~ What Is A Sheltie? ~
As we go through our lives we come to accept there is nothing in this world that is "perfect" and this accepted fact is as true in the world of the Shetland sheepdog as it is with anything else. It is a fact: There is no such thing as the "perfect" Shetland sheepdog.
A term you will often find when browsing web sites of the more responsible and ethical breeders, and which you will often hear when conversing with those more responsible and ethical breeders, is "The Breed Standard".
The sheltie "standard" is a written description of what the "perfect" sheltie should look like. The standard for the sheltie was written by the American Shetland Sheepdog Association (ASSA), and adopted by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as the official "standard" for our breed.
But... What IS the Breed Standard?
A "breed standard" is a written description of how a "perfect" dog of that breed should appear. The Standard for the Shetland Sheepdog (and all other recognized breeds) is a guideline toward which breeders should strive as they breed each generation of their bloodlines, always working to improve their small slice of the gene pool. The purpose, and the desired outcome of each breeding, is to arrive - hopefully - *that* much closer to what the "Standard" describes as the "perfect" sheltie. The "Standard" is also a guideline against which shelties are judged in the conformation ring. Judges of the sheltie breed (or any other) must be well-acquainted with the "standard" and when judging, seek - and choose - the one dog presented in the show ring that day that the judge feels most closely resembles the "perfect" sheltie as the sheltie is described in the Sheltie Standard.
You
may read the Standard for the sheltie on the
ASSA's web site.
History:
Shetland Sheepdogs, or "shelties," resemble the Rough Collie in
miniature, but are a distinctly separate breed evolved from hardy ancestors on
the Shetland Islands. Although shelties are often called "Miniature
Collies" or "Toy Collies," the sheltie is not a collie at all. In
fact, there is no such breed as a "Miniature Collie" or "Toy Collie".
The sheltie was developed to herd small flocks of sheep tended by residents of the Shetland Islands who are most often referred to as "crofters", and as guard dogs and companions to the crofters and their families. The breed's attentiveness and willingness to obey, as well as the level of intelligence and willingness to please, were qualities desired by the early developers of the breed, who specifically selected for these traits during the breed's development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is these very same qualities which help make the sheltie the endearing and irresistible breed it is today.
Temperament:
The sheltie is generally bright, intelligent, responsive and devoted. Shelties
raised as companions develop a fierce loyalty to their owners, and their natural
affinity for children makes them happy, gentle and loving companions, enjoying
endless games of Frisbee and ball. Shelties may be driven by an intense desire to
please their owner which, combined with their very high level of intelligence,
makes them excellent obedience, herding and agility competitors. Their sensitive
nature warrants a gentle hand, with minimum correction required. They are
suspicious of strangers, alert and protective, and will bark to let you know
something is strange, or different, or wrong in their world. Shelties can be
more vocal than most breeds, but most shelties can be easily taught to curb
excessive barking. Unlike many breeds, there is very little difference in
temperament between male and female shelties, with the males tending to be more
loving, less aloof, more attentive to the owner's needs, desires, emotional
workings.
Colors:
Shelties come in five distinct color combinations, all of them set off by white
markings. The most common color is known as sable and white, with the sable
color varying from a honey-golden or light-reddish brown to a dark mahogany, and may
have a black overlay to varying degrees, sometimes to the extent of appearing to
be black-colored. The tri-color sheltie is black, with tan points appearing, in varying
degrees, on the cheeks, eyebrows, forelegs and hindquarters. The blue merle is
blue-gray, silver and black, has a mottled appearance, and includes the tan
points similar to those found in the tri-color. The bi-black is black, with no
evidence of tan, and the bi-blue is similar to the blue merle, again, with no
evidence of the tan points. The white markings that are found on all color
combinations may appear on the legs, feet, tail tip, as face blazes, and as a
"collar" about the neck, although not necessarily fully circling the
neck. All colors should be clear and not diluted or washed out. No color is
rare, but the sable and white is the most popular and so more readily
recognized. Furthermore, no markings - whether white or tan - in ANY degree
designates a "show" sheltie, so the commonly-held myth that a
"full white collar" means "show quality" is FALSE! For a
look at some of the different color combinations, visit Ailea's
page entitled
All Those Colors!.
Delving into canine color genetics will also bring you colors that are termed "color-headed white" and "double merle". The color-headed white sheltie is one that is born with over 50% white on its body as a result of excessive white-factoring (those white markings mentioned above). These shelties are not rare or different other than in color, and are otherwise perfectly normal. Their basic color (sable, tri, blue, etc.) will show itself mainly on the head and face, with some coloring appearing in the body of the coat, to varying degrees.
The double merle is also a mostly white sheltie, but is the result of crossing a merle sheltie to a merle sheltie. These specimens, unfortunately, can suffer blindness or deafness or both, to varying degrees. This is a direct result of doubling the merle gene (hence "double merle") and affects the eyes and ears only. The bodies of double merle shelties are mainly all white, with only a hint of the underlying blue merle coloring appearing. Please accept my apologies, as I do not have a photograph of a double merle sheltie to upload.
Health:
The sheltie, for all its good points, is a highly popular breed. The AKC
currently recognizes over 150 breeds, and the Sheltie is presently ranked number
15 in popularity. As a result, poorly bred shelties can be found everywhere you
go, with problems galore. These can include uncontrollable barking; excessive
timidity which can lead to fear biting; excessive hyperactivity, etc. Poorly
bred shelties may also be more likely to develop temperament and behavior
problems, and are more likely to have or develop health problems including heart
diseases, liver and kidney problems, skin diseases and many more (please see
Sheltie
Health). Well-bred shelties are generally healthy and long-lived,
with life expectancies of easily twelve to fifteen years or more.
Grooming:
The
sheltie does require a certain amount of grooming to maintain general health as
well as health and luster of the coat. Thorough brushing of the coat on a weekly basis is a
MUST, as is frequent trimming of toenails and the long hairs that grow and mat between the
toes and foot pads. Shelties may shed profusely, usually once annually. Time,
extent, and frequency of shedding will vary from sheltie to sheltie and be
dependent on general and overall health and environment as much as the passing
seasons. Shedding
may be encouraged by giving more frequent baths and deep brushings during this
time. It may take as many as four weeks for a shed to finish, and more frequent brushing
during this time is imperative to avoid clumping and matting against the skin
(which can lead to a whole assemblage of problems), not to mention the big balls
of sheltie fluff that appear - seeming from nowhere - all over your house!
What about all that long hair, you ask? To be honest, sheltie hair is much easier to keep up after, clean up after, than the short, sticky hairs of short-haired breeds. Where a short-haired breed will shed, leaving its hair stuck into furniture fabric and everything else coming in contact, the long hair of the sheltie - while no different in its ability to attach to everything - is much easier to clean up, as it can be "rolled" off furniture and fabrics, leaving no residual short hairs to poke you.
The sheltie adapts well and easily to living in any situation, whether it be an apartment or condo, a house in the city or a farm, your RV or even a house boat, so long as - in any situation - the sheltie is given adequate, daily physical and mental stimulation.
It is very easy to see how the sheltie can be one of the most popular breeds today - from companion to watch dog to obedience dog to protector to herder (even of children!), shelties possess what I call VERSATILITY PLUS!!!
For useful and interesting reading on shelties, click here.
Please feel free to e-mail Amy with any questions or comments
