how do i convince my parents to agree to an OES???
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| As a mom with a daughter that wanted a husky, I also refused afaird of jumping fences and needs lots of exercise.... and my daughter at fifteen off to college and trying to find a place for dogs is hard here. And when you are a college or free time now may not be later. I wanted a oes FOREVER and always said Before I was 40 I will have one. Well i'm 41 and have 2 and it was worth the wait. They are my babys and my time with them is perfect. |
| OES normally do not shed at all if properly brushed. Definitely a lot less than a Corgi.
What would you do down the road when you go to College? Would your parents keep the dog for 4 or 5 yrs?.... mind you this is a long period in a dog's life. What if they don't like the dog and decide to rehome the dog while you are gone because they no longer want to care for your dog. I adopted a cat when I was in college. Even with just a cat it was almost impossible to find an apartment that would take a pet. Especially one that was affordable. Luckily I did....but it was a basement apartment with only one small window, which was in the bedroom. I refer to that year as my year in the dungeon. Luckily I moved to into a friend's house a year later and my cat Murray and I were out of the dungeon. But sadly Murray was a very sick kitty and passed away at 4 yrs old. If I had had my parent's taking care of him, I would have missed out on most of his life. 
My OES that I had as a kid died when I was 11 yrs old. I begged my parents to get another one, but they did not want another BIG dog. I waited until I was 31 to get my next one. He was definitely worth the wait!!! Maybe waiting a few year wouldn't be a bad idea. I do understand how much you want one. I made up for lost time after I got my first OES and got a second one a year later.  |
Maybe you could have them spend some time here on the forum reading about whaqt WONDERFUL family members sheepies are  |
| My advice would be to have all of you visit a breeder. I know when I have perspective puppy people here we go through absolutely everything. I tell them about the breed and what is involved in owning one. I give a grooming lesson so they can see what is involved, and most importantly, I answer questions. A visit also will show you firsthand what an Old English is all about....personality, temperment, etc. |
| I feel your pain. We had our first sheepdog when I was in 7th grade and we had him through my first real job after college- we're talking a long time! The first point is that getting a sheepdog is a family decision that the primary caregiver- usually mom- has to buy into. Your family's hesitations about grooming and getting along have been addressed. I'll tell you that my neighbor has a Corgi who just finished a Christmas run with Bogie and they get along very well- 2 herding dogs trying to herd each other is a lot of fun to watch. Good luck with persuasion- sheepdogs are great!javascript:emoticon(':cheer:') |
| I too wanted a dog during high school years, didn't happen. I had to wait until I was in a position to have a dog on my own before the first cold nose joined me. Whether that be near the end of college or beyond, so be it. You'll be better able to handle the dog's demand, but not right now. It's not fair to your parents (or the dog!) to get a dog now and leave it behind when you go off to college. |
| I think that if your parents don't want to get one, you're probably going to be out of luck! As much as it will be your dog now, you're only 3 1/2 years away from college, which isn't very long. So if they don't want to take care of the dog while you're away, then that could be a problem (and I don't think I know of any dorms that accept dogs!).
Grooming costs can be expensive, but not that bad. I think ours is about $45 or $50 for a bath, more if we want him cut. We typically get him cut about twice a year (with a bath) and then maybe a few more baths sprinkled in throughout the year. So that's not terribly bad. But our dog isn't in full coat. The more coat they have, the more grooming needs they have. They don't shed very much. You'll mostly find little dust bunnies or clumps of fur in the corners of your house, but they don't shed like a lot of other dogs do--you won't have those thick, sharp hairs everywhere. If your dad is really concerned about your current dog not getting along with another dog, then that has to be considered as well. Some dogs just need to be only dogs. It could work out fine, but it could also be a big headache trying to have 2 dogs co-exist who don't want to. I love sheepies and have had them throughout my life. They are great dogs and you'll love one if you get one, but you definitely need to consider your parents in this and know that this dog will be around for the next 10-15 years... |
| If your parents aren't on board, this probably won't work.
I am a mom, and my kids all had their own dogs. Not all parents work this way, however! I know many other adults who thought I was crazy letting all my kids have their own dog. But, we are a dog training family, and dogs are important to us all. My husband and I feel dogs are a lifeskill, and can teach a young person a lot about life. All our dogs had at least basic obedience training, and most had a lot more. And, most of our family's dogs got that formal training from my 3 children. They are all grown now and in their 20's. They all have their own dogs still too! One of my daughters loves OES, and lost 2 in a short time period right after she graduated. She is married now and has her own new OES, and getting a second one soon. Her twin likes Min Pins, and her dog is too old and chronically ill to follow her out to NY, where she lives now. So he will live with us the rest of his life. This daughter chose to adopt a rescue Min Pin in NY and give him a new life. She is still a college student, but nannies as well as starting in a master's program in college. Luckily her family likes dogs and let her get her own. My son lives with his OES-loving sister, and he has his Min Pin that he got as a 12 year old. Those 2 are inseperable! 
Good luck. |
| Ahh this brings me back... I wanted an OES when i was your age as well, and as much as i tried to convince my parents that a sheepdog would be a great addition to the family, it didn't work.
An OES is a lot of work, and i have no doubt that you will keep him up while you are still at home. Once college hits though, i can certainly see where your parents have their concerns, especially if you go away to college. It's not that you won't want it, it's that they will be the ones taking care of it in the end. If they don't want to take care of it and are concerend with grooming costs, this is not going to work out. If you want A dog of your own, i think the best solutiton would be to have a sit down and discuss breeds that your parents are willing to negotiate on. Once narrowed down, you can do all the research on the breeds and breeders and hopefully get a really nice puppy that everyone will love and enjoy. In the mean time, start an OES fund, any extra change you have, start putting it away for your "dream dog". I ended up with a doberman when i was your age. 14 yrs later, i got my OES. 
Best wishes. |
| Even if you live in an off campus house or apartment, an OES would not be an ideal dog for a college student. I know: my two youngest are currently college students, and while they love our 3 OES, and participate in their care (including walking) while at home, it would really be too much for them to take care of even one away from home at this point in their lives.
I live in a college town, surrounded by a lot of college student housing. Many students have dogs or cats or other pets in their off campus housing. Most do not do as good a job as they should taking care of their pets, especially their dogs. OES are a high maintenance breed, as far as need for walking, grooming and attention/companionship--much higher than your average dog. Plus, they eat more than a corgi, which can be a real budget-breaker for a college kid. I think that this is something you really need to work with (rather than ON) your parents about: an OES is a lot of work, is really a much bigger dog than a corgi, meaning they eat more, need more and longer walks and have a very strong need for very good training. They grow physically very quickly, but are slow to mature. At 20 months, my larger OES puppy is almost 90 pounds, but still more puppy than adult. He's pretty good, but still has poor impulse control and a LOT of energy: it would be easy for him to knock over someone by accident. Also, he can eat off of the table or counters without climbing on anything or standing on his back legs. He's been trained not to do so, but you can see the issue. It is very hard to wait for something you really want. But I promise you that it is much better to wait so that you really have the time and energy to devote to an OES than it is to follow your heart and find out you are not ready, and end up having to give up a beloved companion. |
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