Shelties are possibly the couch potato's best buddies, but before they learned to loaf around, they were already living a colorful history. They started out in the 1700s in Shetland Islands off Scotland, and they were busy the whole day guarding and herding farm animals.

They are currently known for being good companion dogs, and are all-around and capable of adapting to a range of ages. They are even tolerant of young children (but as with all dogs, supervision is a must), and will appreciate ball games in the background or long walks. But lazing on the couch beside their one favorite human (they play favorites too!) makes the day of the average sheltie.

Shelties have not completely lost their working history, and make great little watchdogs. They are not aggressive, but are noisy barkers when they feel threatened.

In fact their alertness and intelligence helps them to be excellent watchdogs. Responsible owners also need