This dog breed is a medium sized dog breed with qualities of shepherd dog. In the ancient times, this dog was being used well as shepherd dog. Since it is a very reliable, good mannered dog capable doing anything. It is Japan’s most popular breed.
History & Health :
- History :
Originally, this dog came from Scotland where it was reared as a very good shepherd. It was used to take care of the dwarf cattle. The dog size is due to where it was bred, the islands of the isles. During this time, most fishing boats visited the islands and came with different types of these dogs. In 19th century, a number of communities used it as a companion dog. This is when the British sailors visited the islands.
- Health :
This dog if well taken care of can live up to 14 years. The most common ailments that can attack him include the hip dysplasia, carpal ligament weakening, cataracts, and legg perthes disease among many more. He is very sensitive to some drugs, hence when treating him a lot of care is very important to ensure that he is not affected.
Temperament & Personality :
- Personality :
His personality is good and he relates well with their keepers.
- Activity Requirements :
Since these dogs are small, they can live well in an apartment as long as they have been committed to regular exercise. If you are staying with them, they require some dally walk and running as much as possible. In fact, this has been attributed to their long life nature. Since they have a very strong, urge to herd, they will herd a group of kids, animals or anything that they can. For the dog to grow well it is advisable that it be enrolled in an obedience class so that he may learn some tricks.
- Trainability :
Because of his loving nature, this dog is very easy to be trained. When training them they will pick the commands quickly since they have an urge to continuously please the master.
- Behavioral Traits :
It has high-pitched voice when he is barking. Sometimes the backing can be very annoying hence, it is very essential to train him to obey the commands. The dog will give you an alert when there is stranger but not a friend to the family. Since they are popular breeds, there has been a lot of inbreeding leading to several of them being born with different temperaments.
Appearance & Grooming :
- Appearance :
It has a very beautiful coat and looks likes miniature. He has a long wedge shaped head with a narrow muzzle. Moreover, the nose of the dog is black while the teeth meet in scissors bite type. In addition, he has muscular body and a very long tail.
- Size and Weight :
This dog can grow up to 16 inches and has an average weight is around 18 pounds.
- Coat & Color :
They have a thick, double coat. Some hair covers the head, hands, and the feet. The tails and the legs are covered with long hair all over. Their popular colors are black and white, black, and wide range of some colors that exists.
- Grooming :
Shelties require some brushing at least once per week to clean the coat. When cleaning, it is vital to brush up to the skin to remove any dirt that might be there. This is because they are shepherd dogs they tend to get dirty more often than not. Do not forget to clean the hair behind the ears and the eyes since a lot of dirt accumulates in these places. When they are shedding there fur you should brush the coat daily to remove extra hair. You need to clip the nails once in a month and brush the teeth twice in a week.
- Body Type :
The body of this dog is slightly longer than the normal tallness. The line at the back is strong and not bent whether the dog is running, moving or standing. He has a short and muscular loin that is slightly longer. When you look at the chest from the sides, it appears well filled with moderate width.
Characteristics :
- The dog loves the kids
- He is very friendly to the cat
- He also relates well to other dogs’
- He sheds the coat once in a while but not too much
- He is best used as watch dog, a very good shepherd dog
- He is highly intelligence dog that can learn so many tricks
- He is averagely groomed
- He is very popular with people and other animals
- He easily adopts to any kind of situation brought to it
- He is non hypoallergenic
- The dog is loving
Tasty Tidbits :
This dog makes a very good shepherd and it needs to be in the sun for some time every day.
Care :
Just like any other breed, this dog requires a lot of care. Since he loves so much he also likes to be loved. Sometimes he can feel emotional when he realizes that he has been neglected. These dogs were bred to withstand harsh conditions however, they love their people so much hence should be in good environment that is indoors.
Feeding :
The recommended quantity of food is ¾ to 2 cups of a balanced diet dog food. However, all feeding should be done in relation to the size of the dog. To keep him in good shape, you should measure the food and feed him at least two times in a day.
Images, Pics, Photos and Pictures of Shetland Sheepdog :
Shetland Sheepdog Information :
- The dog is called Shetland sheep dog
- Other names are Shetland collie, Shettie, Toonie dog
- He originated from Scotland
- He is medium sized dog breed
- The breed group for this dog is herding dog breed group
- He can live for up to 13 years
- He is attentive alert lively, responsible and strong
- The height is 13 inches
- It weighs around 6.4 to 12.2 kilograms
- This dog comes in the black and white, black and tan, blue colors
- The average puppy price ranges from $ 300 to $ 500.
