Dogs

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN England
MOST SUITED AS Sheepdog and family pet.

SIZE
The shoulder-height is a minimum of 60cm (231/2in) for dogs and 56cm (22in) for bitches.

COAT
The coat is luxuriant, rough, tough, and long, with a waterproof under-layer. Permitted colours are blue or different shades of grey. The head, neck, front quarters, and belly are white, with or without markings. White patches in the blue on the back are not permissible.

CARE REQUIRED
These dogs require regular grooming: brush them thoroughly at least once a week, not overlooking the places where tangles form. During moulting it is quite possible to collect half or even a whole rubbish bag full of hair that you have brushed off it. Keep the inside of its ears clean and remove both dirt and hair. The claws must be kept short so clip them regularly. Excessive hair between the pads of the feet should also be trimmed. For successful showing, the rear of the dog must be higher than the shoulders and this is sometimes accentuated for the show ring. Sometimes they are trimmed, which, however unpopular with some enthusiasts, is better than a mass of tangled hair. It begs the question why anyone should acquire a long-haired dog and then have it clipped.

CHARACTER
Intelligent, considerable adaptability, amiable, social, not particularly alert, boisterous, uncom­plicated nature, and likes to be part of the family.

TRAINING
This breed needs gentle and consistent handling during training. It wants to please you and rare­ly displays dominant behaviour, making it suit­able for people with little experience of the upbringing of dogs. Because grooming forms so important a part of the general care for this breed, it is important to brush it as young as possible. This prevents grooming degenerating into a wrestling match when it is much larger and stronger.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
The Old English Sheepdog gets on exception­ally well with other animals, dogs, and children. Visitors too will be greeted warmly.

EXERCISE
This breed needs a fair amount of exercise but it will not misbehave if you miss a day through a shortage of time. Most of the breed are crazy about playing with a ball and are well represented as competitors in various sports