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The Old English Sheepdog (OES) is a large breed of dog which was developed in England from very old herding types of dog. The Old English Sheepdog has very long fur covering the face and eyes.The Old English Sheepdog is nicknamed the Bobtail, since tail docking was traditional in the old sheepdogs. The breed is well known as the Dulux dog, as a result of their long-running use in advertising Dulux paint.
Appearance
The Old English Sheepdog is a large dog, immediately recognisable by its long, thick, shaggy grey and white coat, with fur covering their face and eyes. The ears lie flat to the head. In places where tail docking is still legal, the tail is completely docked, resulting in a panda-like rear end. Sometimes the breed has a natural bobtail. The Old English Sheepdog stands lower at the shoulder than at the loin, and walks with a "bear-like roll from the rear". When the dog has a tail, it has long fur (feathering), is low set, and normally hangs down.
Height at the withers is at least 61 cms (24 ins), with females slightly smaller than males. The body is short and compact, and ideal weights are not specified, but may be as much as 46 kg (101 lbs) for large males.
Colour of the double coat may be any shade of grey, grizzle, blue, or blue merle, with optional white markings. The undercoat is water resistant. Puppies are born with a black and white coat, and it is only after the puppy coat has been shed that the more common grey or silver shaggy hair appears.Docking
Undocked Old English Sheepdogs are becoming a more common sight as some countries have now banned docking. The Kennel Club (UK) breed standard does not express a preference for (legally) docked or un-docked animals and either can be shown. The Australian National Kennel Council standard states that the tail is "preferably docked".. The American Kennel Club breed standard states that the tail should be "docked close to the body, when not naturally bob tailed." It is believed that the practice of tail docking came about in the 18th century as a result of taxation laws that required working dogs to be docked as evidence of their working status.
History
The Old English Sheepdog comes from the very old pastoral type dogs of England, but no records were kept of the dogs, and everything about the earliest types is guesswork. A small drop-eared dog seen in a 1771 painting by Gainsborough is believed by some to represent the early type of the Old English Sheepdog. In the early 1800s a bobtailed drovers dog, called the Smithfield or Cotswold Cor, was noticed in the southwestern counties of England and may have been an ancestor. Most fanciers agree that the Bearded Collie was among the original stock used in developing today's breed. Some speculate that the Russian Owtchar was among the breed's ancestors.
The Old English Sheepdog was at first called the "Shepherd's Dog" and was exhibited for the first time at a show in Birmingham, England, in 1873. There were only three entries, and the judge felt the quality of the dogs was so poor that he offered only a second placing. From that beginning, the breed became a popular show dog, and, although the shape of dog itself has changed very little over the years, elaborate grooming including backcombing and powdering the fur were recorded as early as 1907. The breed was exported to the United States in the 1880s, and by the turn of the century, five of the ten wealthiest American families bred and showed the Old English Sheepdog. The breed continues to be a popular showdog today.
Health
Vet school data shows the Old English Sheepdog to have a life expectancy of 6.9 years, but data collected from owners in the US estimates the life expectancy as 11.19 years. The Old English Sheepdog Club of America sponsors investigations into diseases encountered in the breed in order to assist breeders in selecting healthy dogs for breeding, and breeders of Old English Sheepdogs who are members of the Old English Sheepdog Club of America must support its Code of Ethics in breeding and selling sheepdogs. Some diseases being investigated include hip dysplasia, cataracts, glaucoma, entropion, thyroid problems, deafness, diabetes, HD, PRA, allergies and skin problems. There is no data on how many dogs are affected, or what percent of the breed is affected by any of these ailments. Heatstroke is also a serious concern in full coated dogs. Cancer is a major cause of death amongst Old English Sheepdogs. Puppy buyers should ask breeders if they have tested for these disorders in their breeding dogs.
Temperament
The breed standards describe the ideal Old English Sheepdog as never being nervous or aggressive. The New Zealand Kennel Club adds that "they are sometimes couch potatoes" and "may even try to herd children by gently bumping them." This breed's temperament can be described as intelligent, social and adaptable. The American Kennel Club adds that the breed has "a clownish energy" and "may try to herd people or other objects."
Coat care
The Old English Sheepdog's long coat requires a thorough brushing at least once weekly, which may take one to three hours. Without regular care, the coat can become "a trap for dust, debris, fecal matter, urine and moisture." Although Old English Sheepdog puppies are cute, prospective owners may be deterred by the level of care required.
The preferred method of grooming involves starting from the base of the hairs to keep the thick undercoat hair mat- and tangle-free. The brushing should be started at a very young age to get the dog used to it. A hairband may be used to keep a dog's fur out of its eyes. Many people trim their dogs' coats to a more manageable length. However, dogs that are being shown in conformation must retain their natural coat.
Some people save their Sheepdog's hair and spin it into yarn.
Notability Dulux dog
The Old English Sheepdog is the brand mascot for Dulux paint. The dog was first introduced in Australian advertising campaigns in the 1960s. Since then they have been a constant and highly popular feature of Dulux television and print advertisements in both Australia and the UK, and people in those markets refer colloquially to the breed as a "Dulux dog".
Over the years, different dogs have appeared in the advertisements, all very similar in appearance, as most of them have been selected from a closely related line of pedigree dogs. The first Dulux dog was Shepton Dash, who held the role for eight years. His successor, Fernville Lord Digby, was the most famous Dulux dog and also made his owner, Cynthia Harrison, famous. When filming commercials, Digby was treated like a star and was driven to the studio by a chauffeur. Barbara Woodhouse was employed to train Digby and his three stunt doubles, who were used whenever specific tricks or actions needed to be filmed.
Apart from Dash, all the Dulux dogs have been breed champions. Five of them have won 'Best of Show' prizes. The most recent Dulux Dog, Don, is Crufts Qualified.
Other famous Old English Sheepdogs
• Martha, sheepdog belonging to Paul McCartney (featured in the song "Martha My Dear")
• Tiny, pet of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Fictional Old English Sheepdogs
• Ambrosius and Merlin from the film Labyrinth
• Barkley from Sesame Street
• Boot from the comic strip The Perishers
• "The Colonel" in the book 101 Dalmatians
• Digby from the film Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World
• Edison from the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
• Farley, the first dog of the Patterson family in the comic strip, For Better or For Worse. Modeled after Lynn Johnston's own dog of the same breed who in turn was named after Farley Mowat.
• George, the pet of Little Britain's Maggie Blackamoor, who also has the same vomiting problem as his owner.
• Max from The Little Mermaid
• Mr. Mugs from the Canadian Children's Readers (published through the 1960s and 1970s)
• Shag from Road Rovers
• The Shaggy Dog from The Shaggy Dog, The Shaggy D.A., and The Shaggy Dog Returns
• Sherlock from the film Hercule et Sherlock
• Sprocket from the television series Fraggle Rock
• In The Simpsons, Reverend Lovejoy has an Old English Sheepdog, who first appeared in 22 Short Films about Springfield.
• Wordsworth from Jamie and the Magic Torch
• Terry/Ssulja from "The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince"
• Xiao Ke Ai from "It Started With a Kiss" and "They Kiss Again"
• Samson from the flemish TV program Samson en Gert is an Old English Sheepdog
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