Old English Sheepdog
A drover's dog whose tail was docked to show it was exempt from tax, which is why it is still called the bobtail. The coat over the eyes is meant to be there.
Photo by DavidMartynHunt, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Old English Sheepdog is a droving dog that moved cattle and sheep to market, and it was traditionally docked to show it was a working dog exempt from tax, which is where the nickname bobtail comes from.
The profuse shaggy coat is the defining feature and it is the single largest commitment in owning one. A full coat needs three to four hours of grooming a week and it is not optional.
Temperament
Gentle, sociable and clownish. Old English Sheepdogs are good with children, friendly with strangers and other dogs, and they are famously good tempered.
They are herding dogs and will bump and nudge people into groups. They are also boisterous and slow to mature, and they have a loud distinctive bark. They want to be with their families and do badly alone.
Care and grooming
The most demanding coat here. Thorough brushing right down to the skin three or four times a week, several hours in total, plus professional grooming. A neglected coat mats solidly and has to be shaved off.
Many owners keep them clipped short, which is entirely reasonable and removes most of the work. Hip dysplasia, cataracts, deafness and primary ciliary dyskinesia occur, and the last has a DNA test.
Living and exercise
An hour to ninety minutes a day. They are moderate rather than high energy as adults.
The coat also means heat is a problem and that a wet dog takes hours to dry. Anyone who is not going to keep the coat up should plan to clip from the start rather than discover it later. Ten to twelve years.
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