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Olde English Sheepdog: Breed Characteristics, Care & Exercise Needs
About Old English Sheepdog
Country of Origin, History of Old English Sheepdogs
The English Sheepdog’s origin is uncertain. However, they became very popular in England’s west country as farmers used them for herding cattle and sheep. Bobtails may be a cross between English and Russian or Baltic breeds.
Farmers often sheared their Bobtails along with their sheep every spring and used the hair to make warm clothing and blankets.
Old English Sheepdog Tools
Breed Selector Tool - is the Old English Sheepdog the right breed for you?
Is the Old English Sheepdog the right breed for you and your family?
Find out by using our Free Dog Breed Selector Tool
Check Your Old English Sheepdog's Learning Style
Are you aware dogs also have a learning style that can greatly affect their ability to housetrain as well as be trained correctly. Evaluate your Old English Sheepdog's learning style and personality using our free Learning Style tool so that you are better able to provide him with the proper Old English Sheepdog training methods.
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Do you make these mistakes with your Old English Sheepdog?
Are you inadvertently snow-balling bad behavior in your Old English Sheepdog? Evaluate your Dog Training Style from our Free Tool and learn how best to deal with your dog.
Old English Sheepdog Calorie Calculator
Do you know how many calories your Old English Sheepdog needs every day and how many cups of food you should be giving it every day? Click here to use our Old English Sheepdog Calorie Calculator.
A General Appearance of the Dog
The Old English Sheepdog is a large, shaggy-coated, muscular dog with no, or very short, tail. A big, lovable teddy-bear type of dog, the Old English Sheepdog is stocky and muscular. The large square head includes a large black nose with eyes of brown or blue, or one of each. One often wonders how the Old English Sheepdog can see through the coat that covers the eyes and the rest of the body. Bobtails have a smooth, easy rolling gait reminding one of a small bear as they move.
Coat Color
Coat colors for the Bobtail are blue, gray, blue gray or blue merle with varying amounts of white markings.
Coat Type
Old English Sheepdog has a profuse shaggy coarse outer coat with a soft downy undercoat.
Height: 20 to 24 inches
Weight: 60 to 100 lbs
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Free Course on Old English Sheepdog Training & Obedience
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Old English Sheepdog Personality Traits
Temperament of the Dog
Bobtails are friendly, family oriented, gentle and fun-loving. They love to be the center of attention. The Old English Sheepdog will feel protective of its family and may sound an alert if strangers approach, but they are not aggressive. Old English Sheepdogs love children and may attempt to herd small children by bumping them. Bobtails are intelligent, love to play and make an excellent family pet.
They are good-natured and seem to have a sense of humor. They are very enthusiastic and happy. They are so smart they anticipate your commands and “outwit” you. They can also outwit their owners.
Thorough socializing and firm obedience training is necessary with this breed.
The Old English Sheepdog loves his home and family. As a family dog, they stick close to home and may even become 'couch potatoes' as they get older if not encouraged to play and be active. They seem young for many years and then suddenly seem old and go downhill fairly quickly after that.
Better suited to an indoor or outdoor lifestyle?
These dogs want to live inside with the family but are active, needing very active daily exercise. They best with a medium sized fenced yard. Bobtails can do fine in apartments with daily exercise. They will play fairly actively even when indoors.
Are they suited to homes with kids?
Old English Sheepdogs love children and do well with families. The Bobtail, if socialized and obedience trained properly, makes a great family dog and gets along well with other pets, strangers and their children.
Old English Sheepdog Activity Level
How Active is the Breed?
Bobs are active, fun loving pets. They need extensive daily exercise throughout their lives.
How Much Exercise Does the Dog Need at every stage of its Life?
Daily exercise is required and the Old English Sheepdog loves a good walk, run or jog. These dogs will stay young and active for many years.
Grooming
Old English Sheepdogs require a lot of grooming. Their coat will require thorough brushing at least 3 times per week. The hair around their eyes and rear end will need to be trimmed regularly. Mats or tangles will need to be teased out or cut out regularly. Old English Sheepdogs were often shorn along with the sheep.
The Old English Sheepdog sheds its entire coat twice a year – spring and fall. Extra brushing or professional grooming will be needed at these times.
Free Old English Sheepdog Training Secrets
Free Course on Old English Sheepdog Training & Obedience
Stop All Bad Behavior, Excessive Barking and Biting
Health and Care
Genetic Problems
Watch for cataracts in the OES. They are also prone to hip dysplasia.
Breeding the Dog and any Cautions
As with any breeding, it is essential to work with an experienced breeder to breed your Old English Sheepdog.
Life Span: The average life span for an Old English Sheepdog is 10 to 12 years.
National Breed Clubs
National Breed Clubs:
US – Old English Sheepdog Club of America – www.oldenglishsheepdogclubofamerica.org
British – Old English Sheepdog Club of UK
Other Recognition: CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, KCGB, CKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC, APRI, ACR
Rescue link: www.oesrescue.com/index.html
Group: AKC Herding, KCGB Pastoral Group
AKC Popularity Ranking: 72
Also Known As: Bobtail, OES, Bob.
Train Your Old English Sheepdog To Listen To You
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Sign up for our Free Old English Sheepdog Mini Course to have a housebroken, obedient dog that happily comes to you every time you call.
You'll learn new commands to obedience-train your dog as well as how to housebreak your dog in 6 days or less.
You'll also learn how to eliminate bad habits like barking, nipping or biting, jumping, or pulling on the leash.Here's just s small fraction of what else you'll learn in the course:
How to lead and think like a pack dog - the new psychology.
3 dangerous mistakes that most Old English Sheepdog owners make when they are trying to potty train their dogs.
The 2 main reasons why your dog barks excessively and how to control its excessive barking.
How to obedience train your Old English Sheepdog to permanently end behavioral problems like Jumping, Aggression, Pulling on Leash.
A surprisingly easy way to teach your dog cool new tricks.
How to improve your dog's lifespan and keep it from getting overly heavy with a healthy and nutritious diet.
Getting Pro help fast - how to get access to our expert trainers when you need them most.
One hidden psychological trigger that all Old English Sheepdogs have... that practically allows you to "analyze" and "control" your dog's every action.
Priority access to the free online seminars conducted by our training experts.
Whereas other dog training related web sites and books offer generic information for dogs in general, ours is the ONLY web site that offers Old English Sheepdog information specifically, from a renowned panel of experts - because as you probably know, Old English Sheepdogs have their own special training requirements that other dogs don't have.
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