The Preamble to AKC's standard for the Shetland Sheepdog states the General Appearance of a Sheltie as follows:

     "The Shetland Sheepdog is a small, alert, rough-coated, long-haired working dog. He must be sound, agile, and sturdy. The outline should be symmetrical so that no part appears out of proportion to the whole. Dogs should appear masculine; bitches feminine."

The preamble describes what should be the first impression one gets when seeing a Shetland Sheepdog. The preamble lays out what the overall goal should be in our breeding program and the sections that follow give a roadmap on how to get there.  The preamble gives us an overall picture of what Sheltie type is, and it does not limit "type" to just the head and expression.  In addressing expression, these words are used: "alert," "dogs ... masculine; bitches feminine." 

General Appearance does not only address expression, it has much to say about how important balance and structure are: "must be sound, agile, and sturdy .... The outlined should be symmetrical ...." I truly believe that balance is a function of structure and that that balance and symetry needs to be seen in the dog standing still and on the move. Shelties that are poofed and presented and have that fashionable (fairly upright) outline ... that move like a mixmaster coming and/or going, that do not converge, that have sidegait that is jumbled and far from smooth, that move sometimes more like a MinPin with the amount of throwing those front legs that's happening ... are these dogs "type-y" just because they have head detail? A dog that appears balanced standing still but whose movement does not appear at least moderately "sound, agile and sturdy" is not an overall balanced dog. As Pat Hastings says, "You can NOT have type without structure."

It is not just the breeder's responsibility to present type-y Shelties, it is the judge's responsibility to reward them. I have to wonder just what has been going on in a judge's education when movement seems to be disregarded. Why are we even doing ring patterns? Why am I breeding for structure at all? Who is responsible for judge's education and what are they telling them? Those dogs that win ... they do get bred. The judges, all-breed and specialty, have a huge impact in our breed, and their choices must to be balanced in regards to head and structure or we are in big trouble.