Old English Sheepdog puppies

About the Old English Sheepdog

The Old English Sheepdog came from the west of England, used to drive sheep and cattle to market rather than to gather them on open hill. This is a large dog, 53 to 56 cm at the shoulder and 27.2 to 45.4 kg, with a profuse double coat, a naturally ambling gait and a distinctive rolling bark. Temperament is even and biddable, bold without edginess, and sociable with the family, with nervousness and unprovoked aggression both counted as faults.

The coat is the whole decision. A full coat needs thorough grooming down to the skin at least weekly, and even a shorter pet trim means regular brushing plus a groomer every few weeks for the life of the dog. Exercise is moderate and varies a lot between individuals, and most have a genuine off switch indoors. They rate highly with children, given supervision and socialisation. The look is lovely, but keep up with the coat, because mats to the skin are painful and end in a full clip out.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Old English Sheepdog 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 large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming needs are high. Start daily brushing and short, positive handling sessions at eight weeks, well before the adult coat arrives, or the first professional groom will be traumatic. 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

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Primary ciliary dyskinesia, detectable by DNA test
• Multiocular defect (MOD), detectable by DNA test
• MDR1 drug sensitivity, detectable by DNA test, which affects safe dosing of several common drugs
• Hip dysplasia, screened under the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme, and elbow dysplasia under the BVA/KC Elbow Dysplasia Scheme
• Hereditary eye disease, screened under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme
• Congenital deafness, detectable by BAER hearing testing

Your Old English Sheepdog puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Old English Sheepdog.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 27.2 to 45.4 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 48 inch (48 x 30 x 32 in, 122 x 76 x 81 cm) for an adult of up to 45.4 kg; chew toys made for large 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 large breeds

More on the Old English Sheepdog

Previous: Old Danish Pointer · Next: Otterhound

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Old English Sheepdog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/old-english-sheepdog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Mona), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.