Life Span:	12 and 15 years.
Litter Size:	4 to 6 puppies
Group:
Recognized By:	CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, ANKC, NZKC
Color:	Sable, golden brown, mahogany, Blue Merle, tricolored(Black, White and Tan), bi-blue's(Black, Grey and a bit of White) and bi-black, Black and Tan coloring.
Hair Length:	Long
Size:	Toy/Small
Shedding:	Heavy Shed
Male Height:	13 inches- 16 inches tall
Male Weight:	16 to 20 pounds
Female Height:	13 inches - 16 inches tall
Female Weight:	16 to 20 pounds
Living Area:	Shetland Sheepdogs can be indoor or outdoor dogs, they will prefer to be in your presence when indoors because of their lovable nature, yet need the open outdoors to exercise in. Most Shelties will exercise themselves to a point as they try to herd anything and everything that is in the yard or outdoor area with them. However it is good to exercise any dog and Shelties are no exception, if you do not have an open area for your Sheltie to run in they will need to be walked or taken to a dog park at least once a day for healthy interaction and exercise.

About this Breed

The Shetland Sheepdog is a small breed that stands about 13-16 inches tall. They have long usually tricolored coats that range in colors from sable, tan, white, black and grey depending on the dog and its inherited color coat scheme. The Shetland Sheepdog is often marked closely enough to a Collie to be mistaken for a miniature Collie. The Shetland Sheepdog breed is not considered a miniature Collie as it was not derived from selectively breeding Rough Collies. Shelties have come from the breeding of Border Collies and other various types of herding dogs over many years, some popular possibilities of ancestry is that Border Collies and Scandinavian herding dogs, Icelandic dogs or Greenland Yaki's were bred to create the new breed we now call Shetland Sheepdogs. The breed of Shetland Sheepdogs have a beautiful coat of hair and a dramatic and handsome look to them. They come in several different colors, the most popular and dominant color being Sable which ranges from golden brown to deep mahogany through out their stately coat of hair. Other colors that exist in the Shetland Sheepdog's breed include Blue Merle, tricolor, bi-blue's and bi-black coat color schemes. Blue Merle is a combination of a Grey, White, Black and Tan coloring of the coat. Shelties that are tricolored are Black, White and Tan. Two more rare colorings of Shetland Sheepdog coats are bi-blues which are a combination of Black, Grey and a bit of White and bi-blacks which are colored in Black and White coats. Sable Merle's and Double Merle's are other color coats that a Shetland Sheepdog can have however these are more rare and often have health problems that are not as prevalent in the other color coated Shelties.