Our detailed portrait of the breed takes you to the far north of Europe, to the Scottish Shetlands.
Here it is cute Shetland Sheepdog, also affectionately called Sheltieat home.
We will now tell you what you should pay particular attention to in terms of health, posture and training for this cute furry friend.
Shetland Sheepdog Wanted Poster
Size Male & Female: 33 to 41 cmWeightMale & Female: 6.4 to 12 kgColorsBlack/White, Black/Brown, Darksable/Sable White, Sable/White, Sable, Blue/Merle, Merle, TricolorLife expectancy12 to 14 yearsOriginGreat Britain/Scotlandcharacter/temperamentplayful, gentle, affectionate, willing to learn, active, lively, mischievous, cheerful, friendlyFCI groupGroup 1: herding dogs and cattle dogs, Section 1: shepherd dogs
Look
If you look at the official breed standard, you get an apt, if slightly stilted, description of the Sheltie.
Because this one should thanks to its harmonious, compact and well-proportioned body «free from clumsiness and rudeness» be.
Well – this description is not wrong, because the Shetland Sheepdog is actually an extremely graceful and elegant little dog.
The deep chest and short, slender legs are covered by long fur, and the sheltie carries its bushy tail downwards.
The head with the boldly bent ears and the alert, mischievous look from the almond-shaped eyes also causes a storm of enthusiasm.
Incidentally, these are almost always dark brown – unless the sheltie is a merle sheltie. Then he may also have light blue eyes.
Height Weight
The fluffy Scot belongs to the small dog breeds.
Males and females should reach a shoulder height of 33 to 41 centimeters and weigh between 6.4 and 12 kilograms.
Coat, coat texture & coat colors
Many colors and combinations of Sheltie coats can be bred, namely the following:
- Darksable/sable white
- Black/Brown
- Black-and-white
- Sable/White
- Merle/Blue
- tricolor
- sable
- Merle
You will find these colors on a long, hard and dense top coat, under which there is a short, soft and also dense undercoat.
Important!
The Sheltie may be bred in merle colors. Admittedly, these are beautiful – but unfortunately they often come with the so-called MDR1 gene defect as well as deafness and blindness.
History & Origin of the Shetland Sheepdog
The Shetland Sheepdog is one Scottish breed of dogs, whose Origins in northern Shetlands are to be found.
Here, the Sheltie ancestors have been part of the island’s image for hundreds of years, as have the Shetland ponies and the Shetland sheep that the Sheltie is herding.
The Shelties did not reach mainland Britain until the 19th century. At the same time, targeted breeding of this breed began in Lerwick/Shetlands.
The FCI recognized the Sheltie as a separate breed in 1954.
Nature & Character of the Shetland Sheepdog
One look into the Shetland Sheepdog’s beautiful eyes and you’ll probably already know you’re here with a happy and hilarious little herding dog have to do.
The Sheltie has a particularly pleasant and sunny nature, which is perfectly complemented by his playful and mischievous nature.
The Sheltie is also a very active dog with a lively temperament. He would prefer to be in action all day long.
But relaxation is also something that the little Scotsman really likes – then he shows his gentle and affectionate nature.
His sensitive nature also means that he is very sensitive to the moods of his favorite people.
If you’re feeling down, he’ll try to cheer you up. Please note that sensitive fur noses can get stressed by mood swings.
This, in turn, is not good for them in the long term. Being left alone can also be stressful for the empathetic and sensitive Sheltie.
You should train your Sheltie puppy to stay alone so that his little dog world doesn’t collapse when you’re away from home for a few hours.
Reading tip: If you want to learn more about the Shetland Sheepdog temperament, we recommend reading our detailed article, which will provide you with all the important facts and interesting details.
attitude & upbringing
Play Size, character and temperament of the cute Sheltie a role in his attitude and upbringing? You’ll find out in this section.
Upbringing
With its great will to learn and its quick comprehension, the Shetland Sheepdog makes training child’s play.
This also makes it a great breed for all dog newbies who fell in love with the Scottish fur ball right away.
What does he want from you in his upbringing? Lots of praise, love, tact and positive leadership.
What he absolutely does not want, however, is unnecessary harshness and severity. These things unsettle him, he then withdraws – and is stressed.
attitude
Because of its size, a Shetland Sheepdog can be kept in a spacious apartment.
However, he needs enough time in the fresh air every day – regardless of the weather.
Here you should plan up to 2 hours a day. If you live in a house with a garden, you can give your Sheltie these 2 hours by running freely and walking them.
The clever little fellow would also like to be mentally challenged. If you decide to do flyball and dog dancing, among other things, he can work out physically at the same time.
Health & Care
Has the Scottish origin to the Sheltie robust health or are there breed-typical illnesses and health problems before?
You will now receive the answers to these important questions together with information on caring for the Sheltie.
Life expectancy
A perfectly healthy and happy Shetland Sheepdog can look forward to a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years.
Health
The Shetland Sheepdog is predisposed to the following diseases and health problems:
- dermatomyositis
- MDR1 gene defect
- Collie Eye Anomaly/CEA
Diseases can be caused by a variety of things, including parasites, bacteria, and viruses.
So that these don’t make life difficult for your Sheltie and, in the worst case, reduce its life expectancy, please take the following things seriously:
- Annual veterinary check-ups
- All-round protection against dangerous dog parasites
- All-round vaccination protection against, among other things, dog epidemic
Important
If the Sheltie suffers from the MDR1 gene defect, certain medications must not be used on him – including some spot-ons and deworming!
Grooming & General Grooming
The long top coat needs to be brushed by you every day, as does the soft undercoat underneath.
The fur care of the little Sheltie is therefore demanding.
In addition, after brushing, you should take a look at the eyes, ears, paws, mouth and anus to ideally prevent inflammation entirely.
Is the Shetland Sheepdog right for me?
The 1 million euro question almost at the end of our Sheltie breed portrait: Does the cute Scot actually suit you?
And also important: Do you meet the requirements to be able to offer the Sheltie a species-appropriate life?
You can get the answers with the following statements.
- You want to live with a gentle, affectionate sensitive soul.
- You are looking for a friendly, lively and mischievous family dog.
- You have the financial means to offer him a happy life.
- You have enough time for a species-appropriate Sheltie activity.
Fun facts about the Shetland Sheepdog
Last, but not least – ours fascinating fun facts about the Shetland Sheepdog.
Have you found a reputable breeder for Shetland Sheepdog puppies? Then you should budget between €1,000 and €1,500 for the little rascal.
The reason the Sheltie is so small is because it only had to herd sheep and not protect them from bears and wolves – thanks to Shetland’s isolated location.
Today’s Sheltie is probably a cross between a small Shetland dog, a miniature Spitz, a Papillon and a toy spaniel.
The Shetland Sheepdog is only called the Shetland Sheepdog and not the Miniature Collie because the Collie breeders from mainland Britain vetoed it.
The Sheltie was and is also called Toonie Dog in Scotland – toon means something like farm.
With this fun fact, we now hand over the baton of the story to you. We’d love for you to share more useful tips and facts with us in the comments. 😊