choice of breed
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| Welcome to the forum! This is a great question to be asking!
Each dog has their own personality of course, but in general, I think that the OES is a rambunctious breed; huge amounts of energy until age 2, and then it starts to slow down a bit. Gentle is in the eye of the beholder, too! While the OES usually won't intentionally hurt someone, they are boisterous and they are a big dog, so some people recommend that they not be mixed with small children who will tend to get knocked over once in a while.  Other people on the forum have had infants and toddlers and sheepdogs together just fine.
I'm sure others will chime in with their 2 cents' worth! PS I've sent you a private message; click on the link that says something like "You have 1 new message" or even "You have no new messages" near the top center of any page. |
| Welcome! I agree with what Ron has said - they are definitely boisterous and clown-like throughout their entire life. I have a 5 month old boy now and I have fostered an 11-year old girl and that energy just doesn't dissipate. But they are very loving and kind dogs as well. Grooming is huge and I'm sure you'll receive a lot of other responses to help inform you of your decision. |
waitingforone wrote: I would like to know if any of you know if an Old English Sheepdog is a natural people dog and for the most part naturally more gentle etc. and easier to train than an Old English Mastiff. At present we own a female doberman . I don't want another sharp breed.
Old English Sheepdogs are very much a people dog...sometimes too much for some people. Generally they are in your face and crave affection...from their family and strangers alike..If you are looking for a polite dog that will mind it's own business I don't think an OES is the one. 
They are bulldozers, and do body slams, but not in a mean way...They can be gentle, but usually if things are not too exciting. They are very trainable, if you are consistent and make it enjoyable for them. Postive reinforcement works best. I had a doberman before and that dog was the easiest to train out of the many different breeds that I have had. An OES is not quite the same, in that they do not appear to be as serious, and are more here for a good time. If you go the OES route you should sit back, relax and enjoy the ride...! |
| Yes i agree too... with Ron, I have had three and they have all been different..
But all of them have been big loveable clowns, you look after them and they will look after you. If you love them they will give you twice as much love back.. they are always happy to please you. |
I think both of the breeds you've mentioned are more stubborn than other breeds, which makes training harder/challenging. Both are known to be great with children too. Each dog will be different, but I doubt your experience in training your next dog will come close to the one you had with your doberman (an extremely intelligent dog). However, I do think each breed is intelligent in its own way. I can't imagine some breeds herding the way my OES instinctively does. Overall, I love OES' because of their personality, the way they look, and how great they are with people. If they didn't have those very desirable and important traits, I couldn't own one, because I wouldn't be able to get past the fact it can be like talking to a wall.  |
| I can only answer you relative to my experience with one sheepie. Tasker is 11 and is the gentlest dog I have ever owned. He has ALWAYS been a calm mannered doag (which goes to show you that breed type doesn't always hold), never excitable or overly active. He prefers laying at your feet and having his ears rubbed to just about anything.
He has been the easiet dog to train that I ever owned but I would definately NOT consider him smart. Ty, my maltese, can pull the wool over his eyes every time. He is fiercely loyal and as gentle as he is I know that he would not hesitate to spring into action to protect his "family". He does not bark alot, but will bark when a strange car pulls in the drive. He will ALWAYS position himself between me and any stranger until he is confident that everything is ok. He has growled and lunged at someone who he felt was acting in a threatening way (and they were). I would consider him protective but not inappropriately aggressive. Welcome!! |
| Old English are like people...no two are the same, thank goodness.
That said, however, the breed has some 'generalized' personality traits to look for. When acquiring a puppy, it is very important to visit at least one, if not both, of the parents and observe them for a while. You might see the 'skittish personality' which runs through some bloodlines - by this I mean afraid of anything and everything. It can be covered over by gentle training but the older the sheepie, the harder he or she is to 'retrain'. Another behavior that is difficult to overcome in an older sheepie is aggressive eating habits (I don't mean counter surfing). If you have to count your fingers each time a treat or food is given, the animal might need some remedial training. Generally, Old English become a bit more lethargic as they grow older but there are more than a few exceptions to this. There are before breakfast naps, after breakfast naps, afternoon naps, before supper naps, after supper naps and finally sleeping when its dark. In between rest periods, sheepies are bundles of energy and love. I guess it why we love then so. |
| Oh definately agree with simm2zoo post, there all different in their own unique way, I have one that was a monster/destructo as a baby and needed a lot of training to become a wonderful family member and others that have been couch potatos. My children have grown up with sheepies, the only problem with young kids is you have to watch that sheepies don't want to send them flying in all directions like bowling pins LOL. Some have a good set of brakes on them and others don't when it comes to play with kids.
They are a wonderful breed for families but like any breed temperament is important and getting one that suits your family. There is good and bad in every breed, so is researching health issues in this breed, aquiring one from a ethical breeder is important as they breed for good temperament and health. Grooming can be an ordeal too due to their big coats, clipping off if in a mess and they still look cute too. I just love the breed and they are definately family orientated they never do well just being left alone, they thrive on being involved in every aspect of family, Velcro dogs. So if you like that too an OES in your face 24/7
Puppy stage can be quite a challenge they are late maturing but do settle down in their over enthusiastic personalities when they mature, around 3 years old. Nipping as babies has to be addressed as soon as possible as also the need to chase things as being a herding breed a lot have the instinct in them, but easily addressed with good positive training as youngsters. They come across as clowns, but they do really well with training, we have them here doing Obedience, tracking, agility and herding and the ones that have done it have excelled in those areas. A busy sheepie is a happy well adjusted sheepie and also they can be big slugs when you want them to be, real cuddle bugs. |
| I currently have 3 OES; my first OES died early last year at almost 14 years of age. I raised my first 2 OES with a young family--my daughter was 4 when we got Merlin. She did get knocked around some, but she has 3 older human brothers, so that wasn't such a huge difference/shock/change. My own kids were never intimidated/overwhelmed by the size, but some of their friends were. Something to consider.
OES are very energetic and need a lot of human interaction. They typically follow you around and would be unhappy relegated to the yard alone. Their coats require a great deal of grooming and track in dirt, leaves, water, snow, you name it. If this will bother you, choose a different breed. Grooming requires hours a week; so does cleaning up. After drinks of water, they love to give very, very, very wet kisses. Towels are required. My dogs are walked 4-6 times a day, with 6 being the norm in any but really, really bad weather. This is very important for their health and also because a dog who is well exercised is a much better behaved dog. Their puppyhood lasts 2 years, although they grow to be over 60 pounds by 6 or 7 months. Mature weight is usually closer to 80-100 lbs, sometimes bigger, although some are smaller. They are intelligent, but somewhat stubborn, extremely good with people and other animals. Mine have always been good judges of character, gearing their behavior and activity level to the age of the child or older adult around them. They are quiet and docile with smaller kids, more active with bigger kids. Mine were good with my elderly disabled mother with uncertain balance and eyesight from puppyhood through adulthood. They didn't jump on her or get in her way as she walked, but would come up to her when she was sitting for a nice pet. They excel at laying on your feet (or bed or couch) to keep them warm. Some common genetic health problems include hip displasia, eye problems, deafness, and a few other things. Please research this and thik carefully about what kinds of problems you are able to handle. In any case, remember that an OES is a very big, very powerful dog. Mine can carry an adult sized soccer ball around in their mouths. Or take the back of my head in their mouths. It is imperative that you choose your dog for sound temperment. |
| Just want to add if you are truly considering this breed then we just wanted to direct you to a couple of places to find you the best dog that will fit with your family.
You can find a whole list of sheepdog rescues through OES.org here: http://www.oes.org/html/oes_rescue.shtml Or if you are looking to purchase a puppy/dog from a reputable breeder (If you're in the US) please be directed to the Old English Sheepdog Club of America's breeder list at http://www.oldenglishsheepdogclubofamerica.org/ to ensure your best possible chances of getting a healthy puppy. It is recommended to phone the breeders on the list vs. email as many of them do not check their email regularly even if they have litters. Good luck with your search. I know personally one particular breeder who used to always have Dobes but then switched to sheepdogs at some point in her life. It always interests me how people gravitate towards particular breeds. Also, wanted to add that obviously people tend to be intimidated a bit by certain breeds like Dobermans, Pit Bulls, American Staffordshire Terriers, etc. just due to their working roles. Obviously the English Mastiff can also be a bit intimidating. Just something else to think about because strangers don't seem to be afraid to approach people with an OES since most of the time they look like big Muppets. |
| We been through a few different breeds, and have a female sheepdog and she is now 4. I don't have a bad thing to say about her. But I knew exactly what I wanted when I picked the breed.
I commend you for doing your research. Try and meet some real dogs of both breeds. Learn the health issues of both. With one dog you will face non shedding, high maitenance grooming (unless you shave). With the other...I am assumeing here, high shedding and drool. With one you will have stranger's approaching on purpose to meet your dog, with the other you may have people making a wide berth to avoid you. You will have a shadow, a true velcro dog with the OES. If you are calm they tend to be calm, but if you get boisterous they will return that same enthusiam. They love to exercise and run around...however the instinct to herd things...dogs, people, etc can be annoying. Our Remy tends to offend alot of dogs at the park because she tries to "move" them...and they want to fetch their ball. In the end, a good breeder will help choose the right dog for your family, and you will get out of the dog what you put into it. Love, training, and consistency, and ALOT of patience....no matter what breed you decide on. |
| Thanks all for your imput. I am definitely staying on this site and going to continue to learn. I will be making the big phone call in the spring and vist some breeders in my surrounding area. I live in Fergus Ontario Canada. I will also go on the show sites find out the dates etc. and attend some in my area as well. I probably will meet a couple of you there. Once again thank you. My main goal is to have a loving, alround social dog, not one I constantly have to be on my toes for. I don't want to have to watch body language 24 - 7. Once again thank you for your imput, and if you have anymore I welcome it.
Sandra |
| Best wishes with your decision and if you do end up with an OES, you will have to change your username to "gotone"
Keep us posted on how you go and what you think of the breed. |
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