History

The Old English Sheepdog is one of the oldest sheepdog breeds in the UK. In order to drive livestock to pastures in rural western England, farmers raised this alert cattle and sheepdog breeds. The ancestors of this dog include the pedigree of the Bearded Shepherd and various European Shepherds. In the 19th century, the Old English Sheepdog was widely used in agricultural areas. In 1873, it made its first public appearance at the British Exhibition.

It is a robust, compact, square-proportioned, harmonious breed. Very attractive, with thick, thick, but not excessive coat, well muscled and strong in body. These qualities, combined with his liveliness, allow him to meet the exacting standards of a collie or herding dog. Therefore, defect-free is very important. His bark is very distinctive, like the sound of "canned wine going bad."

Origin

UK

Hair Length: Long Hair

Function: Sheepdog

Lifespan: 10-12 years

Personality

The character is gentle and smart, bold, alert, easy-going and friendly. When he grows up, he doesn't like to run around, but he is naughty when he is a child. Loyal and friendly to people. With excellent qualifications to lead sheep, easy to train, high obedience, suitable and loved by children. The level of fur is the highest among all dogs. Therefore, long hair can easily become knotted and dirty. The owner should pay attention to the daily care of the hair. Since it is a large dog, it is not suitable to be kept indoors on a leash all day.

General appearance

Strong, strong, square, well balanced. From the surroundings, it was well-furnished but not overly hairy, stocky, and muscular. These characteristics, combined with its agility, make it suitable for the demanding work required of a shepherd or herding dog. Therefore, health and stability are the most important. Its cry is loud and has a distinctive ribcage around it.

Important Ratios

Proportions: The length of the dog is almost equal to the height (measured from the shoulder to the ischial tuberosity). There is absolutely no case of long legs or a slender body.

Physical: Well developed bones and muscles.

Temperament

The dog is adaptable, intelligent, and calm in temperament, not aggressive, timid or anxious. The head is in proportion to the body, and the expression is very intelligent.

Forehead: Large, somewhat square, providing enough space for brain activity. The upper part of the eye is arched (superior orbital rim). The entire skull is covered with hair. The indentation between the forehead and the snout on the brain is clearly demarcated.

Infraorbital ridge: well defined.

Nose: Always black and big.

Mouth: Strong, boxy and short.

Jaws/Teeth: fairly long, hard, square, and truncate. Special attention should be paid to the above characteristics, if the head is long and narrow or the snout is too long, it is a serious deformity. Teeth are hard, large and evenly spaced, with good bite or close alignment.

Eyes: brown, blue, or one of these. If brown, very black is preferred. If blue, pearl, ceramic or leukoplakia are typical colors. Amber or yellow are the most annoying.

Ears: Medium in size, flat on the sides of the head.

Neck: The neck is fairly long and gracefully arched.

Torso: somewhat short and strong, wider at the hips than at the shoulders.

Dorsal midline: Lower at the armour than at the waist, no signs of weakness. This is a distinct feature of this breed.

Loin: The loin is strong and gradually arched.

Chest: The chest is deep and large, neither slender nor broad.

Ribs: Ribs are well elastic.

Tail: When there is no natural tail docking, the dog is docked close to the body.

Forelegs: The forelegs are very straight and support the body well. Narrower than shoulders. The distance from the elder to the elbow joint is almost equal to the distance from the elbow joint to the ground.

Shoulders: Well turned and narrow at the joints.

Elbow: Close to the chest.

Hindquarters: Well rounded, well sagged, well muscled. When upright, the metatarsals are at right angles to the ground from any angle. Knee rolls well. The calves are long and well developed. The hocks are drooping and should be fairly straight from the buttocks.

Toes: Small and rounded, with arched toes, hard and thick pads, toes straight, towards the head. The upper claws should be removed.

Gait/Movement: When trotting, movement is free, powerful, and effortless; gait stretches and drives well, and can cover maximum distance over ground with minimum strides. Very bouncy when galloping and can also walk slowly or with a slow gait. When exercising, the head is lower than normal.

Coat: Coat rich, but not too much to make the dog look overweight, of good texture and torn; not straight, but coarse and tousled and not curly. A soft or smooth coat is a serious defect. The undercoat is impermeable to water when scrubbing or air-drying is incomplete. The ears are moderately covered, the entire skull is well covered, and the forelegs are well covered. The rear rump is thick and long, longer than any other part of the body. The natural contour and texture of the coat cannot be altered by any artificial means, except that the coat on the feet and buttocks can be kept relatively clean.

Coat Color: Any shade of off-white, gray, blue, or blue-black with or without white veining, and vice versa. Any brown or yellowish tint is a serious defect.

Size

Height: male above 61cm. Females are above 56cm.

Type, characteristics and balance are more important, and we must not abandon the basics and seek only the size.

Deficiencies

Any deviation from the items described above is a defect, and the extent of the defect depends on the degree of deviation and health and nutritional status.