Dog breed guide
Shetland Sheepdog
The Shetland Sheepdog has a long, harsh double coat with an abundant mane and frill, which needs daily grooming and sheds regularly. It is described as alert, gentle and intelligent, and as an extremely intelligent, quick and obedient herder. It needs up to an hour of exercise a day and can live in town or country, including smaller houses.
Shetland Sheepdog at a glance
- Adult weight, male
- 6 to 12 kg
- Adult weight, female
- 6 to 12 kg
- Size
- Small, under 10 kg
- Height
- 35.5 to 37 cm
- Coat
- double coat with a long, harsh outer coat, soft undercoat and abundant mane and frill
Ratings
Petboost editorial ratings from 1 to 5, drawn from the breed standard text under Sources. A breed with no basis in the sources for a rating shows none.
- Shedding
- Grooming effort
- Energy
- Trainability
- Good with children
- Suits an apartment
5 means it sheds heavily
5 means it needs the most grooming
5 means it needs a lot of exercise
5 means it learns quickly and eagerly
5 means it suits a family best
5 means it copes best in a small home
Next steps
- Find a local groomer or daycarePet businesses near you that take bookings online.
- Check a Shetland Sheepdog puppy's weightWhere a puppy sits against the breed's adult range.
- Dog age in human yearsFrom a formula, not the seven-to-one rule.
Sources
- Petboost breed reference data, adult weight ranges (breed list snapshot).
- Royal Kennel Club (formerly The Kennel Club), Shetland Sheepdog breed standard, https://www.royalkennelclub.com/breed-standards/pastoral/shetland-sheepdog/, read 2026-10-05
- Royal Kennel Club (formerly The Kennel Club), Shetland Sheepdog breed information, https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/pastoral/shetland-sheepdog/, read 2026-10-05
- American Kennel Club, Shetland Sheepdog breed page, https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/shetland-sheepdog/, read 2026-10-05
General information about the breed, not veterinary advice. Speak with your vet about your own pet.