The Old English Sheepdog (OES): Fluffy and Large Herding Breed
The Old English Sheepdog or (OES) is an England original, large breed of herding dog. It is known to have long, dense and fluffy kind of coat that wraps its body all over. This dog is an excellent herder but today it is mostly revered as an outstanding advertisement and movie personality.
Who would miss the Old English Sheepdog (OES) in Dulux paint commercials that's been airing in so many countries for years? Because of this dog's linkage to the said product, people tag it as the "Dulux dog". Moreover, not only in advertisements does the OES captivate us with its charm but with countless of television series and movie appearances as well.
The coat of this dog is distinct for being dense, long, low set and fluffy. It covers the OES's body all over even the eyes, that's why this dog appears to have no eyes. This dog is double coated and its undercoat is water resistant.
Common colors for this breed are grey, blue, blue merle and grizzle; and each may have white markings all over. As puppies, some OES may be born having black and white coats but these will shed and a grey or silver color will take over. The OES may weigh up to 101 lbs and can reach up to 24 inches of height.
The OES has been funnily called Bobtail by some people because of its generally docked tail. Some OES are born with naturally docked tail but those that have long tails, it is almost necessary to docked them still. In some countries, however, docking is considered illegal and so you may see some OES that have longer tails.
The Kennel Club, based in the UK, states that the OES that joins a show may appear docked or not. The American Kennel Club dictates on the other hand that the OES tail should be docked as close to the body. For the Australian Kennel Council, they state that the OES tail is "preferably docked".
Health-wise, the OES is prone to conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, deafness, hip dysplasia, allergies and diabetes. Additionally, one major cause of death for the breed is cancer while it is prone to heatstroke, a condition that afflicts full coated dogs in majority. Before purchasing an Old English Sheepdog, make sure that the seller or breeder abides with the Code of Ethics of kennel clubs or dog clubs such as the Old English Sheepdog of America.
Grooming the OES requires once a week thorough coat brushing for three hours. Without it, the OES's coat may trap dust, dirt, urine, fecal matters and other dirty stuff. Taking care of the OES's coat may be tedious and thus you need to accustom him to grooming as early as possible.