Shetland Sheepdog Purebred
Dog Breed Information

A member of the Herding Group, The Shetland Sheepdog, also called

the Sheltie, originated in the Shetland Islands (100 or so miles above Scotland, a very rough place to call home) as a small herding dog.

They were simply perfect to handle the islands smaller than average Shetland Sheep.

Overall, they can work for years beyond most other breeds and their desire to work doesn't diminish when a Sheltie passes it's prime.

The Sheltie is a small, alert, rough-coated, longhaired working dog. He must be sound, agile, and sturdy. Their underlying work ethic can rarely be stopped - they always "give it their all."

One of the wonderful attributes of the Sheltie is its beautiful long harsh coat. They might look like a rough coated collie and herd like a rough coated collie, but they ARE NOT a miniature rough coated collie. One other thing, lots of grooming is required to keep that beautiful coat in proper shape.

The Shetland Sheepdog is a "watch" dog, not a guard dog - it is not visually frightening. It will bark at intruders, but after giving warning, may either retreat or escort them through your house. They don't respond well to "harsh handling" methods.

Enjoy a short dog breed video

Because of its small size, the Sheltie is very adaptable to city living, as long as he is given plenty of exercise. Shelties are good with children and make wonderful family companions although this breed may bark a lot. Dogs should appear masculine, bitches feminine.

Due to their compact size and activity levels, this breed dominates dog agility competitions and excel at herding, competitive obedience, flyball, and tracking. Participating in any of these sports will easily satisfy a Sheltie's needs for mental and physical exercise.

Shetland Sheepdog are very versatile and are highly motivated to please their owners. This breed is also well known for its trainability and willingness to help their owners.

Country of origin: Shetland Islands
Lifespan: 12-15 years
Colors: Blue merle, sable and black with various amounts of white and/or tan
Known health problems: Hypothyroidism, eye disease, luxating patellas

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