Shetland Sheepdog
The Shetland Sheepdog is a herding breed from Scotland, standing 13–16 in at the withers, weighing 11–24 lb. Recorded lifespan is 12–18 yrs.
- Breed group
- Herding
- Origin
- Scotland
- Height
- 13–16 in
- Weight
- 11–24 lb
- Lifespan
- 12–18 yrs
Among the 500 breeds here with recorded measurements, the Shetland Sheepdog is taller than 18% of the measured breeds, heavier than 13%, one of 27 in the Herding group, one of 10 from Scotland.
Living with the Shetland Sheepdog
Two breed references score every breed they cover from 1 to 5 on the things an owner lives with day to day. These are the Shetland Sheepdog’s, with what a 1 and a 5 mean on each row.
- Affection with family
- 5 of 51 independent · 5 devoted
- Good with young children
- 5 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Good with other dogs
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Openness to strangers
- 4 of 51 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend
- Watchdog / protective nature
- 5 of 51 unbothered · 5 vigilant
- Energy
- 4 of 51 couch potato · 5 busy all day
- Exercise needs
- 4 of 51 a short walk · 5 a job to do
- Playfulness
- 4 of 51 only when invited · 5 non-stop
- Barking
- 4 of 51 only to alert · 5 very vocal
- Shedding
- 5 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
- Drooling
- 1 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
- Tolerates being alone
- 2 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates hot weather
- 3 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates cold weather
- 4 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Rated 1 to 5 by the American Kennel Club and DogTime, averaged where both rate the same thing, and read from their breed pages in 2022. Nobody at Woof & Beyond has met this breed — these are the publishers’ judgments, not ours.Shetland Sheepdog on AKCShetland Sheepdog on DogTime
Breeds that look like the Shetland Sheepdog
A neural network trained to tell breeds apart by sight read all 510 photographs in this reference, and these are the 6 it placed closest to the Shetland Sheepdog.
Rough Collie
Finnish Lapphund
Mackenzie River husky
Japanese Spitz
Alaskan Klee Kai (Toy)
Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai
Height 0–38 in
- Shetland Sheepdog13–16 in
- Rough Collie22–26 in
- Finnish Lapphund18–21 in
- Mackenzie River husky26–29 in
- Japanese Spitz12–15 in
- Alaskan Klee Kai (Toy)13 in
- Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagoraino recorded figure
Weight 0–220 lb
- Shetland Sheepdog11–24 lb
- Rough Collie44–75 lb
- Finnish Lapphund33–53 lb
- Mackenzie River husky64–104 lb
- Japanese Spitz11–20 lb
- Alaskan Klee Kai (Toy)9 lb
- Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagoraino recorded figure
Lifespan 0–20 yrs
- Shetland Sheepdog12–18 yrs
- Rough Collie11–14 yrs
- Finnish Lapphund12–15 yrs
- Mackenzie River huskyno recorded figure
- Japanese Spitz12–14 yrs
- Alaskan Klee Kai (Toy)12–16 yrs
- Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagoraino recorded figure
Nothing here was grouped by hand. The ranking is an opinion about appearance, not about ancestry, which is why it sometimes puts together breeds no kennel club would — and why it is worth looking at the photographs rather than taking the order on trust.
Guides that mention the Shetland Sheepdog
Every guide on this site whose text actually discusses this breed.