Brief description of the Sheltie breed
Sheltie looks like a miniature collie. She has a beautiful thick coat and a very flexible body. The head of the Sheltie is somewhat elongated and narrowed. She has dark almond-shaped eyes and a black nose. Blue eyes are extremely rare in this breed. The small ears of the Sheltie are always upright. The body of dogs of this breed is muscular, but not heavy. A distinctive feature of the Sheltie is the presence of a certain lion's mane of dark color. Main color - black with patches of white and tan.
Shelties, who have long been loyal friends of Scottish farmers, tend to sound the alarm when danger arises, although often they can even bark at birds that have flown into the master's garden. All this - the result of a shepherd's past of an animal that faithfully served in the pastures.
Despite the fact that the Shetland Sheepdog looks like a reduced collie, they are still two completely different breeds. These dogs make excellent watchdogs. But all this can be achieved only through proper education and training.
sheltie - it is a true companion for all family members, including children. However, they may be shy around strangers. The special character of this dog is formed in such a way that the Sheltie will bark at the slightest suspicion of danger. If you want to get rid of such a character trait, you will have to make efforts in raising a pet.
Any Sheltie owner will say with confidence that dogs of this breed are very smart. According to Dr. Stanley, an animal intelligence expert, shelties - one of the smartest dogs. According to the results of his research, which he conducted on dogs of 132 different breeds, the Sheltie ranked sixth. She is able to understand a new command that she hears for the first time.
Due to their good intelligence, insane desire to please their owner, and excellent athletic ability, these dogs are among the most popular dogs of their respective sizes. Shelties achieve particular success in competitions associated with the performance of different teams. They also display unsurpassed abilities in tasks involving agility and search.
Because the Sheltie has a reputation for being a very intelligent dog, it needs a lot of intellectual exercise. In the absence of mental stimulation, the pet will become bored. And this means that the dog will begin to independently look for entertainment for himself that the owner may not like.
The Sheltie retained a pronounced herding instinct. Anyone will notice that the dog will not miss the opportunity to chase small animals, and when he catches up with them, he will bite them, that is, do what they usually do while grazing sheep. This habit needs to be controlled. The fact is that such behavior can be manifested in relation to children, and this can lead to undesirable consequences. That is why it is necessary to stop the dog's attempts to chase animals.
When indoors, shelties are not particularly active. Therefore contain a dog of this breed can be in the apartment. True, in this case, the pet must be loaded with active exercises. When living in the private sector, it is best to enclose the yard with a reliable fence so that your pet does not rush in pursuit of small animals or a car.
sheltie - This is a dog with a long thick coat, subject to active molting. Many, acquiring a dog of this breed, do not even imagine how much wool will appear in their house with insufficient care for the dog.
Shelties can be a good choice for working people. Dogs of this breed can quite easily endure the time of loneliness while the owner is at work, but for this it is necessary to pay a lot of attention to the dog in his free time. The animal should not feel abandoned and unnecessary. Shelties develop best in families where they are given a lot of attention, where they are played with, caressed, etc. This attitude towards a pet will return to the family with a tori.
basic information
| Breed name: | sheltie |
| Country of origin: | United Kingdom |
| The time of the birth of the breed: | 19th century |
| Type of: | herders and cattle |
| The weight: | 12 - 15 kg |
| Height (height at the withers): | 33 - 41 cm |
| Life Expectancy: | 12 - 14 years old |
|
ICF classification:
|
Group 1, Section 1, Number 88 |
| Puppies price: | 220 – 450 $ |
| Most popular nicknames: | list of nicknames for shelties |
Assessment of breed characteristics
| Adaptability
(a definition meaning how easily a dog can adapt to changes in life) |
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 |
| Shedding level
(Level and frequency of hair loss in the animal) |
🐶🐶🐶 |
| Tenderness level
(The level and amount of tenderness and affection that the dog gives in return for attention to itself) |
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 |
| Exercise needs
(Dog's daytime activity level) |
🐶🐶🐶 |
| Social need
(The required number of contacts of the dog with other animals, as well as people) |
🐶🐶🐶🐶 |
| Apartment content
(A factor that determines the level of noise and other inconveniences that a dog can deliver to owners in relation to the size of the apartment to the size of the dog) |
🐶🐶 |
| Grooming
(The number of bathing, brushing, and the number of professional grooming sessions required for the dog) |
🐶🐶🐶 |
| Friendliness in an unfamiliar environment
(Features of the behavior of a dog in a society with strangers or in an unfamiliar environment) |
🐶🐶 |
| Tendency to bark
(Tendency to bark and its frequency and volume) |
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 |
| Health issues
(Potential health status of the dog) |
🐶🐶🐶 |
| Territoriality
(The dog's tendency to protect his home, yard, or even his owner's car) |
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 |
| Friendliness to cats
(The tendency towards tolerance for cats and decreased manifestation of hunting instincts) |
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 |
| Intelligence
(The ability of the dog to think and solve emerging difficulties (not to be confused with learning!) |
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 |
| Education and training
(The level of difficulty in training the dog to perform certain actions) |
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 |
| Friendliness to children
(A factor that determines how friendly a dog is to children, whether he likes to play with them and tolerate some childish pranks) |
🐶🐶🐶🐶 |
| Game activity
(The concept is determined by its very name, and, as a rule, is found in almost all dogs) |
🐶🐶🐶 |
| Observation
(The ability of a dog to detect the presence of a stranger on its territory) |
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 |
| Friendliness to other dogs
(The tendency of the dog to find common language with his other relatives) |
🐶🐶🐶🐶 |
Sheltie photo:
The history of the origin of the Sheltie
A breed of dog that looks like a miniature collie was bred in the Shetland Islands, which lie about 50 kilometers from the Scottish coast. Many animals of dwarf breeds appeared on these islands, including Shetland ponies, Shetland sheep. This area is a rocky region with sparse vegetation. Taking into account the fact that the dog has evolved in a limited area throughout history, the size of the dog becomes quite understandable.
In the eighteenth century, Shetland was frequented by fishing boats. Many breeds of dogs, including spaniels, spitz, various shepherd dogs, fell on them on the island. Crossbreeding of different breeds of dogs led to the emergence of a new breed, which we now know as Shelties.
Interest in this animal as a companion dog began to appear only in the nineteenth century, when English sailors visited the islands. They began to buy dogs of this breed to keep them at home.
The first Sheltie was officially shown in 1906, then it was positioned as a miniature collie. In 1908, a Sheltie Club was organized in the Shetland Islands. It was opened in the capital of the islands - city of Lerwick. The breed was recognized by the Kennel Club of Great Britain in 1909 as the Shetland Collie. But already in 1914, it was possible to achieve recognition of a separate breed - sheltie. This was largely the merit of collie owners, who did not really want collies to be compared with shelties.
The American Kennel Club registered the Sheltie as a separate breed in 1911. In 1929, a Sheltie Fan Club was formed. In the same year, an exhibition was held in London, at which the Sheltie was presented as a separate breed. After the Sheltie was seen by New Yorkers at the Dog Club show. It happened in 1933. This was followed by a series of long discussions about the creation of a breed standard and the development of correct descriptions of all the nuances of this breed. According to the American standard, the height of the Sheltie should be between 33-41 centimeters.
Sheltie character
Maintenance and care
Sheltie coat requires brushing at least once a week. This must be done with a special massage brush. Such care will allow timely removal of all dead hair, prevent the formation of pellets and the spread of wool around the house. During combing, it is very important to start combing the hair, starting from its very base. In this case, before combing the wool, you need to apply a special moisturizing spray. As a rule, males actively molt once a year, but females two. Sheltie wool is waterproof. Due to this, not only moisture is repelled, but also dirt. That is why dogs of this breed are bathed only as needed.
The Sheltie's ears should be checked weekly for signs of infection, inflammation or irritation. The ears are treated with a special solution that the veterinarian must prescribe. Teeth cleaning is also a weekly routine. This will prevent the formation of tartar and prevent gum disease. If the dog does not sharpen its nails, then they need to be trimmed. Usually this procedure is carried out once a month.
Training and education
Sheltie health and disease
Some interesting facts
- Most Shelties - they are active dogs. They have a piercing voice. To maintain friendly relations with neighbors, it is necessary to train the dog from an early age. The pet must understand when to bark, and when - no.
- Be prepared for active Sheltie shedding twice a year: in spring and at any other time of the year (everything will depend on the characteristics of a particular dog).
- Shelties are extremely intelligent. They need quite a lot of exercise. However, sometimes they can be stubborn. This happens when the pet is bored. All exercises should be interesting not to the owner, but to the dog.
- Shelties are full of energy. They love active exercises that are combined with intellectual ones.
- Because the dogs of this breeds enjoyed great popularity over the years, there was a bad situation with the breeding of Shelties. Not worth buying puppy in casual breeders, they may suffer from various genetic diseases. It is best to make a purchase from a trusted dog breeder. In this case, you will be sure that the puppy is healthy and will develop normally.
Nurseries and breeders
We borrowed material from the wonderful site of our partners DOGCATFAN.COM about cats and dogs, the author dogcatfan