Are You in Love with Shelties?

Welcome to Sheltie Planet. My name is Becky and I made this site in honor of my two beautiful Shelties, Howard and Piper.

Howard, my magnificent Shetland Sheepdog

If you have a Shetland Sheepdog or are planning to adopt one, Sheltie Planet has heaps of advice on grooming, training, healthcare, puppies, adoption, and more.

If you'd like to support my work, please share your favorite posts, download my ebook guide on raising Shelties, and check out my Sheltie store.

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My First Sheltie Puppy

I've been in love with this little dog breed ever since I met my first Sheltie puppy. With his floppy ears and almond eyes, Howard had me at "Yap!"

The cutest puppy in the world!

Now, there are a few things you need to know about Howard. Firstly, he was always driven by his stomach. This got him into many embarrassing sausage-based situations over the years. He simply couldn't understand why all the food wasn't for him. Can you?

Howard also had a half-brother, Piper, who was meant to be a show dog. But when Piper turned out to have monstrous stage fright, we introduced him to the beach life instead.

Piper barks, while Howard keeps watch for sea gulls

While Howard was the bold and enigmatic one, Piper was hypersensitive and eager to please. Together, they ruled the beaches of north Auckland with their barking, wave-chasing, and general interrogation of beach-goers.

Our Shelties fighting and hugging simultaneously.

If you'd like to know more about our personal story, you can read all about Howard and Piper here.

What Are The Parts of a Sheltie?

Ah yes, of course. A very sensible question. Here's your basic Sheltie anatomy:

Anatomy of a Sheltie.

If you want a more technical answer, here's a summary of the Shetland Sheepdog Breed Standard. This defines the ideal Sheltie when it comes to judging champions and responsible breeding.

What Types of Shelties Are There?

There are some subtle differences between American and English Shelties. The American Sheltie Standard describes dogs and bitches up to 16 inches at the withers, and with a slightly longer snout than their cousins across the ditch.

In contrast, the English Sheltie Standard aims for a slightly more petite dog: males are ideally 14.5 inches and females are 14 inches.

Shetland Sheepdogs appear in five coat colors, with Sable being dominant (as opposed to most other dog breeds where Black is dominant). Check out all the Shelties colors in pictures with explanations of their inheritance patterns.

A showcase of the five Sheltie colors: Sable, Tri Color, Blue Merle, Bi Blue, and Bi Black. We also look at white factoring and the rare Color Headed White... Read more

Miniature Shelties are an unofficial type of Sheltie measuring under 13 inches at the withers. They're bred like standard Shetland Sheepdogs in every other way... Read more

Are Shelties Good Family Dogs?

These little dogs make wonderful family pets, provided they are well-socialized with children when they're puppies. Because they're smart and sensitive, they're highly trainable and often very gentle with little ones.

Moderately active with a love of playing chase, Shetland Sheepdogs are keen to join in with all family activities. Whether it's herding rolling rocks, playing hide-and-seek, or zooming around with no purpose whatsoever, they're are endlessly entertaining. And kids love them.

It's essential to socialize a puppy with all kinds of people at a young age including children and babies. Lots of early exposure is key. A well-adjusted adult dog gets along with everyone because they have positive associations guiding them from puppyhood.

Don't worry if your Sheltie puppy nips a lot when he's young. Puppies explore the world with their mouths, and sometimes their teeth get in the way. It's all part of the great learning experiment.

When your puppy nips, withdraw your hand and let out a little yelp to show him it hurts. Once he learns bite inhibition, he'll know it's never ok for his teeth to make firm contact with your skin.

Shelties can shy dogs if they aren't well socialized as puppies. Missing this window is a huge loss for a Sheltie, but there are ways to help minimize his anxiety... Read more

It's natural to be apprehensive when you bring your newborn baby home. Your whole life will be different, especially if this is your first child. And having pets around can shake things up that extra bit... Read more

What's The Sheltie Temperament Like?

Shelties are quirky and expressive. They have many different ways of displaying their emotions through body language, facial expressions, and vocal chords. Known for their high pitched barking, they can be trained to stop barking so much if you employ firmness and consistency. They can also be trained to speak, howl, and sing.

Being a small dog breed, Shetland Sheepdogs are naturally gentle creatures. Their intelligent and playful nature enables them to frolic safely with young children and many other types of dogs.

As an alarm dog, Shelties are very sensitive to their environment too. They'll alert you to any unusual activity going on outside. And that includes cars, cats, and their mortal frenemy, the mailman.

Shelties get along with other pets, as long as their housemates (cats in particular) can stand their ground when herded. There will be a transition period as each pet comes to understand their role in the dynamic, but give them time. Early, positive exposure to other animals helps a lot.

The herding instinct will drive your Sheltie to herd your cat, for example. But once he's cornered the poor feline, he won't know what to do with her. To establish the ground rules, your cat needs to be confident enough to stay calm, ignore him, or walk away all sassy. If your Sheltie doesn't get a reaction, his instinct won't be triggered.

Shelties are small dogs with a dainty appearance and lots of fur. They're sensitive, eager, and highly vocal. Here's what I love most about Shetland Sheepdogs... Read more

Many dogs love to play fetch or tug-of-war, but Shelties are far more idiosyncratic. Here are some fun games for Shelties that reward their herding instinct... Read more

Should I Get a Sheltie Puppy?

All puppies are adorable. But the Sheltie puppy, with his big floppy ears, beautiful almond eyes, and silky soft fur, can be deliberately cute on demand.

See? Deliberately cute.

Still, puppies are hard work. They demand constant supervision so they don't chew through wires, get stuck in weird places, or escape through a tiny hole in the fence. On top of this responsibility, there's housetraining, obedience training, puppy vaccinations, and socialization.

If a puppy sounds like too much responsibility, you should absolutely rescue an adult Sheltie instead. Sadly, people give up adult dogs for all kinds of reasons, including neglect, abuse, or straight up abandonment. You can make a difference.

Find Shelties for adoption with your local rescue and see if your new best friend is already waiting for you. Rescue Shelties are vet checked, vaccinated, de-sexed, and de-wormed to give them the healthiest start in their new life.

If you have your heart set on buying a Sheltie puppy, make sure you use a responsible Sheltie breeder and avoid puppy mills, puppy farms, and backyard breeders at all costs.

See Sheltie puppies growing into an adult dogs in pictures: tiny newborn dumplings, plump 8-week furballs, gangly coyotes, and billowing fur beasts... Read more

You're getting a new puppy! Praise Wibblesniff! Life is good! Here are 20 things you need for your new teeny friend, from feeding bowls to grooming tools... Read more

Here are 101 pictures of Sheltie puppies sent in by our readers. Get ready for puppy overload—we're talking cute, playful, curious, sleepy, bashful... oh wait, now I'm just naming dwarves... Read more

Pet store puppies often come from puppy mills who, unlike ethical breeders, bypass genetic screening and vet checks in exchange for more profits... Read more

How Do I Train My Sheltie?

The number one rule of Sheltie puppy training is to build a relationship with your dog based on mutual trust and respect. So before you begin obedience training, focus on forming a loving bond with your Shetland Sheepdog. This not only helps you understand his needs and instincts, it also helps him develop trust in you.

Once a Sheltie puppy understands he belongs to the family pack, he's more likely to respond to your commands. The trust you build early on comes from showing affection, defining mutual boundaries, and treating any breaches with kindness but firmness. Like a child, a puppy needs to know what's expected of him before he can learn to regulate his own behavior.

Our Latest AGM voted on the purchase of more Peanut Butter Futures

What's the best way to train a Sheltie? I recommend clicker training. It's a gentle, conditional dog training method that uses only positive reinforcement to teach your Sheltie obedience.

It's beautifully simple really. When paired with a command, the clicking sound ingrains the habit for your dog to listen and respond appropriately. It's based on a natural way for both dogs (and humans!) to learn, allowing you to train new behaviors your smart Smehtlei in just a few repetitions.

Clicker training is ideal for Shelties learning obedience, tricks, and agility. It's a gentle training method that uses psychological conditioning... Read more

Behavioral problems aside, the best way to stop your Sheltie barking is to fill her life with productive outlets for her energy: agility, tricks, obedience, chew toys, games, and exercise... Read more

Are Shelties a Healthy Dog Breed?

To produce healthy purebred dogs, breeders rely on careful breeding practices. They must take care to select mating pairs that are free of genetic disease and have good temperaments.

This is because extensive mating of related dogs in the past left many dog breeds with common genetic mutations. Without genetic testing, there are certain inherited diseases that are more likely to crop up in purebred Shelties:

• Patellar Luxation (kneecap dislocation)
• Hip Dysplasia (malformed hip joint)
• Dermatomyositis (skin inflammation)
• Collie eye (eye deformities)
• Von Willebrande's Disease (blood clotting disorder)

If you have a purebred Sheltie from a puppy mill, a pet store, or a backyard breeder, read up on these genetic health issues. By knowing what symptoms to look for, you can start treatment early and either cure or slow the disease progression.

As a small to medium sized dog breed, Shetland Sheepdogs typically live for 12-13 years, which roughly equates to living around 84-98 human years. If you're up to speed on diet, grooming, exercise, vaccinations, and dental care, he's much more likely to enjoy a long and healthy life.

As a breed, Shelties are prone to inherited health problems of the eyes, skin, knees, hips, and blood. Learn about genetic testing and what disease symptoms to look out for... Read more

An in-depth review of the best dog food for Shelties, including the best and worst dry dog food ingredients, healthy kibbles, toxic foods, and oral health... Read more

How Do I Groom My Sheltie?

Part of the attraction of Shetland Sheepdogs is the luxurious double coat. This comes with the responsibility of weekly or fortnightly brushing sessions.

At around 5-6 months old, your puppy will begin to develop the classic Sheltie coat. That's when you need to seriously step-up your grooming routine. Read my illustrated guide on How to Groom a Shetland Sheepdog to keep his skin and fur healthy, and prevent your home from turning into a fur-fest. The article also details the best dog brushes, how to use them, how to bathe a Sheltie, and and how to clip his claws.

The fur. THE FUR!

Shetland Sheepdogs have luxurious double coats, which come with the routine responsibility of grooming. Here's my step-by-step guide to de-shedding the undercoat.. Read more

When I asked Sheltie Planet readers to share their cutest, funniest and oh-so-sorrowful photos of dripping wet Shelties in the tub, this is what I got back... Read more

Should I De-Sex My Dog?

On the subject of dog maintenance, it's important to thoroughly consider the issue of de-sexing. Neutering males and spaying females is a routine procedure and is considered the most responsible option for pet owners. Rescue shelters spay and neuter all pets before they're re-homed, and with good reason.

According to The Humane Society, some 3 million unwanted dogs are euthanized in US shelters every year. That's about 1 dog every 10 seconds. Often, these animals are the unplanned offspring of cherished family pets. You can help stop this tragedy by de-sexing your dog.

There are also significant health benefits to neutering or spaying your Sheltie at the right age. Follow the links to learn the pros and cons, and the best age to de-sex males and females.

Should you neuter your Sheltie? Here are the pros and cons of neutering and why this is an issue no animal lover should ignore... Read more

Should you spay your female Sheltie? Here are the pros and cons of spaying and why this is an issue no animal lover should ignore... Read more

Final Thoughts

If you enjoy Sheltie Planet, check out my ebook, Shelties: The Complete Pet Owner's Guide. It's a goldmine of information for new and long-time Sheltie fans, illustrated with 140+ gorgeous photos.

Besides being an excuse to ogle Shelties, it has detailed advice on housebreaking, socialization, grooming, obedience training, de-sexing, healthcare, personality, breed traits, and more. This $5 download helps support my ongoing work here at Sheltie Planet.

Becky, Pete, Howard, and Piper

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Becky Casale is the creator of Sheltie Planet and Science Me. She lives in New Zealand with her partner, their two children, and their Sheltie, Piper.

Shelties are small dogs with a dainty appearance and lots of fur. They're sensitive, eager, and highly vocal. Here's what I love most about Shetland Sheepdogs... Read more

There are currently 11 dedicated Sheltie Rescues in the UK. Get in touch today to see their Shelties for adoption and give a dog a forever home... Read more

Besides the AKC's 22,000 competitive dog events each year, there are hundreds of US-based pet expos and dog days out where you can meet all kinds of breeds... Read more

I've rescued a number of dogs from the horrors of the dog meat industry in South Korea. But I was especially shocked when I saw a group of Collies and Shelties... Read more

The first dogs evolved from wolves around 20,000-40,000 years ago, and despite a long history of domestication, all dogs retain some aggressive instinct from their wild ancestry... Read more

Meet Daisy—a Labrador who detected breast cancer in her owner, Claire Guest, six years ago: "She kept staring at me and lunging into my chest. It led me to find a lump..." Read more