Shelties Make
BY JANICE M. LEONARD Me Smile
S helties make me smile all the time. I have frequently been stopped while walking my Shelties to have people approach, smiling at how beautiful they are and remind- ing them of a little Lassie. From my first pet obedience dog, in 1961, to my most recent champion Group winner, they have all attracted this kind of attention. You can describe them to people, but all you have to say is “a little Collie” and they get the picture immediately. The resemblance is striking, but there are very marked differences in head, body type, colors, and temperament. The Sheltie head, as in the Collie, is a wedge with flat planes, a smooth backskull, and a full rounded muzzle, but the stops are different, with the Sheltie stop being more distinct with an actual rise at the inner corner of the eyes. You must feel the rise and see the change in the level of the planes of the head. The expression of the Sheltie and the Collie calls for an eye that is dark, medium in size, and almond in shape, set obliquely in the skull. The difference seems to be mainly in the change in stops and their relation to the eye and the size of the head. A dog’s expression is also affected by the ear tip and set, the hair surrounding the head, and the attitude of the dog. Sable and Black dogs must have dark brown to black-looking eyes; Blue Merles and Bi-Blues may have blue or partially blue eyes. All of these components provide the soft, intelligent expression so desired. The difference in body type is not just the size. The Collie is a square breed, while the Shetland Sheepdog is slightly longer than tall. I have found while examining lots of dogs in the last 60-plus years that a well-balanced Sheltie is about three-quarters of an inch longer than tall, measured from the point of shoulder to the rear point of the pelvis. The length of the dog is due to proper angulation of the front and rear quarters and not length of loin. Acceptable colors in our Breed Standard are Sable (golden to mahogany), Tricolor, Bi-Black, Blue Merle, and Bi-Blue. Collies allow Sable, Tricolor, Blue Merle, and White. In the Sheltie ring, judges may be confronted by an exhibit that doesn’t seem to fit into these categories. You must be aware of the color faults and serious color faults described in our Standard and decide how each dog displays itself. Are its colors correct? How much white does it have? Is the merle really merled with black patches? I’ve only seen pictures of brindles.
Balance – Nothing is out of proportion to the whole Sheltie.
Some of our faults and severe penalties relate back to the his- tory of the breed. In the early days of the little “toonie” (farm) dog of the Shetland Islands, they were crossed with some of the breeds that happened to arrive by boats visiting the islands. Pomeranians, King Charles Spaniels, and the Yak dogs of the Northern regions contributed to the genetics of the little herder of diminutive live- stock. This introduced prick ears, low ears, soft wavy coats, and gay tails. To refine the look, they were later crossed with small Collies to create the Shetland Collie, later renamed the Shetland Sheepdog to appease the Collie people. Everyone involved in Shelties becomes an evaluator. Whether a breeder, a buyer, or a judge, all must refine their ability to evalu- ate the qualities they desire to reward. If buying, you need to pur- chase the best puppy for your situation. As a breeder, you need to know what you have and what your goals are. And as a judge, you must find and reward the best ones entered in your ring. What types of facts do you need to focus on to do justice to your involvement in the breed?
260 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2024
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