Old English Sheepdog
Breed Profile
The Old English Sheepdog (OES) is a large breed of dog that was given life in England from early types of herding dog. Obsolete names for the breed include Shepherd’s Dog and bob-tailed sheep-dog. The nickname Bob-tail (or Bobtail) hails from how dogs of the breed traditionally had their tails positioned. Old English Sheepdogs are able to grow very long coats with fur hiding the face and eyes and do not shed unless brushed.
Temperament
The breed standards describe the ideal Old English Sheepdog as being always even tempered and calm. The Old English Sheepdog is a playful, affectionate joker who takes delight in goofing around with his family and neighborhood children. The OES is a quick learner, always eager to look for something interesting and fun to do. He’s capable of multi tasking, including herding, search and rescue.
Color & Coat
Coat: The breed has a double coat, with a textured outer coat and soft undercoat. Puppies are born with a black and white coat.
Color: Colors include gray, grizzle, blue or blue merle, brown, and fawn, usually mixed with white markings. Colour of the double coat may be any shade of grey, grizzle, black, blue, or blue merle, with optional white markings. The undercoat is water resistant.
Health
Prone to IMHA (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia), hip dysplasia and cataracts. Beware that some herding dogs carry a MDR1 gene which makes them sensitive to certain drugs that are otherwise okay to give another dog.