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Shelties
excel at many activities, from obedience-which taps the breed's
intelligence and eagerness to please-to agility, flyball,
tracking, and of course, herding. But Shelties, especially
as they mature, they don't have to be active all the time
- they also love to sit with you on the sofa and watch TV
with you. They're very easy to get along with. Someone once
said, "They are like a chip, you just can't stop at one!"
- Country
of Origin: Scotland,
in the Shetland Islands off the northern coast.
- Group:
Herding
- Life
Span: 12 to 15 years
- Color:
Brown (ranging from golden or reddish-brown to deep mahogany),
blue merle, or black, all with varying amounts of white
and tan.
- Coat:
Double coat with an outer coat of long, straight, harsh
hair and an undercoat of dense, short, soft fur.
- Grooming:
Brush once or twice a week.
Expect a thorough shedding at least once a year or, in climate-controlled
homes, more often in smaller amounts
- Height:
13 to 16 inches
- Weight:
15 to 25 pounds
- Trainability:
High
- Activity
Level: Medium to high. Can adapt to a less-active lifestyle.
- Good
With Children: Yes
- Good
With Other Pets: Sociable with other dogs and friendly,
or at least tolerant, with other pets
- Best
Home: Indoors with access to a fenced yard, but also
adaptable to apartment living, with regular walks
Official
CKC Breed Standard - Group VII Herding Dogs - SHETLAND
SHEEPDOG
Origin
and Purpose:
The
Shetland Sheepdog, like the Collie, traces to the Border Collie
of Scotland which, transported to the Shetland Islands and
crossed with small, intelligent, long-haired breeds, was reduced
to miniature proportions. Subsequently, crosses were made
from time to time with Collies. This breed now bears the same
relationship in size and general appearance to the Rough Collie
as the Shetland Pony does to some of the larger breeds of
horses. Although the resemblance between the Shetland Sheepdog
and the Rough Collie is marked, there are differences which
may be noted.
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General
Appearance:
The Shetland Sheepdog is a small, alert, rough-coated,
long-haired working dog. He must be sound, agile and sturdy.
The outline should be so symmetrical that no part appears
out of proportion to the whole. Dogs should appear masculine,
bitches feminine.
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Temperament:
The Shetland Sheepdog is intensely loyal, affectionate, and
responsive to his owner. However, he may be reserved towards
strangers but not to the point of showing fear or cringing
in the ring.
Size:
The Shetland Sheepdog should stand between 13 and 16 inches
(33-41 cm) at the shoulder.
Note:
Height is determined by a line perpendicular to the ground
from the top of the shoulder blades, the dog standing naturally,
with forelegs parallel to line of measurement.
Coat
and Colour:
The coat should be double, the outer coat consisting of long,
straight, harsh hair, the undercoat short, furry, and so dense
as to give the entire coat its "stand-off" quality.
The hair on face, tips of ears and feet should be smooth.
Mane and frill should be abundant, and particularly impressive
in males. The forelegs well feathered, the hind legs heavily
so, but smooth below the hock joint. Hair on tail profuse.
Note:
Excess hair on ears, feet, and on hocks may be trimmed for
the show ring. Colour black, blue merle, and sable (ranging
from golden through mahogany); marked with varying amounts
of white and/or tan.
Head:
The head should be refined and its shape, when viewed from
top or side, be a long, blunt wedge tapering slightly from
ears to nose, which must be black. Top of skull should be
flat, showing no prominence at nuchal crest (the top of the
occiput). Cheeks should be flat and should emerge smoothly
into a well-rounded muzzle. Skull and muzzle should be of
equal length, balance point being the inner corner of eye.
In profile, the topline of skull should parallel the topline
of muzzle, but on a higher plane, due to the presence of a
slight but definite stop. Jaws clean and powerful. The deep,
well-developed underjaw, rounded at chin, should extend to
base of nostril. Lips tight. Upper and lower lips must meet
and fit smoothly together all the way around. Teeth level
and evenly spaced. Scissors bite. Eyes medium size with dark,
almond-shaped rims, set somewhat obliquely in skull. Colour
must be dark, with blue or merle eyes permissible in blue
merles only. Ears small and flexible, placed high, carried
three-fourths erect, with tips breaking forward. When in repose
the ears fold lengthwise and are thrown back into the frill.
Contours and chiseling of the head, the shape, set and use
of ears, the placement, shape and colour of the eyes, combine
to produce expression. Normally the expression should be alert,
gentle, intelligent and questioning. Towards strangers the
eyes should show watchfulness and reserve, but no fear.
Neck:
Neck should be muscular, arched, and of sufficient length
to carry the head proudly.
Forequarters:
From the withers, the shoulder blades should slope at a 45
degree angle forward and downward to the shoulder joint. At
the withers they are separated only by the vertebra, but they
must slope outward sufficiently to accommodate the desired
spring of rib. The upper arm should join the shoulder blade
as nearly as possible at a right angle. Elbow joint should
be equidistant from the ground or from the withers. Forelegs
straight viewed from all angles, muscular and clean, and of
strong bone. Pasterns very strong , sinewy and flexible. Dewclaws
may be removed.
Body:
In overall appearance, the body should appear moderately long
as measured from shoulder joint to ischium (rearmost extremity
of the pelvic bone), but much of this length is actually due
to the proper angulation and breadth of the shoulder and hindquarter,
as the back itself should be comparatively short. Back should
be level and strongly muscled. Chest should be deep, the brisket
reaching to point of elbow. The ribs should be well sprung,
but flattened at their lower half to allow free play of the
foreleg and shoulder. There should be a slight arch at the
loins, and the croup should slope gradually to the rear. The
hip bone (pelvis) should be set at a 30 degree angle to the
spine. Abdomen moderately tucked up.
Hindquarters:
The thigh should be broad and muscular. The thighbone should
be set into the pelvis at a right angle corresponding to the
angle of the shoulder blade and upper arm. Stifle bones join
the thighbone and should be distinctly angled at the stifle
joint. The overall length of the stifle should at least equal
the length of the thighbone, and preferably should slightly
exceed it. Hock joint should be clean-cut, angular, sinewy,
with good bone and strong ligamentation. The hock (metatarsus)
should be short and straight, viewed from all angles. Dewclaws
should be removed. Feet should be oval and compact with the
toes well arched and fitting tightly together. Pads deep and
tough, nails hard and strong.
Tail:
The tail should be sufficiently long so that when it is laid
along the back edge of the hind legs the last vertebra will
reach the hock joint. Carriage of tail at rest is straight
down or in a slight upward curve. When the dog is alert, the
tail is normally lifted, but it should not be curved forward
over the back.
Gait:
The trotting gait of the Shetland Sheepdog should denote effortless
speed and smoothness. There should be no jerkiness, nor stiff,
stilted, up-and-down movement. The drive should be from the
rear, true and straight, dependent upon correct angulation,
musculation, and ligamentation of the entire hindquarter,
thus allowing the dog to reach well under his body with his
hind foot and propel himself forward. Reach of stride of the
foreleg is dependent upon correct angulation, musculation
and ligamentation of the forequarters, together with correct
width of chest and construction of rib cage. The foot should
be lifted only enough to clear the ground as the leg swings
forward. Viewed from the front, both forelegs and hind legs
should move forward almost perpendicular to ground at the
walk, slanting a little inward at a slow trot, until at a
swift trot the feet are brought so far inward towards centre
line of body that the tracks left show two parallel lines
of footprints actually touching a centre line at their inner
edges. There should be no crossing of the feet or throwing
of the weight from side to side.
Faults:
Shyness, timidity, or nervousness. Stubbornness, snappiness,
or ill temper. Coat short or flat, in whole or in part; wavy
curly, soft or silky. Lack of undercoat. Smooth-coated specimens.
Rustiness in a black or a blue coat. Washed out or degenerate
colours, such as pale sable and faded blue. Self-colour in
the case of blue merle, that is, without any merling or mottling
and generally appearing as a faded or dilute tricolour. Conspicuous
white body spots. Specimens with more than 50 percent white
shall be so severely penalized as to effectively eliminate
them from competition. Two-angled head. Too prominent stop,
or no stop. Overfill below, between or above eyes. Prominent
nuchal crest. Domed skull. Prominent cheekbones. Snipey muzzle.
Short, receding, or shallow underjaw, lacking breadth and
depth. Overshot or undershot, missing or crooked teeth. Teeth
visible when mouth is closed. Light, round, large or too small
eyes. Prominent haws. Ears set too low. Hound, prick, bat,
twisted ears. Leather too thick or too thin. Too short and
thick a neck. Insufficient angulation between shoulder and
upper arm. Upper arm too short. Lack of outward slope of shoulders.
Loose shoulders. Turning in or out of elbows. Crooked legs.
Light bone. Back too long, too short, swayed or roached. Barrel
ribs. Slab-sides. Chest narrow and/or too shallow. Croup higher
than withers. Croup too straight or too steep. Narrow thighs.
Cow-hocks. Hocks turning out. Poorly defined hock joint. Feet
turning in or out. Splay feet. Hare feet. Cat feet. Tail too
short, twisted at end. Stiff, short steps, with a choppy,
jerky movement. Mincing steps, with a hopping up and down,
or a balancing of weight from side to side (often erroneously
admired as a "dancing gait" but permissible in young
puppies). Lifting of front feet in hackney like action, resulting
in loss of speed and energy. Pacing gait.
Disqualifications:
Cryptorchidism in adults over 12 months of age. Heights below
or above the desired range, i.e., 13-16 inches (33-41 cm).
Brindle colour.
SCALE
OF POINTS:
General
Appearance
Symmetry ……………………………………………..
10
Temperament ……………………………………
10
Coat ……………………………………………………..
5 …….25
Head
Skull and stop …………………………………………..
5
Muzzle ……………………………………………….
5
Eyes, ears, and expression ………………………....
10 …… 20
Body
Neck and back …………………………….………
5
Chest, ribs and brisket ………………………………
10
Loin, croup, and tail ………………………………….
5 …..20
Forequarters
Shoulder …………………………………………………
10
Forelegs and feet ………………………………………..
5 …. 15
Hindquarters
Hip, thigh, and stifle ……………………………………
10
Hocks and feet …………………………………………
5 ……. 15
Gait
Smoothness and lack of waste motion when trotting 5 ……
5
TOTAL
100
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