Old English Sheepdog

Genetic Predispositions and Health

Old English Sheepdogs can suffer from autoimmune thyroiditis, cardiac anomalies, hip dysplasia, deafness, cerebellar ataxia, and primary ciliary dyskinesia. They are to eye disorders including cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy, and retinal detachment. The breed can also be affected by gastric torsion, otitis externa, hypothyroidism, cerebellar degeneration, degenerative myelopathy, exercise-induced collapse, multidrug resistance 1, primary ciliary dyskinesia, and acral mutilation syndrome.

Personality and Behavior

Old English Sheepdogs are known for their adaptable, intelligent, and loving nature. They can be a little clownish and enjoy being the center of attention. Despite their size, they are generally good with children, other dogs, and animals, due to their herding heritage. However, they can also be somewhat stubborn and headstrong, so early socialization and training are important. Being a working breed, they have a lot of energy and require regular mental and physical stimulation to prevent boredom.

Herding Dog Lineage

A canine genetic lineage is a group of individuals or entire breeds that descended from common ancestors predating modern breed formation. Often these lineages are associated with a ‘type’ of dog with a unique historical working role and associated behaviors (e.g., herding, scent hunting, etc.).

Herding dogs are known for their high intelligence, trainability, and strong work ethic. These breeds originated in areas where managing livestock was an important part of daily life and had large pastoral lands. These breeds were specifically developed to help farmers and shepherds move, manage, and protect herds of livestock. Breeds within the herding dog lineage are agile and are known to have a natural herding instinct, where they like to keep their animals together. They are loyal and attentive to their handlers and are eager to please and are also highly aware of their environment. Many breeds within this linage have gone on to work as rescue and police dogs.

Example breeds with ancestry from this lineage include Border Collie, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, and German Shepherd.

Fun Facts

The Old English Sheepdog's "bobtail" comes from the historical practice of docking their tails to prove their working status, thus exempting owners from taxes in England.

Despite their "shaggy dog" appearance, the Old English Shepherd (OES) doesn't shed as much as some breeds. However, their coat needs extensive grooming to prevent matting.

The breed has been popular in media and advertising. The most famous OES is probably the Dulux dog, which has been used in advertising for the Dulux brand of paint in the UK since the 1960s.

This Old English Shepherd (OES) is featured in Disney's The Little Mermaid as Prince Eric's companion.

References

https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/old-english-sheepdog/
https://www.ukcdogs.com/old-english-sheepdog
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/OLD-ENGLISH-SHEEPDOG-16.html
https://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/c_dg_old_english_sheepdog
https://www.pawprintgenetics.com/products/breeds/40/