Sheltie Size

Shetland Sheepdogs are one of the few breeds with an absolute disqualification on size. At the same time, the breed as it now exists has within the last century and a half or less combined breeds ranging in size from Papillons and English Toy Spaniels to full-sized Collies. The allowed size range has changed during the development of the breed, generally moving upward from a one-time maximum of 12" as more and more Collie genes were incorporated. (The actual sizes were often much larger, especially during the period when Collie crosses were common.) But the desired size range is achieved by balancing genes from large and small breeds, and consequently breedings in which both parents are the correct size can produce puppies much larger or smaller than desired. As one result, Shetland Sheepdog breeders tend to become obsessed with measuring the size of their puppies, and a number of growth charts have been developed to estimate adult size from measurements made at various ages.

Size is measured at the highest point of the shoulder blades, just behind the base of the neck. The dog should be measured standing on a hard, level surface with the front legs vertical and the head in a natural position. The ideal measuring device is an adjustable wicket or guillotine standard, but for the owner of a single Sheltie, the easiest way is to tape a yardstick to a wall with the 0" mark against the floor. Then take a drawing triangle or a rectangle of cardboard (the cardboard backing from a pad of paper works fine) and hold an edge against the yardstick above the height of the dog. Stand the dog with its front feet lined up with the yardstick and slide the triangle or rectangle down until it just rests on the withers. Read the dog's height from the yardstick at the bottom edge of the cardboard.