GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: Upwards from 52cm (22”).
Colour: Grey, grizzle, blue or blue merle.
Coat: Profuse, harsh and shaggy outercoat. Waterproof.
Gait: Elastic and free. Ambling or pacing is acceptable.
These squarely built shaggy looking dogs are both muscular and intelligent. The dark rimmed eyes may be blue or brown and are set under well arched eyebrows. The skull is square and capacious and the muzzle strong. The neck is arched and runs into a back which is low at the withers and rises to the loin. The chest is well developed. The tail is normally docked completely to give the Bobtail effect. The hindquarters are well angulated and the feet small.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
Also known as the Bobtail, Old English Sheepdogs are adaptable to training and make loving and docile pets. In maturity, they are not boisterous nor are they in the habit of roaming or fighting, thus making an ideal dog in the home. If not showing, the owner might prefer to keep the coat clipped. If showing, their coat does need a lot of care. Regular grooming is a must. Ensure that the brush has bristles or pins which reach right through to the undercoat.
HISTORY
Not being an old breed, the O.E.S. is believed to have evolved from the Bearded Collie in the early 19th century.However there may have been crosses with the Briard and the Hungarian sheepdog. Certainly the pily texture of the coat is similar to the Hungarian Puli and the Komondor. In order to claim exemption from English taxes in the early part of the 19th century, the longer haired ‘luxury’ dogs only qualified as working dogs if they had their tails docked, hence the farmers’ practice of docking this breeds’ tails and not other sheepdogs.