English Shepherd puppies

About the English Shepherd

The English Shepherd came to the American colonies with early settlers from the British Isles and followed the country west as an all purpose farm dog, herding valuable livestock and guarding isolated homesteads. The United Kennel Club has registered the breed since 1927. The standard gives males 48 to 58 cm and 20.4 to 27.2 kg and females 46 to 56 cm and 18.1 to 22.7 kg, with a thick, glossy, soft coat that may be straight, wavy or curly over a fine undercoat, in black and white, black and tan, tricolour, sable and white, or tan and white.

The standard asks judges to consider how well these dogs work livestock as well as how they look, and that says a lot about the dog: they want a job, whether farm work or a sport, and daily exercise for body and mind. They are watchful and guard the home. No registry or vet body publishes a life expectancy or a health list for the breed that could be checked for this page, so ask any breeder what health testing both parents have had. A working farm dog will not simply settle into a quiet pet routine, so do not expect one to.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a English Shepherd puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

No club or veterinary reference we could reach publishes a breed specific health list for the English Shepherd. Ask the breeder which conditions they screen for and for the results on both parents in writing, and ask your own vet what to watch for.

Your English Shepherd puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a English Shepherd.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 18.1 to 27.2 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 27.2 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

Previous: English Setter · Next: English Springer Spaniel

Sources

• ukcdogs.com for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes

No published figure for life expectancy, grooming, the good with children rating, the good with other dogs rating and country of origin, so nothing is shown rather than a guess.

Photo: Lana K. Pennington, Lakape Photography, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.