Shetland Sheep Dog (Sheltie) Review

One of the more inspired passages in the evolutionary story of the Human Race has been the alliance formed between Man and Dog which proved to be a win-win situation as millions of years passed and the two of us bonded to each other.  In exchange for a little food and water, a place by the fire to get warm and feel secure plus at least a modicum of respect and affection, a person could be blessed with a furry, four-legged friend who would put a paw in the flames for someone he or she loved.

This relationship dramatically accelerated when somebody noticed that dogs love to work and can be taught and bred to do certain types of jobs.  Through some mysterious way which is not totally understood (at least by me!), the things a dog is taught to do and the personality traits it picks up during the course of its relatively short life somehow eventually become stamped on its genetic map along with physical characteristics and are inherited by future generations of dogs.  Because of this lucky break, some dogs quickly were promoted to being not just pets and faithful friends (a noble function in itself) but also furry, panting employees and partners who worked tirelessly without longing glances at the clock or trying to negotiate for a raise.

Before you could say "Fetch", dogs were out there at the front, eagerly pulling sleds, protecting houses, watching over kids, controlling unwanted rodent populations, fetching newspapers, tracking down escaped convicts and aiding in other types of police work, marking quarry and recovering game for hunters, performing circus tricks, starring in movies and commercials, guiding the blind, finding and rescuing hapless travelers lost in the snow, cheering up hospital patients and helping to herd sheep and cattle.  A good herding dog could buddy up with a shepherd who knew what he (or she) was doing to manage and protect a whole herd of sheep.

Enter, the Sheltie.

Hundreds of years ago the Shetland Sheep Dog ("Sheltie") was bred by farmers in the rugged Shetland Islands off the coast of England.  A cousin of the magnificent Scottish Collie, the Sheltie was similar in appearance but smaller in size and more suited to the limited resources and acreage in the islands.  As the Sheltie evolved, it became ideally proficient at its job -- the dog loved to work and was fiercely loyal and protective of both its owner and the flock which it was charged with protecting.  A healthy Sheltie was tough, needing a minimum of food and its thick coat protected it from the cold.  In time, this dog became a master at the herding techniques of quartering and circling, etc.

Today, most people (and Shelties) have never seen firsthand a real herd of sheep but when a Sheltie puppy is born -- before it even opens its eyes -- it is already mysteriously embued with the characteristics of a shepherd's dog.  If my friend took her Sheltie (named "Lady") out to a farm and confronted her with a flock of sheep, Lady would instinctively know what to do probably without being taught.

When you walk in the front door, the Sheltie will rush up and then start circling you over and over.  I suspect that this is part of what it was bred to do during the course of its rural and remote past.  By circling a newcomer, it was instinctively keeping that person in place until it was sure that this was somebody its owner knew and could trust.  (Don't take it personally - it doesn't matter if you've entered that same house 100 times, it is this dog's nature to circle you for a while.  By the end of your visit, you will once again be part of the flock as far as the Sheltie is concerned.) 

During the course of your stay, the Sheltie will quietly walk here and there, visiting each person in turn and gazing up at that guest with a tender, caring almost anxious expression as though she is wondering if you are okay or if there is anything she can do for you.  Because this type of dog longs to take care of a group, the Sheltie is perhaps best suited to a family arrangement preferably in a building with direct access to an area where the dog can run freely and independent of a leash like so many generations of its ancestors have done before.  The Sheltie will also walk tirelessly and without coaching for blocks at a time with its owner and seems to actually crave a certain amount of walking each day. 

For these reasons, it may be that a frisky energetic Sheltie pup (however irresistable) may not be the perfect pet for a solitary senior citizen who lives in a condo and might be slowing down a little.  (This is not to say it wouldn't work out at all, just that it may not be the perfect match.)  However, it has occurred to me from observing my friend's Sheltie, that this breed might be a perfect "mascot" for a group home where it could receive from (and lavish plenty of attention in return on) an affectionate "flock" of employees and residents.

MY VIEWPOINT:

Despite its gorgeous fur coat and appealing appearance, the Sheltie is not just another pretty face but a serious working dog, determined to protect her flock which can include whomever happens to be on hand ... Girl Scouts, Christmas carolers, dinner guests, kids playing in the back yard.  Take a Sheltie to Dog Obedience School and she will probably spend the first ten minutes trying to herd the other owners and their dogs together.  If this dog is out walking with a family group, she will become concerned and begin to bark if someone strays or falls behind and if its owner is dumb enough to walk through a dangerous place, the Sheltie will trot right alongside protectively.  Like the Good Shepherd, this dog knows who belongs to her and will give up her life for that person without question, if necessary.