marking" the house and humping your leg? I've also
heard that male shelties are much bigger than females but haven't
really found any online info that backs that up.

Thanks in advance,
Susan ~ TX

I just got a male sheltie this summer he is actually smaller than most
shelties and if you get any puppy fixed at the correct time it should
keep them from marking and humping. I love my baby boy he is a really
sweet dog. I say go meet the male puppies if you find one you like
then go for it...if not find another breeder or wait for another litter.

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My husband and I are in the market for a sheltie puppy. I found a few
breeders with litters but all they have left are the males. I've just
never had a male before. If you get a male fixed early will this
prevent him from "marking" the house and humping your leg? I've also
heard that male shelties are much bigger than females but haven't
really found any online info that backs that up.

My preference is for boy shelties. I have two boys, and will probably stick
to boys in the future, as the girl puppy I have now is quite a different
experience. The boys tend to be much more sweet and wanting to please, while
my girl is very independent and headstrong - don't get me wrong, I love her,
but she's very different from the boys. This isn't to say that you can't
find a sweet girl, but there is a reason they are called "bitches!" However,
I do know some folks who only have girls and like it that way, so it is
definitely a personal preference.
As for marking, shelties are pretty easy to housebreak and training should
prevent that. Neutering generally stops humping behavior, and my boys have
never had an issue with that. Size wise, males that are bigger as puppies
will be bigger as adults, but there are plenty of large girls as well. The
standard is 13" to 16" but there can be smaller and larger in the same
litter. I tend to prefer the temperaments of the larger myself.
Most important in selecting your sheltie is that the breeder is responsible.
This means they selected the dogs for breeding after doing health testing
and otherwise proving the dogs breedworthy, rather than just breeding their
pets. That means at a minimum, OFA hip scores, CERF eye tests and free from
Von Willebrand's disease (a bleeding disorder) either by DNA or DNA'ed
parents. The breeder should be active in showing their dogs, in
conformation, performance, etc. and should have at least some titled dogs of
their breeding. The health testing is more important, though. Also of high
importance is socialization - shelties really need to be exposed to many
things when young, including a variety of sights and sounds, people and
places, and the breeder should have given the puppies a head start. If a
sheltie puppy shies away from you, avoid it - though the breed is known to
be reserved (not shy or afraid) with strangers, that is meant to describe an
adult, and a puppy should be eager to meet new people. The breeder should be
screening homes carefully to make sure they are appropriate for the puppy
and should be requiring spay/neuter as well as limiting the AKC registration
so the puppy cannot be bred.
The sex of the puppy is not nearly as important as the things I mentioned in
the prior paragraph. If you cannot find a breeder who does all of the above,
don't even go to look at puppies - you WILL want one and it could be a
disastrous decision. Better to wait and find a responsible breeder and get a
well bred, well socialized puppy who will be a joy for 14+ years if all goes
well.

Christy