The Shetland Sheepdog
Monday, July 2nd, 2007 by Mike CronkBasics:
Country of Origin: Shetland islands off Scotland
Group: Herding
Lifespan: 12-15 years
Height: 13-16 inches
Weight: 15-25 lbs
Color: Sable and white, tricolor and blue merle
AKC Rank 2006: 20
The Shetland Sheepdog
This breed was developed in the rough terrain of the Shetland islands where the climate is quite harsh. Early members of the breed were quite small and not nearly as elegant of coat. They were excellent herding dogs of not only sheep but horses as well. Since fencing was not used at the time, their herding skills were highly sought after. Adjectives describing this breed are “sensitive, bright, obedient, gentle, playful, and extremely willing to please.” They are good with children too—sounds like the perfect combination of dog and pet!
They are initially shy of strangers so we as groomers usually use their first visit to work 
slowly and earn their confidence. They may otherwise nip. The coat is double with a fine dense undercoat and a coarse long primary coat. The undercoat can be a shedding machine so frequent brushing is necessary (twice a week) and professional grooming should happen every 6 weeks. The breed groom calls for a thorough brushing and light trimming of hair around the ears and neck to maintain the shape. Most of our customers want us to trim leg and chest feathers some and also remove hair on the hind quarters under the tail. Shaping the rear end makes relieving themselves a cleaner process. While we have some customers who have their Shelties clipped short all over, with such a beautiful coat like that, keeping them brushed out is our preference.
This is a breed that our thinning tools can really do a good job with, allowing us to remove a lot of undercoat while maintaining the bulk of the primary coat—you experience less shedding and your dog feels more comfortable in hot weather.
May 18th, 2008 at 10:46 am
I had my mixed breed groomed at Petsmart and I didn’t like the cut she gave the back of her legs. Her mother was a Tibetian Terrier and her father is unknown …but I suspect a Sheltie mix. She looks like a miniature Golden Retriever to some people. The girl cut the hind legs like a Chow. Instead of the silky hair showing on her ears and face, the texture was more like the mother’s coat. Maybe she didn’t want to do the appropriate thinning? Just wondering how one does the Collie/Sheltie hindquarters.