1. The Appearance of Shetland Sheepdogs
The Shetland sheepdog, with its fluffy fur and pointed muzzle,
is commonly known by its nickname “Sheltie.”
As shelties were born through crossbreeding with various breeds,
they tend to come in various sizes.

In fact, it’s said that even siblings born from the same womb come in different sizes.
Shelties are doublecoated dogs with two layers of thick fur.
Their outercoat consists of long,
rough hairs while their undercoat grows short yet soft hairs, so they tend to shed a lot.

Therefore, shelties need to be brushed at least once a week.

2. The History of Shetland Sheepdogs

Shetland sheepdogs, as its name suggests,
is a breed that originated in the Shetland Islands of northeastern Scotland.
Although this island is small, it is known to have a very rugged lay of land,
and shelties were bred to adapt well even to such terrain.
Because shelties are quickwitted and have loud barks,
it’s said they used to help raise livestock on small farms
or serve as guard dogs to look out for strangers.

3. Characteristics of Shetland Sheepdogs

Shetland sheepdogs are extremely smart, making them easy to train.
Therefore, in addition to basic obedience commands,
they can take on various training, including agility training.
In particular, shelties are extremely sensitive to their owner’s tone of voice.

So, when training shelties, it’s best for owners to maintain a firm voice and manner.
But if you push shelties too hard or train them too harshly,
they may cower or hide, so you need to be careful of this.

Also, shelties are very active dogs,
so much so that they’re called “athletes” for their high exercise needs.
Therefore, shelties need to be walked for at least an hour everyday.
If this isn’t enough exercise for them,
it can lead to problematic behavior such as destroying furniture in the house.

Moreover, since shelties were herding dogs,
they like to chase moving objects such as cars and small animals,
so make sure to be careful they don’t suddenly spring forth when you’re walking them.

4. Health Issues to Look Out For in Shetland Sheepdogs

Shetland sheepdogs are generally healthy dogs
But because they may have inherited eye disorders or congenital diseases,
you have to look out for various eye diseases
as well as dermatomyositis, also known as Sheltie skin syndrome.

Sheltie skin syndrome is a genetic disease that
occurs mainly in collies and Shetland sheepdogs.
It usually just causes skin lesions, but in severe cases,
it can even cause muscle damage.