T
he Shetland Sheepdog has an elegant
appearance with his beautiful,
abundant coat which is his crowning
glory. He looks similar to a Rough Collie,
just smaller. Not only is this dog beautiful,
he is also intelligent with high levels
of energy. This combination makes the
Shetland Sheepdog a good candidate to
play games with, as he is also a good family
companion and a pleaser.
Character
This dog has a sweet personality and is
generally gentle. He is also playful and
affectionate towards the family. He doesn’t
particularly like strangers and therefore needs
early socialisation. You need to keep this
active dog busy – he will do well in agility and
obedience training. Trained to herd, this dog
might herd small pets on the property.
The Shetland Sheepdog is a devoted, loyal and
adaptable breed that does well as companions
for families, active and single people.
Grooming
The Shetland Sheepdog has a long, double
and thick coat – the ideal protection
against cold weather. The coat consists
of the long and straight outer coat with
a dense and woolly undercoat. Do take
care of this dog in hot summers. He
features a mane and feathering on the
legs and tail.
Coat colours are sable, tri-colour,
blue merle, all usually with white
markings.
Background
This dog comes from the
Shetland Islands off the north
coast of Scotland. Originally
known as the Shetland Collie,
he was used as a general
farm dog and family
companion. He was
originally bred to herd
sheep and was slightly
smaller than the
Shetland Sheepdog
we know today.
FACT FILE
SHETLAND
SHEEPDOG
Great Britain
Needs lots of space with a fenced yard
12-14 years
Weight: 6-7kg; height: 36-37cm
Eager to please
Gets along with other dogs and children
Easy to train and good at obedience, agility
and herding
Regular grooming with brushing three times
a week
breed profile
DOGTA LK
1 | Small ears carried semi-erect
with tips falling forward
2 | Medium, almond-shaped eyes
3 | Long, double coat
4 | Long face
5 | Long and fluffy tail
1
Energy level
Drool probability
Snore probability
Bark probability
Digging
Low Medium High
Shetland Sheepdog
Mission: to please
2
3
4
5