Do show line Shetland Sheepdogs have the same drive and speed as those working SS?
As an obedience trainer of 8 shelties, I can say that yes…….all the shelties have the same drive, although sometimes the trainer has to work hard to bring it out. Many sheltie breeders work hard to make sure what they are producing has all the requirements of the breed standard, and some only work towards conformation, ignoring the herding instinct. Hopefully you checked this out with your breeder, but even without a sheltie with tremendous drive (and boy, they can be a pain and not very reliable if the drive is too much) you can attain the highest titles in agility and obedience with proper training. Please do not use any Cesar Millan training for the basic obedience necessary for a good agility dog. Shelties do not do well with harsh (prong collars, etc.) training methods. They will shut down on you. There is no distinction in the breed for show vs working. They are all working shelties.
