Dog's Help

Shetland Sheepdogs or Shelties for short are small sized dogs suitable both for apartments as well as wide open spaces. They are family oriented dogs that make for amiable companions.

Height: 13 – 16 inches (33 – 40.6 cm)

Weight: 14 – 27 pounds (6.4 – 12.3 kg)

Lifespan: 12 – 15 years

Coat:

Shelties are covered by a double coat. The undercoat is soft, furry, dense and gives protection from extreme heat and cold. The overcoat is made of long, straight, harsh hair that is water-resisting.

They come in three colors:
Sable, tricolor (black, white and tan), and blue merle (grey, white, black and tan).

Temperament:

Shelties are intensely affectionate and loyal as companions. They are lively and always willing to obey. If puppies are raised with children in the house, Shelties gel well with them. But if they are not brought into contact with people, they are known to have social problems. Shyness, timidity or nervousness could creep into their temperament. They are always reserved somewhat towards strangers, but not to the point of showing fear.

Shelties are intelligent breeds. A survey ranked them 6th out of 132 breeds in terms of intelligence. They are easily trainable.

If given the right training, Shelties can be good herders. They have innate herding instincts that can be used to contain cattle. Shelties do a good job of guarding. They always bark when they sense something amiss in the driveway.

Activity:

Shelties are active but not to the extent of pestering their master. They usually play around, chase squirrels and run in open spaces. They like to be kept busy. Puzzling games to stimulate their intelligence and a long walk for exercise is what the owner is expected to give them.

Health:

Shelties are prone to eye diseases. Malformations could be inherited and need to be checked by a veterinary ophthalmologist when the puppies are young.

A serious disease Shelties could be affected with is Von Willebrand disease which is an inherited bleeding disorder. These dogs don’t live for long. DNA tests can be carried out to ascertain whether puppies are free of this disease.

Some other illnesses that Shelties are susceptible to are hypothyroidism, epilepsy, hip dysplasia, and skin allergies.

Grooming:

Grooming those long hairs is not as difficult as it might seem. Brushing twice a week with a rake will clear out the mats from behind the eats, under elbows and the fur on the hind legs. Brushing needs to be thorough. It helps the skin stimulate oil production and provide nutrition to the hair. The coat looks healthy and shiny after a good brushing. Brushing also prevents sores by removing the dead undercoat.  

Shelties shed their coat twice a year, usually in the spring and fall. Brushing needs to be more frequent during that period. Shelties are heavy shedders.

Bathing or dry shampooing should be done only when necessary.