About Us - and Our Sheltie Puppies!

Hi, I'm Becky. I'm the proud owner of two gorgeous Shetland Sheepdogs and the author of this website. Before you read my story, check out this cute video fast-forwarding through the first year in the lives of our boys Howard and Piper.

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How I Discovered The Shetland Sheepdog

In 2007, I emigrated from England to live with my Kiwi partner, Peter, in the North Island of New Zealand. We set up a work-at-home business and soon realized we were pretty close to living the dream. There was just one thing missing... Something cute, fluffy and full of affection. A puppy!

At 6'7", Pete loves all things large - while I chase after just about anything small and fluffy. So we both had to compromise on our ideal dog breed, settling for one of the many herding breeds for their intelligence and beauty. However, like most landlords, ours would only allow us to keep a small dog in the house... and that's how we discovered the unique and most endearing dog breed I've ever come across.

Our First Sheltie Puppy

Shetland Sheepdogs are rare in New Zealand. Having set our hearts on a Sheltie puppy, it was virtually impossible to actually find one for sale.

I finally traced a Sheltie breeder in south Auckland and called up to see if they had any litters available. They had one 7-week old male left - but he had already been promised to another lady. It looked like we wouldn't get a Sheltie after all...

Then a few days later, the Auckland breeder called us to say that the other buyer had changed her mind and wanted to wait for the next litter. She said "Toes" was ours if we still wanted him! We were so happy!

Our first Sheltie puppy

This is our first Sheltie puppy on the day we took him home. The breeder temporarily named him Toes because he had little white socks on each paw. Later that day we decided to give him the somewhat modest name of Howard Woofington Moon.

Puppy Days

Howard didn't leave my side for the next few days. As he settled in, he grew very curious in nature - trotting around the house, finding lemon trees in the garden, meeting lots of new people who wanted to see our fluffy little Sheltie puppy. Howard was lavished with attention. Even when he was pooing on the carpet or whining for attention at 5am, he could do no wrong.

We took Howard for walks every day along the beach by our house. Even as a tiny puppy, he loved to meet other dogs, and would never hesitate to run up to strangers to say hello. This was definitely not the "shy Sheltie" I had expected!

Howard at 4 months old

Howard Gets Bigger

Our Sheltie puppy quickly grew up into a very confident Sheltie dog. Howard will turn two years old in September 2010 - and while he looks physically mature, psychologically he is still very much a puppy. He loves to chew anything he can get his paws on - newspapers, TV remotes, cell phones, socks (ESPECIALLY socks), underpants, pens, towels... And life just wouldn't be the same if we didn't come home from time to time finding an entire toilet roll unraveled in the living room...

Howard contently watching the sunset from our balcony

Here are a few more facts about Howard:

Full Name: Howard Woofington Moon
Namesake: He is named after Howard Moon of The Mighty Boosh
Nick Names: Sausage, Scattertail, Lovelington Moon and Flufflesberry Hound
Born: September 2008 at Shelton Kennels, Papakura
Height: 15 inches
Weight: 18 pounds
Pedigree: You can view Howard's Sheltie pedigree papers online
Known Commands: here, sit, lay, rollover, crawl, high five, shake, no bark, where's your sock, in, jump, down, back, outside, fetch, drop, this way, dinner, walkies
Other Tid Bits: He has his own Facebook page with hundreds of adoring fans

Here's another Sheltie montage set to a beautiful song by Peter. It features cute video clips of Howard as a puppy - and then introduces our next Sheltie, Piper...

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Our Second Sheltie Puppy

When Howard was about nine months old, I emailed his breeder with some pictures and an update. I mentioned that we would love to have another Sheltie one day. I didn't expect her to call five minutes later and offer us Howard's brother!

They had originally kept Piper as a Sheltie show dog, but the poor little mite simply wasn't confident enough. Not unusual for the Sheltie breed, he was afraid of strangers and very hand shy. But while he was afraid of new people, he was very confident and playful with other dogs thanks to his kennel playmates.

So the breeder was looking to re-home him - and who better to live with than his own brother? She explained that Howard and Piper both have the same father, Hillswick Storm Trooper, and different mothers, whelped three weeks apart.

We mulled it over but deep down we already knew the answer. Of course we would have him! Howard was an amazing companion and neither of us could resist the idea of adopting his brother too. So we three made the hour-long drive to go meet Piper...

Howard's brother, Piper

Meeting Piper The Shetland Sheepdog

The moment I laid eyes on Piper I realized he was completely different to Howard. He caught sight of us and immediately crouched into a tiny little ball like a hedgehog. Howard, on the other hand, was busy urinating on his breeder's shoe.

We introduced the two boys to each other and all seemed well - they were just a little curious of each other. We also said hello to their dad, Storm, who looks like the spitting image of Howard; a very handsome dog indeed! It was such a treat to meet a dozen more Shelties at the kennels - Shelties are so unusual in New Zealand.

The journey home was pretty scary for Piper, who had no idea what was going on. Looking back, it was the most nervous I have ever seen him. Not only was it a long drive but he must have thought we were kidnapping him! He also threw up twice :(

That was in June 2009, and Piper has settled in really well. He looks so confident these days, compared to his initial settling-in period. He demands lots of affection, which is handy because we are affectionate humans. If you're stroking Howard and look away for one second, by the time you look back, Piper will have elbowed Howard out the way and nuzzled his head in there instead. It's a classic Piper move.

Piper gazing over Red Beach on one of our walks

Together, they excel at teamwork. Piper uses his nose to open underwear and sock drawers, and Howard uses his cunning to displace the contents around the house. It's not unusual for visitors to see Howard proudly trotting into the living room with my underpants in his mouth. I'm sure this is quite normal for Sheltie owners.

Here are a few more facts about Piper:

Full Name: Piper Woofington Moon
Nick Names: Mushroom, Fruitbat, Peep, Pipesicle and Pippington Moon
Born: September 2008 at Shelton Kennels, Papakura
Height: 14.5 inches
Weight: 16 pounds
Pedigree: You can view Piper's Sheltie pedigree papers online
Known Commands: here, sit, high five, shake, no bark, woof, in, jump, down, back, outside, this way, dinner, walkies
Other Tid Bits: Everyone thinks Piper is a female Sheltie when they first meet him - but Piper is a manly man's dog and that's that!

Piper (left) and Howard (right) at one year old

Why Sheltie Planet?

I started making hobby websites as a bit of fun - and to generate some extra income to support my freelance work when I first moved to New Zealand. Within six months my first website, World of Lucid Dreaming, was earning enough to let me to quit my day job and focus on making my own websites full time.

It was only a matter of time before I had to made a website about Shetland Sheepdogs...! Making websites is the most fulfilling and creative job I've ever had. And best of all I get to do it from the comfort of my own home alongside Pete, who is a freelance website designer.

If you're a stay-at-home mom or dad, or a student, retiree, or anyone else looking to make some extra income, I strongly recommend doing it through Site Build It like I did. Whether your passion is for dogs, cats, music, travel, wine - there are a million topics out there to write about. Most importantly, there is very little technical knowledge involved so don't let that put you off! I know a 67-year old guy who runs his own Site Build It website... :) To learn more, read this article about how I built Sheltie Planet.

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Donations

Finally, if you wish to donate to Sheltie Planet, you can do so right here. As you know, I spend my days creating websites on my passions - and this one is my favorite (guess why!) The only way I can keep living this work-at-home dream is with your financial support - by purchasing products through this site and through small donations. So if you enjoy the content on Sheltie Planet please consider making a secure donation of any amount you like by clicking the donate button below: