Sheltie odor, oily skin and other questions

Question
QUESTION: "We just adopted a 2 year old Sheltie corgi mix from Citizens for the
Protection of Animals. She is good in everyway, Well behaved, housetrained, and even knows some commands.  
I have a few questions.
1. When I bathed her, she shed what I thought to be a great deal of hair, is this normal? She also has this odor and oily skin[fur] We are feeding her Nutro Chicken and rice.

2. I noticed she was itching, and that her flea medication was due, so I put Advantage on her. She itched more. We used Benedril, but it really did not stop the itch. Our vet said she did not see any skin infections. I bought Oatmeal shampoo and put her on Sentinel. She is still
itching a bit. What could that be?

3. When we first brought her home she played fetch and ran around, now she is disinterested in toys? How do I get her to play again. We have only  had her since April 16th.

4. She loves attention, and loves to be petted. But gives no kisses. I am thinking her original owner who supposedly had her for a year, discouraged kisses, and maybe playing.
Sadie is a very sweet dog.But with the skin odor and itching I am very concerned she has some problems. We have had 2 other dogs and they never had these kind of problems and certainly not an odor. Help??????

ANSWER: First of all thank you for opening your life to a rescue dog.
Yes the shedding is all part of having a coated dog. Unfortunately both of the breeds are going to shed excessively. Bathing bi-weekly and brushing weekly will help and most of the hair balls but not all.
Shelties always have alot of oil in their coats it is natures way of keeping mats at a minimum. Corgi's have extremely thick coat so the combination of the two may be that the skin cannot breath. You may try using thinning shears throughout the entire coat to make some room for air to circulate. This will take a really long time so do it in moderation.
The two breeds are working class dogs so give her lots of jobs. She may be bored with her toys. Walk her at least twice aday 20 min. at a time. Take her to get the paper the store. Busy dogs are happy ones.
I made a customer mad because I allowed the dog to kiss me. I love baby kisses. Unfortunately some people think dogs mouths are dirty. But, aren't doggie kisses the best?
You have her on a really good diet so I wouldn't worry. Give it a month or two so she can adjust to the new diet. That and your love may just be the thing to turn her around.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Since I wrote you the other day, Sadie is in a real funky mood. Seems almost depressed. I have had 2 other pets in the last 25 years and they never acted this way. She will NOT play with toys, She likes her walks but that's about it. She is starting to stay in a "safe place" under the coffee table all the time. Now she will not come when called. She sleeps in our bed, I work, my husband is retired. She is thrilled to see me when I get home. Yes doggie kisses are the best. I put some ice cream on my cheek and she defiantly looked the other way. I am thinking she may have been abused for that in the past. I can put up with the shedding, that's no big deal, I was just shocked at the enormous amount of shedding. I have an underbrush, so I'll use that too.  Do dogs get depressed? Can they turn around to a playful doggie at 2 years old. I always had puppies, so this is new to me. I am just worried about her, she is adorable. She was so happy when we first got her home, now she seems so depressed. Is this normal?

Answer
I am sorry that I misunderstood your question! Yes dogs get depressed.
She may not become the playfull puppy that you hoped for but she will be a wonderful friend. Two years is a really young dog. She will learn how things go in your home. If you and your husband are people that enjoy sitting around in the evening enjoying a quite night she will settle in nicely.
Some dogs are just more mellow than others. Your lucky she is not destructive and tear up the pillows or rugs.
Again I say to you, she may be trying to find her niche in your home. Us humans are also a pack in a dogs eyes. We have the Alfa gene, she is still trying to find out where she fits in at your home.
Give her time to work it out.
Again I am sorry for the misinformation.