Intelligence and Activity Level

Activity level

The herding instinct is strong in many Shelties. They love to chase and herd things, including squirrels, ducks, children, and if an owner is not watchful, cars. Shelties love to run in wide-open areas.

A bi-black Sheltie doing agility

Shelties usually love to play. They do best with a sensitive, attentive owner. The Sheltie is, above all, a herder and likes to be kept busy, although their activity level usually coincides with their owner's level. Shelties also are very smart, making them highly trainable. Shelties are very good with children. Neglecting a Sheltie's need for exercise and intellectual stimulation can result in undesirable behaviors, including excessive barking, phobias, and nervousness. Fortunately, the reverse is also true: annoying behaviors can be lessened greatly by an hour of exercise that engages the dog with its owner.

 Intelligence

Shelties have a high level of intelligence. According to Dr. Stanley Coren, an expert on animal intelligence, the Shetland sheepdog is one of the brightest dogs, ranking 6th out of 132 breeds tested. His research found that an average Sheltie could understand a new command in less than 5 repetitions and would obey a command the first time it was given 95% of the time or better.<sup>[5]

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Temperament of the Sheltie

Temperament

 

The Shetland sheepdog is an outstanding companion dog and is intensely loyal. It is lively, intelligent, trainable, and willing to please and obey. Shelties are loving, loyal, and affectionate with their family, but are naturally aloof with strangers; for this reason Shelties must be socialized. The Shetland Sheepdog Standard from the AKC allows them to be reserved to strangers, but they should not show fear.

Shelties do well with children if they are reared with them from an early age; however, their small size makes it easy for a child to accidentally injure them, so supervision is necessary. Exercise caution when considering an adult Sheltie for a family with young children; they may not be compatible.

Shelties are vocal dogs. They are intensely loyal, affectionate and responsive to their owner; reserved but not shy or fearful.^[4] Some shelties display a terrier-like personality, which tends to be hyperactive and always on the go; however, this temperament is not sanctioned in the breed standard.^[3] Some Shelties can be very timid but this temperament is specifically discouraged by the breed standard.^[4] Tendencies towards shyness can be reduced through proper socialization.

The average Sheltie is an excellent watch dog, giving alarm barks when a person is at the door, or a car is in the driveway.

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Look at the size difference in the Standard from the English to American...

The Shetland sheepdog, often known as the Sheltie and sometimes as the Shetland collie, is a breed of dog in the herding dog group.

The AKC breed standard for height is from 13 to 16 inches (33 to 41 cm). A measurement outside this range will result in dismissal from the conformation ring, and three dismissals result in the dog being banned from any more conformation classes.^[3]

Shelties normally weigh around 11–30 pounds (5.0–14 kg).
Shelties have the herding dog temperament. They are vocal, excitable, energetic dogs who are always willing to please and work hard. They were used in the Shetland Islands for herding and protecting sheep.

They are small dogs, 13–16 inches (33–41 cm) at the withers by AKC Conformation standards, and they come in a variety of colors, such as Sable/White, Tri-color, Blue Merle, and so forth.

Their early history is not well-known. They originally were a small mixed breed dog, often 8-10 inches in height. It is thought that they were a cross of a Spitz type dog from Scandinavia with the local sheepdog. In the early 1900s, James Loggie added a small show Rough Collie to the stock, and the modern Shetland sheepdog was born. The original name of the breed was Shetland Collie, but this caused controversy among Rough Collie breeders, and the breed's official name was changed to Shetland sheepdog.

The year 1909 marked the initial recognition of the Sheltie by the English Kennel Club, with the first registered Sheltie being a female called Badenock Rose. The first Sheltie to be registered by the American Kennel Club was "Lord Scott" in 1911

Shetland Sheepdog, UK Working Group, English Standard

From the Shetland Islands off the north coast of Scotland, comes the breed which carries the islands' name, orginially known as the Shetland Collie.  The name was changed in 1908 when the Shetland Sheepdog Club was formed in Lerwick.

One particular animal, Loggie, who would now be known as a Shetland Sheepdog, was entered at Cruft's in 1906, and was shown as a miniature Collie. 

This small, long-haired working dog is one of great beauty, of symmetrical outling so that no part appears out of proportion to the whole.  The coat is abundant, with a mane and frill, and the striking colors are pale gold to deep mahogany-sable, tri-color, blue-merle, black and white, or black and tan.  The ideal height is 14-14.5 in (35.5-37 cm) and weight is perharps surprisingly, 14-16 lbs. (6-7 kg).

 This is an alert, gentle and intelligent breed, affectionate, and responsive to owners and reserved with strangers, but never nervous.

Rarely used today as a herding animal, the Shetland Sheepdog has become a popular pet, particularly in Japan and Britain.

Breed fact: An early name for the Shetland Sheepdog was Dwarf Scotch Shepherd and now the breed is often referred to by the familiar name of  'Sheltie.'

Exerpt from Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds by Juliette Cunliffe
Published in the UK