Old English sheepdogs

Old English sheepdogs

The Old English Sheepdog is my dream dog and in order to own one later in life I want to learn as much about them as possible.  Here is a small profile of the breed and FAQ.

Origin; OES originated in England as a herding dog on farms.

Alternate names; Shepherds dog, Bob tailed sheep dog and bob-tail.  The last two were named as such due to it being common practice to dock the tail of this breed at birth.  I do not agree with docking at all.

Appearance; Categorised as a large or XL dog, with a typically shaggy coat.  Although as puppies they are usually black and white, with age the coats will usually turn grey with a few exceptions.  The hair is usually longish and covers the face and eyes, with the ears lying flat to the head.  The hair only sheds when brushed.

They can have bright blue eyes or brown eyes, and commonly one of each! (I like the dark eyes!)

Size; a male OES can grow to about 61cm at the withers, and typically females are slightly smaller. They can weigh up to 100pounds in weight.

Life Expectancy; 10 – 11 years.

Common Health Complaints; Hip Dysplasia, eye problems (like cataracts, glaucoma, entropion) thyroid problems, deafness, diabetes, HD, PRA, allergies and skin problems.  They are also prone to heatstroke in hot weather and therefore need short hair in the hotter months.  Many OES die of Cancer too.

Temperament; Breed Standards describe the OES as never nervous or aggressive. They can be lazy “couch potatoes” and due to their herding nature can “bump” into children attempting to heard them!  They are intelligent animals, very affectionate, sociable and adaptable. They can also be trained very well.

Ideal Setting; Due to the size of this dog a rural setting is ideal, but OES can be very happy in an urban or suburban environment.  The dog would need at least one walk a day and should not be denied the company and warmth of people.  So as long as you spend a lot of time with and it has space to live in – the dog will be very happy.

Exercise; A least one walk, run or jog a day.

Grooming; the coarse shaggy coat needs constant care and grooming.  The hair needs brushes right through to the undercoat at least 3 times per week or it can develop skin problems or become host to parasites.  

Counting the days! Anybody else obsessed with Sheepdogs?!