英国古牧OldEnglishSheepdog.doc

The Old English Sheepdog (OES) is a large breed of dog which was developed in England from early herding types of dog. The Old English Sheepdog has very long fur covering the face and eyes. Obsolete names of the breed include Shepherds Dog and bob-tailed sheep-dog, and it is still nicknamed the Bob-tail (or Bobtail), since tail docking was (and in some places remains) traditional in this breed, and some are actually bred to be bob-tailed at birth. Appearance The Old English Sheepdog is a large dog, immediately recognizable by its long, thick, shaggy grey and white coat, with fur covering their face and eyes. The ears lie flat to the head. Historically, the breeds tail was commonly docked (resulting in a panda bear-like rear end), but tailed Old English sheepdogs are now common, as many countries have outlawed cosmetic docking. When the dog has a tail, it has long fur (feathering), is low set, and normally hangs down. The Old English Sheepdog stands lower at the shoulder than at the loin,and walks with a bear-like roll from the rear. Height at the withers is at least 61 cm (24 in), with females slightly smaller than males.The body is short and compact, and ideal weights are not specified, but may be as much as 46 kg (101 lb) for large males. Colour of the double coat may be any shade of grey, grizzle, black, blue, or blue merle, with optional white markings. The undercoat is water resistant.Puppies are born with a black and white coat, and it is only after the puppy coat has been shed that the more common grey or silver shaggy hair appears. Docking Undocked Old English Sheepdogs are becoming a more common sight as many countries have now banned docking. The Kennel Club (UK) and The Australian National Kennel Council breed standards do not express a preference for (legally) docked or un-docked animals, and either can be shown.The American Kennel Club breed standard states that the tail should be docked close to the body, when not naturally bob tailed, even tho