General information on Shelties.
Size, Proportion, Substance
The Shetland Sheepdog should stand between 13 and 16 inches at the shoulder. Note: Height is determined by a line perpendicular to the ground from the top of the shoulder blades, the dog standing naturally,
with forelegs parallel to line of measurement.
Coat
The coat should be double, the outer coat consisting of long, straight, harsh hair; the undercoat short, furry, and so dense as to give the entire coat its "standoff" quality.
The hair on face, tips of ears and feet should be smooth. Mane and frill should be abundant, and particularly impressive in males. The forelegs well feathered, the hind legs
heavily so, but smooth below the hock joint. Hair on tail profuse. Note: Excess-hair on ears, feet, and on hocks may be trimmed for the show ring. Faults-- Coat short or flat,
in whole or in part; wavy, curly, soft or silky. Lack of undercoat. Smooth-coated specimens.
Color
Black, blue merle, and sable (ranging from golden through mahogany); marked with varying amounts of white and/or tan. Faults-- Rustiness in a black or a blue coat.
Washed-out or degenerate colors, such as pale sable and faded blue. Self-color in the case of blue merle, that is, without any merling or mottling and generally appearing as a faded or dilute tri-color. Conspicuous white body
spots. Specimens with more than 50 percent white shall be so severely penalized as to effectively eliminate them from competition. Disqualification-- Brindle.
Temperament
The Shetland Sheepdog is intensely loyal, affectionate, and responsive to his owner. However, he may be reserved toward strangers but not to the point of showing fear or cringing in the ring. Faults-- Shyness, timidity,
or nervousness, stubbornness, snappiness, or ill temper.The Shetland Sheepdog is an outstanding companion dog and is intensely loyal, with a pleasant temperament. It is lively, intelligent, trainable, and willing to please and obey. Shelties are relatively sensitive, and do not need a hard hand when training. Shelties are loving, loyal, and affectionate with their family, but are naturally aloof with strangers and might not appreciate being petted by someone they do not know; for this reason Shelties must be socialized extensively. There is a much wider range in temperament in modern shelties than there used to be, and personalities will range from quiet, stay-at-home dogs, to active extroverts.
Unfortunately, due to their popularity, more shelties are being bred in puppy mills and by inexperienced, unknowledgeable breeders. These dogs often have very poor temperaments, with characteristics such as fear-biting, excessive shyness, nervousness, or extreme hyperness. Most Shelties, if encouraged, will warm up to strangers if given time. Some can be quite reserved and some have varying degrees of shyness.
Although they are excellent family pets, Shelties do especially well with children if they are raised with them from an early age; however, their small size makes it easy for a child to accidentally injure them, so supervision is necessary.
Unlike some dog breeds, males and females make equally good pets. The main difference is that males tend to have more impressive coats, and unspayed females will 'blow' coat after every heat cycle. Males should appear masculine, females, feminine.
The herding instinct is still strong in many Shelties. They love to chase things, including squirrels, ducks and children. Shelties almost always love to play & run in wide-open areas; just make sure the space is safe and they can't get too far away.
This is Mephibosheth Hepziba of Longview.
(SHEP)
Shep is a great little guy. He is very lovable. He is 13 inches tall and weighs 12 lbs.
This is Dohertys Lilttle Missy
OFA Hips excellent
(Missy)
Missy is 14 inches tall and weighs 15 lbs.
This is Narcissus Moza of Longview
(Narci)
Narci is 16 inces tall and weights about 20 lbs.
