How Long is Your Dogs Tail?
My friend called the owners of the dog and arranged for us to meet at a park close to them. Now, I had only seen these dogs on TV and in books but never in real life. When I saw this dog, I thought what am I going to do with all of this hair? He was about one year old and he was matted and out of control. He had some dangles on his butt. Needless to say, I came home with this hairy dog. His registered name was something like Sir William of some sort of castles name in England. They didn't give me the papers and to tell you the truth I didnt want them. I just wanted to get this dog away from them and get him cleaned up. I felt sorry that a dog would look like this and not be loved. I took him to the dog groomers and they had the shave him. When I picked him up, I noticed that "Will" ( this is his new name with me) had a tail that was over 3-4 inches long. Another thing that was told to me from the groomers was he had one testicle. So I had to take him to the vet and get him sterilized and shots. That was about $500.00 to have the Vet get the other testicle out and shots, plus the grooming. My free dog has cost me more than any of my bird dogs did. Will is now about 2 years old and he is my best fishin buddy. He goes with me in my pick-up truck everywhere. Will is the funniest dog I have ever had. His hair has grown out but I keep him cut shorter. He is alot different than that setter girl I had. Will doesnt hunt birds to well, but he sure can watch my fishin poles and gets real excited when I get a fish on them. So, my question for this forum, is how long should an Old English Sheepdogs tail to be? This one on Will looks like a short hairs tail.  |
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| There shouldn't be a tail at all, lol! At least not in the United States. The tails are docked close to the body when the pups are a couple of days old. Some non-reputable breeders will leave tails on so they occasionally pop up in rescue. Other times you see bad crops where the dog has a nub that sticks up a couple of inches or more because whoever was cropping didn't know what they were doing. It sounds like you did this dog (and the breed) a huge favor by saving it from becoming a stud dog for more puppies that could wind up in a similar state. |
| Hey neighbor! Butters is right, no tail. Butt (sorry couldn't resist) a Sheepie is a Sheepie and it seems your's is just right no matter what the back side looks like.
Thanks for giving this boy a chance and a great life. You won't regret it! |
WagginTails wrote: Will is the funniest dog I have ever had.
And probably the funniest you ever will have. I think what I love best about sheepdogs is their clownish demeanor. I have 2 sheepdogs that are sisters; one has no tail at all, and the other has about 2 - 3 inches of tail. I have a friend who's sheepdog has a full tail, and many of the members here from overseas also have full-tailed Sheepdogs. But I have found that regardless of tail size, they consistently are the most fun-loving creatures you'll ever meet. |
My last foster dog has a stub, about 3-4" long maybe, a bad docking job, oh, well. It's kind of funny looking and hard to trim, but you sort of get used to it and in rescue you can see many variations on docking anyway She was officially adopted today as it happens. 
I'm not quite sure why anyone would think an English Setter would prepare you for an Old English Sheepdog  but I'm glad you gave him a chance and it sounds like he got very lucky indeed. 
Kristine |
| Welcome to the forum from me and Tiggy in Australia.
I loved your story! Tiggy's only good for chasing birds out of my backyard but she is a great companion and loves to be helping with whatever's going on, so I can imagine your boy is a great fisherdog. Like Kristine I thought "what, why a sheepdog because you used to have a bird dog" but its sounds like you were meant to be. |
| Welcome to the forum! Sounds like you have the perfect fishing buddy! Will sounds like a true Sheepie--not much up for hunting--but loves good jokes and a little fishin'!! Especially if he gets to ride in a truck to get there!
Thanks for taking this guy in-- little tail and all--he will bring you years of FUN!  |
| Tail docked as close to the body as possible (on mine you really have to hunt for it!). If not that close, no more than 1-2 joints are to be left. That's for countries that allow docking. |
| Hi, and welcome! I'm glad you rescued Will...he sounds like a wonderful dog. My dog has a 'nub' that's probably an inch or 2. Longer than my last sheepie, but not as long as yours... |
| Hi, welcome to the forum from the UK!
I'm surprised how many people have said their dogs are not docked correctly, I thought that would be rare, unfortunately it seems not. Anyway, sounds to me like you have a great friend there, sheepies are the funniest dogs by far. Over here, it's illegal to dock tails, the law only came into effect 2 years ago so we still see docked ones. |
| I think my friend thought that since I had the English Setters and since this dog was an English Sheep dog, there shouldn't be much difference since they both were English dogs? Well the first thing I learned with the sheep dog was don't change food on him. Boy what a mess that was. I never had that kind of problem with any of my sporting dogs. I guess that was why he came with the "dangles" and additional outdoor wears on his butt when I took him. I will say that this dog is the most active thing I have had. The setters would lay around and sleep most of the day.When we go for walks Will is right there. I get his leash out and he is circling, jumping, barking ( which can be very annoying). He is ready to go at all times. I got him trained pretty well now and he minds going off leash when we go for walks. When he rides in the truck with me he lies down on the bench seat in back. I will tell you what? That dog is very protective of his truck. I could leave my wallet on that seat and no one would take it. Outside of the truck, he loves everyone and gives licks and kisses. That tail and butt is waggin ALL the time and he invites everyone to pet him. Just leave HIS truck alone.
I can't thank you all for your kind words about Will. There must have been a reason that my friend called me about this dog. I am very happy to find this forum and share with you my dog Will events. Will the wonder dog. I wonder what he will do next? One thing for sure, everyday with Will is smoething different. By what I am seeing, your sheepdogs are the same? Is that a breed thing? Now, I do have a question and I am in hopes I don't offend any of you. But WHY in the world are the tails cut off? I would think with all that hair and mess back there on the butt, you would shave/cut that section off. I have just the stump of a tail and I think that is the handle to cut off the poop when he is done doing his duty. I can only imagine dogs without that handle to cut off. What do you do with that tail completely gone? How do you keep it all cleaned off? I have to put Will's butt between my legs and get the garden hose out and spray him off on bad days. So do people leave the tails on their sheepdogs? Do all sheepdogs have that sensitive digestive system? |
| Tails are always a hot mess of a discussion.
Check this thread out-- it just came up again recently. It'll answer your questions without firing all of us up again! http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=24651 |
Quote: Will the wonder dog. I wonder what he will do next? Quote: I have to put Will's butt between my legs and get the garden hose out and spray him off on bad days.
Perfectly normal, and yes, you are right about the food, find a good one and stick with it. Have a good look around the forum, you will find a lot of answers to questions you never knew you had |
| growing up, none of our sheepdogs had sensitive stomachs. but both my girls now do; it took me very long time to find a food that would prevent them from having runny poop issues.
As for the tail; I don't exactly know why its docked. But having had sheepdogs with docked tails all my life; so seeing them with tails always looks a little funny to me. Someone one once suggested that it had as much to do with the sheep as anything else. Lambs also have their tails docked; for hygiene reasons I think. So perhaps the flocks' owners docked OES tails for the same reason? Just something I heard speculated long ago. |
WagginTails wrote: Do all sheepdogs have that sensitive digestive system?
No. But it seems to have become something that's become pretty far reaching in the breed unfortunately. I had to chuckle. I housesat for friends many, many years ago, including their critters (horses, cats, dogs) and that included three lovely English Setters bitches the husband hunted with. Those dogs were on the go all day long it seemed! On the other hand, when they slept, they slept well, and only one, the youngest, would follow me around from room to room like most sheepdogs will. She was aptly named Flirt 
Kristine |
| Welcome to the community! |
| welcome to the forums
my sheepie had an outrageously sensitive stomach until he hit about two years old. I had to buy new carpet, that's how awful it was. Thankfully, now I can change dog foods over a week or two without any problems whatsoever. Before, it didn't even matter if he was on a new food or not. HUGE. MESS. Very sporadic and very disgusting. |
| Kristine,
That is what I had the past years before this Sheepdog. I had an orange belton I called "Fire" and my love of setters was named "Lady". She was a blue belton and she could hunt birds. Fire was good but Lady was the best. I lost her about 5 years ago to old age. She lived till she was about 13 years old. What I loved about those setters is they would be sleeping and when they woke up, they had those blood shot eyes and that goofy look like where am I? They were great huntin dogs and every fall we were off just about every weekend huntin birds. The lived for that hunting trip. I would get the gun and gear, they knew the way to the door and truck. I only hunted birds. I wasn't no Bambi killer. I couldn't imagine hunting deer or elk with those powerful eyes lookin into my scope or sights. I love to run across them while we are hiking. I just stand and watch as they move with such grace across the fields or mountains as they pass. But the birds were fair game around my home. I know some of you are not hunters, BUT I do eat what I kill and I love the taste of a good prepared bird. So Kristine, you have to know what I am talking about with those setters. Plus, they dont have sensitive digestive systems. They ate just about anything you would put down on the floor. When I would get the food bowl, Lady would start to drool and that tail never stopped. Thank you for the good memories of setters. So what kind of dog food does everyone else feed their sheepdogs? I have been using the Pro Plan Sensitive. It seems to work well with Will and he seems to like it. His coat looks good and the Stools are firm and keeps me away from the garden hose with poopy butt. If there is something better for him to be fed, I want to know? |
| Hi to you both and welcome
When docking is allowed usually on an OES 1 notch is left from the base of the tail if a proper docking is done. Here no docking anymore so at the moment I have two with full tails and there mom who is docked. Either way with tail or no tail or a longer stub from wrong length of docking there all still sheepies that we all love. |
| I will say that some of the pictures of your dogs tails are beautiful. If "Will" had a tail like those dogs. I would spray some furniture polish on them and have him do my house dusting. But then I would have to bathe him after dusting. Serious, Your dogs tails are beautiful. I kinda wish they would have left Wills tail long, except for the poop thing! The english setters had beautiful tails also.
I went on that serious section about "why to dock tails"? They are very serious about them being docked/cut off? I think I will stay away for that forum and do some more reading. I just want to love my dog and have fun with him and share with you about him. My friends think I am to involved with my dog/dogs. That's why I joined this forum to hear about your dogs and share things about mine. I am learning alot about sheepdogs that I didn't know before. You all have been wonderful. |
WagginTails wrote: I just want to love my dog and have fun with him and share with you about him. My friends think I am to involved with my dog/dogs. you have absolutely found the right place to hang out on the internet then! You and Will sound like our kind of "people"! |
| I'm a little late chiming in here, but wanted to welcome you to the community and thank you for rescuing Will. Sounds like he found the perfect place to land. What a match you make!! |
| Just to let you know...about that poopy butt...I found out from experience that you have to trim the hair on the butt so that you don't get dingle dangles. Once the poop gets tangled in the hair oh what a mess.
Thanks for saving Will and when do we get to see some pictures |
| Thank you Simons mom. I will trim that today. He has some fluffy hair right now and I will cut that off and see how that works for him.
How about the teeth cleaning? I cant give him bones like I did the setters because he gets a loose stool with them. Is there something I can do for that? |
| Hi and welcome to you and Will, I guess Dutch and I are lucky, you can't find her stub with out a search and she doesn't have a sensitive stomach at all but she is a bossy little madame |
| Welcome. You are now on a forum where we are all obsessed about our dogs. lol. If I had a penny for every time I told my husband "Look at how cute Edgar is right now" I would be rich!
Edgar has a sensitive tummy too. Hmm, well maybe I should rephrase that. He will eat about anything but he has food allergies so he is on special food to help with them. But when he sneaks the cat food then we have the sensitive tummy come into play. Last week Edgar was laying around farting like crazy the most awful smells. So I took him out about every hour and he would go to the bathroom. Lee and I were scratching our heads until we realized that he had gorged himself on cat food from the bag. Little sneaker! It was so bad that when you would walk into the house the entire place smelled of Edgar's farts. He was laying on floor with his tummy gurgling with a look of "I don't feel so good" letting off smell after smell. The week before that we went through the same episode when he got into the puppies food. It's not the same food as his so he though he hit the treat jackpot. Sigh. Now we have food clips on the puppies food bag and we moved the cat food bag to a different room. We also keep Edgar's bum trimmed up. In fact I just did a trim up yesterday on his bum along with in between his toes and around his private area. |
| I cut that hair off of Will's tail. He held that tail right out after trimming it. I think that it was long enough that when I cut it , the air circled around it and made it sensitive. He was sniffing back there knowing something was wrong. I guess he will get use to it.
I know what you mean about those farts! When the grandkids come around they look at Will and then me. I tell them it's Will. He does get very farty when he eats something with rich ingredients. Even those knuckle bones I get from the store. Whew, they set him off. I dont like to let him in thetruck when he is like that. But it's good to have someone else to blame things on, if you know what I mean. I haven't heard what others may feed their dogs? What type of food and how many times a day. I feed Will 2 x day. AM and PM. Is that good? |
WagginTails wrote: I haven't heard what others may feed their dogs? What type of food and how many times a day. I feed Will 2 x day. AM and PM. Is that good?
I have a boy with a senstive intestinal tract. I switched him to ProPlan Sensitive Skin & Stomach about 20 months ago & it has made a vast improvement. My other 2 (iron guts ) I feed ProPlan Lamb & Rice Shredded Blend. I feed 2 times a day. Boys get 2 cups per feeding. Mariah gets 1-1/3 cups mixed with 1/2 can NO SALT green beans per feeding. This routine seems to keep their weight maintained. They each get 1 Purina One Lamb & Rice biscuit per meal. Only other treats are low calorie ones used when training. For chewing they get plain old nylabones. My dogs have no idea there are knuckle bones or flavored chew bones in the world! |
WagginTails wrote: My friends think I am to involved with my dog/dogs.
What??? Too involved with your dog, I didnt think that was possible!
PS how was the fishin' over the weekend? Did Will catch any? |
| Welcome to the Forum! I have one OES and two Aussie Shepherd who all have docked talls, each is different however. Violet's (OES) is just a little bit off the bum..China (Aussie was born with very little tail. I was there when she was born) Asia, also an Aussie, was docked where there is no tail whatsoever....so three degrees of docking. Sometimes it is strange to be around dogs with tails. I sometimes forget that dogs do indeed have tails. The age of my dogs are 6, 5 and 2...they eat 1 cup of food 2x a day.
I am happy to hear you are enjoying Will. |
| Thanks. I guess I will stick with the Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach. He eats that pretty good. I never thought about green beans? What does that do for them? Do you feed it seperate or do you put that in the food? Is it a whole can or just part of one. I give him about 2 cups AM and 2 cups PM also. So do I mix those in?
We went out and drowned some worms on Saturday. Caught some catfish and had them last night. I like to use cornmeal and fry them. Yes, Will went with me and he sat there and watched the poles for me. Wills motto is "IF there is a Will, there is a way". I think we will head out on Monday and do some in the boat fishing on the resevoir that we have up here. It is pretty busy on the holiday as everyone is on the lake. You know, waterskiing, waterboarding and tehy have those water runners now that are all over the place and they are fast. Seen some of those machines pulling skiers all by themselves. It's amazing how they cut in and out of the water. |
WagginTails wrote: Thanks. I guess I will stick with the Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach. He eats that pretty good. I never thought about green beans? What does that do for them? Do you feed it seperate or do you put that in the food? Is it a whole can or just part of one. I give him about 2 cups AM and 2 cups PM also. So do I mix those in?
Mariah is the only one who gets the green beans because she tends to pack on the weight if not. Feeding her 2 cups of kibble 2 times a day makes her a bit overweight. Feeding her less makes her hungry. So the green beans are a filler. I used to give them to Isaac too (the one on Sensitive Skin & Stomach) but I quit as the green beans seemed to be nullifying what I was giving him the food for! So if you are concerned about your boy having gas or a sensitive stomach or interstinal tract, I'd forget the green beans. For those interested, it is 1/2 can of NO SALT green beans mixed in with the kibble per meal. Mariah is a very heavily boned & muscled girl. Not big to look at but "big" when you go over her. She carries enough weight around with the thicker bone & all the muscle. No sense adding extra fat to that. My vet was amazed at her muscle tone when we were in for Heartworm check-ups this spring. Couldn't believe she was in that good of condition for being 9 years old. She's a "chow hound" & dearly loves her meals so the green beans help to fill her up without adding weight. |
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