Health
Are Sheltie nostrils too small?
No. This is a long-muzzled breed with open nostrils and generous nasal passages. Pinched nostrils are a flat-faced breed problem.
← Back to breed profile
Small Nostrils (stenotic Nares) in Shetland Sheepdogs
Quick answer
Are Sheltie nostrils too small?
No. This is a long-muzzled breed with open nostrils and generous nasal passages. Pinched nostrils are a flat-faced breed problem.
It occurs in breeds whose skulls have been shortened until the soft tissue no longer fits. A Sheltie's skull has not been shortened at all.
Owners who have noticed their Sheltie snuffling, snoring or breathing noisily and have found this diagnosis while searching, and want to know what the real explanation is.
Important reminder
This guide is not medical advice. If your dog shows pain, sudden behavior change, or worsening symptoms, consult a licensed veterinarian.
Some links may be affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only suggest products we believe are helpful for dog owners.
What this problem looks like
Stenotic nares are narrowed nostrils that collapse inward on inhalation, part of the airway syndrome affecting flat-faced breeds. Shetland Sheepdogs have long, narrow muzzles with open nostrils and do not develop the condition. Owners arrive at this topic because their dog is snuffling, snoring or breathing noisily, and the useful work is identifying which of several quite different explanations is responsible.
Common triggers
- Inhaled grass awns and other plant material in a dog that hunts with its nose down
- Chronic throat irritation from barking while pulling against a flat collar
- Warm, humid conditions in a dog carrying a dense double coat
- Excess weight, which contributes to soft tissue noise during sleep
- Infectious respiratory disease acquired at classes, shows or kennels
Stenotic nares are essentially absent in this breed. Noisy breathing, by contrast, is a common owner concern, and in Shelties it usually resolves to collar-related throat irritation, seasonal foreign bodies, heat, or ordinary snoring rather than to any structural nasal problem.
Why this happens
Breed factors
The Shetland Sheepdog's skull is the reason this condition does not occur. Its facial bones are long, so the soft tissue of the nose, palate and airway occupies the space it evolved for rather than being compressed into a shortened one. Where the breed does have relevant traits, they lie elsewhere: it is exceptionally vocal, which loads the upper airway, and it carries a dense double coat, which raises respiratory effort in heat. MDR1 drug sensitivity becomes relevant if any investigation requires sedation, which nasal work always does.
Environment factors
Terrain and equipment explain most cases. Long grass in summer and autumn is where seed heads are inhaled, and a herding dog with its nose down is unusually exposed. A flat collar on a barking, pulling dog produces chronic throat irritation that owners hear as noisy breathing. Warm, still, humid conditions raise respiratory effort in a coated dog. And a heavy sleeping surface in a warm room encourages the soft tissue relaxation that produces ordinary snoring.
What you can do at home (once it is not an emergency)
When to talk to your vet
Go immediately, as an emergency: breathing that is laboured at rest, gums that look blue or grey, a dog standing with its neck extended and elbows out, choking, or collapse. Same day: a sudden violent sneezing fit that began outdoors, blood or discharge from one nostril, a dog pawing repeatedly at its face, or noisy breathing that has appeared abruptly. Within a week or two: persistent discharge from both nostrils, snoring that is new or getting louder, noise that continues after switching to a harness, or reduced exercise tolerance with increased breathing effort. Mention that the dog is a Shetland Sheepdog with a known or unknown MDR1 status when booking anything likely to need sedation.
At home, alongside your vet's plan
- Record a short video with sound of the noisy breathing, since the character and timing of the noise is what narrows the diagnosis and it is impossible to describe.
- Note whether any discharge is from one nostril or both, which is the single most useful observation you can make.
- Switch to a well-fitted harness, since throat irritation from a collar is the most common source of airway noise in this breed.
- Check the face, nostrils and feet after summer walks through long grass, and act on any sudden sneezing fit rather than waiting.
- Keep the dog lean and give it a cool, firm place to sleep, both of which reduce ordinary snoring.
- Have the MDR1 result on file, because retrieving anything from a nose means sedation.
More Shetland Sheepdog health & behavior issues
- ARVC in Shetland Sheepdogs: Risk, Signs & Reality Check
- DCM and Sheltie Puppy Murmurs: Separating the Two Worries
- GDV Look-Alikes in Shetland Sheepdogs: What Else Swells the Belly
- IVDD in Shetland Sheepdogs: Why This Is Not a Dachshund Spine
- Pancreatitis & Diabetes in Shetland Sheepdogs
- Pancreatitis in Shetland Sheepdogs: The Thyroid Connection
- Sheltie IVDD Type I: The Acute Extrusion Emergency
- Shetland Sheepdog Heart Conditions: Sorting Signal From Noise
- BOAS and Shetland Sheepdogs: Why This Does Not Apply
- Cherry Eye in Shetland Sheepdogs: Rare, But Know the Rule
- Patellar Luxation Grades and Surgery in Shetland Sheepdogs
- Separation Anxiety in Shetland Sheepdogs: Why This Breed Struggles
- Shetland Sheepdog Allergic Reactions: Signs & Response
- Shetland Sheepdog Allergies: Itch, Ears & Skin Care
- Skin Allergies in Shetland Sheepdogs: Signs, Costs and What to Do
Small Nostrils Stenotic Nares in other breeds
- Jack Russell Terrier Small Nostrils: Signs & What to Do
- Labradoodle Small Nostrils: Signs, Causes & What to Do
- Maltese Small Nostrils: Signs, Causes & What to Do
- Miniature Schnauzer Small Nostrils: Signs & What to Do
- Poodle Small Nostrils: Signs, Causes & What to Do
- Rottweiler Small Nostrils: Signs, Causes & What to Do
- Standard Schnauzer Small Nostrils: Signs & What to Do
- Yorkshire Terrier Small Nostrils: Signs, Causes & What to Do
- Miniature Poodle Small Nostrils: Signs, Causes & What to Do
- Pembroke Welsh Corgi Small Nostrils: Signs & What to Do
See all Shetland Sheepdog health problems, which breeds are prone to small nostrils stenotic nares, or the full Shetland Sheepdog breed guide for temperament, exercise needs and ownership costs.
What to expect, and how you know it is working
Collar-related noise generally improves within two to four weeks of switching equipment. A grass awn is resolved in a single procedure once found, though a migrated one can take longer. Ordinary snoring responds to weight loss over two to three months. Persistent one-sided nasal disease requires imaging and referral and follows a longer diagnostic path, often several weeks from first appointment to answer.
Success usually means finding the boring explanation and acting on it: a harness instead of a collar, a couple of pounds off, or a seed head removed in July. It also means an owner who has stopped searching flat-faced airway material and knows what to watch for instead, and who understands that one-sided nasal signs in a long-muzzled dog are the ones that genuinely warrant urgency.
Skull shape, and why it decides everything
Dogs are usually grouped into three head types. Brachycephalic breeds, such as pugs, bulldogs and Boston Terriers, have a dramatically shortened facial skeleton. Mesocephalic breeds have moderate proportions. Dolichocephalic breeds have a long, narrow muzzle, and the Shetland Sheepdog is a clear example.
The reason stenotic nares occur in flat-faced dogs is that the bone has been shortened by selection while the soft tissue has not. The same quantity of nostril cartilage, soft palate and turbinate tissue is packed into a much smaller box, and it obstructs. That is the entire mechanism.
A Sheltie has the opposite arrangement. Its facial bones are long and its nasal passages are correspondingly generous. There is no compression, no crowding, and no reason for the nostrils to collapse. Stenotic nares are absent from the breed's documented health list, which covers Collie Eye Anomaly, MDR1 drug sensitivity, dermatomyositis, hypothyroidism and patellar luxation.
So a Sheltie that is breathing noisily is not doing so because of nostril anatomy, and looking for a surgical fix in that direction is looking in the wrong place entirely. The noise is coming from somewhere, and the useful thing is working out where.
What noisy breathing in a Sheltie actually means
Where the noise occurs in the breathing cycle, and whether it is one-sided, narrows the possibilities quickly.
- Noise on the way in, from the nose, often with sneezing: a foreign body such as a grass awn, which in a dog that puts its face into long grass is common in summer and needs same-day retrieval.
- One-sided noise or discharge that has lasted weeks: a nasal fungal infection or a mass, both of which are over-represented in long-muzzled breeds and both of which need imaging rather than antibiotics.
- Snoring only while asleep, in a dog that breathes silently when awake: usually soft tissue relaxation and often unremarkable, though worth mentioning if it is new or if the dog is overweight.
- A dramatic snorting spasm lasting under a minute: reverse sneezing, which is generally harmless and stops on its own.
- Harsh noise from the throat with a honking cough: upper airway irritation, very common in this heavily barking breed and strongly associated with wearing a flat collar.
- Increased effort and noise in warm weather: heat, not anatomy. A dense double coat raises respiratory effort in a way that has nothing to do with the nose.
What to do next about small nostrils (stenotic nares) in Shetlands
If you think your Shetland has small nostrils (stenotic nares), the plan is three steps: write down what you have seen and when it started, book a veterinary appointment rather than waiting for the next flare, and take video of the behaviour or symptom before you go — the thing you are worried about rarely happens in the consulting room. Screening in the parents covers collie eye anomaly, mdr1 drug sensitivity, dermatomyositis.
What the vet visit should produce is a diagnosis and a written plan, not just reassurance: what is being ruled out, what the monitoring interval is, and which signs mean you come back sooner. Ask what the treatment costs across a year rather than per visit, because that is the number that decides whether you are managing this condition or reacting to it.
Between appointments, keep a short log — dates, what you saw, what changed. It is the single most useful thing an owner brings to a follow-up, and for small nostrils (stenotic nares) it is often what separates a clear pattern from a guess.
The snort that turned out to be a seed head
Marcin's Sheltie, Lala, came back from a walk across a stubble field in August sneezing in violent bursts. It settled after a few minutes, and he assumed she had inhaled dust. Over the next fortnight she developed a persistent snuffle and started rubbing the left side of her face on the carpet. He read about pinched nostrils and spent an evening worrying about airway surgery, before noticing that the discharge was only ever from the left nostril. His vet took that detail seriously. Under sedation, with a protocol chosen around Lala's recorded MDR1 carrier status, they retrieved a grass awn from well up the left nasal passage. The snuffle stopped within two days. Marcin now checks her face and feet after any summer walk in long grass, and he says the useful thing he learned was not about noses but about the word one-sided.
Key takeaway: A Sheltie's nostrils are not the problem, because a long-muzzled breed does not develop stenotic nares. In this breed the observation that matters is whether nasal signs come from one side, and one-sided signs need investigating promptly.
Frequently asked questions
Do Shetland Sheepdogs get stenotic nares?
No. It is a condition of brachycephalic breeds, caused by soft tissue being crowded into a shortened skull. The Sheltie has a long, narrow muzzle with generous nasal passages, and the condition is not on the breed's documented health list.
Why does my Sheltie snore then?
Snoring while asleep is common in many dogs and often means nothing. It becomes worth investigating if it is new, if it is getting louder, if the dog has gained weight, or if there is any noise while the dog is awake. Weight is the most common reversible contributor.
My Sheltie snorts violently sometimes. What is that?
Almost certainly reverse sneezing, a spasm in which air is pulled rapidly inward through the nose. It sounds alarming, lasts under a minute, and is usually harmless. Gently stroking the throat often shortens it. Frequent episodes deserve a mention at the next appointment.
Should I worry about a snuffly nose?
The key question is whether it is one-sided. Discharge from both nostrils in a dog that is otherwise well is often infectious and self-limiting. Discharge from one nostril, particularly if it persists or contains blood, is a red flag in a long-muzzled breed and needs proper investigation.
Could my dog's noisy breathing be its heart?
Cardiac disease produces increased breathing rate and effort rather than upper airway noise, so the two usually sound different. Counting the sleeping breathing rate weekly gives you an objective way to check. Any dog breathing with effort at rest needs immediate attention regardless of the cause.
Is surgery ever needed for a Sheltie's nose?
Not for nostril widening, since there is nothing to widen. Surgery or sedated procedures may be needed to retrieve a foreign body, to biopsy a mass, or to investigate persistent one-sided disease. Any of those means anaesthesia, so the MDR1 genotype should be recorded first.
Quick answers
View more answersLiving
Is snoring normal in a Sheltie?
Often, if it happens only while asleep and has not changed. New or worsening snoring, especially with weight gain, is worth mentioning.
Health
What is the red flag for nasal disease?
Anything one-sided. Discharge or bleeding from a single nostril needs investigation rather than an empirical antibiotic course.
Health
Does noisy breathing in summer mean a problem?
Usually it means a dense double coat and warm weather. If it persists in cool conditions or at rest, it needs looking at.
Costs
Does nasal investigation cost much?
Imaging and endoscopy under anaesthesia typically runs into four figures, which is why persistent one-sided signs deserve early attention.
Related DogBreedCompass guides
- respiratory disease in Shetland Sheepdogs – The full picture of what respiratory problems in this breed actually consist of.
- heat sensitivity in Shelties – Coat and heat drive respiratory effort in a way anatomy does not.
- heart conditions in Shetland Sheepdogs – Effortful breathing at rest is triaged as a cardiac emergency first.
- weight management in Shelties – Excess weight is the most common reversible contributor to snoring.
- Shetland Sheepdog breed guide – Full breed profile including muzzle shape and documented health conditions.
- MDR1 drug sensitivity in Shetland Sheepdogs – Any nasal procedure requires anaesthesia planned around the breed's genotype.
Bring the right questions to the vet
A one-page prep sheet for this condition: the signs, the questions to ask, what to get priced. Unlocks here.
You get: Vet visit prep sheet
No spam. One-click unsubscribe. See our privacy policy.
Preview page 1 before you decide.
Related guides
Cost
Shetland Sheepdog Cost in Sioux Falls, SD: A Real Budget
CostRead guide->
Cost
Shetland Sheepdog Cost in Detroit, MI: A Real Budget
CostRead guide->
Comparison
Jack Russell Terrier vs Shetland Sheepdog: Full Breed Comparison
ComparisonRead guide->
Cost
Shetland Sheepdog Cost in Omaha, NE: A Real Budget
CostRead guide->
Comparison
Old English Sheepdog vs Shetland Sheepdog: Full Breed Comparison
ComparisonRead guide->
Cost
Shetland Sheepdog Cost in Salt Lake City, UT: A Real Budget
CostRead guide->