OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG - BREED STANDARD
GENERAL APPEARANCE
A strong, compact-looking dog of great symmetry; absolutely free of legginess; profusely coated all over. All round he is a thick-set, muscular, able-bodied dog, with a most intelligent expression, free of all Poodle or Deerhound character.
CHARACTERISTICS
The dog stands lower at the shoulders than the loin. When walking or trotting has a characteristic ambling or pacing movement. His bark should be loud with a peculiar "pot-casse" ring in it.
TEMPERAMENT
(There is no specification for temperament.)
HEAD AND SKULL
Skull capacious and rather squarely formed, giving plenty of room for brain power. The parts over the eyes should be well arched and the whole well-covered with hair. Jaw fairly long, strong, square and truncated; the stop should be defined to avoid a Deerhound face. Nose always black, large and capacious.
EYES
Dark or wall eyes are to be preferred.
EARS
Small and carried flat to side of head, coated moderately.
MOUTH
Teeth strong and large, evenly placed and level.
NECK
The neck should be fairly long, arched gracefully, and well coated with hair.
FOREQUARTERS
The forelegs should be dead straight, with plenty of bone, holding the body well from the ground, without approaching legginess, well coated all round. The shoulders sloping and narrow at the points, the dog standing lower at the shoulders than at the loin.
BODY
Rather short and very compact, ribs well sprung and brisket deep and capacious. The loin should be very stout and gently arched.
HINDQUARTERS
The hindquarters should be round and muscular, hocks well let down and the hams densely coated with a thick, long jacket in excess of that of any other part of the body.
FEET
Small, round; toes well arched, and pads thick and round.
TAIL
Preferably docked. Puppies requiring docking should have the operation performed within a week from birth, preferably within four days.
GAIT/MOVEMENT
Very elastic in gallop but in walking or trotting has a characteristic ambling or pacing movement.
COAT
Profuse and of good hard texture; not straight, but shaggy and free from curl. The undercoat should be a waterproof pile when not removed by grooming.
COLOUR
Any shade of grey, grizzle, blue or blue merle, with or without white markings; any shade of brown or sable to be considered distinctly objectionable and not to be encouraged.
SIZE
56 cm (22 ins) and upwards for dogs, slightly less for bitches. Type, symmetry and character of the greatest importance and on no account to be sacrificed to size alone.
FAULTS
A long, narrow head.
NOTE - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Working Dog Group A.N.K.C. © January 1998
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Breed Standard
