Fun Shollie Facts For Kids

What do you get when you combine the agility and intelligence of the Border Collie and the loyalty and protectiveness of the German Shepherd? A Shollie!

A relatively new mixed breed designer dog that combines the best traits of two of the most popular dog breeds in the world, the Shollie is extremely energetic, affectionate, and loyal. Commonly found in North America, this mixed breed dog makes for a perfect pet for active families with children.

Shollie puppies can cost between $450-$950. Coming from a strong line of herding dogs and working dogs, the Shollie has inherited the working ethic, intellect, playfulness, and protective instinct of its parent breeds.

The Shollie is loyal to its family and is often found to ‘herd’ and protect young children. The Shollie is easy to train, friendly, and requires high levels of physical and mental stimulation.

If trained properly from a young age, this greatly reduces the likelihood of boredom and high-strung, destructive behaviors. Shollie's energetic nature makes it ill-suited for living in small apartments. It does best in a house with ample space to run and play such as a fenced-backyard or in the countryside.

You will find in this article information regarding Shollie puppy, their parent's Border Collie, German Shepherd, their health conditions, highly intelligent dog breed, their weight, black and white Shollie, big-sized dog Shollie, when they get angry, how to treat Shollie health conditions, Shollie designer dog, and so on.

You may also check out bearded collie facts and Alaskan husky facts from Kidadl.

Shollie Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Shollie?

The Shollie (Canis lupus) is a German Shepherd and Border Collie mixed breed dog, and a member of the Canidae family.

What class of animal does a Shollie belong to?

The Shollie belongs to the Mammalia class.

How many Shollie are there in the world?

The population of the Shollie in the world is currently undetermined. Unlike their parent breeds, the history of this German Shepherd Border Collie mix is relatively new and not very well-known. There is no documented information on its exact origins and who was the first person to successfully breed the dog.

The German Shepherd originated as a herding dog in Germany in the late 1800s. It found its way to North America during World War II and is a popular training and working dog in the military and the police.

German Shepherds are known for their loyal, hard-working, and protective instincts. The Border Collie originated from a cross between native English Shepherd dogs and invading Roman breeds along the borders of England and Scotland.

It is known for its agility, grace, and intelligence. The shepherd border collie mix, also known as a Shollie, is a designer dog that originated from a cross between these two dog breeds.

Shollies are commonly found in North America as pets and guard dogs to families in urban cities and rural farms. Their popularity as a pet among families has increased during the last two decades and their numbers are increasing as well.

Where does a Shollie live?

Shollies are typically found in North America in cities and in the countryside on rural farms. Due to its high activity and energy levels, the Shollie is not suited for living in a small apartment.

It is best raised in a spacious home with a fenced backyard or on a farm in the countryside. This enables the Shollie to get the required physical exercise and mental stimulation this dog breed needs for its large size and active personality.

What is a Shollie's habitat?

A Shollie’s habitat is an urban home environment or rural farmland. This German shepherd collie mix is a cross between two dog breeds - the German shepherd and the border collie.

These purebreds originated on the farms and pastures of Germany and the border of England and Scotland. They were used as herding dogs and working dogs to assist humans in herding sheep and livestock. They possess incredible agility, intelligence, and a strong work ethic to please their masters.

These traits have been passed down to Shollie who is agile, active, and intelligent. The Shollie is found in human habitats as pets in urban cities and as herding dogs and working dogs in the countryside.

Who does Shollie live with?

A Shollie lives with its human family and companions. Shollies make for ideal pets for active families with young children to play with. They are easy to train and can be socialized to live with other pets such as small dogs and cats.

How long does a Shollie live?

The Shollie has a lifespan of around 13-15 years.

How do they reproduce?

The reproductive cycle in female dogs is characterized by at least two estrus cycles or ‘heat periods’ in a year. Depending upon the size and breed of the dog, the first heat cycle can occur anywhere between 6-15 months.

It is delayed in larger breeds of dogs. Large dogs such as female Border Collies reach sexual maturity anywhere between 6-16 months while female German Shepherds can reach sexual maturity as late as two years. Male German Shepherds and Border Collies reach sexual maturity at around six to seven months.

Unlike female dogs, males do not have a reproductive cycle and are fertile when they reach full physical and sexual maturity. Reproduction among dogs is polyandrous.

However, in the case of domestic breeding, mating is arranged with suitable partners during the female’s estrus, or heat, cycle. The gestation period in dogs, regardless of size and breed, lasts for around 60-65 days. The average litter size among Shollies is five to nine puppies per litter.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the Shollie is Not Evaluated in any registry.

As a domesticated mixed-breed dog, the Shollie does not face a significant threat to its population from humans or other natural elements. As the population of the Shollie is undetermined, threats to their numbers and conservation status are yet to be determined.  

Shollie Fun Facts

What does Shollie look like?

When you combine the handsome traits of the German Shepherd with the grace and agility of the Border Collie, there is no doubt that the resulting offspring will be a very attractive-looking dog! The Shollie is a large mixed breed designer dog that bears a striking physical resemblance to its German Shepherd parent breed.

Shollies are relatively tall, lean, and muscular dogs with impressive strength and confidence.

They bear a dense, medium-length double coat that comes in a variety of colors such as black, brown, tan, golden, gray, or white. Its coat is comparatively thicker and softer than its parent breeds.

The Shollie sports an angular face with soft almond-shaped eyes and large floppy ears that lend it a gentle facial expression. Due to its purebred German shepherd collie mix lineage, the Shollie is often mistaken for a purebred German Shepherd or Border Collie.

How cute are they?

Shollies, especially Shollie puppies, are extremely cute thanks to their sweet almond-shaped eyes and floppy ears. Their thick furry medium-length coats, slightly bushy tails, and lean muscular bodies make the Shollie a very attractive dog, don’t you agree? There is no doubt that their friendly, loyal and playful nature and high-spirited personality further add to their unique charm.

How do they communicate?

As with all dogs, Shollies communicate through a range of vocalizations such as barks, growls, whines, whimpers, howls, and sighs. Shollies also communicate using sensory information such as through scents and pheromones. They also use visual cues such as gaze, the position of the head and ears, movements of the tail, facial expressions, and body postures.

How big is a Shollie?

The Shollie is a large dog. Its average height is between 21-29 in (53.3-74 cm). As with most dog breeds, the female Shollie is slightly smaller and weighs lesser than the male. An adult Shollie is comparable in size to a full-grown coyote!

How fast can a Shollie run?

The average speed of the German Shepherd is approximately 30 mph (48.2 kph) while the Border Collie clocks in an average speed of around 20-30 mph (32.1-48.2 kph). These purebred herding dogs are the parent breeds of the shepherd collie mix or the Shollie.

Accurate information about the running speed of the Shollie is not documented. It is estimated that this dog breed can run at an average speed of 30 mph (48.2 kph) since it shares the physical traits of German Shepherds and Border Collies.

How much does a Shollie weigh?

The average weight of the Shollie is between 70-80 lbs (31.7-36.2 kg), which is almost one and half times bigger than a Border Collie Labrador mix and two times bigger than a Corgidor.

What are the male and female names of the species?

A female Shollie is called a bitch and a male Shollie is called a dog.

What would you call a baby Shollie?

A baby Shollie is called a puppy.

What do they eat?

The Shollie is an omnivore that has a diet of meat, milk, bones, fruits and vegetables, and high-quality dog food.

Are they slobbery?

No, the Shollie is not slobbery. This dog breed is not known to drool and does not have an unpleasant dog odor.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, the Shollie makes for an excellent pet for a family with children that enjoys an active lifestyle. Shollies are extremely loyal and develop deep bonds with their human family.

The shepherd collie mix has a mild temperament and friendly nature that makes it a great play companion for young children. Shollies are often found to ‘herd’ and protect young children as their own.

However, like their German Shepherd parent breed, they are cautious and wary of strangers and people that they meet for the first time.

Through a regular and consistent obedience training schedule, Shollies can be socialized to safely play with children under supervision. They can also be taught to live with other pets such as small dogs and cats.

The training process is best started at a young age to prevent negative behaviors. Behaviors such as aggression, boredom, and destructive habits are likely to develop when Shollie puppies are left alone.

An active family that enjoys sports and physical exercises are the best fit for a Shollie. This dog breed requires a consistent training and exercise routine that provides both physical and mental stimulation to remain active, healthy, and engaged.

Did you know...

The Shollie is a heavy shedder and sheds its coat twice a year! The Shollie requires daily grooming and daily brushing to remove dead hair and dander.

It is not recommended to have this dog breed as a pet if you are allergic to fur. The grooming requirements of the Shollie increase during shedding seasons to maintain a healthy coat and skin.

Shollies are some of the most intelligent, hard-working, and physically impressive dogs. They display high levels of trainability and are excellent at dog sports! They are relatively healthy dogs with few health issues that are inherited from their large parent breed dogs.

How much exercise does a Shollie need?

The Shollie is an extremely active dog breed. It has high energy levels that must be spent through physical and mental exercise.

This shepherd border collie mix requires upwards of 60 minutes per day in physical exercise as well as mental stimulation. Exercises for Shollies must include high-intensity agility exercises to help them remain active and spend their energy.

Exercises such as walking, running, playing fetch, hiking, and training with other dog breeds of similar activity and energy levels are ideal for Shollies. Leash training must begin young to ensure discipline and obedience. Although relatively healthy and lean, Shollies love food!

Care must be taken to ensure that they do not overeat and become obese. As with mixed breed dogs, Shollies are vulnerable to congenital health issues and health problems such as bloat, hip dysplasia, and elbow dysplasia.

Do Shollies bark a lot?

The Shollie does not bark a lot. With successful obedience training and discipline using positive reinforcement, the Shollie can be trained to avoid negative behaviors such as aggression and excessive vocalizations.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these daniff facts and golden jackal facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Shollie coloring pages.