How were you captured?
For me, I grew up with Border Collies but I always wanted an Old English Sheepdog!!! From the time I was pre-school up I KNEW I would one day have one. I read about them non-stop and told all my pals in school. One day (I think around 8th grade?) my friend's mom bought me a plushy OES and told me, "This is to keep until you realize your dream of a real one!!" ( I must have been pretty vocal)!  
Now's the time! |
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| I was a kid when the first shaggy dog movies came out, so that's when I fell in love with the breed. I never had a dog growing up, though - parents wouldn't allow it.
We weren't even looking for a dog when we got our first oes, Buford. My sister knew someone who knew someone who had him and wanted to get rid of him. Knowing how much I loved sheepdogs, my sister asked if we were interested in him. Dale always had dogs growing up, so this was no big deal for him. But I was in heaven! My first dog AND my first sheepie!! We got him at 11 mos old, and he lived until 2 months shy of his 16th birthday. Your first dog always holds a special place in your heart, and Buford will always have that place in mine. From there, there was no turning back! Another breed? Never!! Chris |
| Great topic, Emily!
For me it all started with a sweet boy named Flash. I had always been terrified of dogs, if you had a dog I wouldn't go in your house, even if the dog was crated or in another room. When I met my husband he had Flash, who was about 2. Flash went with us on a trip up north, he was in the backseat and I was in the front, certain this dog would attack me, my body actually ached from how tense I was. Flash wasn't interested in me at all  Benny wanted me to give him a treat and I said.....you mean put it near his MOUTH??? He thought I was kidding, I was not. I threw the treat over my shoulder and pulled my hand back as quick as I could. Flash ate his treat and then stood up and kissed me! I was petrified that he would bite me, but then he gave me another kiss, and another. What a guy, he was so gentle and loving I forgot to be afraid, never did he show his teeth to me. I had the honor of being the first one he lifted his leg for  So thanks Flash, because of you I have the best4, and we still miss you. |
| when i was about 3 years old my dad brought home a sheepdog puppy named shaggy. shaggy was my absolute best friend for the next 11 years. he was the sweetest, friendliest, and cutest dog ive ever met. when he died i was heartbroken, and spent the next 8 or so years begging my parents to let me have another dog. they finally agreed to get me a puppy for my 21st birthday, but we all agreed that we could never get another dog besides a sheepdog. so when we got walter we were expecting another big goofy sweetheart... but instead we got a big goofy pain in the ass! we always joke that we got 'a lemon' but really i wouldnt trade that lemon for the world. |
| I was born into them .
When i first appeared my parents had an oes puppy called shep.He came from the tilley kennels at shepton and was related to the oes in chitty chitty bang bang. While i was growing up we had 1 more oes that was rescued and since i have left home i have had 3 that i have rescued 2 that i have bought and a few more that i have fostered . 
Julianne , Mitch & Marley |
Our story goes like this: When my husband and I were first married 28 yrs ago, we went to a park for a picnic. There was a long waterfall you could walk around in. And also climb. Well as we were walking this couple had a puppy who had sat and would not move. You guessed it, he was a OES named Winston. They would call him, pull him up he would walk for 1-2 steps and sit again. He was so cute. We asked about him and they let me play with him....I WAS IN LOVE!!!  from the firt little kiss he gave me. For many yrs we were in a apt. so we could not get a dog. The first time we rented a house that said a dog is ok we started looking in the paper for a OES puppy. Well there was a add but the price was way over our heads. Looked a few week later and there was a add for a OES girl rescue. I called and the rest is history. That was Lady Kassidie. She was 4 and a hand full. since then she has gone over the rainbow age 12 and our new baby is Cinderella ( Cinde) she is about 4 now. Sweet little girl thats she is. We have had her a year in a week from now. So thats how we got our OES |
| I met my husband when we were both in college. It turned out that we grew up a few miles apart, but had never crossed paths.
When he took me home to meet his parents, I also got to met Maude, his OES. She was kept outside with his sister's St. Bernard. I fell in love with Maudie. Everytime we went over to his parent's house, we would give Maudie a bath and sit in front of the fireplace and comb her out. It was a great way to get to know the family - sit and talk - and Maudie. Maudie was quite the character. She loved water, often just sticking her head in the washtub used for watering the dogs and bees. (They had multiple hives in the backyard - on purpose  ) In the summer, she would often have a greenish-brown slimy mouth. Maudie loved to catch the bees in her mouth - then let them go. As far as I can tell, she was never stung. Maudie would boss the St Bernard around - grabbing her by the ear and pulling. The two of them tore apart a motorcycle - what a great toy for them!
So many Maudie stories! We even took her to a photography studio for pictures! (before two legged kids) |
| Always wanted an OES all my life, met an OES and married the guy with the dog. That was 27 years ago, since then they seemed to of multiplied |
| When I was in elementary school, our first readers were Mr Mugg's books. Adventures of the Old English Sheepdog...I was in love with those books....today I've been able to find some of those books in a collectors library.
My dogs have always been free dogs, so when I married we looked at getting a family dog. First choice was the OES, but hubby said no way to a high price tag. So we found a boxer...another favoirite dog. Anyways, after many obstacles and house moving, and family not liking our dog...we let him go. We fostered for a while, and then Remy came along. Remy is everythingI ever imagined having an OES would be, she fits our family like a glove. Even hubby who is NOT a dog person likes her, and I couldn't ask for anything more. |
| I don't remember how I first heard of or saw an OES. I just know that for as long as I can remember I've wanted one. I recieved a giant stuffed sheepie for a birthday many years ago from a family member I didn't even know knew I liked OES.
Well, anyway, I started a search for a dog in early '03 and just for fun looked up OES and found this site (I was a lurker looooooong before I ever joined) and then went out and found Louie. Who, despite being somewhat of a pain, is everything I wanted in a dog. Someday I will have more! So my kids (when I have them-like 10 years from now ) will hopefully grow up surrounded by this loveable and goofy breed. |
| I would like to add one thing. This is a great thread.!!!!!!! I wish more of the members would share their stories!!! I love reading them. |
| i was first introduced to oes when i was young my sister had a x oes he was adorable i used to babysit every weekend for my sister and i would brush him out how much i loved that. then when myself and then boyfriend got together we decided that we didnt want any children together as we both had children (lol now 2 kids later) so we decided to get a dog we were going for a bc but we saw an advert in the paper for oes. well we didnt get one from there but it did set me on my quest for one so after alot of research into the breed and then alot of phonecalls later we got boo.... and i wouldnt swap her for anything... |
| I first encountered an OES several years ago when my son and daughter moved in with me along with their German shorthaired pointer and an OES rescue with a tail named Maggie. At the time I had Laddie, a collie. Maggie assumed the role of boss, although Rufus (Pointer) simply ignored her and Laddie and Maggie would play for hours. Although she had no formal training that we knew of she was well mannered and loved kids. Unfortunately, son & DIL were both working full time as was I and they couldn't give her the necessary care and grooming - she was badly matted and they finally shaved her naked. Finally they decided to give her away and put an ad on the bulletin board in the supermarket where I work. After several inquiries, and at the point where I was about to adopt her myself - I loved her so much - we received a call from a certain Pat Dean (he and his brothers owned the local VW franchise and I knew the family quite well. One of 9 kids, we would watch them all file into church on Sunday morning and take up an entire pew). With tears in my eyes I told Pat that if it had been anyone else I would have told them Maggie was no longer available. Maggie's future turned out to be a Cinderalla story. She now live is a $500,000 home with 3 kids; gets professionally groomed each month, and swims in the Lake of the Ozarks where Grandpa Dean owns lakefront property and cavorts with the many kids in the clan. I get reports every now and then about how wonderful a dog she is.
Several years later, when I was told by the local police that I had to either get rid of my Collie due to his excessive barking, or be fined, I gave him to a family in the country where he could roam in a 5 acre fenced yard. After several months being without a dog, I knew it was time to get my own Sheepie. After locating a breeder and having the pick of a large litter, I came home with Barney, then 10 months later I rescued my own Maggie. ... and we're all living happily thereafter. |
| My ex grew up with oes, and we got my first oes, a rescue, while we were together. |
| My parents had rescued Daisy just three months before I was born. She was 1 yr old at the time and had already had a litter of pups.
She was the best older sister anyone could ask for. She was also very maternal. Daisy passed away at 12 yrs old. I was 11. I had always wanted another. When I was pregnant with Hayley, Ryan was on a break from school and driving me crazy. I told him I was going to take him to see some animals. I knew the local shelter had all sorts and going there was something to pass the time. It was like the free zoo. I was 7 months pregnant and walking any distances would have been a very bad idea. I had also seen a cat there the last time that was a real sweety and I was considering adoption. So off to the shelter, we saw the cats (the cat I had looked at had been adopted) and bunnys and pitbulls and labs and shepherd. Then I am stopped dead in my tracks by the site I see in front of me. A 10 mos old OES. There was Pepsi. I immediately called my hubby and proceeded to go on about how Mom & Dad rescued Daisy when she was also 7 mos preggers and how I always wanted to raise my kids with one. Also how I was the exact same age as Mom was when she was pregnant with me. He had known how I felt about OES's ....the same way he felt about Shepherds. He said to get him if I wanted him. Pepsi ended up being in a lottery. When I showed up to pick him up on the day of adoption, 4 other people also showed up after I did and before the release time. Because I was there first I got to pick a number first. (Luckily one of the staffs had told me which piece of paper to pick to win) They wanted me to get the dog. I had been there to visit him over and over. I doubt I will ever be Sheepie free.. from now on |
| George what a great story !!! and such a warm feeling from you... |
| Hi,
I got bitten by the Sheepie bug when I was a kid from watching the Shaggy DA or one of the Shaggy dog movies. Now once bitten by the "bug" it may go dormant but it's with you for life! OES at that time were extremely rare in my area...in all my growing up years I never saw a real one. Having dogs from birth to this point in my life..I always had big shaggy haired mutts but one day wanted to get a OES. I saw Shaggy at the Humane Society aprox 18 years ago and adopted her on Mothers Day. The following year at the same shelter, I saw Big Dog , he was to be put down that afternoon if no one would take him. I was on my way to a dentist appt and stopped on the way back to check..5 mins before closing time I adopted him. (Shaggy and Big Dog are now at the Rainbow Bridge) Then came Merlin - adopted as an 8 wk old pup from a reptuable breeder, months later..Panda the rescue, whom was flown from Hong Kong to Vancouver. I love this wonderful breed and will always have a Sheepie in my home. Marianne and the boys |
| Having seen sheepies on TV and the movies, I always thought they were fantastic dogs but had never met one until I saw Daisy at the shelter last summer. I had gone to adopt an older, smaller dog but once I met her I couldn't resist.
SOOO glad - she is the sweetest, smartest dog I've ever had and I have always had dogs in my life. Grew up w/ mostly Beagles (my father hunted with them) but have had many different breeds ( a lot of mixes) since then. I can't say that I'll never have any other breed again, since I'm such a sucker for animals, but there will always be an OES as well. They're fabulous dogs. |
| We had an OES for a short time when I was growing up. Due to his "amorous" nature towards my mother She took him back to his previous owner. Then we ended up with a cockapoo.
So fast forward to adulthood and I told my husband I wanted (had to have a dog). The only kind of dog he would consider was an Old English Sheepdog. His dad had really loved them. So if we had to have a fluffy dog, because I love fluffy dogs, he was adamant he wanted "a BIG dog to hug". I didn't want one because I thought they were too big and wanted a nice fluffy cockapoo. So I dragged him into a pet store one day. And there was the sweetest OES that cuddled in his arms. She was $700. More money than we had. So we went home. We couldn't get her out of our minds so we went back and she was gone. I started watching the paper and low and behold there were 2 ads for OES. By that time, he had decided it wasn't meant to be and didn't want the responsibility of a dog. I called and bought the OES over the phone and they were in Utah so they were scheduled to bring the dog down to us in a few weeks. (OK, now I know better, I was young and naive then and didn't know about backyard breeders, etc.) My hubby was so angry with me. We make big decisions together. I stuck by my guns because, by darn I needed that dog. KATRINA ARRIVED. And she didn't have a tail. Quite shocking because I didn't remember they had no tail. The first night she was a terror. My hubby was like I told you so, and I admitted that maybe I had made a big mistake. We went out and bought a crate the next day and she was so smart and learned within a few days and loved her crate. Needless to say SHE STOLE OUR HEARTS That first daughter of ours. She changed my life forever. I can't imagine how we ever survived without an Old English sheepdog.
I cannot imagine my life without a Sheepdog ever again. |
isabella wrote: Well, anyway, I started a search for a dog in early '03 and just for fun looked up OES and found this site (I was a lurker looooooong before I ever joined) and then went out and found Louie. Who, despite being somewhat of a pain, is everything I wanted in a dog. Someday I will have more! So my kids (when I have them-like 10 years from now ) will hopefully grow up surrounded by this loveable and goofy breed. That should read '04...  typos |
| My mom always watched movies with OES in them and I refused to believe that they were real. After all, the Shaggy DA was a guy in a dog suit for half the movie, right? Even after seeing the movie Labyrinth I didn't believe that they were real dogs and that movie was in color and everything. They just were not dogs that real people had.
Then fate intervenes and I meet this guy who on the first date says that he has to take me back to his house to "check his dogs". That's a line if I ever heard one! Well, we get to his house and there are 2 very large, very hairy OES, bouncing like Tigger. You could see them popping up over the 6 foot fence, they were crazy. I figured any guy with "magic mocie dogs" had to be alright. Nothing like saying you married someone for their dogs! |
| When I was 18 I was getting ready to move into my first apartment and I wanted a dog of my own to move with me. I called my family dogs vet because I knew most always, they had puppies for adoption. I was talking to the receptionist about a couple of Schnauzer puppies they had but told her I was really wanting something bigger and she said "I'm sorry I don't know of anyone with large breed puppies right now". In the back ground I could here someone talking and the receptionist told me to hang on a minute. When she came back on she said she had a client there that had a puppy for adoption and would I like to talk to her. So I did. What she had was the last puppy in a litter of 12 OES's. This pup was mismarked she said and so she needed to go to a pet home. We talked a few minutes and made arrangements for her to come to my house to "check us out" so to speak. She got the vet reference right then as she was at our vet. She came over we talked for about two hours and an hour after that I was at her house falling madly, head over hills in love with the #1 heart dog of my life, my OES Trouble. After Trouble was stolen at the age of 7 yrs it took me forever to get over the pain of her being taken. I looked for years for her, literally years. And didn't even entertain the thought of having another OES because I knew one would never measure up to my Trouble. When the director of the Boxer rescue we volunteered for called to tell me about an OES puppy at the pound in Charlotte, NC. I said "poor little thing, I hope someone adopts it soon." And that was that. She asked if I wanted to see a picture and I said NO! So, she knowing how much my first Sheepie meant to me and wanting me to adopt this puppy, she sent a picture of what I THOUGHT were two Boxer puppies that were coming into the rescue. The first pic she titled Boxer puppy#1. The next picture she titled puppy #2. Puppy number 2 was the OES puppy! SNEAKY!!!! So I saw her, showed her picture to hubby, who said, "she's cute". And that was all. Over the next few days I must have looked at the puppies picture 100 times. And although I wasn't saying anything, Tom knew that I wanted her more then anything. So as I was looking at her for about the 110th time he came up behind me and said, "if you have your heart set on her and your sure your ready, then go get her." He pulled a hundred dollar bill out of his wallet, handed it to me and said "Happy Anniversary". (It was our 5th) We drove to the pound the next day after confirming she was still there and I rode home (an hours drive) with the most adorable as well as most awful smelling OES puppy sitting in my lap. After 10 days in the pound she was ripe but I wouldn't put her down and I wouldn't stop burying my face in her smelly coat and sobbing tears of pure joy that I had a dream come true and that dream is my Mallory. |
| The first time I ever "saw" one was on the Little Mermaid and Nana on Peter Pan - but it didn't dawn on me until I actually (closely) looked at the hot buttons that Max was an OES... and Nana was just a puppet or a man in a dog suit - so they didn't leave too much of an impression on my youth. I remember liking Max though - he was a funny dog.
The main reason I even looked into getting one - was that I liked long haired animals - and I did a pure-breed dog compatibility test online (because I like knowing what my pets will be like when they are home). OES was on the top of my list - so I looked them up. When I read up on them - I think I fell in love with them then.  It was weird too - I'm usually a hound/mini/med pet person. I joined this forum so I could learn more and make a more informed decision.
I still had my doubts - but when I actually met a few OES in real life - I was totally hooked. That's when Brad and I decided we wanted to get our sweet sheepie. A few of our memebers pointed me in the right direction with a wonderful breeder - and the rest is history. |
| As a child, I wanted a sheepdog ever since I could remember. I even had the name picked out "Buttons" because of the big button nose they have.
I made my sweet 16th Birthday request list and proudly posted it on the refrigerator. The list included an Old English Sheepdog, bigger motorcycle, and a car. I got up the next morning and was heartbroken. My father had written, hee hee, ho ho, no way! The Sunday night before my birthday, I was called into the living room where I was given what looked like a guinea pig (he was very small). I yelled that I didn't want a guinea pig!!! I was told that it was an OES. I had never seen one as a puppy. "Buttons" became that very special companion to every member in our family. He was included in all of our vacations and trips, he even floated down the Illinois River in a canoe with us and camped out. When we buried him 13 years later, we just bawled our eyes out, especially my father who let the dog sleep on his pillow in bed next to him while I was off to college. I was so heartbroken that it took me 10 years before I got another one. Boy, what a mistake, I should have gotten one immediately. I will never be without one again!!! They are the most lovable, loyal companions. |
| Hey Ron, is there some way to flag this thread so that anyone half interested in owning and OES, in visiting this site will read it? Couldn't be a better ad for the breed. |
Sorry, it's not letting me log in for some reason... It's my ISP - not the site. There's several places I visit regularly that I can't log into. The lines are still messed up from the storm we had earlier this week & then more today. 
Anyway, Jason has always loved OES. He never has owned one, but he's always wanted one. I liked the breed okay, but I didn't know much about them other than grooming one or two where I used to work. I had just had a miscarriage, so really, Jason was looking for a "comfort puppy" for me. I had already been hinting around about a puppy for the kids before I found out I was pregnant. Once we got the postive test, I put that idea on hold. He remembered I mentioned a puppy, and that's how it all got started. He kept asking me what breed I wanted. I kept saying a black & silver miniature schnauzer. Schnauzers have a soft spot in my heart (I'm picky and only want b&s ones though). Unfortunately, my husband doesn't agree, lol He asked what I wanted besides a schnauzer, and I told him a golden retriever. He wasn't too happy with that choice either.
He showed me an OES picture, and at first I said no. Too much work. We got to inquiring about the breed, puppies, prices, etc though (as we did several breeds), and I absolutely fell in love with Jasper's picture. Everything just fell into place with him. We contacted an OES group for the SouthEast, and they gave us the number of someone in Mississippi. We called her, and she said that due to her health, she give her dogs to another home since she was unable to care for them. She said they had puppies on occasion though, and she gave us their number. We *almost* didn't call them since they lived in North Dakota. After thinking it over, we did. They just happened to have puppies nearly ready to go. They sent us pictures, and there were only two boys left. We told him we'd think about it, and we called him about 15 minutes later to make the deposit on him. I think we both knew he was just the one for us. Two weeks after we placed the call, he was home with us. Jasper has totally won me over, and I love the breed now. He's sitting down with his head propped in my lap now. I'm glad that Jason didn't listen when I told him no to a sheepie. They are such loving and gentle creatures. So...I'm a new lover to the breed, but I can't imagine our lives without a sheepie in it now. |
| My parents had sheepies before I was even born. My dad asked my mom when they were first married what type of dog she'd like. My mom liked bigger dogs (her family had a St. Bernard and a Gr Prynees). So she researched and discovered that OES don't really shed like labs or other dogs do, and they don't have tails to knock things off the table, so they decided on sheepies. We had countless sheepies. There was Blossom. There was Rags. There was Blossom 2. I think there might have been a few others, but these were the ones around when I was there. Then, after Blossom bit my older brother (his fault, in my opinion) my parents gave the dogs to friends. So we were dogless for a while.
Our next dogs were 2 bouvier de flandres that were holy terrors. Sparky and Spunky. They were always together. I don't even remember not calling them as a pair...never Spunky come here...Anyways, we moved to a smaller house and a smaller yard and they weren't happy there so we gave them to other friends. (Our neighbors remember giant clouds of dust rising up over the wall, wondering what was going on--dogs digging!). Our next dog was a bearded collie (Cricket) who was a great dog, but we also called her the non-dog because she wasn't all that active. She was great at catching popcorn. She then died of cancer when she was 8. My parents were ready for another OES. So, we got Maggie and she is the greatest sheepie ever (sorry Barns). My dad didn't want her, said he was done with raising dogs. But he 'allowed' my mom to buy her, and of course Maggie is my dad's dog now. Sleeps on his pillow, loves him the most...
So, the love of sheepies has been in me since before I was born! |
| I'm really loving everyone's stories.
Here's mine: I didn't really want a sheepdog. My friends growing up had one and she wasn't particulary nice would nip us so it certainly wasn't my first choice for a breed. I actually wanted a Beagle. Then one day my first husband & I were out shopping for curtains at the local mall and we popped into a Pet Store and saw this cute little OES pup with blue eyes. (... I know, my bad, it was 1991 before I even knew about puppy mills.) We took him out of his little cage and he was biting us like crazy, major hyper pup. We left the store and I told my husband no way, they are high maintenance with all of the grooming, he was going to be big, etc.., plus I wanted a Beagle. So the next evening I went to work (bartended) and I came home and my husband was asleep on the couch with this puppy on his chest... So this little hyper puppy who gave me black & blue marks from biting me constantly and who chewed up every thing imagineable in our house, turned out to be such a sweet, kind dog who brought me so much joy. |
| Awwwww thats a great story! |
| I'm loving this thread! Such sweet stories!! |
| My parents had an OES named Oliver when my sister (twins) and I were born. We called him Ollie and tried to climb all over him. We tried to ride him like a horse. I don't remember him very well, but he must have been the sweetest dog ever to put up with all of that. He had to be put to sleep when my sister and I were 5.
When we were 9 we adopted two brothers from a breeder. Jake and Izzy were total opposites and often didn't get along that great, but you could tell they really loved each other deep down. They were two of the greatest dogs to grow up with. After college my sister and I lived together and adopted another sheepdog from a rescue group. His name was Henry and we were so glad to have him. He was a great dog and seemed to be adjusting well. Unfortunately he bit my sister and we had to give him up. A couple years later my sister and I decided we wanted another OES. Last July we picked up our little bundle of joy. Izzie (named after one of the brothers) has turned out to be a great dog. We love her more that we could have thought, and personally I don't know that I would ever choose to be without a Sheepie again...and can't wait until I have enough space to add more Sheepies to the zoo. Amanda |
| I'm loving all of these stories - they just spell out "sheepie hearts" in so many different ways!!! |
| My first sheepie had lived with my parents for about 3 or 4 years before I came into the picture. I don't remember Ahlus very well, but my parents have so many stories, pictures, and videos. He was my first real friend as I was an only child. One thing I do remember is that my friend and I made houses for Ahlus out of cardboard boxes from my Grandpa's warehouse. We colored the house and made holes for windows. One day when I can locate a scanner, I'll post the picture I have with Ahlus in the house. He had terrible arthritis and would just lay there. I also supposedly learned how to read by laying on Ahlus for hours reading him all sorts of books. So many stories too about him saving my life...for another day. Ahlus died when I was about 7 yrs old; he was about 11.
Next sheepdog was Muffin who was a perfect dog. The only bad thing she did was eat her poop when she got older. ick! Muffin helped me through the painful divorce of my parents and boyfriends. She was the best! She had to be put to sleep in 1993 the summer I came back from college. I was out of town visiting a friend and Mom didn't tell me until I got back. I was so upset and Mom has never forgiven herself for not waiting until I returned. She just couldn't see her in misery anymore. Well, almost 10 years later we took in Annie! She was a rehomed breeder and wonderful in so many ways. I was going through a terrible time and depression when she arrived. Immediately lifted me up! I'm so grateful for her! There will never be a day that I won't have a sheepie anymore! |
| I don't quite know really - I think subconciously it might be because I grew up watching the film "Labyrinth" with the OES in it, it's my favourite film ever and maybe fondness of the OES was wedged in my head along with the rest of the film
I just love shaggy dogs. Especially grey and white ones!! OES, Beardies, PONs, love em all
Can't wait to get my OES. Although I have never met one or seen one in the flesh I need to get to a dog show so I can awww over them all... |
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