Videos Shetland Sheepdog Sheltie Breed Information
Alternative names -
Shetland Collie (obsolete)
Dwarf Scotch Shepherd (obsolete)
Toonie dog (obsolete)
Apartment Collie (rare)
Miniature Collie
Sheltie
Country of origin -
Scotland
Common nicknames -
Sheltie,
Mini Lassie (slang)
Classification and breed standards
FCI:|Group
1 Section 1 #88|Stds
AKC:|Herding|Stds
ANKC:|Group 5
(Working Dogs)|Stds
CKC:|Group
7 - Herding Dogs|Stds
KC
(UK):|Pastoral|Stds
NZKC:|Working|Stds
UKC:|Herding
Dogs|Stds
The Shetland Sheepdog (also known as the
Sheltie) is a breed of
dog, bred to be small sheep dogs
ideally suited for the terrain of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. While they resemble a rough Collie in miniature, they are not a
true miniature Collie, as there are many differences in
appearance.
1. Appearance
Several coat colors exist. There are three main acceptable show
colors: sable, ranging from golden through mahogany; tricolour,
made up of black, white and tan; and blue merle, made up of grey,
white, black and tan. Bi-Blues (grey, black, and some white) and
bi-blacks (white and black) are less common but still acceptable.
The best-known color is the sable, which is dominant over other
colors. Shaded, or mahogany, sables can sometimes be mistaken for
tricolored Shelties due to the large amount of dark shading on
their coats. Another name for a shaded sable is a tri-factored
sable and white. This name comes from the breeding of a shaded
sable, which is a tri-color to a sable and white, or a tri-factored
sable to another tri-factored sable. Another acceptable color in
the show ring, but much less seen, is the sable merle, which can
often be hard to distinguish from regular sables after puppyhood.
Double merles, the product of breeding two merle Shelties together,
can be bred but have a higher incidence of deafness or blindness or
retardation than the other coat colors.
There are few additional coat colors that are quite rare because
they are unacceptable in the breed ring, such as color-headed white
(majority of fur white, with the head 'normally' marked).
There have been reports of a brindle
Sheltie but many Sheltie enthusiasts agree that a cross
sometime in the ancestry of that specific Sheltie could have
produced a brindle coat.
2. Height and Weight
The size of a Sheltie (at the withers) can range from being
undersized (under 13 inches) to being oversize (over 16 inches.)
The average height of a Sheltie is 14-15 inches, with AKC standards
listing a bottom height of 13 inches and a top height of 16 inches.
To be measure either higher or lower than the standards will result
in being dismissed from the conformation ring. Being dismissed
three times will result in the dog being banned from any more
conformation classes. Some of the smaller Shelties are
incorrectly called "teacup" Shelties, while some of the
larger Shelties may incorrectly be identified as small Rough
Collies.
There is no agreed-upon weight range for a Sheltie. Many
websites range from 14 to 17 lbs , to a range of 12 to 18 lbs
. Since the Sheltie is a descendent of both small and large
breeds, the weight can range from under 10 pounds for very
undersized Shelties to over 40 pounds for Shelties that are over 20
inches. . The Blue Ridge Shetland Sheepdog Club gives the
weight as being "proportionate to height" , which
means a small Sheltie will weigh much less than a large
Sheltie.
3. Temperament
The Shetland Sheepdog is an outstanding companion dog and is
intensely loyal. It is lively, intelligent, trainable, and willing
to please and obey. Shelties are loving, loyal, and affectionate
with their family, but are naturally aloof with strangers and might
not appreciate being petted by someone they do not know; for this
reason Shelties must be socialized extensively. Some can be quite
reserved and some have varying degrees of shyness. Although they
are excellent family pets, Shelties do especially well with
children if they are raised with them from an early age; however,
their small size makes it easy for a child to accidentally injure
them, so supervision is necessary. Exercise caution when
considering an adult Sheltie for a family with young children, they
may not be compatible.
Shelties have a reputation as vocal dogs, but that might be
undeserved. Ill-bred dogs often display a terrier-like
personality--hyper and yappy, always on the go--but can just as
easily be overly timid and may become a fear-biter. The intelligent
Sheltie can be trained to be an excellent watch dog, and not yappy,
giving two or three barks to alert its owner to a person at the
door.
Unlike some dog breeds, males and females make equally good
pets. The main difference is that males tend to have more
impressive coats, and unspayed females will 'blow' coat
after every heat cycle. Males should appear masculine, females
feminine.
3. 1. Activeness
The herding instinct is strong in many Shelties. They love to
chase things, including squirrels, ducks, and children. When people
are milling around the yard, Shelties sometimes try to
"herd" the people into a group by running around,
barking, and nipping at heels. This tendency appears most when
children run around the yard in a group. Shelties love to run in
wide-open areas. The space should be safe and they should not get
too far away.
Shelties usually love to play. They do best with a sensitive,
yet firm, owner. The Sheltie is, above all, an intelligent herder
and likes to be kept busy, although their activity level usually
coincides with their owner's level. Shelties also are very
smart, making them highly trainable. Shelties are very good with
children.
Care should be taken when using gasoline powered yard care
equipment in the presence of Shelties. Particular attention must be
given during the starting process of weed-eaters (also known as
lawn trimmers) and chain saws. The strong herding instinct quickly
comes into play, but subsides just as quickly as the Sheltie finds
that his/her job has been done.
Shelties are a very fast breed of dog, with recorded top speeds
of up to 80 mph.
3. 2. Intelligence
Shelties have a high level of intelligence. According to Dr.
Stanley Coren, an expert on animal
intelligence, the Shetland Sheepdog is one of the brightest
dogs, ranking 6th out of 132 breeds tested. His research found
that an average Sheltie could understand a new command in less than
5 repetitions and would obey a command the first time it was given
95% of the time or better.
4. Health
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 susceptible to
hypothyroidism, epilepsy, hip dysplasia, or skin allergies.
As with all dog breeds, diet should be monitored and adjusted as
needed as many nonworking Shelties can overeat and easily become
obese. Also, be sure not to feed Shelties food scraps as they are
easily susceptible to uneasy stomachs.
4. 1. Life Expectancy
The expected life span for Shelties is between 12-15 years,
although some Shelties are shorter lived, and some are longer
lived.
4. 2. Eyes
The two basic forms of inherited eye diseases/defects in
Shelties are Collie eye
anomaly (CEA) and progressive retinal atrophy
(PRA).
CEA can be detected in young puppies by a veterinary ophthalmologist. The disease involves the
retina. It is always bilateral although the severity may be
disparate between eyes. Other accompanying defects (opthalmic
anomalies) may wrongly indicate a more severe manifestation of CEA.
CEA is present at birth and although it cannot be cured, it
doesn't progress.
That is, the severity of the disease at birth will not change
throughout the dog's life. CEA is scored similar to the way
hips are. In some countries, the Sheltie gene pool is limited so
breeders will breed with a very low scoring CEA. However, most
breeders are actively trying to breed this disease out by only
breeding with dogs that have "clear" eyes or very low
scoring eyes. A CEA score considered too high to breed with may
still be low enough not to affect the dog's life. These dogs
live happy and healthy lives as pets but should be neutered and not
used for breeding. Most breeders have all their adults and every
litter tested. Some breeders will supply a certificate from the vet
to all their puppy purchasers.
PRA can not be detected at any time but usually does not show up
until the dog is around 2 years of age. As the name suggests, it is
a progressive disease which will eventually result in total
blindness.
Currently there is no treatment for either disease, but as both
diseases (CEA and PRA) are hereditary it is possible to eliminate
them using selective breeding.
Note: merles may have blue eyes. The color of the eyes relates
in no way to either of the above diseases but can signal the
possibility of other hereditary defects such as deafness, if it is
a merle to merle breeding.
4. 3. Dermatomyositis (Sheltie Syndrome)
Dermatomyositis may occur at
the age of 4 to 6 months, and is frequently misdiagnosed by general
practice veterinarians as sarcoptic or
demodectic mange. The disease
manifests itself as alopecia on the top
of the head, supra- and suborbital area and forearms as well as the
tip of the tail. If the disease progresses to its more damaging
form, it could affect the autonomic nervous system and the
dog may have to be euthanized. This disease is generation-skipping
and genetically transmitted, with breeders having no clear
methodology for screening except clear bloodline records. Deep
tissue biopsies are required to
definitively diagnose dermatomyositis.
4. 4. Ears
Shelties' ears should bend slightly or "tip" at
the top to be shown in American
Kennel Club (AKC) shows because they contribute to the proper
Sheltie expression. The proper ear is to have the top 1/3 to 1/4 of
the ear tipped. If a dog's ears are not bent (referred to as
prick ears) it is acceptable to help
the ears along to the desired position by bracing them into the
correct position and leaving them on for several weeks to several
months. Wideset ears can also be a problem, often breaking too low
down (referred to as 'hound' ears). These are often harder
to correct than prick ears, and must be braced early and
consistently throughout the first year. It is easiest to train a
dog's ears when the dog is a puppy. Beginning at 6 to 8 weeks,
the puppy's ears may be taped. Many popular household items
used to "fix" ears are things such as moleskin (used on
the inside of the ears to incite the ears to stand up and have the
tips fold in the proper position), masking tape, fabric glue (used
to glue the tips of the ears to the moleskin, or used to create a
hair bridge to bring the ears together), and string (also used to
make a bridge). There are many other items an owner can buy that
are promoted to fix the earset of a puppy--some even use chewing
gum. Once that cartilege in the ears is hard (usually by the time
the puppy is 6 months old), it's impossible to fix the earset
with veterinary procedures.
There are also veterinary procedures to "fix" improper
earsets, although no reputable breeder will go to those
extremes.
4. 5. Von Willebrand Disease (VWD)
Von Willebrand disease
is an inherited bleeding disorder. In Shelties, affected dogs as a
general rule are not viable and do not live long.
4. 6. Thyroid Problems
Hypothyroidism
(under-functioning of the thyroid) is being observed more
frequently in Shelties. Clinical symptoms include hair loss or lack
of coat, over or under-weight, and listlessness. Research is
currently ongoing to further understand the thyroid.
4. 7. Hip Dysplasia
Although small breed dogs are not usually plagued by hip dysplasia, it has been identified in
Shelties. Hip dysplasia occurs when
the head of the femur and the acetabulum do not fit together
correctly, frequently causing pain and/or lameness. Hip dysplasia
is thought to be genetic and for this reason reputable breeders
will have their dogs' hips x-rayed and certified by the
Orthopedic
Foundation for Animals.
5. History
The Sheltie came from the Shetland Islands off the north coast of
mainland Scotland. Unlike many miniature
breeds that resemble their larger counterparts, this breed was not
developed by selectively
breeding the Rough Collie for smaller and smaller sizes.
Rather, it is the result of the intermingling of Border Collies and
possibly several other herding breeds over the past several
centuries.
Its exact origins are not known, they are thought to be the
result of Scandinavian
herding dogs, with crosses to the ancestors of the Border Collie and Rough Collie. There have also thought to
been crosses to the Greenland Yaki
dog and the Icelandic Dog. Later
crosses include early 19th century Pomeranians, which were larger than the
Pomeranians of today, Papillons, and a
Corgi-like dog. In the late 19th century,
to early 20th century, crosses to the Rough Collie was made to
preserve the original type. It was at this time that the Shetland
Sheepdog was known as the Shetland Collie.
The year 1909 marked the initial recognition of the Sheltie by
the English Kennel Club, with the first registered Sheltie being a
bitch called Badenock Rose. The first Sheltie to be registered by
the American Kennel Club was
"Lord Scott" in 1911.
Ironically, the Shetland Sheepdog is only rarely found in
Shetland, having been replaced by the Border Collie.
5. 1. Activities
In their size group, the breed dominates dog agility competitions. They also excel at
competitive obedience,
showmanship, flyball, tracking, and herding. Participating in such a sport
will satisfy a Sheltie's needs for mental and physical
exercise.
Sable and white Shelties at one and half years and at 6 months. Professional grooming typically gives a fluffier coat than these. The puppy has a transitional "puppy fuzz" coat.
Sable and white Shelties at one and half years and at 6
months. Professional grooming typically gives a fluffier coat than
these. The puppy has a transitional "puppy fuzz"
coat.
5. 2. Grooming
Shelties have a double coat. The topcoat consists of long, straight,
water-repellent hair, which provides protection from cold and the
elements. The undercoat is short,
furry, and very dense in order to help keep the dog warm. The
Sheltie is usually a clean dog and should only need to be brushed
once or twice a week (it is helpful to spray-mist with water when
brushing). Mats can be commonly found behind the ears, under the
elbow on each front leg, and in the fluffy fur on the hind legs
(the "skirts").
Although its coat might appear to be a time-consuming task, a
once-weekly, but thorough, brushing is all that is needed, though
more frequent groomings and trimmings will contribute to a
beautiful and tidy coat. Shelties 'blow' coat usually twice
a year, often at spring and fall, and should be groomed more often
at those times. A good brushing with an undercoat rake, which
removes the dead and loose hair from its coat daily should reduce
the amount of hair that is shed.
It is easiest to teach a dog to tolerate, or even enjoy,
grooming if they are shown that it is a pleasurable thing from a
young age. Breeders usually teach the dogs to lie on their side, be
brushed, and then flip over to the other side.
Toenails and hair between the pads need to be trimmed every
couple of weeks to ensure traction and to prevent mud and snow from
balling up on the feet.
Show dogs may require more frequent brushing to keep their coats
in top condition. Regular brushing encourages undercoat growth,
distributes healthful oils produced by the skin, and prevents sores
known as "hotspots" which can
occur when dead undercoat is allowed to accumulate close to the
skin. Show dogs also require trims to certain parts of the coat,
including shaping the ears, the topskull, the jawline, paws and
topline. To see a detailed explanation of how to correctly trim a
Shetland Sheepdog, refer to the book "Sheltie Talk."
Most Shelties learn to love the attention that grooming
provides, if the routine is started when the dog is still
young.
5. 3. Breeding
As with any dog, Shelties should be screened for inheritable
genetic diseases before breeding. Both male and female should be
tested for thyroid problems, von Willebrands disease and
brucellosis, as well as have hip x-rays cleared by the Orthopedic Foundation for
Animals and eyes cleared by CERF. Like other dog breeds, Shelties
should only be bred if they are worthy examples of the
breed with something to contribute to the bettering of the gene
pool. Ideally a dog should hold at least a title from the AKC in
conformation; performance titles are icing on the cake.
Breeding colors is also a problem for many beginning breeders.
Certain color combinations can produce unwanted or potentially
harmful results, such as a blue merle to blue merle breeding, the
result of which can be deaf and blind white puppies (called the
lethal white syndrome.) A tri-color and bi-color are the only two
colors that can safely be bred to any other color. By breeding a
sable and white to a blue merle, the result can be an unwanted
sable merle. A tri-color to a pure-for-sable (a sable and white
which can produce only other sable and whites), will produce only
sable and whites, but they will be tri-factored sable and whites
(which means they have the tri-gene.) There are many more examples
of breeding for color, so a good breeder will research what genes
each dog carries. There are many different genes contributing to
the different colors of the Sheltie, including the bi gene, the
merling gene, the Maltese dilution gene, the smut gene, the sable
gene, and the tricolor gene.
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
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