history of the OES
The Old English Sheepdog was created to both herd and protect sheep, with its origin being in southwestern England. The countryside of this area is very rugged. To work over the rugged terrain, through the wide variety of weather conditions, guarding day and night from predators large enough to take on sheep, mandated a durable, large, hardy dog. The Old English Sheepdog possesses a moderately long, dense weather-proof coat, which serves not only as a means to endure the climatic fluctuations, but also to provide padding to help guard the dog from injuries inflicted by predators. The rigors of herding and guarding required a dog that had the intelligence to pace itself. The dog had to have the ability to know when to pursue a predator versus when to return to guarding the flock It had to be powerful enough to kill attackers, yet durable enough not to be totally spent in such defense. During this time period a variety of herding dog breeds were in the process of being refined into the breeds we know today. Many of the herdsmen were breeding their dogs to neighbor's dogs. Each individual was in pursuit of characteristics that they felt would make a better herding dog. While others were striving to create dogs that were more substantially built, possessing an inherent power due to their size. The aim was to couple the size and power in a dog, that had a high degree of intelligence, with the ability to exercise self control. The OES is one of the few dog breeds in which the tail is completely removed. Historically speaking, the practice of tail removal has two roots. First of all, tail docking was a common practice among herdsmen of England. Herding dogs were considered working dogs and working dogs were tax exempt. Tail docking made it easier to identify tax exempt dogs from taxable dogs. During this time period all herding dogs were referred to as "Bobtails", or "Bobs", a nickname that has been continued to be used by fanciers of the OES. The second reason that OES were traditionally tail docked was that many herdsmen felt that without a tail the dogs would be less agile, due to the idea that the tail was needed for balance and to serve as a rudder. The developers of the OES did not want a fast, agile dog that could possibly run down lambs, they preferred a dog that would direct the flock at a slower, more steady pace. The OES was registered by the A.K.C. in 1885. The Old English Sheepdog was initially shown as a variety of Collie. In 1904 the OES Club of America was formed and these dogs have been recognized as an individual breed ever since. Here is a very interesting link referencing the scottish version (very extensive) http://www.oesclubofscotland.co.uk/WebHistory.htm |
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| " The developers of the OES did not want a fast, agile dog that could possibly run down lambs, they preferred a dog that would direct the flock at a slower, more steady pace. "
Instead we got a dog who runs into his owner' knee. Oh, I still love the breed, LOL sheepieboss |
| OK so........ I have a questions about tails............. Do Bobtail sheepies have tails or not when they are born??????? Are some born with and some without?? Tasker has no tail and I don't believe he ever had a tail (people keep telling me it was "docked when he was a pupp). I picked him out when he was 2 weeks old and there was no tail and no "bloody stump". Are some born with tails and some without??? I thought they were called Bobtail because like bobtail cats they are born tailless. I hate to think he went through something so terrible as having his tail docked. But in reading the above I may be wrong. Was it done so early that it was healed by two weeks? |
| The tails are docked within 3 days of birth.... there is no bloody stump then either. By the next day you'd never know it was done. Most breeders have it docked so close to the body that there is no stump, sometimes even an indent, though I personally don't like it done that way. I like it docked close enough that there is no visible stump, but you can feel a small stump if you look for it. |
| By the way, they are all born with tails, the occasional time when a dog of any breed is born without a tail (when they are supposed to be born with one) is a genetic defect, a double lethal. |
 ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh goodness. I did't know. I guess there are a bunch of people out their who think I'm nuts (I always insisted he was born without a tail!!!!). Thanks  |
No, no one thinks your nuts  Lots of people aren't aware they are even born with tails. |
| " The developers of the OES did not want a fast, agile dog that could possibly run down lambs, they preferred a dog that would direct the flock at a slower, more steady pace. "
LOL, I remember when we used to take Lucy out to the forest for a walk. There would be about 4 of us and if one of us strayed a little, she would instinctivly flank round us and herd us back into one group again! |
| But not from the front. From the rear or side, OK, that's herding (and it still hurts), but from the front? That's something I must remind them, don't try to bowl over Mom, she's too old for such fun (and it hurts).
sheepieboss |
| The reason for the early docking is the nervous system in the extremity of the spine is not fully developed yet; hence no pain. (Source - The Dog's Mind) |
| " The developers of the OES did not want a fast, agile dog that could possibly run down lambs, they preferred a dog that would direct the flock at a slower, more steady pace. "
Maybe I should show this post to Lennon and Sofa so they quit running like mad in the park....sigh  |
| Sooooooooooooo.............now I'm curious about what an OES with a tail WOULD look like!!!! Anyone got a picture???
Saulmr-better running like mad in the park than in your living room |
 I've learned to give way to them around the house (Specially the stairs!) to avoid asking Danita if she got the licence plate of the sheepie that ran over me.  |
| HEHEHEHEHEHE Nothing quite like a hit and run sheepie! |
| Let's try this:
http://www.aylabears.de/ Actually, do a search for Old English Sheepdogs and then only open those sites that are overseas/Europe. This is Denmark. sheepieboss |
| oops, I forgot to mention: go to the Gallery on the far right of the top bar. Tails hang low and are carried below the spine, usually.
sheepieboss |
AWWWWWWWw, that site is great. What pictures and WHAT TAILS!!!!!!!!! I love the "tailed look". Makes me sad for what is missing 
So why is it tha they have sheepies with tails and we don't???? |
| That is a can of worms you don't want to open!! Trust me
The dog's name is Bobtail as mentioned in the great history earlier. To keep the integrity of the breed and to adhere to the breed standard, no tails. Well, the animal cruelty people are better organized in Europe and made it illegal to do any surgery for cosmetic or breed specific reasons, hence the tail in sheepies, uncropped ears in other breeds, etc. Dogs who are docked or cropped can not be shown and vets can face severe punishment for just doing the surgery. OK, now let's go back to breed standard, since tails are not mentioned, there's no consensus on how long they should be, how they should be held, etc, etc. So much for standard. Other sheepdog lists have had some heated debates on this.....I don't think we need to do it here......please. We'll be arguing this soon enough as the animal rights people get hold here. |
| OOOOOOOPSSSSSSSSS
Absolutely don't want to have a another heated discussion going, sorry! My ignorance is showing. |
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