The bobtail or Old English Sheepdog, also known as Old English Sheepdog, it is a large dog, with a square body, and with long and abundant fur that covers its entire body, and it needs some care certain.
If you are thinking of adopting a puppy of this breed, in this tab on our site you will find the keys to know everything and thus be able to decide when choosing, since knowing the physical characteristics, the behavior, the necessary care, how to educate them and what these animals are prone to, will be very valuable information depending on what you are looking for. Therefore, before adopting any pet, make sure that you will be able to keep and care for it for many years, because to have an animal in your care, the first thing is to take responsibility for it.
If you are reading this article you may also be interested in knowing some names for large dogs.
Bobtail Origin
The breeds of dogs that gave rise to the Old English Sheepdog are not known with certainty. Possible ancestors include the Brie Shepherd, the Bergamasco, Bearded Collies, and dogs originating in Russia (the ancient Ovtcharka breed). What is known about the origin of this breed is that it was created in the west of England, during the 19th century, by shepherds who were looking for an agile and resistant dog to take their herds and cattle from the fields to the markets. After a first presentation at a show in 1880, the bobtail breed was recognized by the Kennel Club.
The docked tail was a characteristic used in the 18th century to identify sheepdogs so their owners would not pay taxes for these dogs. The custom, although no longer useful, was fixed in the breed standard. In addition, those breeding lines that did not have a tail were used for breeding.
Bobtail Physical Characteristics
We could define his appearance as sweet and good-natured although his size makes him a giant cuddly toy: males measure up to 61 centimeters to the withers and females about 55 centimeters. The breed standard used by the International Cinological Federation does not specify a certain weight for the Old English Sheepdog, but the weight of males is usually around 29 kilograms and that of females around 27 kilograms.
The compact and muscular body has an unusual characteristic in dogs: the level of the withers is lower than the level of the loin, for what the upper line rises from the withers to the loin. The head of the Old English Sheepdog is square and with a bulky skull. The stop is well defined, but cannot be easily seen due to the dense, long hair that covers the head. The ears are small and hang on the sides of the head. The eyes are well separated from each other and can be dark brown, light blue or one brown and the other light blue. At the end of the Old English Sheepdog's strong, square, truncated muzzle is a large, black nose. Large, strong teeth exhibit a scissor bite.
English Shepherds They are usually born without a tail When they are born with a tail, this appendage is usually completely amputated. The Old English Sheepdog has a abundant long, shaggy and coarse outer coat As the years go by, the bobtail's coat becomes longer, harder and denser which makes it requires constant care. The outer coat should not be curly or smooth. The inner mantle is waterproof.
Bobtail Character
The personality of the bobtail loves those who have had one since most people refer to him as "a very human dog "for the trust, affection and rapport they experience when they meet this breed. In England he is known as nanni-dog since he is a patient, affectionate dog that many parents trust when playing with children.
Docile and good-natured, The Old English Sheepdog is a faithful, adaptable and trustworthy dog. He should not be fearful or aggressive. This dog is often suitable for families with children, because he easily adapts to different circumstances, he is hardy and very playful. However, he has a strong herding instinct that can lead him to try to direct children by pushing them with his body. If he is not stimulated to play and exercise, the Old English Sheepdog can become lazy. They also need their space to be alone when they need it and they tend to get along well with other pets that we may have in the home.
Bobtail care
This dog has two very important needs that we must meet if we want him to be a happy dog with us:
To begin with, we must know that the bobtail needs large doses of exercise and walks, so it is ideal for people who practice various types of sports with their animals or who are available to go on routes and excursions. We must be aware that this dog needs at least 3 walks a day combined with some exercise, something that will help keep its muscles strong and he althy.
So much so that forgetting to exercise in this breed will be a disaster as it can lead to serious problems of stress and frustration. The well-trained Bobtail will even adapt to living in an apartment, as long as we have time to dedicate to it and a temperature that is stable and cool, the Bobtail does not support extreme heat.
Another thing that we must be very clear about is the dedication that we must apply to his coat so that it appears beautiful, he althy and free of tangles. Brushing it daily is going to be one of our daily tasks. In addition, having long hair that is susceptible to tangles, we must be aware that we will have to take it to the hairdresser (at an economic cost) or learn to cut our own hair, a task only suitable for careful and delicate people, but it is preferable that Have your hair cut by a professional whenever necessary.
Bobtail Education
As happens with all dogs, we must socialize the Bobtail from puppyhood so that it respects, knows and begins its training as a member of our family. They empathize quite well with their relatives if they receive cordial, affectionate treatment based on positive reinforcement.
The Old English Sheepdog is Easy to train when using reward and game based dog training methods. When traditional techniques are used, he can be a bit stubborn, since he is a cooperative dog but not a submissive one.
Bobtail He alth
The Old English Sheepdog is a dog with low susceptibility to hereditary diseases, so the first problem we have to discuss is the risk to suffer from otitis since ears full of fur favor humidity and therefore a possible infection. We must also take care of the facial hair so that it does not end up in his eyes.
In addition, large dogs are susceptible to hip dysplasia, a common problem. This disease is degenerative and mainly affects mobility as a cause of joint malformation. Another very similar ailment is Wobbler's syndrome, which affects puppies causing lameness in the hind legs.
Other he alth problems may include diabetes, deafness, or eye disorders (cataracts and retinal atrophy).
To put an end to the he alth of the bobtail, we already mentioned its predisposition to suffer a torsion of the stomach, something that we can easily avoid by dividing its food intake and avoiding exercise before and after eating.
