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Old English Sheepdogs are the clowns of the dog world, recognised more as a family dog nowadays than a working breed.

ORIGIN
The origins of the Old English Sheepdog are obscure and although it was known to be a shepherd’s dog in the southern counties of England in the early nineteenth century, it is a more thick-set dog than other British pastoral breeds and has many characteristics of the European livestock protection breeds, such as the Russian Owtcharka.

It was originally known as the ‘Bobtailed Sheepdog’ due to the occurrence in litters of naturally short-tailed or tailless pups. It is rare today for a bobtailed pup to be born, but ‘Bobtail’ is still used as a nickname and term of endearment.

GENERAL APPEARANCE
It is a strong, compact-looking dog, free of legginess and profusely coated all over. Underneath all that hair is a muscular, able-bodied dog with an intelligent expression. The head is rather squarely formed, with a well defined stop, and the muzzle is truncated, strong and square.

In walking or trotting it has a characteristic ambling or pacing movement. The coat is harsh in texture, never straight yet always free of curl. The undercoat should be a waterproof pile. Its colouring is any shade of grey, grizzle, blue or blue-merle with or without white markings. Shades of brown or sable are considered distinctly objectionable. Another distinctive characteristic of the breed is that it stands lower at the shoulder than at the loin.

SIZE
The Old English stands 56cm and upwards and weighs up to 50kg.

TEMPERAMENT
Known for its extroverted nature, the Old English Sheepdog is a people-loving breed. Always trustworthy, affectionate and faithful, it best suits owners who are prepared to involve the dog in family activities.

The Old English Sheepdog is intelligent and responsive to training but its definite sense of humour can be frustrating.

CARE AND GROOMING
Despite its thick-set appearance, the Old English is very athletic and needs regular exercise. One of the attractions of the breed is its profuse, shaggy, grey and white coat but this requires a great deal of time and effort to maintain — the breed is unsuited to owners without time or inclination to groom. The coat quickly becomes matted and dirty unless several hours per week are devoted to grooming. Although the grey areas of a regularly brushed dog may rarely need bathing, the whites need to be bathed regularly to keep a pristine appearance. Old English Sheepdogs not intended to be exhibited in the show ring are sometimes clipped to reduce coat maintenance.

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