New to OES's
My name is Kaitlyn and I am completely new to sheepdogs. I am seventeen years old, and i will be eighteen in july. If its alright with you guys, and it doesnt take too much of your time, can you please answer some questions and maybe give me some good web sites, other than this one, obtaining information if Old English Sheepdogs? Thanks alot, and here are the questions: 1) Does a dog with blue eyes hav any undesireable traits? Are they more prone to desease? This may seem like an odd question, but there are some animals to whom this is a concern. 2) Is there a "best" food they should be on? I was thinking NRG ( a dehydrated all natural dog food) Wellness, or Science diet. I know that there are size and breed specific dog foods, are these actually suitable? 3) Are there any specific health problems that are popular with the breed? 4) What are some major behavior problems with the breed? Thank you for your time, and I know I will find alot of answer when I do a more extensive look at the breed information, but I would like some insight from people with experience, not just some stats. Thank you all very much in advance! |
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| You're asking very good questions-- much better than many people that are much older than you!
Honestly, other than the breed club site, any info that you want on OES, you'll find here. In fact, with some searching, I think all your questions have been covered at some point so you should have lots of info to work from. The standard says that blue eyes, one of each and brown (preferably dark) are good. Some all white headed dogs can be prone to deafness but that is not true of all whiteheads. Food is always a debate! The best advice that I could give is to feed your dog something with high quality ingredients, where the ingredient list begins with meat (not meat by products or meal) and free of corn or wheat. Corn is just filler that isn't digested and many dogs are allergic to wheat. Different dogs do differently on different foods so if you find one doesn't work, there's no harm in transitioning to another that does. There's no one size fits all food so it's really up to the individual-- what your dog likes and does well on, what you can afford, etc. We feed Nutro Ultra and Merrick to our dogs. Those are my recommendations that I give everyone but those are only from my experiences so others may not agree. OES can be prone to hip dysplasia, bloat and other health problems that affect large dogs. Check out the oesca web site-- there's a whole health section and lots of other info about the breed there. http://www.oldenglishsheepdogclubofamerica.org/ You'll find as puppies, there's very nippy. It's the herding instinct but if you stop it when they're young, it's a behavior that can be controlled. That's the only problem we've really ever had. Good luck in your research! |
| WELCOME!
Jill has given you very good information..I can add nothing  This is a great site to read for lots of sheepie information. One thing you will quickly see is that all pups, like people, are different.
Getting your dog from a reputable breeder, one who does genetic testing, shows, and stands by their pups for the life of the dog is a great place to start. Good Luck. |
| Okay, great! Thank you!
We are also thinking about getting into breeding with our friend, who i beleive has posted on this site. Just a thought though. We have a good long while to think about it. We wont be getting another dog for a while, we are going to be moving in the near future, so we would have to get settled and organized. As a puppy, should i start the pup on a collar? I've heard that harnesses can stunt their walking ability later on. I know that harnesses arent good for adults, because then they can use their whole body power to pull you. Well, I think thats all the questions i will ask for now. I will look on all the posts and pick up some breed specific books. I have alot of books that have small sections for different breeds. Thank you both for your posts! I am open to any more from anyone! - Katii |
| I'd stick with a collar. If you're going to keep an OES in full coat, I think a harness would be a nightmare with hair tangling. Many of us don't even keep collars on our dogs because of the matting that occurs under the collar. The only time I put a collar on my boy is when we go out, and even then I just use a nylon slip lead or nylon training collar for walks. OES mat like no other breed (except Afghans maybe) so you'll find you'll want to take all steps to avoid it. |
| Alright, Thanks! I think I would invest in a high quality grooming kit and just shave the poor thing. It gets pretty warm here, so I dont want my future dog to over heat. Plus, I think it looks better. I get annoyed with my long hair, so I imagine a dog would too. |
| Welcome to the forum!
Let's talk about your desire to start breeding after the holidays. I think we can provide some great information about that, so please remind us to chat about it before you make your final decision! |
| Alrighty!! |
| Hi and welcome to the forum!
Good luck in finding and Old English Sheepdog puppy. Here is a good page with info on selecting a breeder. The site is from Portugal and has some wonderful information. http://clientes.netvisao.pt/zbiri/ChooseBreeder.htm http://clientes.netvisao.pt/zbiri/index.html Please see the illustrated standard (European) As to becoming a breeder yourself there are some wonderful members here who would be happy to discuss what is involved. Have a wonderful Holiday! |
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