New Here
I found this board while searching for tips on caring for an OES. I adopted a rescue Sheepie May 1st. His name is Dexter and wow, I already love him SO MUCH. I had a Boston Terrier for 13yrs and he passed last year due to a cancerous tumor in his mouth. I told myself I would wait a year for a new dog, but when I saw Dexter's picture on petfinder for a rescue in Missouri I knew he was going to be mine, and now he is. They told me he was about four yrs old, but my vet and my mom and every person who meets him says he is still very much a puppy, so I don't know what to believe. But he does act very much like a puppy. He is silly, bounds around the yard like a puppy and still has puppy breath (ok maybe thats just me). Anyway, I wanted something totally different from my Boston because this dog was not a replacement, he was a new family member. The cats have gotten used to him and I am so relieved that I can take this sheepie to the dog park and to hang out with dogs of my friends and he is friendly wherever we go!! That is a relief for me because my Boston did not get along with other dogs, he was a little Napoleon, so we did not socialize much. I am still getting used to him following me everywhere around the house, every time I move he is next to me, I don't know how to reassure him that he is here to stay, to be loved and spoiled and that I am not leaving him (unless its to go to work lol). As of yet, he will not let me touch his paws. I can brush him (he is shaved down now) but he wont let me touch his paws or his ears or his beard which is getting stained! I used stainless steel bowls, and I have him on Nutro grain-free dry food. We start formal beginners training in July. He is the sweetest, most lovable baby ever and I love that he lets me just wrap my arms around him and hug him! But he does need to learn his commands and some manners, but we will start that in July like I said. Any suggestions to make his and mine life easier with the grooming I will take! And like I posted in another forum, if there is anyone in DC metro area (Maryland, DC, Northern Virginia) who is willing to show me how to do it, even better! Thanks for reading and I will be reading here often I think! =) KJ |
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| Hi and welcome to Sheepieworld!! Congratulations on your new baby-Dexter! Love his name. In our experience they are virtually 'puppies' their entire lives! At four years old he will still be very much a little clown! Enjoy! |
Hi and welcome to the best home for sheepie lovers!! You and Dexter will fit right in here, congratulations on his rescue~lucky boy  |
| WELCOME!!!! A sheepdog, as you have learned, is very much the clown of the dog world. Your Dexter may act like a puppy for years and years- its very typical. For some of us, thats part of the huge appeal of the breed. Also, his wanting to follow you everywhere? We call that "Velcro dog"-- another very common OES trait. Don't be surprised if he never stops doing that. I've had my two girls since they were small puppies, and they still follow me or my husband (usually me) around all day long. Touching paws- it may be tough. One of my girls is so laid back about it, the other is just a pain in the giant shaggy rump. She's also bad about her ears, while her sister lets me pluck her ear hair. It may be Dexter's normal behavior, or it could be in response to past problems- ear infections that have made him nervous, mats that hurt, that sort of thing. As for the face staining... some OES do, and some don't. My understanding is that it has more to do with his own saliva than it does with the bowls or food he eats. My girls don't slobber, and have fairly white faces (for the breed). I have a friend who is constantly towel drying her OES' face, and the dog has a light brown beard for as long as I've known them. Its just how some OES are. Below is a photo from the Westminster dog show, and you can see a discoloration on the show dog's face- its just a breed thing and is considered very "normal";  These are my two girls- you can see that both of their faces aren't "white", but people often comment on how clean they look:   I say if he's happy and healthy, don't sweat the "dirty" looking face. Its a sheepdog thing!!!!!  |
Welcome to the forum and congrats on being owned and loved by an OES !!!  As far as them being behind you every step of the way get use to that, there known as "Velcro Dogs" just thriving on everything you do and where ever you go.  Yep even the toilet and bathroom are not out of bounds with curiosity, "What ya doing?, Where ya gone? Still there snoofing and sitting pretty and why is the door shut and where has she gone?   "Clowns, they are referred to as the "Peter Pan" of dog breeds, I say they dont grow brains till well over 3 plus and some even longer  When he is relaxing around you, use the time to touch paws, even putting your fingers inbetween the pads, make it a fun and enjoyable time and not too long and advance from there, use the touchy feely system as much as possible for him to de-sensitised to you being able to touch every part of his body without any objection. Touch all the parts he is funny with and make it fun, no re-action "oooh good boy command" and a treat. When it comes time to brush those areas same principle applies till he accepts it. Take the time with touchy feely while just around the home and relaxing and when brushing and if any objections by him leave it till the next session. Time and patients is the way to go and when the trust is there no problemo. |
| hi and welcome from St. Louis~~~~ This forum is a great place for support, advice, suggestions, and a few laughs when reading about sheepie shannigans~~~~ |
| welcome from fla thanks for saving him !! |
| Thank you all for the responses! And thanks for the explanations. I guess I will have to get used to the Velcro dog thing, but thats ok because I find it silly! And yes, the bathroom is not off limits for him which I find hilarious because there I will be with the two cats and now, a Sheepie, all of us just hanging out in the bathroom LOL. Oh and one more thing, when he sees me pet my cats, boy does he get up and come over for some petting. He is not aggressive at all about it, but you can tell he is like "hey, what about me!!" I was reading on here about Sheepiepalooza...wish I could make it there so I could learn and see more and let Dexter hang out with other sheepdogs. Also, St Louis is my home town and I have not been home in a couple of years. Maybe next year. Thanks everyone for the advice, and I look forward to reading more here and being part of this community! |
Welcome to our silly velcro corner of the web!  |
| Welcome from Iceland And that following thing Thats a sheepie thing to I guess, Aska is my first dog that does this You'll get ALOT of advices and help here  |
| Welcome! And congrats on your new family member. You've now joined a very special club. Sheepie people know stuff no other group of people do! We know what it's like to live with a gigantic furry clown glued to your hip 24/7 and we're crazy enough to think it's great. A bit of advice for the paws/ears/etc... We have one that isn't a fan of being touched in his ears and on his face in general, and we did some stuff to make it better. First, using a jerky type treat, hold a piece mostly in your hand, with just an edge sticking out, and let the dog nibble on it. Once they get really interested/involved, gently touch an area they don't like and say "touches" or pick some word to go with it. Let them keep nibbling, and if they pull away redirect them to the food and then start gently working on the area again. Over time you can start being more direct. Instead of just touching/stroking an ear, for example, you can lift the flap and stroke inside, then over time start looking inside, etc. Also, when you are trying to groom paws/ears/whatever you can use that word but also make sure the dog is completely relaxed first. If he starts to get fussy, stop, lay his head back down (we usually try to have the dog in his side first), and wait. Keep on hand on the area if you can, but keep it still. They are way more cooperative when they are calm. They are also way more cooperative if you do things after a long walk, a nice refreshing drink, and then about a five minute pause to relax and start to lounge about. I've now got one very unhappy sheepie who will begrudgingly let us do what must be done, but he'll make sure by his death stares that we know he's unhappy. We just roll our eyes back at him. It's our little thing we share. Our other (our crazy rescue) loves everything you do him and will actually hold his paw out to you when you get out the nail clippers and you could (not that I do, but in theory I COULD) cut his toenails with one hand while eating pizza with the other. He holds that still...but I still wouldn't try it just to be safe of course. I've no idea why some dogs worry so much about certain things, but try the treat based desensitization. Our grouchpot really liked it, and although he's not great now, it's a lot easier. Welcome to the forum. It's addicting, and totally worth it! |
| Welcome and congrats on being mom to a forever puppy. All the advice given to you so far was great. I'm only going to add a little bit as after almost 7 years I have one with "issues" over his ears. For the first 3 years of his life he probably had very painful infected ears and continues to have recurring ear infections. While yours doesn't appear to have any aggression issues just take baby steps..I had to spend the first year with mine desensitizing him to touch of the ears. few seconds touching the ears...lots of praise! The food offer sounds good too. Extend the time s l o w l y. Whatever he learns now he will be with you for many years and so you have the time to make it a pleasant experience. Good Luck and again welcome. Marianne |
| Congratulations on your new furkid! I hope to hear many stories and see many pictures! |
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