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MediumHerding Group

Shetland Sheepdog

The Shetland Sheepdog descends from small Scottish herding dogs worked on the Shetland Islands, where livestock and terrain favored miniaturization.

Calculate Shetland Sheepdog age
Lifespan13.4 yrrange 13–14
SizeMediumHerding Group
Weight15–25 lb6.8–11.3 kg
Senior at7 yrgeriatric at 11

Gallery (3)

About

About the Shetland Sheepdog

The Shetland Sheepdog descends from small Scottish herding dogs worked on the Shetland Islands, where livestock and terrain favored miniaturization. Despite the collie-like silhouette, the breed is not a miniature Collie but a separate Scottish lineage.

Aging

How Shetland Sheepdogs age

RVC VetCompass reports a median lifespan of 13.4 years (n=2,698). Hypothyroidism at 10.6% on OFA screens is markedly elevated for the breed's size; MDR1 drug sensitivity and collie-eye-anomaly carrier rates also run disproportionately high.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 13.4 yr · range 13–14Senior careSenior at 7 · geriatric at 11Common health issues12 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
15–25 lb(6.8–11.3 kg)
Height
13–16 in(33–40.6 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
Sable & WhiteBlack White & TanBlue Merle White & TanBlue Merle & WhiteBlack & WhiteSable Merle & WhiteWhite Black & TanWhite & BlackWhite & SableWhiteWhite Blue Merle & TanWhite Blue Merle
Temperament

Temperament

How Shetland Sheepdogs tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

playfulenergetictrainablebright
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • High prevalencetypical onset ~5 yr

    Periodontal Disease

    Description and veterinary guidance for Periodontal Disease land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~5 yr

    Hypothyroidism

    Description and veterinary guidance for Hypothyroidism land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~6 yr

    Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram)

    Description and veterinary guidance for Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram) land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
60min
per day

About 60 minutes of activity per day keeps a Shetland Sheepdog physically and mentally satisfied. Split it between a structured walk and free play.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.