A Brief Sheltie History

By Becky Turner

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Chestnut Rainbow, born 1922, ancestor of almost all modern American Shelties

We all know that Shetland Sheepdogs come from the Shetland Islands of Scotland.

But the complete Sheltie history is lesser known and makes for a fascinating story...

The Scandinavian Origins

Our Sheltie history begins with Scandinavian herding dogs, most likely a Spitz dog breed similar to the modern Icelandic Sheepdog. Their thick double coats made them well equipped to deal with harsh winters, and they were excellent working dog candidates for the islands of Scotland.

Once imported into the Shetland Islands in the 1700s, the Scandinavian Spitz breed was extensively crossed with mainland working collies, like the Border Collie and Rough Collie, along with other breeds like the now extinct Greenland Yakki, the King Charles Spaniel and the Pomeranian.

The Miniature Collie

But why do Shetland Sheepdogs resemble miniature Collies? The Sheltie history and evolution reveals two clear reasons for their miniaturization:

Smaller Cattle - the Shetland Islands are famous for their miniature animals, including the Shetland Pony which stands at around one meter tall. Shetland Sheep are also smaller and lighter than their mainland counterparts.

This is because the islands are small, food was scarce, and the animals naturally downsized over the generations. As a result, Shetland farmers bred smaller Shetland Sheepdogs to watch their wee cattle and so Toonies evolved.

Tourism - in the 1800s, the people of the Shetland Islands found that they could make money by selling the cute, fluffy Toonie breed to rich travelers. They crossed their working Toonies with Pomeranians and possibly even Papillions and Corgis to achieve even smaller dogs that would appeal as pets.

The Modern Sheltie Breed

However, this still didn't create the modern Sheltie breed we know and love today... By 1900, the people of the Shetland Islands began to realize that the original working dog breed was disappearing. So they retraced their steps and reintroduced Collie crosses, sometimes even with show Collies. These new lines became known as Shetland Collies and a Sheltie breed standard was accepted by the Kennel Club.

Our pet Sheltie Howard - a modern Shetland Sheepdog

The Sheltie history went political when Collie breeders began shunning the new Shetland Collies as "little mongrels" and calling for greater distinction between the breeds. The Kennel Club quickly changed the breed name to Shetland Sheepdogs, even though the modern Sheltie breed is highly influenced by those Collie crosses.

The political history of Shelties went on to define the modern day standard which describes the breed's dimensions, colors, gait and temperament.

Shetland Sheepdogs are very rare on the Shetland Islands now, having been replaced as working dogs by Border Collies. You would be lucky to see a Sheltie on the Shetlands today!