Mary Allen
Shelties are particularly noticeable because of their beautiful fur, which can already be described as a mane. So that it always shines, you should groom the dog once a week with a brush or comb. On the ears and in the armpits, Shelties have finer hair that tangles more easily and therefore needs more attention.
You should only bathe the dog very seldom and never clip all the fur. This would destroy the structure of the voluminous fur and thus its function of thermoregulation in summer and winter.
Shelties do this themselves and lose a lot of hair twice a year. In order not to cover your whole apartment or your car with fur, you should brush the Sheltie more often at these times.
When it comes to nutrition, the Shetland Sheepdog breed is also rather undemanding, but you should still ensure a balanced diet. Proteins should be the main source, but the other nutrients should not be neglected.
Also, try out what your dog likes, and don’t let it get too fat. This overweight, which you can feel on the ribs, is very rare in Shelties due to their high urge to move. How much food your dog should be given also depends on its age and size.
Note: If you eat raw food, never feed raw pork and you shouldn’t give your dog cooked poultry bones, either, as they can splinter.
On average, Shelties have a life expectancy of 12 years and are considered very robust dogs, but illnesses can occur before that. These include the genetic skin-muscle disease dermatomyositis, the hereditary disease Collie Eye Anomaly, and other eye diseases.
Shelties can also have the MDR-1 defect, which causes them to be intolerant to some medications. In addition, it happens with males that one of their testicles is in the abdominal cavity. In the case of so-called cryptorchidism, the puppies should be neutered.
Fun Fact: Puppies from blue merle mating have a higher risk of developing deafness and blindness.