About us
As lifelong animal lovers and avid dog enthusiasts, our home has always included pets of every description. The kids and grandkids have shared our love and respect for fur babies through the years.
With all the kids grown and out of the house, Shetland Sheepdogs (Shelties) have become our second passion. I researched breeders all over the country to find the right foundation dogs for our own Sheltie breeding program. We determined to breed the smaller variety with the original size as our goal.
We chose dogs from breeders who share our vision of the highest quality “mini” Shelties. It took a few years to find exactly what we were looking for, but we did.
Our ideal Jasper came to us from Tennessee and our perfect Jinger from North Carolina. Both have had DNA testing. I am grateful for the mentoring from these respected and established breeders. From that base, we offer exceptionally gentle, intelligent, and healthy Shelties. Nothing less will do.
Coppertop Shelties' puppies come with a vet check and health guarantee. The puppies are raised in our home as part of our family. They are handled and played with daily. The grandkids come to get some needed puppy love at Nana’s house. So do our friends and their families. Our little velcro dogs, who stick right with us no matter where we are, bring only joy to our lives, and we are excited to share their first litter of pups with you.
About Shelties
Lassie. That's the Shetland Sheepdog most people think of when they consider this intelligent dog breed. It's Lassie's size most people remember as well. But Shelties once stood closer to what our mini Shelties do--12.5 to 13.5 inches. Shortly after arriving in America, Shetlands were bred as sheep and cattle dogs for size, intelligence, and their gentle natures. Today, the standard Shetland Sheepdog stands between 13-16 inches. “Mini,” or “toy,” Shelties can be as small as 10 inches. Others exceed 18 inches.
The AKC recognizes all sizes as Shetland Sheepdogs for AKC registration. Shelties in Show competitions must meet the 13-16” standard, but there is no size restriction for agility competitions.
It is important to realize that no matter how hard breeders try, they cannot control genetics. Sometimes, dogs bred to be smaller come out not so small. And some bred to be bigger come out not so big. While we have made every effort to breed dogs in the “mini” Sheltie size (under 13 inches), that cannot be guaranteed.
​Our little dogs have all the personality and intelligence of the standard size, just in smaller packages. They travel well, do great with kids and other animals, and want to please their people, making them quite trainable. And you can be certain, it is impossible to overstate their gentle natures.
Our Shelties and their little pups bring so much joy into our lives. We just know their pups will do the same for you.
