5 Reasons to love the old english sheepdog

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The Old English Sheepdogs (OES) are distinctive for their shaggy coats and clumsy, lumbering gait. Lesser known for their goofy personality, their need for human companionship and their astute ability to get their people ready and out the door in the mornings, this once popular breed is teetering on the endangered list.

They’re ready for their close up

The Old English Sheepdogs were once the darlings of the media. A person couldn’t turn on the TV without seeing this bushy breed advertising products, strutting their amazing selves on shows or displaying their comedic timing on the big screen. In the comic strip “For Better For Worse” Lynn Johnston added a Sheepdog named Farley to her cartoon family. The dog was based on her own OES with the same name.

Send in the clowns

While most breeds have the distinction of being cute, or entertaining, the OES is hands down the clowniest breed around. They thrive on entertaining their humans with such colorful antics that they do their best to make their humans laugh at every turn. Jim Henson knew of their playful personalities and immortalized the breed with such characters as Barkley on the TV show Sesame Street, Merlin and Ambrosius in the movie Labyrinth and Sprocket in the TV show Fraggle Rock.

Stellar herding tendencies

Deeply ingrained in their DNA is the ability to herd… anything. From livestock, to chickens- the family pets to the kids, the Old English Sheepdog will push, nudge and may even nip at ankles to get their family together and out the door before they realize what’s happening.

Know the history

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Thought to be crossed with the Bearded Collie, OES were primarily work dogs. England, in the mid 1800’s, issued a tax for any and all domesticated animals that were considered companions. To distinguish between pets and working dogs, owners would dock the tails of their working dogs. Sheepdogs would soon become known as the “Bobtail”. The practice of tail docking is highly frowned upon today, a majority of the OES have long shaggy tails that wag happily.

Falling out of favor

In the 1970’s this energetic and goofy breed dominated the airwaves. They were incredibly popular among families and seen frequently. Today they’ve fallen to 75^th on the AKC popularity chart. They’re unpopularity is mostly due to their strenuous grooming practices. The Old English Sheepdogs have an incredibly thick double coat that requires extensive brushing or trips to the groomer to keep mats to a minimum.

Another reason they aren’t as popular as they once were, is their size. There is a growing desire for smaller, more compact breeds among dog owners’- dogs that can be easily scooped up and tucked into a handbag for easy travel are more desirable. It’s a bit difficult to scoop up a 65 pound, shaggy dog and deposit him in a purse.

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