Shetland Sheepdog

Description

A Shetland Sheepdog, also known as the “Sheltie,” is a loving, sweet, active, busy and intensely loyal dog that is always eager to play and work with you. It is affectionate and sensitive, and seems capable of reading your moods, and has quite a powerful craving to please you. It enjoys being near you and building a relationship with you. It is kind, gentle and a devoted family companion that can easily become attached to a single person. Around strangers though, it can be suspicious and reserved; generally not delighted be being touched or petted by someone it does not know. To prevent it from growing up timid, it must be exposed to new people while it’s still young. 

This dog makes a perfect watchdog and would bark loudly on a stranger’s approach; however, it usually retreats when actually confronted with the intruder. Although it can be yappy, it’s known to bark too much at times and should be trained and taught when to stop doing so. Fortunately, the Sheltie is very easy to train, a quick learner and is eager to obey all your commands. It responds happily and excitedly towards rewards and praises; wanting more than anything to do what you want. As expected though, it can be sensitive toward harsh corrections and scolding so it would be best to be gentle, yet firm in training it. 

A Shetland Sheepdog is quick, agile and strong; always wanting to keep itself busy! Energetic as it is, this dog needs plenty of physical and mental stimulation. It loves performing tasks and greatly excels agility, obedience and herding competitions. It has a strong instinct for chasing and herding, and will herd children, adults and pets. It needs a walk each day and opportunities to play and run free, but must be kept inside enclosed areas or on a leash when outdoors since it might try herding everything in sight; even cars. Thus, you should be extra careful not to unleash it near roadways.

This dog gets along fine with other pets; even with children, as long as they are considerate. However, it can become nervous and snappy with rambunctious and younger children; it needs to be taught to refrain from nipping at heels. It’s best to raise the Shetland Sheepdog with children since puppyhood, rather than introducing it to them when it’s already an adult. Unfortunately, this dog is a really high shedder and is not the perfect pet for those who don’t want frequent vacuuming.

Features

A Shetland Sheepdog is thirteen to sixteen inches tall from feet to shoulders and usually weighs twelve to eighteen pounds. It’s got a double coat that consists of a thick, soft undercoat, and a long, rough and straight outer coat. The color of its coat is tan and white, or tri-colored; mixed with black, sable and blue.

Grooming Needs

This dog only needs the occasional brushing, although some prefer to brush it every day to lessen the amount of dead hair that falls all over the house.

Background

Shetland Sheepdogs got their name from Scotland’s Shetland Islands, and most probably descended from the Rough Collies, which were interbred with a smaller Iceland dog. Shelties were bred to herd sheep and cows as well as a great family companion. In 1909, the breed was registered in England, then later separated from the collies and designated to be a breed of its own in 1914. It was in 1911 when the very first American Shetland Sheepdog was registered, and an American association dedicated to the breed was founded later in 1929. The dog became so popular that in the recent years, over breeding it became a source of concern, prompting warning to dog owners to be more careful in acquiring well-bred and stable Shelties.