Sheltie Shedding

Shelties are loyal, alert, long-haired, working dogs, also known as Shetland Sheepdogs. They have beautiful double coats of long hair and are consistently in the top 20 among the American Kennel Club's most popular breeds. Bred from Scottish Border Collies by residents of the Shetland Islands, shelties are affectionate, playful, intelligent and obedient dogs that look like miniature collies with banner tails and lion-like white ruffs. Prospective owners should be prepared for intense shedding every year.

  1. The Breed

    • Excellent guard dogs and companion animals, shelties have been known to herd their families. Highly intelligent, eager to please and agile, they love playing with children and catching flying objects. They stand between 13 and 16 inches tall at the shoulder. Shelties are amiable and easy to train. Both males and females are sensitive to their humans' wishes and need minimal correction. They can live in apartments or condominiums, if given daily exercise.

    The Dog

    • Shelties from good stock can live from 12 to 15 years. Responsible breeders check pedigrees and do not breed shelties that are known carriers of diseases, such as hip dysplasia, eye conditions and bleeding disorders. Puppies from untested stock may be subject to diseases. Unhealthy shelties will shed more than healthy animals.

    The Hair

    • Shelties have dense, double coats with an outer layer of long, straight hairs. The undercoat of short, dense fur gives fullness to the outer coat. Their coat colors are a combination of black, blue merle and golden to mahogany sable, offset by white or tan markings on the collar, feet, legs, face and tail.

    The Grooming

    • Shelties need weekly brushing and grooming--more often if they have been in muddy conditions. The long hair and dense undercoat need to be brushed to remove dead hair and mats. Trimming the long hairs around the toes and foot pads weekly also prevents matting.

    The Shedding

    • Shelties shed extensively in the spring as they lose their winter coats, even in warm climates. The amount they shed varies among individual animals and the environment they live in.

    The Maintenance

    • Shedding shelties need frequent baths and thorough brushings during the three- to four-week season. This reduces the amount of hair spread around their home and minimizes matting among the dead follicles. Sheltie owner Amy Conzett Butcher says long hair is easier to clean than short hairs. Wet your hand and rub it across a sofa or carpet to roll the long hairs off the surface or use a damp cloth to remove the hair.