Shetland Sheepdog

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The Shetland Sheepdog is a strong, nimble, lightly built, beautiful dog, with a long, wedge-shaped head. Its coat is rough with a soft undercoat. Some say they are almost a perfect miniature copy in of the long-haired collie. The top plane of the muzzle should be parallel to that of the skull.

The glorious long double coat sports a lion-like mane and frill around the neck, and comes in blue merle, sable and black with various amounts of white and/or tan. The outer coat is lined with a dense, woolly undercoat. The legs and long tail are feathered, and the hair on the face and feet is smooth.

The tail should reach to the hock. The almond-shaped eyes are generally dark, except in blue merle dogs where they may be blue or merle color. The dog should have a watchful, gentle, questioning and intelligent expression. The nose should be black. The teeth should meet in a scissors bite.

The ears are small, flexible and expressive, with dropping tips. The Sheltie is an agile, swift dog and a good jumper. Dogs should appear masculine and bitches, feminine.

Temperament: Responsive, Affectionate, Loyal, Lively, Playful, Gentle, Reserved, Alert, Intelligent, Active, Trainable, Strong

Health Problems: Like the Rough Collie, there is a tendency toward inherited malformation and disease of the eyes. Some lines may be prone to hypothyroidism and displacement of the patella (kneecap), which is thought to be inherited. Do not overfeed; gains weight easily. Some herding dogs carry a MDR1 gene which makes them sensitive to certain drugs that are otherwise okay to give another dog, but if tested positive for this gene can kill them.