Mary Allen
Lively Herding Dog – Sheltie
The Sheltie is a sheep herding dog from the Scottish Shetland Islands. At first glance, he looks like a miniature version of the Collie and in fact, it is. They deliberately wanted to breed a small type of collie herding dog. For this purpose, dogs of this breed were crossed with small dogs.
The result is the Sheltie. Its head is long and pointed and its legs are straight. The now common short breed name Sheltie actually spells out Shetland Sheepdog.
How Big & How Heavy Does a Sheltie Get?
This small shepherd dog can reach a size of up to 37 cm. His weight is around 8 kg.
Coat, Colors & Care
The topcoat of this dog breed is long and smooth with a soft and dense undercoat that protects it well against the cold.
The fur can be one-color, two-color, and even three-color. Typical for a Sheltie is the three-piece combination of white with black and brown.
The coat and the thick mane require regular care. Combing and brushing once a week is usually sufficient for grooming. Only the hair on the head should be combed 2-3 times a week so that it does not become matted.
Nature, Temperament
The Sheltie has a lively, spirited, happy, and intelligent personality.
With his large and quick mind, he is very teachable and never forgets the tricks and tricks that you have taught him.
It has a pleasant temperament, is quite frugal, tolerable, and particularly adaptable.
It is loyal to its owner, he is very people-oriented, gentle, and has a lot of endearing charm. A Shetland Sheepdog notices immediately when the owner is sad or in a bad mood and then tries to cheer him up again with his funny way.
However, the Mini Collie tends to be reserved towards strangers. Dogs of this breed love children and get along well with other dogs. However, children must learn to accept the dog’s areas of retreat and then leave him alone.
Upbringing
Shelties are very willing to learn, motivated, and like to subordinate themselves. These qualities make these dogs easy to train.
Their hunting instinct is very weak, they prefer to stay with their people.
Posture & Outlet
If you keep it as a house dog, you have to give the small shepherd dog a lot of exercise and exercise on a regular basis. He must be able to really let off steam. It is ideal as a companion dog, even when jogging, on a bike, or on horseback.
Ideal for the dog is a physical as well as a mental challenge, such as dog sport. Dogs of this breed can always be found at the top of agility competitions, be it flyball, obedience, or dog dancing.
Typical Diseases
Although this dog breed is one of the robust and healthy ones, there are some more or less common typical clinical pictures such as eye diseases, epilepsy, and dermatomyositis.
Life Expectancy
On average, Shetland Sheepdogs reach an age of 12 to 13 years.