CKC Shetland Sheepdog Standard

Origin and Purpose
The Shetland Sheepdog, like the Collie, traces to the Border Collie of Scotland which, transported to the Shetland Islands and crossed with small, intelligent, long-haired breeds, was reduced to miniature proportions. Subsequently, crosses were made from time to time with Collies. This breed now bears the same relationship in size and general appearance to the Rough Collie as the Shetland Pony does to some of the larger breeds of horses. Although the resemblance between the Shetland Sheepdog and the Rough Collie is marked, there are differences which may be noted.

General Appearance
The Shetland Sheepdog is a small, alert, rough-coated, long-haired working dog. He must be sound, agile and sturdy. The outline should be so symmetrical that no part appears out of proportion to the whole. Dogs should appear masculine, bitches feminine.

Temperament
The Shetland Sheepdog is intensely loyal, affectionate, and responsive to his owner. However, he may be reserved towards strangers but not to the point of showing fear or cringing in the ring.

Size
The Shetland Sheepdog should stand between 13 and 16 inches (33-41 cm) at the shoulder. Note: Height is determined by a line perpendicular to the ground from the top of the shoulder blades, the dog standing naturally, with forelegs parallel to line of measurement.

Coat and Colour
The coat should be double, the outer coat consisting of long, straight, harsh hair; the undercoat short, furry, and so dense as to give the entire coat its ?stand-off? quality. The hair on face, tips of ears and feet should be smooth. Mane and frill should be abundant, and particularly impressive in males. The forelegs well feathered, the hind legs heavily so, but smooth below the hock joint. Hair on tail profuse. Note:ÊÊ Excess hair on ears, feet, and on hocks may be trimmed for the show ring. Colour black, blue merle, and sable (ranging from golden through mahogany); marked with varying amounts of white and/or tan.

Head
The head should be refined and its shape, when viewed from top or side, be a long, blunt wedge tapering slightly from ears to nose, which must be black. Top of skull should be flat, showing no prominence at nuchal crest (the top of the occiput). Cheeks should be flat and should merge smoothly into a well-rounded muzzle. Skull and muzzle should be of equal length, balance point being the inner corner of eye. In profile, the topline of skull should parallel the topline of muzzle, but on a higher plane, due to the presence of a slight but definite stop. Jaws clean and powerful. The deep, well-developed underjaw, rounded at chin, should extend to base of nostril. Lips tight. Upper and lower lips must meet and fit smoothly together all the way around. Teeth level and evenly spaced. Scissors bite. Eyes medium size with dark, almond-shaped rims, set somewhat obliquely in skull. Colour must be dark, with blue or merle eyes permissible in blue merles only. Ears small and flexible, placed high, carried three-fourths erect, with tips breaking forward. When in repose the ears fold lengthwise and are thrown back into the frill. Contours and chiseling of the head, the shape, set and use of ears, the placement, shape and colour of the eyes, combine to produce expression. Normally the expression should be alert, gentle, intelligent and questioning. Towards strangers the eyes should show watchfulness and reserve, but no fear.

Neck
Neck should be muscular, arched, and of sufficient length to carry the head proudly.

Forequarters
From the withers, the shoulder blades should slope at a 45 degree angle forward and downward to the shoulder joint. At the withers they are separated only by the vertebra, but they must slope outward sufficiently to accommodate the desired spring of rib. The upper arm should join the shoulder blade as nearly as possible at a right angle. Elbow joint should be equidistant from the ground or from the withers. Forelegs straight viewed from all angles, muscular and clean, and of strong bone. Pasterns very strong, sinewy and flexible. Dewclaws may be removed.

Body
In overall appearance, the body should appear moderately long as measured from shoulder joint to ischium (rearmost extremity of the pelvic bone), but much of this length is actually due to the proper angulation and breadth of the shoulder and hindquarter, as the back itself should be comparatively short. Back should be level and strongly muscled. Chest should be deep, the brisket reaching to point of elbow. The ribs should be well sprung, but flattened at their lower half to allow free play of the foreleg and shoulder. There should be a slight arch at the loins, and the croup should slope gradually to the rear. The hip bone (pelvis) should be set at a 30 degree angle to the spine. Abdomen moderately tucked up.

Hindquarters
The thigh should be broad and muscular. The thighbone should be set into the pelvis at a right angle corresponding to the angle of the shoulder blade and upper arm. Stifle bones join the thighbone and should be distinctly angled at the stifle joint. The overall length of the stifle should at least equal the length of the thighbone, and preferably should slightly exceed it. Hock joint should be clean-cut, angular, sinewy, with good bone and strong ligamentation. The hock (metatarsus) should be short and straight, viewed from all angles. Dewclaws should be removed. Feet should be oval and compact with the toes well arched and fitting tightly together. Pads deep and tough, nails hard and strong.

Tail
The tail should be sufficiently long so that when it is laid along the back edge of the hind legs the last vertebra will reach the hock joint. Carriage of tail at rest is straight down or in a slight upward curve. When the dog is alert, the tail is normally lifted, but it should not be curved forward over the back.

Gait

The trotting gait of the Shetland Sheepdog should denote effortless speed and smoothness. There should be no jerkiness, nor stiff, stilted, up-and-down movement. The drive should be from the rear, true and straight, dependent upon correct angulation, musculation, and ligamentation of the entire hindquarter, thus allowing the dog to reach well under his body with his hind foot and propel himself forward. Reach of stride of the foreleg is dependent upon correct angulation, musculation and ligamentation of the forequarters, together with correct width of chest and construction of rib cage. The foot should be lifted only enough to clear the ground as the leg swings forward. Viewed from the front, both forelegs and hind legs should move forward almost perpendicular to ground at the walk, slanting a little inward at a slow trot, until at a swift trot the feet are brought so far inward towards centre line of body that the tracks left show two parallel lines of footprints actually touching a centre line at their inner edges. There should be no crossing of the feet or throwing of the weight from side to side.

Faults
Shyness, timidity, or nervousness. Stubbornness, snappiness, or ill temper. Coat short or flat, in whole or in part; wavy curly, soft or silky. Lack of undercoat. Smooth-coated specimens. Rustiness in a black or a blue coat. Washed out or degenerate colours, such as pale sable and faded blue. Self-colour in the case of blue merle, that is, without any merling or mottling and generally appearing as a faded or dilute tricolour. Conspicuous white body spots. Specimens with more than 50 per cent white shall be so severely penalized as to effectively eliminate them from competition. Two-angled head. Too prominent stop, or no stop. Overfill below, between or above eyes. Prominent nuchal crest. Domed skull. Prominent cheekbones. Snipey muzzle. Short, receding, or shallow underjaw, lacking breadth and depth. Overshot or undershot, missing or crooked teeth. Teeth visible when mouth is closed. Light, round, large or too small eyes. Prominent haws. Ears set too low. Hound, prick, bat, twisted ears. Leather too thick or too thin. Too short and thick a neck. Insufficient angulation between shoulder and upper arm. Upper arm too short. Lack of outward slope of shoulders. Loose shoulders. Turning in or out of elbows. Crooked legs. Light bone. Back too long, too short, swayed or roached. Barrel ribs. Slab-sides. Chest narrow and/or too shallow. Croup higher than withers. Croup too straight or too steep. Narrow thighs. Cow-hocks. Hocks turning out. Poorly defined hock joint. Feet turning in or out. Splay feet. Hare feet. Cat feet. Tail too short, twisted at end. Stiff, short steps, with a choppy, jerky movement. Mincing steps, with a hopping up and down, or a balancing of weight from side to side (often erroneously admired as a "dancing gait" but permissible in young puppies). Lifting of front feet in hackney like action, resulting in loss of speed and energy. Pacing gait.

Disqualifications
Cryptorchidism in adults over 12 months of age. Heights below or above the desired range, i.e., 13-16 inches (33-41 cm). Brindle colour.

Bringing Home Your New Puppy

Getting Ready

Here's a list of some of the things you will need:

• Wire or plastic dog crate
• Easily washable, hard-to-destroy bedding material, imitation sheepskin works well.
• Tip-proof, stainless steel or ceramic food & water dishes.
• Buckle puppy collar & lead.
• High quality, safe chew toys
• Grooming supplies: pin brush, comb, nail clippers, toothbrush, dog shampoo
• Good quality brand of dry food (Eagle Pack, Wysong, Natural Balance, Canidea, Wellness, NRG).
• "Bitter Apple", a safe spray-on product to discourage chewing on inappropriate objects.
• Wire, wooden or plastic "baby gate" for blocking doorways.
• A book on puppy care & training.

Everybody needs his own place
Decide where to keep the crate, and have it ready for the pup. Where the crate will be kept depends on what's most convenient for you as well as the puppy's response. Most puppies prefer to be close to the family but some puppies won't settled down in their crates if there's too much activity going on around them. A restricted area is probably best until the puppy is used to your home.

Making Your Home Safe

To make your home safe for your new puppy, walk around the house and yard to identify and remove potential hazards. Pay special attention to the following items:

• Keep breakable objects out of reach.
• Deny access to electrical cords by hiding or covering them; make outlets safe with plastic outlet plugs.
• Safely store household chemicals.
• Keep the following house and garden plants out of reach: poinsettias, azaleas, rhododendrons, dumb cane, Japanese yew, oleander and English ivy among others.
• In the garage, be sure engine lubricants and other poisonous chemicals (especially antifreeze) are safely stored.
• If you own a pool or hot tub, check the cover or the surrounding fence to be sure they're in good condition.
• When out in his fenced in yard, ensure that your puppy has an area where he can get out of the sun.

The First Days at Home

The ideal time to bring home a new puppy is when the house is quiet. Discourage friends from stopping by and don't allow overnight guests. First establish a daily routine and follow these steps:

Step 1: Before bringing him in the house, take him to the area in your yard that will serve as his "bathroom" and spend a few minutes there. If he goes, praise him. If not, proceed into the house but be sure to take him to this spot each time he needs to use the bathroom.

Step 2: Take him to the room that accommodates your crate - this restricted area will serve as his new "den" for several days. Put bedding and chew toys in the crate, leave the door open and line the area outside of the crate with newspaper, in case of an accident. Let him investigate the crate and the room. If he chews or urinates on his bedding, permanently remove it from the crate.

Step 3: Observe and interact with your puppy while he's acclimating to his new den. This will help forge a sense of pack and establish you as the pack leader.

Use a schedule
Work out a schedule for you and the puppy. Housetraining is much easier when the puppy's meals, exercise and playtimes are on a regular schedule throughout the day. Let your puppy out first thing in the morning and immediately after meals. Crating your puppy at night or when you are not home will help with the housetraining, as puppies do not like to mess their "nest". Use cue words (Go potty!) when your puppy does his business so he learns to associate the cue words with the actions. Remember to praise your puppy profusely when he has done his business.

Meeting Resident Pets
Keep resident pets separated from your new puppy for a few days. After your new puppy is used to his new den area, put an expandable pet gate in the doorway or put your puppy in his crate. Give your resident pet access to the area. Let pets smell and touch each other through the crate or pet gate. Do this several times over the next few days. After that, give the resident pet access to the den area with your new puppy out of his crate. Supervise their meeting and go back to through-the-gate/crate meetings if trouble arises.

The Well Mannered Sheltie

You have done everything to get ready for your new puppy. Now, you need to discuss with others in your home, what the rules and boundaries will be for the new family member. Have a clear idea of which behaviours you will reinforce and which ones will not be reinforced. For example if you do not want your dog/puppy jumping on people; communicate that to all who encounter the puppy, and instruct them to IGNORE the jumping and to, only but calmly, greet the puppy when it is on the floor and calm. If you set the expectations for your puppy's behaviour right from the beginning, you will have a family pet that will be a delight. Enrolling in a Puppy Kindergarten will help you set and reinforce those expectations.

AAHA Recommended Vaccination Schedule

CANINE Core Vaccines

CANINE Non-Core (Optional)

Drug Alert - Unsafe Medications

For Collies, Shelties, Sighthounds, Aussies, Border Collies, any breeds with Collie background or mixed breeds with any of these dogs in them, it is critical to know there are certain medications these breeds CANNOT take. Vets may or may not be aware of this. To be on the safe side, print out the list and keep it handy when a medication is prescribed as these medications may cause death. These breeds have a sensitivity to Ivermectin (Heartguard Heartworm medication. Interceptor heart worm preventative is deemed to be safe at this time. Below is a list of other related drugs that Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine states that CANNOT be used on these breeds or there may be neurological damage:

Metronidazole (which is used for diarrhea and giardia)
Flagyl
Torbutol
Butorphanol
Morphine
Acepromazine
Ivermectin - Heart Guard

There are many different types of drugs that have been reported to cause problems in Collies, ranging from over-the-counter antidiarrheal agents like Imodium to antiparasitic and chemotherapy agents. It is likely this list will grow to include more drugs as research progresses. Drugs that have been documented, or are strongly suspected to cause problems in dogs with the MDR1 mutation:

Ivermectin (antiparasitic agent)
Loperamide (Imodium; over-the-counter antidiarrheal agent)
Doxorubicin (anticancer agent)
Vinblastine (anticancer agent)
Cyclosporin (immunosuppressive agent)
Digoxin (heart drug)
Acepromazine (tranquilizer)
Butorphanol (pain control)
Vincristine (anticancer agent)

Potential Problem Drugs: The following drugs may potentially cause problems when given to dogs that have the mutation. Biochemical studies have shown that this gene has the potential to act on over 50 different drugs.

Ondansetron
Domperidone
Paclitaxel
Mitoxantrone
Etoposide
Rifampicin
Quinidine
Morphine

For more information, contact:
Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory
PO Box 2280
Pullman, WA 99165-2280
(Phone/FAX 509-335-3745)
VCPL@vetmed.wsu.edu
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/