Old English Sheepdog Training - Facts You Must Know Before Adopting Old English Sheepdog Training

Breed Description

The Old English Sheepdog is a working dog that was developed during the 18th century. They have been primarily used to drive sheep and cattle to the market. With a shuffling and bear-like gait, the compact sheepdog weighs more than 55 pounds, and usually stands between 21-26 inches tall.

Coat

The Old English Sheepdog has a profuse coat with hard texture that is not straight, but rather shaggy. They have thick and waterproof inner coat. They have moderately coated ears, while the rest is profusely coated. These dogs come in all shade of gray, grizzle, and blue, and white markings may or may not appear.

Activity

A shaggy working dog, the Old English Sheepdog has great energy and stamina. They will require at least an hour and a half of exercise daily. They particularly love splashing around in water, and this breed's exercise should ideally be off-leash while playing and running.

Temperament

The ideal Old English Sheepdog, as described by the breed standards, should never be aggressive or nervous. They are even couch potatoes at times, and try to herd children through gently bumping them. The temperament of this breed is adaptable, social, and intelligent. Their clownish energy will try to herd people and other objects.

The ideal setting for the Old English Sheepdog is a place with wide open spaces. This breed naturally fits a rural setting including farm work, and even though they are perfectly comfortable with urban or suburban lifestyle, adequate exercise should be maintained at all time. Their inherent herding instinct, sense of property boundaries, and sense of duty will be nurtured and encouraged, or even subdued by their owners.

Overview

The Old English Sheepdog is a large dog developed from old herding dogs. This breed has been dubbed as Bobtail since tail docking was a custom in the old sheepdogs.

Care

The most time-consuming and important component in caring for the Old English Sheepdog is grooming. Since this breed as thick and coarse coat that could easily form mat without proper care, they should be groomed a couple of times a week. Once a week can also be tolerated, but they must be groomed longer. A pair of scissors and a metal brush is used in grooming this breed, along with a grooming table, which helps in shortening the process.

Training

The Old English Sheepdog is an intelligent and friendly dog but will require a firm trainer. This breed is known to be a little stubborn unless the owner is confident and will be willing to take control over training sessions quickly. Basic Obedience should start as soon as the puppy is brought home. Waiting until the dog reaches six months old will make it even more difficult to train this breed.

Character

The Old English Sheepdog is gentle and affectionate. This kind, loving, and friendly breed makes excellent family dog, and loves children. A loyal dog, they will be entirely devoted to its family and will always be prepared to protect it.