Welcome to Skyestar Shelties Page! I have compiled a list of answers to the most common questions received, so I can provide you with information before you request an application.
Please reach us at skyestarshelties@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Yes! We are in good standing with the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), The Edmonton Shetland Sheepdog Fanciers Club (ESSFC) and Canadian Shetland Sheepdog Club (CSSA). Also looking at becoming members or the United Kennel Club (UKC), and when we start showing in the States the American Kennel Club (AKC)
Yes, are breeding dogs are CHIC certified, and all our puppies go home with veterinary certifications and all the age appropriate vaccinations and deworming
Not at this time, all our puppies are sold on NON-Breeding Agreements
The investment for one of our puppies varies based on the individual puppy and placement type. Factors such as companion versus show potential, age, training, accomplishments, pedigree, and health clearances may all influence pricing.
Our focus is on producing healthy, well-socialized Shelties that exemplify the breed in both temperament and structure. We are happy to discuss current pricing, available puppies, and which puppy may be the best fit for your home.
Please contact us for the most up-to-date information regarding upcoming litters and availability.
Each Skyestar Shetland Sheepdog puppy goes home with:
✔ CKC Limited Registration (non-breeding agreement)
✔ Written sales contract, including a spay/neuter agreement. CKC ownership transfer paperwork will be provided upon receipt of veterinary proof of spay/neuter in accordance with the sales contract.
✔ Complete veterinary health examination
✔ First set of age-appropriate vaccinations and deworming
✔ Permanent microchip identification
✔ Purina Puppy Starter Pack, including a complimentary bag of puppy food, puppy food cans, FortiFlora, and other helpful goodies
✔ Fabric smelling like mom, a toy and other puppy goodies
✔ 30 days of complimentary Trupanion pet insurance
✔ Lifetime breeder support — we are always available to answer questions and support our puppy families throughout the life of their Sheltie.
Yes. Our puppies go home with a complimentary 30-day Trupanion Go Home Day Offer.
This special offer allows new owners to activate coverage immediately, with no waiting periods, no delayed effective date, and no upfront payment required. Coverage begins as soon as the offer is activated, helping provide peace of mind during your puppy's transition to their new home.
At the end of the 30-day period, families may choose whether they would like to continue coverage directly through Trupanion.
🐾 We believe every puppy deserves a happy, healthy start in their new home.
Yes. All puppies are sold with a written health guarantee.
Our breeding dogs undergo extensive health screening, including OFA hip evaluations, annual ophthalmologist eye examinations, and DNA testing for breed-specific genetic conditions. Through responsible testing and breeding practices, we guarantee our puppies against the following inherited genetic diseases:
• Von Willebrand's Disease (vWD)
• Multiple Drug Sensitivity (MDR1)
• Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA)
• Dermatomyositis (DMS)
• Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
Prior to going home, puppies receive age-appropriate veterinary care, vaccinations, and deworming and are evaluated by a licensed veterinarian.
For additional peace of mind, puppies also go home with complimentary Trupanion Go Home Day coverage, providing immediate accident and illness protection during their transition to their new family.
Complete details of our health guarantee are outlined in our puppy purchase contract.
Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) for puppies is a breeder program used between days 3 and 16 of life. It involves 5 brief, daily handling exercises designed to awaken the neurological system, build stress tolerance, and improve cardiovascular performance and disease resistance. And YES we do this!
No. Ear training is completely optional and is ultimately the owner's decision.
However, if you would like your Sheltie to develop the classic tipped-ear expression that is characteristic of the breed, ear training (often called "gluing" or "posting") is typically recommended while the puppy is growing and teething.
If you choose to maintain a tipped ear set, I'm happy to help! Puppy families are welcome to bring their puppy back to me for ear maintenance, and I can re-glue or provide guidance throughout the process.
Whether your puppy's ears tip naturally or not, they'll still be the same wonderful companion.
Puppies have a remarkable ability to find dirt, mud, and anything else they shouldn't be rolling in! As a general guideline, I recommend bathing your puppy approximately once a month, or as needed when they get particularly dirty.
Shelties are known for their beautiful double coats, but keeping that coat healthy and mat-free requires regular maintenance. Grooming starts at home and should become part of your routine early on. One of the most important skills to learn is line brushing, which allows you to brush all the way through the coat to the skin rather than just the top layer. We will discuss and demonstrate proper line brushing before your puppy goes home.
In addition to regular brushing, I recommend establishing a relationship with a professional groomer. Regular baths, blowouts, nail trims, ear cleaning, and sanitary trims help keep your Sheltie looking and feeling their best. If you are local to me, Skyestar puppies are always welcome back for a bath and tidy groom! You will want to be careful with your groomer and find one that knows how to deal with a double coated breed. DO NOT SHAVE YOUR SHELTIE!
One of the most important grooming habits to establish early is regular nail care. I recommend trimming or filing nails weekly. Not only does this keep your puppy comfortable, but it also helps them learn that grooming is a normal part of life.
Puppyhood is the perfect time to get your dog comfortable with being handled everywhere. Spend time touching their feet, ears, tail, coat, and even gently examining their mouth. These positive experiences will make future grooming, veterinary visits, and general care much easier.
Trust me—there's nothing quite like trying to trim the nails of a full-grown dog who has decided it should be a wrestling match! A little practice now will help create a calm, cooperative adult companion.
The short answer? Almost anything!
The longer answer? Remember that your puppy is still a baby. While Sheltie puppies are energetic, intelligent little balls of fluff, their bodies are still developing and need protection.
Avoid excessive exercise, long-distance walks, repetitive jumping, running on slippery surfaces, or repeatedly jumping on and off furniture. A puppy's joints and growth plates are still developing, and most are not fully mature until 12–18 months of age. For many performance activities, breeders and trainers recommend waiting until 18–24 months before introducing repetitive jumping or other high-impact work.
That doesn't mean you can't start training! In fact, puppyhood is the perfect time to build skills and confidence. Some great activities include:
• Puppy Kindergarten Classes (my top recommendation!)
• Basic Obedience Training
• Rally Obedience
• Trick Training
• Scent Work Foundations
• Agility Foundations on the Ground (without jumps)
• Socialization and Confidence Building
I personally do not introduce jumping exercises until my dogs are close to two years old. However, there is so much that can be taught before then. Focus on engagement, body awareness, confidence, and having fun together.
If you become a member of the Edmonton Sheltie Club, you can also take advantage of member benefits, including four complimentary Rally or Obedience training sessions.
Most importantly, enjoy your puppy! The first year goes by quickly, and every experience is an opportunity to build a wonderful lifelong companion.
Life happens, and sometimes circumstances change. If at any point you are unable to keep your puppy or dog, I ask that you contact me immediately.
Any dog bred by me is always welcome to come home. I will take back the dog at any age, for any reason, and will ensure they are properly cared for and placed in the best possible situation.
Under my puppy contract, dogs may not be surrendered to a shelter, rescue, or rehomed without first contacting me. The buyer is responsible for any costs associated with returning the dog, and the dog should be returned with any registration paperwork, veterinary records, and other applicable documents.
While no refund of the purchase price or other expenses is provided, my commitment to every puppy extends for its entire lifetime. My goal is to ensure that every dog I breed always has a safe place to go and never ends up without support.
Once part of my family, always part of my family. ❤️
My puppies are raised on Purina Pro Plan and will go home with a Purina Pro Plan Puppy Kit to help with their transition. I choose Purina Pro Plan because it is backed by research, quality control, and veterinary nutrition expertise, while providing the balanced nutrition needed for growth and a healthy coat.
My dogs also receive daily Purina FortiFlora probiotics, and I occasionally add pumpkin to their meals for digestive support.
Shelties can be very efficient with their food and are prone to gaining weight if overfed. I recommend monitoring protein and fat levels, maintaining a lean body condition, and following feeding guidelines appropriate for your puppy's age and activity level.
Puppies should be fed 2–3 meals per day, and kibble can be used as a valuable training reward. If your puppy eats too quickly, a slow feeder bowl can help.
For treats and chews, I prefer freeze-dried treats, collagen chews, bully sticks, duck feet, and chicken feet. I do not recommend rawhide products and encourage owners to carefully read ingredient labels.
I do not feed a raw diet, as I have found a balanced kibble diet works best for maintaining healthy weight, digestion, and coat quality in my Shelties. I am also cautious of grain-free diets, as some have been associated with diet-related heart concerns in dogs.
Remember: a lean Sheltie is a healthy Sheltie!
I do not provide individual private updates for each family. Updates, photos, and videos of the litter are typically shared on my Facebook page so that everyone can follow along and enjoy watching the puppies grow.
That said, communication is always welcome! I am happy to answer questions, chat by text, and even arrange video calls if you'd like to see how your future puppy is doing. My goal is to keep the process enjoyable and transparent while ensuring I can spend as much time as possible caring for the puppies.
Absolutely! Shetland Sheepdogs are known for being intelligent, loyal, affectionate, and highly devoted to their families. They typically form strong bonds with their people and enjoy being involved in daily family life.
Shelties generally do very well with respectful children and can be wonderful companions for active families. They are highly trainable and often excel in activities such as obedience, rally, agility, scent work, and therapy work.
That said, Shelties are not usually a "set it and forget it" breed. They thrive on companionship, mental stimulation, and training. They are also herding dogs, which means some may try to herd children, chase moving objects, or be vocal when excited.
With proper training, socialization, and exercise, Shelties make outstanding family companions and are often happiest when they are included in everything their family does.
Yes! Shelties are generally very social dogs and often do well with other pets when properly introduced.
My puppies are raised around a variety of animals and are exposed to other dogs, cats, and horses from an early age. This early socialization helps them develop confidence and appropriate manners around different species.
As with any breed, introductions should be done thoughtfully and supervised, especially with smaller pets. However, Shelties are typically adaptable and enjoy having animal companions in their lives.
With proper socialization and training, most Shelties integrate very well into multi-pet households.
Yes. As a small, preservation-focused kennel, most of our puppies are reserved through a waiting list before they are ready to go home.
We carefully plan our litters and are selective about matching puppies with the right families. Each puppy is raised with care, receives extensive socialization, and is given the best possible start in life.
We are currently anticipating a litter of sable puppies in Summer 2026.
Please complete our puppy application to be considered for an upcoming litter. Once approved, we'll keep you informed about future availability and puppy placements.
We also encourage you to follow our Facebook page and blog for litter announcements, puppy photos, and real-time updates from the kennel.
Yes and no. While I work closely with each family throughout the process, puppies are ultimately matched to homes rather than selected on a strict first-come, first-served basis.
I spend every day with the puppies and get to know their individual personalities, energy levels, confidence, and temperaments. My goal is to make the best possible match between each puppy and their future family.
Of course, your preferences matter too! I will work with you to understand what you're looking for and help guide you toward the puppy that best fits your lifestyle, goals, and expectations.
Our Sheltie puppies are raised in our home alongside family members and other animals, ensuring they are well-socialized, confident, and ready to become cherished companions. Puppies remain with us until at least 8-12 weeks of age before joining their carefully selected new homes.
Choosing a puppy is exciting, but matching the right puppy to the right family is one of the most important things a breeder can do to help ensure a lifetime of success.
Yes. Once a puppy has been matched to your family and a purchase agreement has been reached, a $300 deposit is required to reserve the puppy.
The deposit is applied toward the purchase price and is non-refundable. Deposits allow me to confidently plan puppy placements and ensure each puppy has a committed home waiting for them.
Yes, within reason.
The health, safety, and well-being of the puppy always come first. Because puppies are babies, long-distance travel can be stressful, and I carefully consider each situation on a case-by-case basis.
Within Canada, transportation options may be available depending on the destination and travel arrangements. For homes in the United States, current regulations require puppies to be at least 6 months of age and have received their rabies vaccination before entering the country.
Whenever possible, I prefer to meet puppy families in person, but I understand that isn't always practical. If you live outside my area, please contact me to discuss available options and determine what is best for both you and the puppy.
currently accept payment by cash or e-Transfer.
A deposit may be required to reserve a puppy once a suitable match has been made. Details regarding deposits, payment schedules, and final payment will be discussed with approved homes during the puppy placement process.
If you have any questions regarding payment arrangements, please feel free to ask.
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