How much attention would a OES need? baby? grooming?
I and my husband have to work but we are living with his parents so they will be at home in daytime. But they may not play with the dog for a very long period of time (perhaps 1 hour when we are not at home) I and my husband can commit to take the OES out twice a day (quick run in the morning and a long walk in the evening). Will this be enough for an OES? I don't want the dog to suffer from separation anxiety. My husband and I may also give birth to baby a few years later. Will an OES get along with a baby / toddler? Some said they are great with children but some said they are not. If you have any experience on this, please share with me. Last question, how much time do I need to spend per week for grooming an OES? Thank you so much! |
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| Grooming depends on how long you keep the hair. If you have regular groomer trips to where the hair is kept less than 2 inches, then once a week brushing to remove dirt, grass (all mine of thought themselves excellent rollers in the grass) and tend to areas where body parts rub, like behind the hears, body/leg meet........and of course dingleberry patrol and toe nails. Not anything different than say with a golden retriever. If you want distinctive longer hair on your dog, you must commit to regular grooming.....at least a solid 30-60 minutes per week. It's not a quick brush here and there, but line grooming where the hair is parted and carefully groomed, then another part next to it and so on. Each dog handles separation differently. With both of you working, they can handle that, but the evening is THEIRS. Long evening walks, fine, but you also must commit to snuggles on the couch, games in the house and weekends with the dog......and especially to dog training classes--beginning with puppy classes then beyond-- even longer walks, bonding time. This is not a backyard dog, sheepdogs are not back yard ornaments to be admired for a few minutes each day. They must be indoor part of your family, the hairy child who requires constant interaction with his family, with other people away from home and at home, education, and devotion. When children come the dog must well socialized with adults and children, but cannot be ignored when the child comes. This is a pack and your dog will need to know where he fits in when the new "puppy" arrives; putting the baby in a stroller and walking the whole family......dog included. When time, the young child holds the dog's leash on walks. The dog is not shunned when the kid comes. That's why both adults must be 100% in on a dog and it's needs, sometimes at their expense of the human's needs. Realize OES come in many sizes; 60 lb petites to 110 bruisers. Take this into consideration. Maybe a smaller dog would fit your family? |
SheepieBoss wrote: Grooming depends on how long you keep the hair. If you have regular groomer trips to where the hair is kept less than 2 inches, then once a week brushing to remove dirt, grass (all mine of thought themselves excellent rollers in the grass) and tend to areas where body parts rub, like behind the hears, body/leg meet........and of course dingleberry patrol and toe nails. Not anything different than say with a golden retriever. If you want distinctive longer hair on your dog, you must commit to regular grooming.....at least a solid 30-60 minutes per week. It's not a quick brush here and there, but line grooming where the hair is parted and carefully groomed, then another part next to it and so on. Each dog handles separation differently. With both of you working, they can handle that, but the evening is THEIRS. Long evening walks, fine, but you also must commit to snuggles on the couch, games in the house and weekends with the dog......and especially to dog training classes--beginning with puppy classes then beyond-- even longer walks, bonding time. This is not a backyard dog, sheepdogs are not back yard ornaments to be admired for a few minutes each day. They must be indoor part of your family, the hairy child who requires constant interaction with his family, with other people away from home and at home, education, and devotion. When children come the dog must well socialized with adults and children, but cannot be ignored when the child comes. This is a pack and your dog will need to know where he fits in when the new "puppy" arrives; putting the baby in a stroller and walking the whole family......dog included. When time, the young child holds the dog's leash on walks. The dog is not shunned when the kid comes. That's why both adults must be 100% in on a dog and it's needs, sometimes at their expense of the human's needs. Realize OES come in many sizes; 60 lb petites to 110 bruisers. Take this into consideration. Maybe a smaller dog would fit your family? Thank you so much for your detailed reply! Of course I am willing to snuggle the dog, playing with it and have fun games with it whenever I am home! and backyarding a dog is never an option to me. My dog will definitely have its own cozy place in the house  Just one more quick question... do you think the temperaments of male and female oes are different? (I think I m going to get an OES and I am so looking forward to have a new family member in the house!) |
Susan did a great job of outlining the care of an OES. (Oscar is my Sheepdog Shadow.  ) If you don't like a dog that follows you from room to room, an OES may not be for you. Also, grooming is huge. Even if you keep him/her clipped (like we do with Oscar), there is a lot of maintenance that you wouldn't have with a shedding breed. So basically, you're either going to spend the time and do it yourself, or pay a significant amount of money to have someone do it for you, with some minor management in between. I prefer the boys. I'm not sure there is much temperament difference, but the boys seem slightly more laid back, not so bossy. Both of my boys have been large (Quincy = 115 lbs, Oscar = 105 - 120 lbs)  Because these dogs are boisterous and playful, good training is a must. I did a lot of obedience work, and laid a foundation from day 1 (10 weeks old). No matter how much you want to strangle them , the keys are calmness and consistency, so everyone in the household needs to be on the same page, using the same commands. As puppies, they can be quite nippy, as it is how they herd, and one of the major complaints of folks who have not researched the breed. Simply replace whatever they are chewing on (shoe, hand, carpet) with something appropriate. If they nip during play, turn your back on them, and stop playing. They soon learn that the fun ends when they nip. Most outgrow it. OES are smart, stubborn, playful, and did I mention stubborn? I love the breed, but they are definitely not for everyone. If you're looking for a fun, smart, medium to high energy dog, that will make you laugh everyone single day, even when you want to throttle him? An OES might be for you. And they are the cutest puppies on the planet - which is their survival mechanism. |
| Agree with Laurie. Boys and girls are different but not always. Boys are goofy, playful and loving. Girls are a little less goofy, playful and loving. Boys tend to gravitate to me, the girls generally gravitate to DW (dear husband).......but not always. Boys tend to pee on their front legs, making maintenance a bit higher (they get stinky quicker). Girls' with their squat aren't a likely to soak themselves......too much. Girls tend to be harder on the lawn as they squat, boys just destroy the shrubbery. Personally, I don't care about the sex. As for sterilization (if you choose) please wait beyond what your vet suggests. They have been brained washed by ASPCA to the anti-litter campaign whereas here, we tend to go with those organs are there for a purpose during growth to control growth. At a year, fine clip/snip whatever. I use examples of rescue males who were clipped young and had overly long leg bones and eventually nearly all developed bone cancer later in life. The one example who didn't had just crappy hips perhaps due to early clip, but just as likely poor breeding as I suspect I know the "loving breeder" responsible for him. Which brings up another problem. Where to get the dog. Good breeders have a waiting list and often want to dogs to go the show homes......or at least the better ones from the littler. Hobby breeders and, worst, backyard breeders, have no clue about genetic problems, do no testing other than useless "vet check". We've written about this frequently on this forum. |
Oscar's Mom wrote: Susan did a great job of outlining the care of an OES. (Oscar is my Sheepdog Shadow. ) If you don't like a dog that follows you from room to room, an OES may not be for you. Also, grooming is huge. Even if you keep him/her clipped (like we do with Oscar), there is a lot of maintenance that you wouldn't have with a shedding breed. So basically, you're either going to spend the time and do it yourself, or pay a significant amount of money to have someone do it for you, with some minor management in between. I prefer the boys. I'm not sure there is much temperament difference, but the boys seem slightly more laid back, not so bossy. Both of my boys have been large (Quincy = 115 lbs, Oscar = 105 - 120 lbs) Because these dogs are boisterous and playful, good training is a must. I did a lot of obedience work, and laid a foundation from day 1 (10 weeks old). No matter how much you want to strangle them , the keys are calmness and consistency, so everyone in the household needs to be on the same page, using the same commands. As puppies, they can be quite nippy, as it is how they herd, and one of the major complaints of folks who have not researched the breed. Simply replace whatever they are chewing on (shoe, hand, carpet) with something appropriate. If they nip during play, turn your back on them, and stop playing. They soon learn that the fun ends when they nip. Most outgrow it. OES are smart, stubborn, playful, and did I mention stubborn? I love the breed, but they are definitely not for everyone. If you're looking for a fun, smart, medium to high energy dog, that will make you laugh everyone single day, even when you want to throttle him? An OES might be for you. And they are the cutest puppies on the planet - which is their survival mechanism. Thanks for your advice!  I would love a dog following me from room to room and staying beside me (esp in the winter warming up my feet)!  The OES temperament sounds a lot like me LOL perhaps that's why I am so keen on getting an OES! Hopefully I will get an OES puppy in a few months' time and I can share more of my experience on this forum!  |
I have three girls and find them all goofy, playful and loving. When they play with boy sheepies, though, it is definitely the girls that are in charge with the boys willing to do their bidding. Which is as it should be, no matter the species!  Kidding aside, though, I think that, like people, they all have their own temperaments. A good breeder will help you figure out the best puppy for your lifestyle and family. In the end, though, whatever the temperament, they all need exercise and mental stimulation.Make sure that you research breeders carefully. Get proof that they have done their health testing. A note from their vet saying that the puppies are healthy is not proof of health testing. It is very easy for people to make a fancy website and show you cute puppy pictures but you want proof that the health testing was done. If you are in the U.S. I am sure some of the American folks can tell you how to check on the American Kennel Club site to verify that a breeder has done the testing. As for training, you get out what you put in. If you want a well trained dog who is pleasant to be around then you will have to put in the work, right from the first day. I could make a long list of the things that I screwed up when we got our first dog (feeding from the table comes to mind.  ) There is a lot to learn but there are also many people who can help. If only I had listened to them and not fed from the table. Oh to eat a meal without three brown eyed girls staring at me.... |
| LOL! My set of brown eyes gets upset when I skip cooking dinner. She knows the hour and will stand in the kitchen and bark, "Get in her and start fixing our dinner. Yes, I've eaten my dog food, now fix the proper food." She turned down something last night, raw eggplant. But once it was cooked it was fine. |
SheepieBoss wrote: LOL! My set of brown eyes gets upset when I skip cooking dinner. She knows the hour and will stand in the kitchen and bark, "Get in her and start fixing our dinner. Yes, I've eaten my dog food, now fix the proper food." She turned down something last night, raw eggplant. But once it was cooked it was fine. Well that makes me feel better! At least I am not the only one to succumb to the power of the brown eyed sheepie stare! |
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