I got my sable shetland sheepdog, Shelley, from a sheltie breeder who sold her as a pet when she became too tall for showing. I'd always wanted a 'Lassie' dog...& that's exactly what she looks like, being a little larger than most shelties.
I got our second sheltie, Danny, when I found him lost & in a poor condition when he was 18 months old. Sheltie Rescue helped me clean him up, but he had become bonded to me in that short time...so we didn't have the heart to pass him on for rehoming. He's now 15 yrs old.
I got our little tibetan spaniel when I missed our elderly small mixed breed dog called Grandma...because she had lived happily until she was 22 yrs old. I went to a dog show to look at the papillons but walked into a row of tibetan spaniels. I'd never heard of the breed before, but it was love at first sight...they are so self-assured, intelligent looking, calm-faced, reflecting their background in buddhist monasteries.
I talked to one of the tibbie breeders who said she was thinking of retiring one of her showdogs (aged 4 yrs). I thought that this tib must be not up to standards for showing...but I didn't care, I loved her immediately. When her breeder delivered the tib to us, she brought all her prizes, too. She was an Australian Champion! Her breeder was retiring her because the little dog had major problems having puppies. So she became our Angel.