Shetland Sheepdog vs Boston Terrier – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Shetland Sheepdog vs Boston Terrier" Compare Shetland Sheepdog and Boston Terrier. Which is better: Shetland Sheepdog or Boston Terrier?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Shetland Sheepdog	Boston Terrier
Origins	Scotland	United States
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)	Companion Dogs
Popularity Rank	24	21
Reviews	5	1
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Other Names	Miniature Collie, Shetland Collie (obsolete), Dwarf Scotch Shepherd (obsolete), Toonie Dog (obsolete), Sheltie	Boston Bull, Boston Bull Terrier, Boxwood, American Gentlemen
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1911 as a Herding breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1893 as a Non-Sporting breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Sheepdogs section.	Recognized by FCI in the Companion and Toy Dogs group, in the Small Molossian type Dogs section.
Breed Recognition	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club Canadian Canine Registry	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club
Price	$800-$1000	$600-$800

General Appearance - Shetland Sheepdog vs Boston Terrier

Size	Medium	Small
Weight	14-27 pounds (6-12 kg)	10-25 pounds (6-11kg)
Avg. Weight	20.5 pounds (9 kg)	17.5 pounds (8.5 kg)
Height	13-16 inches (33-41 cm)	15-17 inches (38-43 cm)
Avg. Height	14.5 inches (37 cm)	16 inches (40.5 cm)

Hair & Care - Shetland Sheepdog vs Boston Terrier

Coat	Dense	Fine
Colors	White Blue Merle Sable Tan Black	White Brindle Seal Black
Grooming	Professional: This breed needs a lot of work to keep in good condition.	Effortless: The Boston Terrier requires minimal grooming.
Shedding Level	Shetland Sheepdogs shed moderately.	Boston Terriers shed moderately.

Characteristics - Shetland Sheepdog vs Boston Terrier

Temperament	Affectionate Gentle Lively Responsive Friendly Intelligent Playful	Affectionate Friendly Intelligent Playful Aggressive Gentle Lively
Intelligent Rank	Outstanding: Shetland Sheepdog is one of the brightest dog breeds.	Average: Boston Terrier's has average obedience intelligence.
Trainability	Shetland Sheepdogs are quite easy to train.	Boston Terriers are quite easy to train.
Playfulness	Shetland Sheepdogs, like any other dog breed, like playing.	Boston Terriers, like any other dog breed, like playing.
Sensitivity Level	Shetland Sheepdogs don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.	Boston Terriers don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.
Affection Level	Shetland Sheepdogs are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	Boston Terriers are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Shetland Sheepdogs are a social breed.	Boston Terriers are a social breed.
Barking	High: The Shetland Sheepdog is a very vocal breed.	Low to Average: The Boston Terrier rarely barks.
Watchdog Ability	Shetland Sheepdogs are good watchdogs.	Boston Terriers are average watchdogs.
Territorial	Shetland Sheepdogs are extremely protective guard dogs.	Boston Terriers are average defenders.
Biting Potential	Low The Shetland Sheepdog has a low chance of biting somebody.	Moderate The Boston Terrier has an average chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Shetland Sheepdogs have a low tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Boston Terriers have lower than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Shetland Sheepdogs tend to escape less than other breeds.	Boston Terriers have high wanderlust potential, which means that this breed has a strong desire for exploring the world.
Prey Drive	Shetland Sheepdogs have an average prey drive, which means that they don't have a high impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals, but it might happen.	Boston Terriers have low to an average impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals.
Apartment Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.	Boston Terriers are very apartment-friendly dogs.
Adaptability	Shetland Sheepdogs adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Boston Terriers adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Shetland Sheepdogs do best when a family member is at home during the day or if their workplace is dog-friendly so they can take the dog at work.	Boston Terriers do best when a family member is at home during the day or if their workplace is dog-friendly so they can take the dog at work.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Yes In history, this breed was unfortunately used for combat dog.

Good With - Shetland Sheepdog vs Boston Terrier

Stranger Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	Boston Terriers are stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are kid-friendly dogs.	Boston Terriers are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are very cat-friendly dogs.	Boston Terriers are very cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are dog-friendly dogs.	Boston Terriers are very dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Shetland Sheepdog is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Boston Terrier is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are usually recommended for elderly people.	Boston Terriers are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are one of the friendliest dog breeds.	Boston Terriers are one of the friendliest dog breeds.
Good For First Time Owners	No Shetland Sheepdogs are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Boston Terriers are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Not really Shetland Sheepdog breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really Boston Terrier breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Shetland Sheepdog vs Boston Terrier

Health Issues	The Shetland Sheepdog is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	The Boston Terrier is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.
Health Problems	Cancer Cataracts Collie Eye Anomaly Drug Sensitivity Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Haemophilia Heart Problems Hip Dysplasia Hypothyroidism Patellar Luxation Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Trichiasis Von Willebrand's Disease	Allergies Brain Tumors Cataracts Cherry Eye Deafness Heart Murmurs Megaesophagus Patellar Luxation Reverse Sneezing
Life Expectancy	12-14 years	12-15 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No
Energy Level	Shetland Sheepdogs have a higher energy level than other dog breeds.	Boston Terriers have a higher energy level than other dog breeds.
Exercise Need	Shetland Sheepdogs have an average exercise need.	Boston Terriers have an average exercise need.
Sleeping Need	Shetland Sheepdogs are quite energetic dogs and they don't spend to much time with sleeping.	Boston Terriers are quite energetic dogs and they don't spend to much time with sleeping.
Avg. daily food consumption	2 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	0.5 to 1.5 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Average.	Average.
Weather & Climate	Prefers average to cold weather conditions The Shetland Sheepdog can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.	Tolerates warm and cold weather.
Stinkiness	Medium The Shetland Sheepdog has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Boston Terrier has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Shetland Sheepdog is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Boston Terrier is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Shetland Sheepdog vs Boston Terrier

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	4-6 puppies	3-5 puppies
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