About Us
Web-DVM
Health, advice, and information online community for dog and cats lovers.
Shetland Sheepdog
The Web-DVM TV & Blog: Animal news, information, and commentary with host, veterinarian, Dr. Roger Welton.
The origin of this dog is not really known because there is no written history of them. The Shetland sheepdog is thought to have originated from collies brought to the Shetland Islands. Although their ancestry is uncertain, it is believed that they and the large collies have a common ancestor. It has also been suggested that it shares genes with the larger Shetland sheepdog, Dwarf Spaniels and the Icelandic Yakkie. Unfortunately, the Shetlands history details were not recorded until the late 19th century.
Since the Shetland Islands are so small, they produced small breeds of animals such as Shetland sheep and Shetland ponies. Farmers on the Islands bred small hardy little dogs they called Toonies to help herd and protect their flocks. The name Toonie came from the Norwegian word tun which means farm.
The 1st Shetlands, or Toonies as they were then known, came to England sometime in the early 1800s. It is believed that they were brought to England by sailors as gifts for friends and family, or just as ship dogs. Some of the British people took an interest in the dogs recognizing them as great herders. Unfortunately by this time the dogs were declining on the Shetland Islands.
In England there was an attempt to improve the breed by a series of crossbreeding and soon the “Toonies” had some very serious differences. In an attempt to refine the breed, other breeders bred them to rough collies to preserve what they thought was the Shetlands’ best features. This resulted in a bigger dog known as Shetland Collies. Later, by crossing with toy breeds to get the smaller size back, the larger collie type was lost and the original Shetland Sheepdog returned.
The Shetland Sheepdog was officially recognized by the English Kennel Club in 1909 as the Shetland Collie, and in 1994 the AKC followed. The Collie fanciers objected to this name and so the breed was renamed the Shetland Sheepdog.
The Shetland Sheepdog was officially recognized by the English Kennel Club in 1909 as the Shetland Collie, and in 1994 the AKC followed. The Collie fanciers objected to this name and so the breed was renamed the Shetland Sheepdog.
There was a breeding ban during World War I that held back the progress of the Shetland Sheepdog. Fortunately, this was only temporary and the U.S. began importing them after the war.
The American Shetland Sheepdog Association was formed in 1929. In the 1950s the British imports were stopped because the U.S. and British breeds had become greatly different and were no longer crossbred.
Shetland Sheepdogs are beautiful, friendly, loyal, and dainty dogs that make great family pets.
Height: 13-16 in
Weight: Average 18 lbs
Size: Small
Life span: 12-15 years
Pros: Good watchdog
Good with children Easy to train Low dominance
Very intelligent Good for novice owners Good with other pets Ok for apartments if regularly exercisedCons: Barks a lot
Barks a lotRegular grooming neededSeasonal heavy shedderFairly active indoorsRequires daily mental and physical activity Can be prone to: Diseases of the eyes, hypothyroidism and displacement of the patella.
By: Linda Eastabrooks
Former AKC Breeder
Contributor, Web-DVM.net
Top Canine & Feline Topics
Web-DVM.net - Health, Advice, and Information Community For Dog and Cat Lovers - All Rights Reserved - © Copywrite 2011
Ask a Vet Veterinary - Advice Ask a Vet Online
If you need to ask a vet or are looking for veterinary advice or maybe you
want to ask a vet online, then you've come to the right website.
Related Links/Search This Site
Custom Search
Search This Site
