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Shetland Sheepdog
Puppies for Sale
Shetland Sheepdog
(Sheltie)
L-N-D'S DREAMS IN THE MIST CGC
aka TURTLE, the bi-blue Sheltie at 2 years old. "Turtle does some
conformation showing, but most of all he is my baby. He likes to play ball
with the other shelties at home. Will jump into my arms when I ask him to.
Is as spoiled as he can get. L-N-D Shelties."
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Pronunciation |
Shetland
Sheepdog |
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Description |
The Shetland Sheepdog is a strong,
nimble, lightly built, beautiful dog, with a long, wedge-shaped head. Its coat
is rough with a soft undercoat. Some say they are almost a perfect
miniature copy in of the long-haired collie. The top plane of the muzzle should
be parallel to that of the skull. The glorious long double coat sports a
lion-like mane and frill around the neck, and comes in blue merle, sable and
black with various amounts of white and/or tan. The outer coat is lined with a
dense, woolly undercoat. The legs and long tail are feathered, and the hair on
the face and feet is smooth. The tail should reach to the hock. The
almond-shaped eyes are generally dark, except in blue merle dogs where they may
be blue or merle color. The dog should have a watchful, gentle, questioning and
intelligent expression. The nose should be black. The teeth should meet in a
scissors bite. The ears are small, flexible and expressive, with dropping tips.
The Sheltie is an agile, swift dog and a good jumper. Dogs should appear
masculine and bitches, feminine. |
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Temperament |
The Shetland Sheepdog is an
outstanding companion dog with a delightful temperament. Gentle, sensitive,
loyal and dainty. Very lively, intelligent and trainable. The Shetland Sheepdog
is one of the smartest breeds, very willing to please and obey.
Loving, loyal and affectionate with its family. Socialize extensively as a puppy. It is a good
guard and watchdog. This breed needs people
and must be raised in a home where the humans are his confident, consistent, pack leader. They like
to be kept busy. The Sheltie is above all an intelligent herder, capable both of
commanding large cattle and holding small sheep in check. The herding instinct is still very strong in many of them. They love to chase
things. Teach this dog not to chase cars. A
Sheltie should not be allowed to run free near a road as it may decide to chase
a car or something else it sees across the road, running a high risk of getting
hit by a car. Because of its beauty and kindness, the Sheltie
has become a popular companion dog. Do not allow this dog to believe he needs to run your home, or many behavior problems will start to develop. They can become suspicious with
strangers, especially with children. They may not allow themselves to be
touched by strangers and will display noisy persistent barking, as they tell the humans to leave it alone. This can lead to guarding, snapping and even biting. They may hide behind something, barking persistently when company arrives. The dog needs to be told this is not an acceptable behavior. These negative traits are not Sheltie traits, but rather, Small Dog Syndrome, human induced behaviors, where the dog believes he is pack leader to humans. Varying degrees of negative behaviors result when a dog feels he is the leader of a human pack and must keep HIS humans in line. These negative traits will subside as soon as the humans around the dog start to display the proper leadership, along with daily pack walks to relieve mental and physical energy. |
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Height, Weight |
Height: 13-16
inches (33-40.6 cm.)
Weight: 14-27 pounds (6.4-12.3 kg.) |
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Health Problems |
Like the Rough Collie, there is a
tendency toward inherited malformation and disease of the eyes. Each individual
puppy should have his eyes examined by a qualified veterinary ophthalmologist.
Some lines may be prone to hypothyroidism. It can also be affected by
displacement of the patella (kneecap), which is thought to be inherited. The
Sheltie is a very popular breed, leading to the sale of many inferior animals.
Buy only from a reputable breeder. Do not over-feed the Sheltie. |
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Living Conditions |
The Sheltie will do okay in an
apartment if sufficiently exercised. They are fairly active indoors and will do
okay without a yard. |
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Exercise |
This active, graceful dog needs lots
of exercise, which include a daily
walk or jog. They will also
enjoy running free; but be sure the dog is in a safe area. |
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Life Expectancy |
About 12-15 years. |
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Grooming |
The coat is easier to care for than
you might expect, but regular brushing is important. Mist the coat lightly with
water before you begin and tease out the mats before they get bad, but use the
comb sparingly. This breed is a seasonally heavy shedder. The dense undercoat is
shed twice a year: in the spring and fall. The coat readily sheds dirt and mud
and Shelties are quite fastidious about their cleanliness. Bathe or dry shampoo
only when absolutely necessary. |
| Origin |
The Shetland Sheepdog is probably
descended from Scottish Rough Collies brought to the Scottish island of Shetland
and crossed with the Icelandic Yakkin, a small island dog (now no longer
recognized) brought over in the boats of fishermen. By 1700, the breed was
completely developed. For centuries these little dogs were used to herd and
guard the sheep flocks of the Shetlands, those rugged islands off the Scottish
coast where many of the animals are rather small in stature. Refinement of the
breed took place mainly in the twentieth century after the export of Shelties to
mainland Scotland and beyond. These small shepherds were very gentle when
herding the miniature stock. One of the top obedience competition breeds, the
Sheltie is an extremely smart and willing worker. The Shetland Sheepdog was
first recognized in England in 1909, and first registered in the United Stated
in 1911. Because of his kindly disposition, the Sheltie has become one of todays
most popular companion dogs. Some of the Shelties talents include: tracking,
herding, watchdog, guarding, agility, competitive obedience, and performing
tricks. |
| Group |
Herding, AKC Herding |
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Recognition |
CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, KCGB, CKC, ANKC,
NKC, NZKC, CCR, APRI, ACR |
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CKC = Continental
Kennel Club
FCI = Fédération
Cynologique Internationale
AKC = American
Kennel Club
UKC = United Kennel
Club
KCGB = Kennel
Club of Great Britain
CKC = Canadian
Kennel Club
ANKC = Australian
National Kennel Club
NKC = National
Kennel Club
NZKC = New Zealand
Kennel Club
CCR = Canadian
Canine Registry
APRI = American Pet Registry
Inc.
ACR = American Canine Registry |
Sheltie Posters and Prints!
Shyla
This is Barkley. Photo Courtesy of Karin Germano
This is Sunny.
Owned by Melanie Matthews
,
This is Barkley when he was just a
pup
Photo Courtesy of Karin Germano
,
Photo Courtesy of Tekadan Reg'd
Shetland Sheepdogs
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Sheltie Pictures 1
Sheltie Pictures 2
Sheltie Pictures 3
Sheltie Pictures 4
Small Dogs vs Medium and Large Dogs
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