Herding · Large (60-100 lbs) · 10-12 years
Old English Sheepdog
Adaptable, gentle, clownish; the shaggy 'nanny dog' with a famous bear-like shuffle.
60–100 lb
At a glance
Kid-friendly
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First-time owners
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Energy
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Shedding
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Good with cats
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Alone time
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Apartment OK
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Trainability
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Why it matters
Color & health
Some colors and patterns in Old English Sheepdog carry health implications. Most do not — these do.
Merle pattern
Risk: Double merle (two copies) carries a high risk of deafness, blindness or both
A single merle Old English Sheepdog is a normal dog. The danger is breeding merle to merle, which produces on average one double merle in four puppies — typically mostly white, and at high risk of deafness and eye defects, because the gene suppresses the same pigment cells the inner ear and retina need to develop.
What to ask a breeder: Are BOTH parents DNA tested for merle? Cryptic merles look solid and carry the gene, so eyes are not enough. Never accept a litter from two merle parents.
Risk: Double merle (two copies) carries a high risk of deafness, blindness or both
A single merle Old English Sheepdog is a normal dog. The danger is breeding merle to merle, which produces on average one double merle in four puppies — typically mostly white, and at high risk of deafness and eye defects, because the gene suppresses the same pigment cells the inner ear and retina need to develop.
What to ask a breeder: Are BOTH parents DNA tested for merle? Cryptic merles look solid and carry the gene, so eyes are not enough. Never accept a litter from two merle parents.
Most color variation is exactly what it looks like — variety, and nothing more. Black, yellow and chocolate Labradors are equally healthy. Rough and smooth Collies differ only in coat. A Chihuahua's long and smooth coats are both standard. This section is about the specific cases where color and health are genuinely linked, not a suggestion that color usually matters.
What this is
What they’re great at
✓ Brilliant problem-solver with an on-switch for work
✓ Loyal companionship, adaptable
Why it matters
Honest challenges
Alone time is genuinely hard
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.
What helps: Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one. The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots. Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing.
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.
What helps: Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one. The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots. Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing.
Needs a real outlet, rain or shine
Moderate-high drive doesn't take days off.
What helps: Build the outlet into the routine: Herding. Brain work counts double on bad-weather days - see Training School. A flirt pole in the yard delivers a workout in ten minutes.
Moderate-high drive doesn't take days off.
What helps: Build the outlet into the routine: Herding. Brain work counts double on bad-weather days - see Training School. A flirt pole in the yard delivers a workout in ten minutes.
Vocal by design
Alert heritage - announcing things IS the historic job.
What helps: Thank-and-redirect: acknowledge the alert, cue quiet, pay the quiet. Manage triggers: window film and white noise beat willpower. Exercise first - a tired alarm system fires less. Never bark collars.
Alert heritage - announcing things IS the historic job.
What helps: Thank-and-redirect: acknowledge the alert, cue quiet, pay the quiet. Manage triggers: window film and white noise beat willpower. Exercise first - a tired alarm system fires less. Never bark collars.
Summer is dangerous, not just uncomfortable
Coat or airway makes heat a genuine physical limit.
What helps: Dawn and dusk walks; midday is rest time. Cooling mat, shade, and AC access always (see Home Setup). Learn the heatstroke signs in SOS - minutes matter.
Coat or airway makes heat a genuine physical limit.
What helps: Dawn and dusk walks; midday is rest time. Cooling mat, shade, and AC access always (see Home Setup). Learn the heatstroke signs in SOS - minutes matter.
What you can do
Exercise & training
Exercise: Moderate-high - 1 hr/day
Training profile — Herding type: You acquired a brilliant coworker, not a pet that lies around. Meet the mental quota daily or the breed will freelance - usually as a perimeter-patrolling, ankle-directing manager.
Sports and outlets that suit them: Herding · Rally
What you can do
Grooming & coat
Grooming: Extremely high - 3-4 hours of brushing weekly or regular full clipping; among the highest-maintenance coats.
Shedding: Moderate (much of the shed hair mats into the coat instead of falling).
Good to know
Health to know about
Hip dysplasia, cataracts, hypothyroidism, deafness, MDR1 sensitivity, cerebellar ataxia
Breed-typical tendencies, not a diagnosis. Individual dogs vary enormously — your veterinarian screens for what matters for your dog.
How much should YOUR Old English Sheepdog eat?
Open the appThis page can only give breed ranges. The app calculates calories and portions from your dog’s actual weight and life stage, splits them across the right number of meals, and adjusts as they grow.
Why it matters
Emergency red flags
Poisoning (chocolate, xylitol, grapes, medications, rodenticide)
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
→ Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
→ Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Know your ER
→ Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
→ Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
BLOAT / GDV - the minutes-matter emergency for this breed
Unproductive retching (trying to vomit, nothing comes), rapidly swelling/hard belly, drooling, pacing, sudden distress after eating
→ Drive to the ER immediately. Do not wait to see if it passes. Untreated GDV is fatal within hours
Unproductive retching (trying to vomit, nothing comes), rapidly swelling/hard belly, drooling, pacing, sudden distress after eating
→ Drive to the ER immediately. Do not wait to see if it passes. Untreated GDV is fatal within hours
Heat stroke
Loud/frantic breathing, brick-red or blue gums, wobbliness, collapse, vomiting in heat
→ Move to AC, wet with cool (not ice) water especially belly/paws, fan, and drive to ER with windows down/AC on - even if the dog seems to recover
Loud/frantic breathing, brick-red or blue gums, wobbliness, collapse, vomiting in heat
→ Move to AC, wet with cool (not ice) water especially belly/paws, fan, and drive to ER with windows down/AC on - even if the dog seems to recover
Drug reaction (MDR1 breed)
Wobbliness, drooling, blindness, tremors, or collapse after any new medication or dewormer
→ ER immediately and name the drug; prevent it by MDR1 testing and reminding every vet before prescriptions
Wobbliness, drooling, blindness, tremors, or collapse after any new medication or dewormer
→ ER immediately and name the drug; prevent it by MDR1 testing and reminding every vet before prescriptions
This page never carries product links in the emergency section. ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661.
These need to work when the signal does not
Get it on your phoneThe app keeps every Old English Sheepdog red flag on your phone and opens them with no connection at all — which is the whole point at 2am in a car park. Add it to your home screen and it works like any other app.
📊 The numbers›
Typical ranges for planning, not promises — costs vary by region, breeder and individual dog.
| Group | Herding |
| Size | Large (60-100 lbs) |
| Lifespan | 10-12 years |
| Healthy adult weight | 60–100 lb |
| Original purpose | Droving sheep and cattle to market. |
| Monthly care | $130-$220 (incl. grooming) |
| Typical puppy price | $1,200-$3,000 |
🐕 Similar breeds›
Got a Old English Sheepdog?
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