Shetland Sheepdog: A Comprehensive Guide to Owning and Caring for Your Dog

Opposite page: Aside from being a magnificent, beautiful representative of the dog world, the Shetland Sheepdog is a warm, loving pet for millions of homes around the world.

HISTORY OF THE SHETLAND SHEEPDOG

Stand atop a hillside overlooking an emerald valley. Feel the soft summer breeze rising up from the land below to bring you the scent of green grass and lush vegetation. Scan the valley that runs for several miles beneath you. Notice the beige cloud that slowly undulates across the valley, then look again.

It’s not a cloud. It’s a flock of hundreds of sheep moving as one across the field. Wonder now at what keeps them together and forces them to move in such beautiful symmetry. Focus on the sheep cloud as your eyes adjust to the scene. Only then will you notice two small dark creatures around the outside of the flock.

Those dark specks are Shetland Sheepdogs, developed for use in the Shetland Islands off the northern coast of Scotland. The dogs are doing what they’ve been doing for hundreds of years: keeping the flock together and guiding the path of its travel. They are herding sheep.

They take directions from a distant herdsman who whistles his orders to them. The sound of his whistling starts and stops the dogs, turns them backwards and forwards, right and left. He often directs them to go fetch a stray ewe as she wanders away from the flock.

As you watch the dogs work, marvel at the wonder of these small creatures handling hundreds of sheep, each of which weighs many times more than a Shetland Sheepdog.

Now wonder no more: Here within these pages is the story of how and why these little dogs manage such great feats. Their story truly is remarkable, considering that they are descended from the great strong collies of ancient Scotland.

This whole Shetland thing began thousands of years ago in the rugged mountain country of Scotland known as the Highlands. It is the dogs’ skill and intelligence at handling animals such as sheep, cattle and reindeer that fostered their development and has sustained them as unsurpassed herders, even into the 21st century.

Lacking authentic historical records regarding the origin of Shetland Sheepdogs, we are left to take bits and pieces of information—stories, occasional written references, paintings, old tales passed from one generation to the next—to recreate a most probable scenario for the breed’s beginning. Thus goes the story.

The Shetland Sheepdog, though originally bred for herding sheep, has also shown great skills and aptitude in herding cattle.

As far back as Neolithic times, 3500 to 2000 BC, there were collie-type northern sheepdogs that were finding their way south into the Mediterranean countries. From there, they eventually traveled with merchant traders to the British Isles.

Going back even further, we find that these collie-type dogs descended from northern European and Asian wolves, thus making the dogs genetically predisposed to herding and manipulating large flocks of animals. Wolves obtain food by using this method of rounding up their prey in order to pick out a candidate for the kill. The collie-type dogs of today therefore still carry within their genes the traits for herding.

In addition, modern collie-type dogs rely on a master, a human, to oversee their work. This trait comes from the original wolves that needed an alpha wolf to guide them in the roundup and the hunt. Absent a leader, neither the wolves of ancient times nor the dogs of today would survive and prosper. Both are social animals.

About the time that the collie-type dogs were settling in England and Scotland, the farmers of the Shetland Islands, known as crofters, were using dogs to herd their flocks of sheep. They paid little attention to the size and uniformity of the dogs—they were concerned only with the dogs’ ability to work.

However, when they visited the mountainous Highlands of Scotland, they became fascinated with the large collies of the mainland. The intelligence and dedication of those big dogs were qualities much desired in working dogs, and the Shetland Islanders began using them to improve and refine their own toonies or local township dogs.

Scottish, Dutch and Scandinavian fishermen also stopped at the Shetland Islands with some frequency. Occasionally they brought with them dogs they kept on board their vessels. On one occasion, as an old yarn tells us, a yacht touched the island and on board was a black-and-tan King Charles Spaniel. This dog eventually bred with some of the island dogs, thus launching the true beginning of the Shetland Sheepdogs.

Their size was the only problem. Shetland sheep are about one-half the size of the blackfaced sheep of Scotland. The Islanders realized from the beginning that they needed smaller collie-type dogs than those found in the Highlands. Thus they chose the smallest Scottish dogs to breed to their own toonies. Eventually, they produced very small collie-type dogs that they named Shetland Sheepdogs.

The black-and-tan King Charles Spaniel has been associated in folk legend with having been introduced into the bloodlines to create the Shetland Sheepdog.

The end result produced a dog of distinction. The Sheltie, as it became known, closely resembled a large collie in appearance, with the happy disposition and friendly characteristics of the spaniel, and the heart, stamina and dedication to master of the English Collie.

THE ISLANDS OF TINIES

The Shetland Islands are not just known for miniature collies. They are also known for other diminutive animals such as cattle, sheep and ponies.

Even later dogs were crossbred with native dogs of Greenland known as Yaks. Traces of these crosses are seen today in the large erect ears and heavy coat of the Sheltie. It seems safe to say that today’s Sheltie is a combination of old native island dogs, large northern Collies, spaniels and Yaks from the frigid climate of Greenland.

The earliest record of the true Shetland Sheepdog dates back to 1840 in the form of an engraving of the town of Lerwick, capital of the Shetland Islands. It shows a Shetland pony in the background and a small collie-type dog in the foreground.

Then, in 1944, a traveler to the Shetland Islands wrote an article about the local sheepdogs that herded the flocks by day, then played and slept in the house of the herdsman by night.

As time passed, the crofters began managing larger flocks that in turn required larger collie-type dogs. Collies from the mainland were again introduced to increase the size of the Shetland dogs, and it was at this time that Shetland farmers recognized the need to stabilize the size and appearance of the dogs, thus safeguarding the breeding of the Shetland Sheepdog for all time.

The dogs possessed great intelligence and stamina with fine muscular development and thick coats due to the harshness of their island environment. These traits were carefully retained while size was added to bring the dogs to the size of 15 inches or 16 inches at the shoulder.

As the breed became stable and people could accurately predict the appearance and size of the Sheltie puppies, they began to be exhibited at local shows in and around Lerwick. In 1906, the breed was shown for the first time at Crufts Dog Show in London, where the dog-show community enthusiastically received them. Then, in 1908, the Shetland Collie Club was founded. It wasn’t until 1910 that Crufts offered a separate classification for the breed for the first time. Both Scottish and English exhibitors provided a large entry that the public immediately embraced. Shortly after that, the Ladies Kennel Association established classes for the dogs and their popularity exploded, with entries equal to that of the regular Collies.

Even though small in size, when compared to a Collie or another larger herding breed, the Shetland Sheepdog still can handle very large animals in its herding mode.

The Rough Collie is recognized in three colors, including sable, black and blue merle, shown here. The close relationship between Collies and Shelties is evident from the sharing of these three color varieties.

THE SHETLAND ISLANDS

In 1472, the Shetland Islands became officially annexed to the Scottish Crown, giving the islanders a solid connection with the mainland. Following annexation, the islanders increased their travel between their island and Scotland to a point where they began comparing farming techniques and dog-raising with their own methods.

The Shetland Sheepdog in the UK is a smaller dog with less coat and a different head piece than its American counterpart.

THE SHETLAND SURVIVES

World War I was almost the downfall of the Shetland Sheepdog. Breeding was almost completely halted and size and type were nearly lost. One breeder, however, introduced a collie crossbred into a limited breeding program, thereby preserving the uniform type of well-boned sturdiness and size into his line. This act set the uniformity for future generations despite four years of war.

In 1911, the breed crossed the Atlantic and appeared at American shows with equal enthusiasm. However, the matter of size and type still plagued the breed in America.

In 1914, the English Sheepdog Club was formed and urged the adoption of a standard for the breed that included the specification of the general appearance of the Shetland Collie as approximately that of a show Collie in miniature, ideal height at the shoulder, 12 inches.

Later that same year, The Kennel Club joined the Scottish and English Shetland Clubs to grant the breed individual classification. Now the Shetland Sheepdog was recognized as a breed on its own, not just as a miniature Collie.

Though controversy over size continued for several decades, the matter was finally put to rest in 1929 in America. At the famous Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the American Shetland Sheepdog Association united with the English and Scottish clubs to describe the breed as resembling a Collie (Rough) in miniature with size being designated as 12 to 15 inches at the shoulder, the ideal being 13.5 inches. Eventually, the American Shetland Sheepdog Association changed their standard to read between 13 and 16 inches with disqualification of any height above or below that range.

The difference of an inch or two in the size of the Shetland Sheepdog is certainly secondary to its fundamental character. Molded by the rugged land from which it came, the dog is a hard worker despite the rigors of the island’s climate. His traits of intelligence, agility, soundness and dedication come from his relative, the large Collie. His love of master and family, his instinct to guard and protect and his sweetness of disposition, together with his fondness of the outdoors, come from his spaniel and herding progenitors. These traits remain true and obvious even today and are what make the Sheltie a dog of distinction.

Erect ears that tip forward are a hallmark that is shared between the Shetland Sheepdog and the Collie. In general appearance and color as well as expression, the two breeds are remarkably similar.

Proof of the continuity of these traits lies in the fact that the Sheltie is still used today for herding and droving in the British Isles, the Shetland Islands and America. Sheepgrowers in the western United States—Montana, Utah, Colorado and Idaho, for example—employ Shelties because they cover ground so well and experience little difficulty in working in snow country. Their light weight prevents them from sinking deep into the snow as they drive the flocks. In addition, Shelties are found to be more gentle with ewes at lambing time than some of the larger herding dogs.

THE FIRST MILLION

Lord Scott was the first Sheltie registered with the American Kennel Club in 1911. Sheltieland Alice Grey Gown was the one-millionth Sheltie registered in 1935.

The Smooth Collie is one of the Shetland Sheepdog’s close relatives. Of the two Collies, the Smooth is much less popular than the Rough. Shelties cannot be smooth-coated.

Though the Shetland Sheepdog is an ancient breed, as evidenced by literature and art, the breed has managed to keep up with its master’s changing lifestyles. A perfect example of this modern Sheltie phenomenon is a lovely little bitch named Tassie. Her story exemplifies the intelligence and versatility of Shelties and epitomizes the dogs’ dedication to their masters.

Today Tassie lives in the tropical state of Florida with her owner, Bert Jenks. Until she retired, Tassie’s life was anything but casual or leisurely. Jenks and his wife, Joan, lived on a 36,000-acre ranch in the rolling hills of central Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in the western US. Rolling High Jenks Ranch was a 52-square-mile cattle ranch. The mountain peaks that surround the ranch reach heights of 14,000 feet.

Tassie was purchased by the Jenks in Florida, where they spend the winter months on the small island called Sanibel in the Gulf of Mexico, off Florida’s western coast. When spring arrived and Tassie was a mere six months old,