Overview: The Old English Sheepdog is an energetic and loving breed. This dog is playful and loves to be with its owner. It gets along well with other dog breeds and loves to be with other pets. Strangers are a welcome sight to the Old English Sheepdog and likes to greet them. This dog isn't easy to train and needs a dedicated owner. It has a fair amount of potential for being a watchdog and a guardian. Grooming can difficult when it comes to this breed because of the amount and type of hair. The Old English Sheepdog is very tolerant of cold climates but doesn't like being in hot weather.

Temperament: The Old English Sheepdog is a gentle and excitable breed. It is very friendly with its owner and behaves well while indoors. It may treat children as members of a flock. It is usually very devoted to and protective of its owner and family. The Old English Sheepdog is often friendly with strangers.

History: The Old English Sheepdog originated in the western areas of England during the 19th century. It is speculated that one of the dogs used to breed the Old English Sheepdog was either the Bearded Collie or the Russian Owtcharka. There was a need for a strong breed that was able to defend flocks from wolves. This breed was the answer to the need. During the mid-19th century this breed was used more often to herd animals to market. Because this dog is a working breed, the Old English Sheepdog was exempt from taxes, however its tail needed to be docked to show it was a working dog. This practice is continued even today and has led to its nickname, bobtail. The first time the Old English Sheepdog was introduced to a dog show was in the late 19th century. By the early 20th century this breed had become popular in dog shows and around the same time had been accepted into the AKC. At first the AKC accepted most colors of the Old English Sheepdog. Later on, however, only those with gray and white hair were accepted. Today's breed is very similar to earlier generations of this dog with just a significant difference of the coat. The hair on the coat of today's dog is more bountiful. The popularity of this dog grew at a slow pace until the 1970s when it became admired by the media. At that time the popularity for this breed grew exponentially with pet owners looking for an interesting but loving dog. Its popularity has slowly declined since then but it is still well known.

Names: There is no other name the Old English Sheepdog goes by.

Groups: The Old English Sheepdog was formally recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1888 and assigned to the Herding Group.

Physical Characteristics: The average adult Old English Sheepdog is at least 21 inches in height and can weigh between 60 and 90 lb. This is considered to be a strong and well balanced dog. The coat is profuse but doesn't give the impression that the dog is fat. The quality of the coat is of a hard texture and is shaggy. The undercoat is waterproof that piles up if not removed during shedding seasons. The color of the coat can be any shade of gray, or blue with white markings.

Care: The Old English Sheepdog needs to have exercise on a daily basis. A good long walk should suffice. I can live outside in cold environments, but it is recommended that this breed have access to the indoors. The coat of this dog needs to be combed or brushed every other day or it may start to form mats.

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