A Shelestie is a hybrid breed and is a mix between a purebred Shetland Sheepdog and a purebred West Highland White Terrier. Nicknamed Sheltie, the Shetland Sheepdog is from the Shetland Islands, which lie between Scotland and Norway. Their ancestors include the Scottish Collie and the King Charles Spaniel and they were used to herd the small sheep of the Shetland Islands. They used to protect these tiny sheep from birds, and today are used on golf courses and at airports to clear the green or the runway of birds. At one stage they were called Toonie, from the Norwegian word for “farm”. Some breeders on the Shetland Islands crossed them with Pomeranians and Corgis to make them even smaller which appealed to rich tourists who bought them as pets. The breeders later realized that the working dog traits were disappearing and so returned to using Collie crosses. These dogs were referred to as the Shetland Collie when they first arrived in England but Rough Collie breeders objected and the name was changed to the Shetland Sheepdog. The first Shetland Sheepdog named Lord Scott, was registered by the American Kennel Club in 1911. The West Highland White Terrier, or Westie, also originated in Scotland was used for hunting and ratting. They are related to other Scottish Terriers including the Cairn, the Dandie Dinmont, the Scottish and the Skye. It is said the reason for the Westie’s white color is because of an incident in the nineteenth-century when Colonel Malcolm of Poltalloch shot and killed one of his wheaten-colored Cairn Terriers mistaking it for a fox. So he started breeding white dogs so there could be no mistake. The breed was officially recognized by the Kennel Club of England as the West Highland White Terrier in 1906. The breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1909.
