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Savvy Ideas for the Best in Health Care for English Sheepdogs
By: Jane R. Bicks, D.V.M.


The English Sheepdog is a bundle of fur and love. But if you
are to keep your English Sheepdog Healthy, an alternative
professional food and frequent grooming are musts.


Take care to prevent bloat.

How to Prevent Bloat in Dogs



I only recommend this food for English Sheepdog here


Healthy heart supplements (taurine and L-carnitine)
are necessary.


Antioxidants should be started at age 2.


If your sheepdog gets a little boisterous, try
Calms Homeopathic Remedy or add a little oat grass
to his food.



Delicious Tasting Treats your English Sheepdog will Enjoy

English Sheepdog



Old English Sheepdogs

The Old English Sheepdog is an adaptable, even-tempered,
faithful, friendly, gentle, intelligent, lovable, loving,
protective dog. They love children and they are very much a
member of the family.

They have a very strong herding instinct and they may have a
problem with trying to herd the family, especially small
children, by bumping into them. They do not nip like some
herding dogs. They need to be taught not to herd humans
though; otherwise this can become a bad habit.

There are a few theories as to origin of the Old English
Sheepdog. One theory is that it is related to the Poodle and
the Deerhound. The second theory is that it is related to
the Bergamasco and the Briard. The third is that it is
descended from a hairy Russian dog known as the Owtchar that
came over from the Baltic region on British ships.

It is also suspected that they may have been created from
crossing the Bearded Collie and other breeds taken to
England from the Baltics or from France. What is known is
that the Old English Sheepdog was developed by farmers in
England's West Country that needed an agile herder to get
their stock to market. By the nineteenth century the English
Sheepdog was used all over in agricultural areas.
Occasionally the Old English Sheepdog is referred to as the
Bobtail because the tail was customarily docked in the
eighteenth century. Tail bobbing was a way to identify
herding dogs for tax exemption.

In the spring, farmers sheared their dogs the same time as
they sheared their sheep, and then used the dog's hair to
make clothing and blankets. Some of the Old English
Sheepdog's talents include herding, retrieving and watchdog.
They are wonderful herding dogs and have even been used to
herd reindeer because they tolerate cold temperatures so
well. They were first shown in dog shows in Great Britain in
1873.

The Old English Sheepdog is an agile, large, squarely
proportioned dog with a profusely shaggy coat. The body is
muscular, stocky and well-balanced. The top line has an
upward slope from the withers to the loin. This is a breed
characteristic that is unusual and important to this dog.
The brisket is very deep and the chest is broad. The
forelegs are straight and they have small, round feet that
point forward. The breed is usually born tailless or if it
does have a tail at birth the tail is amputated.

The dog has a large square head that is well covered with
hair and has a well defined stop. They have small ears that
lie flat. This breed may have blue or brown eyes or one may
be one color and the other another color. The nose is black
and large. The teeth should come together in a scissors bite
or a level bite.

The Old English Sheepdog has a long, coarse outer coat and a
soft downy under coat which insulates the dog. The accepted
coat colors are blue, blue gray, blue merle (often with
white markings), and gray. Sometimes the color white is
predominant in the dark markings listed above. This breed
has a distinctive gait that is bear-like and rolling. They
also have a distinctive loud-ringing, low-pitched bark.


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