Five years ago this August a funny little puppy came to live in our home.

He was tiny, blue-gray and white colored coat, skinny tail that hurt when it hit you and the biggest bat ears Id ever seen on a puppy. There was one other oddity his eyes were two different colors, one blue one brown.

This little guys energy level was amazing; he ran and bounced like there were springs attached to the pads of his feet. He made us laugh from the moment he walked through the front door.

However the reality of having a new puppy soon set in, keep in mind we had not done this for fifteen years. Prior to Tobys arrival we had been blessed with a wonderful Golden Retriever named Beau. Unfortunately after fifteen years of love and companionship he left us due to a long illness.

Getting back to the new puppy for about the first year I awoke each morning between 4:00 4:30am, walked around the yard in the freezing cold it was October when this little furbaby came to live with us then slept in a chair with my new little buddy.

In the end the interrupted sleep, housebreaking and everything else that come with a new puppy was well worth it.

Toby has grown into a beautiful, absolutely handsome dog Oh, in case I didnt mention it, he is a Blue Merle Shetland Sheepdog he has brought so much joy and laughter to our home, but most importantly he helped fill a void in my heart that I really believed would be there forever.

He is such a wonderful friend. Every morning he is waiting for me when I come down the stairs - hes afraid of stairs and will not go up or down - sits next to me while watching TV and lays in his bed right next to my desk keeping me company while using the computer.

Im also kept informed of anything that happens to be going on - ringing phone, Squirrels in the yard, passing cars and trucks, timer on the oven going off.

You may be wondering why I titled this story My Whirling Twirling Sheltie. For those of you lucky enough to share your lives with these gorgeous little dogs, you already know the answer. For those of you not familiar with Shelties here is why.

Shelties are very happy, vocal, lovable dogs that smile yes, they smile because of this they get excited about almost everything, when this happens they spin around in circles.

Its really amazing to watch; you wonder sometimes how it is that they dont bang into something or why they dont fall over from being dizzy. This trait is so common its even got a name The Sheltie Spin.

If you are considering getting a puppy, check out these fantastic bundles of fluff. They are compact in size, extremely intelligent, they love to learn and pick up new commands quite fast. However in my opinion their best quality is their loyalty, their love is so unconditional; it really is a wonderful thing.

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