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| Copyright © 2007 ~ Fairview Shelties ~ All rights reserved. |
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| Sable/White ~ Sable Merle ~ Blue Merle ~ Black Tri ~ Bi Black ~ Bi Blue ~ Color Headed White |
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Description of Shelties:
Shelties are part of the HERDING group. The Shetland Sheepdog is a strong, nimble, lightly built, beautiful dog, with a long, wedge-shaped head. Its coat is rough with a soft undercoat. Some say they are almost a perfect miniature copy of a collie. The top plane of the muzzle should be parallel to that of the skull. The glorious long double coat sports a lion-like mane and frill around the neck, and comes in blue merle, sable and black with various amounts of white and/or tan. The outer coat is lined with a dense, woolly undercoat. The legs and long tail are feathered, and the hair on the face and feet is smooth. The tail should reach to the hock. The almond-shaped eyes are generally dark, except in blue merle dogs where they may be blue or merle color. The dog should have a watchful, gentle, questioning and intelligent expression. The nose should be black. The teeth should meet in a scissors bite. The ears are small, flexible and expressive, with dropping tips. The Sheltie is an agile, swift dog and a good jumper. Dogs should appear masculine and bitches, feminine. |
| Temperament:
The Shetland Sheepdog is an outstanding companion dog with a delightful temperament. Gentle, sensitive, loyal and dainty. Very lively, intelligent and trainable. Shelties are one of the smartest breeds, very willing to please and obey. These dogs are so smart that many fanciers consider them to have almost human intelligence, ourselves included! Loving, loyal and affectionate with its family, but suspicious with strangers, but they will put up with a lot from children in the family. The Sheltie is known to not allow themselves to be touched by strangers and will display noisy persistent barking. It is a good guard and watchdog. Socialize extensively as a puppy. This breed needs people and must be raised in a home where he can have a lot of companionship. They like to be kept busy, even if it's playing with other dogs or you! The Sheltie is above all an intelligent herder, capable both of commanding large cattle and holding small sheep in check. The herding instinct is still very strong in many of them. They love to chase things. Unfortunately - and often disastrously - they love to chase cars. A Sheltie should not be allowed to run free near a road as it may decide to chase a car or something else it sees across the road, running a high risk of getting hit by a car. Because of its beauty and kindness, the Sheltie has become a popular companion dog. This breed may bark a lot- however, traning as a puppy can discourage this. Also, debarking is very common in shelties. Some say males make better and more affectionate pets. |
| Height, Weight:
Height: 13-16 inches (33-40.6 cm.) Weight: 14-27 pounds (6.4-12.3 kg.) Living Conditions: The Sheltie will do okay in an apartment if sufficiently exercised. They are fairly active indoors and will do okay without a yard. They do love to run though so a fenced in yard is ideal! Exercise: This active, graceful dog needs lots of exercise, preferably running free; but be sure the dog is in a safe area. Life expentancy About 12-15 years. Health Problems: Shelties have a tendency toward inherited malformation and disease of the eyes. Some lines may be prone to hypothyroidism. It can also be affected by displacement of the patella (kneecap), which is thought to be inherited. Do not over-feed the Sheltie for they may put on a lot of weight! |
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