Shetland Sheepdog

COUNTRY: Scotland
HEIGHT; 13-16 inches
COAT: Long, dense, harsh with abundant undercoat
COLOR: Shelties have a double coat, which means that they have two types of fur that make up their coat. The long, rough guard hairs lie on top of the thick, soft undercoat. The guard hairs are water-repellent, while the undercoat provides relief from both hot and cold temperatures. There are three main colors: sable, which ranges from golden to mahogany; tri-colour, made up of black, white and tan; and blue merle, made up of grey, white, black.
REGISTRY: FCI, AKC, UKC, TKC, CKC
GROUP: Herding

During the 1700s fishing boats arrived regularly on the Shetland Islands, bringing black and tan King Charles Spaniels, "Yakki" dogs from Greenland and spitz-type herding dogs from the Scandinavian countries. These dogs were allowed to "stretch their legs" during their onshore leave, and often left little remembrances of their visit on the islands. The Shetland Sheepdog is obviously related to the other collies, either directly or through a common ancestor. The progeny of these "sailors" and the native island dogs proved to be alert, eager working stock and came to be known as Toonie dogs, for the toon or town (or from tun, Norwegian for farm). Obviously, they were good workers in town or on the farm.

The Shetland Islands are bare and rugged. The terrain furnishes inhospitable territory for raising stock, but its natives were rugged, too, and developed animals that didn't need lush flora to survive. Their miniature cattle, dwarf sheep and tiny Shetland ponies were herded by correspondingly small sheep dogs. The small farms were known as crofts, and the crofters thought highly of their gentle little herding dogs. The Shelties' gait carried them lightly over rough terrain, and their easygoing manner made them gentle with stock.
Early literature refers to the dogs as "nondescript." Eventually a Shetlander named Loggie standardized type for the show ring, and the breed was entered in Crufts in 1906, where they were shown with the Collies, as miniatures. After the destructive years of WWI, a fancier introduced a Collie into the surviving lines, and created the type known at this time.
Quick workers, Shelties are highly intelligent and willing to please, making them one of the outstanding obedience breeds in the ring today. These "apartment-size" collies make ideal pets—they are amiable, healthy, docile and great with children. As with the other collies, a regular grooming schedule keeps their plush coats looking attractive.
The Sheltie standard is precise in height and marking requirements. Due to the relatively recent cross with the Rough Collie, a tendency exists for some specimens to be larger than desired. Puppies termed as "mismarks" and youngsters that go over-size, however, still make delightful companions.