| Old English Sheepdog |
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Breed Description | |
| Height: The Old English Sheepdog male is a minimum height of 22 inches; females a minimum of 21 inches. | ||
| Weight: The Old English Sheepdogs weigh around 65 lbs. | ||
| Colors: The Old English Sheepdog can be any shade of gray, grizzle, blue or blue merle with or without white markings or in reverse. | ||
| General Appearance: The Old English Sheepdog is a strong, compact, square, balanced dog. Taking him all around, he is profusely, but not excessively coated , thickset, muscular and able-bodied. These qualities, combined with his agility, fit him for the demanding tasks required of a shepherd's or drover's dog. His bark is loud with a distinctive ring in it. | ||
| Temperament: The Old English Sheepdog loves his home and family. He is an extremely affectionate dog who makes an ideal house-dog. An adaptable, intelligent dog of even disposition, with no sign of aggression, shyness or nervousness. Known as the nanny dog from "Peter Pan" he is great with children. | ||
| Care: 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. They are known to shed, so if you have an aversion to dog hair, you may want to consider another breed. Brush and comb thorough to the dense water proof undercoat at least three times per week. Clip out tangles carefully. Old English Sheepdogs can be professionally machine clipped every two months. Trim around the eyes and rear end. | ||
| Training: The Old English Sheepdog needs a gentle approach to training and needs consistent handling. They can be very mischievous if they are bored or lonely. | ||
| Activity: The Old English Sheepdog has a casual approach to exercise, a daily walk will be enough to keep him in shape and get him going. A fenced yard is great for this breed. | ||
| Life Span: The Old English Sheepdog lives about 12-13 years. | ||
| Litter Size: The Old English Sheepdog averages about 5-8 puppies per litter. | ||
| Country of Origin: The Old English Sheepdog breed originated in Great Britain. | ||
| Brief History: The Old English Sheepdog is a relatively young breed, being not much more than 200 years old. In the early days they were known just as "The Shepherd's Dog". Its use as a herding and droving dog and its physical appearance suggests relation to the Bearded Collie and the Polish Owczarek Nizinny. The required bobbed tail of the breed has its roots in the British tradition of docking the tails of working dogs for identification, as there was a tax exemption for all dogs that worked for a living. | ||
| Registries: AKC, ANKC, CKC, FCI (Group 1), KC (GB), UKC |
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