Shetland Sheepdog
Description
The Shetland Sheepdog originated in the Shetland Isles to
help the farmers look after and guard their stock and homestead. Refined
in the twentieth century after the export of these dogs to mainland
Scotland, these small shepherds were found to be very gentle when
herding stock and were seen as extremely smart and willing workers.
Being first recognized in England in 1909, and because of their kindly
disposition, this breed has become one of todays most popular companion
dogs. Some of their talents include: tracking, herding, watchdog,
guarding, agility, competitive obedience, and performing tricks.
Temperament
These very loyal and loving dogs are dedicated to their
families and are very good with children. Their intelligence makes them
easy to train and they get on great with other dogs and cats. You may
find that they can be a bit reserved with strangers and do make quite
good watchdogs.
Appearance
Height:
33-40.6 cm (13-16in)
Weight: 6.4-12.3 kg (14-27 lbs.)
They look like a miniature version of "Lassie" only much
smaller. Their colours range from sable (from pale gold through to
shaded sable), Tricolour (predominately black body colour) and Blue
merle (a silver blue with black marbling through the blue coat).
Grooming
The Shetland Sheepdog has a harsh outer double coat that
repels water and dirt which makes them quite an easy little dog to
maintain. All that will be needed is a 15 to 20 minute grooming once a
week however, if they are dropping their coat they may need a little
more grooming to brush the undercoat out so this does not matt and
become a problem.
If you don't have the
time to bath or groom your dog, your local dog grooming
salon provides these services.
Life Expectancy
10-14 Years
Health Concerns
There is a tendency toward inherited malformation and disease of the
eyes and it is recommended that each individual puppy should have his
eyes examined by a qualified veterinary ophthalmologist. This breed can
also be affected by displacement of the patella (kneecap), which is
thought to be inherited. Apart from ensuring you do not over-feed the
Sheltie, they
have very few other health problems.
Suitability
Shetland Sheepdogs
are equally great with children, the elderly, or anyone alone at home
who wants a calm canine companion. They also make great pets for those
of us with a quiet lifestyle or those perhaps interested in dog sports.
They don't demand much space and make wonderful watchdogs. Litters are
usually small from one to four pups, so interested owners can expect to
wait up to six months for a pup.
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