Old English Sheepdog

In today's families, the Old English Sheepdog is a big, lovable companion. He likes to be with his family and get plenty of exercise every day. Although the Old English Sheepdog's abundant coat might seem a problem in hot weather, it's an effective insulator in both hot and cold.

Old English Sheepdog breed facts

The Old English Sheepdog can reach between 60-100 pounds as an adult and 23-26 inches at the shoulders.

Information you should know before owning an Old English Sheepdog

The Old English Sheepdog's coat is one of his most distinctive features. The coat is profuse, but not excessive, and may take three to four hours a week to groom.

The Old English Sheepdog is known to shed, so if you have an aversion to dog hair, you may want to consider another breed.

The Old English Sheepdog loves his home and family. He is an extremely affectionate dog who makes an ideal house-dog.

While as compared with some other kinds of dogs the Old English Sheepdog cannot boast the same antiquity, there is nevertheless ample evidence that it can trace its origin to the early 19th century or at least 150 years back, thus proving that among recognized breeds it is no mere upstart. In all probability the breed was first developed in the west of England, in the counties of Devon and Somerset and the Duchy of Cornwall, although from what breeds it was produced is a matter of conjecture. Some maintain that the Scotch Bearded Collie had a large part in its making; others claim for one of its progenitors the Russian Owtchar.

For years after the breed's introduction into this country, fanciers did considerable harm by misinterpreting "profuseness" of coat as "excessiveness." This misled the public into believing that the Old English Sheepdog was difficult to care for, when as a matter of fact a dog with typical coat of the right texture is no harder to keep in shape than is any other long-haired dog. Furthermore, it is home-loving, not given to roaming and fighting, and it is extremely agile; because of its intelligence, affection, and lack of boisterousness, it makes an ideal house dog. It has a tender mouth and can be trained as a retriever; it makes a first-class sledge dog, and is satisfactory as a companion equally at home in an apartment, large house, drawing room, and practically anywhere else.

In seeking a good representative of the breed, points to look for include a body practically square; good bone, deep brisket, chest, and spring of rib; strong foreface, dark or walleyes, level teeth; straight forelegs, well-let-down hocks; and a hard coat with good underjacket. Markings are not important. The dogs do well under almost any climatic conditions, their coats serving as insulation against heat, cold, and dampness. A marked characteristic of the breed is its gait, which is quite like the shuffle of a bear.

The Old English Sheepdog Club of America was started by W. A. Tilley in 1904, and received official recognition by AKC the following year.

Is this a vulnerable breed? Yes, No	No
What size is this dog? Small, Medium, Large	Large
How much excercise is required? 30 mins a day, 1 hour a day, Over 2 hours a day	Over 2 hours a day
How long is this dog's coat? Short, Medium, Long	Long
How much grooming is required? Once a week, More than once a week, Every day	Every day
Does this dog shed? Does shed, Does not shed	Does shed
What area is this dog best suited to? Town, Country, Either	Either
What size house is required for this breed? Flat/Apartment, Small House, Large House	Small House
What size of garden is required? Small Garden, Large Garden, No Garden	Large garden

	General Appearance Strong, square-looking dog with great symmetry and overall soundness. Absolutely free from legginess, profusely coated all over. A thick-set muscular, able-bodied dog with a most intelligent expression. The natural outline should not be artificially changed by scissoring or clipping.
	Characteristics Of great stamina, exhibiting a gently rising topline, and a pear-shaped body when viewed from above. The gait has a typical roll when ambling or walking. Bark has a distinctive toned quality.
	Temperament A biddable dog of even disposition. Bold, faithful and trustworthy, with no suggestion of nervousness or unprovoked aggression.
	Eyes Set well apart. Dark or wall eyes. Two blue eyes acceptable. Light eyes undesirable. Pigmentation on the eye rim is preferred.
	Mouth Teeth strong, large, and evenly placed. Scissor bite – jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Pincer tolerated but undesirable.
	Neck Fairly long, strong, arched gracefully.
	Forequarters Forelegs perfectly straight, with plenty of bone, holding body well from ground. Elbows fitting close to brisket. Shoulders should be well laid back, being narrower at the point of withers than at the point of shoulder. Loaded shoulders undesirable. Dog standing lower at withers than loin.
	Body Rather short, and compact, with well sprung ribs, and deep capacious brisket.
	Hindquarters Loin very sturdy, broad and gently arched, quarters well covered round and muscular, the second thigh is long and well developed, the stifle well turned, and the hocks set low. From the rear the hocks should be quite straight, with the feet turning neither in nor out.
	Feet Small, round and tight, toes well arched, pads thick and hard. Dew claws should be removed.
	Tail Customarily docked or natural bobtail. Docked: Customarily completely docked. Undocked: Unobtrusive. Low set. Never curled or carried over back, with no kink evident. Well feathered with abundant hard-textured coat.
	Gait / Movement Strong, square-looking dog with great symmetry and overall soundness. Absolutely free from legginess, profusely coated all over. A thick-set muscular, able-bodied dog with a most intelligent expression. The natural outline should not be artificially changed by scissoring or clipping.
	Coat Profuse, of good harsh texture, not straight, but shaggy and free from curl. Undercoat of waterproof pile. Head and skull well covered with hair, ears moderately coated, neck well coated, forelegs well coated all round, hindquarters more heavily coated than rest of body. Quality, texture, and profusion to be considered above mere length.
	Colour Any shade of grey, grizzle or blue. Body and hindquarters of solid colour with or without white socks. White patches in the solid area to be discouraged. Head, neck, forequarters and under belly to be white with or without markings. Any shade of brown undesirable.
	Size Height: dogs: 61 cms (24 ins) and upwards; bitches: 56 cms (22 ins) and upwards. Type and symmetry of greatest importance, and on no account to be sacrificed to size alone.