Old English Sheepdog
The Old English Sheepdog, the bobtail, was the drover's dog of the West Country, bred to move cattle and sheep to market, and its rolling, bear-like gait and shaggy coat are the…
About the Old English Sheepdog
The Old English Sheepdog, the bobtail, was the drover's dog of the West Country, bred to move cattle and sheep to market, and its rolling, bear-like gait and shaggy coat are the result of function rather than fashion. The breed became a television favourite in the 1970s and has grown scarcer since, which makes a well-bred stud all the more valuable.
Dogs stand from about 61 cm upward, thickset and strong, with a profuse, harsh coat in grey, grizzle or blue with white, that takes hours of grooming each week. Docking is no longer permitted in Britain, so most now carry a tail. The breed is amiable and playful, and a stud with a steady, biddable temperament will pass on the quality that made it a family dog.
Ask a stud owner about hip scores and a current eye certificate, both of which the breed needs. The DNA tests worth asking about are the MDR1 drug-sensitivity gene, which the breed carries, and primary ciliary dyskinesia, a respiratory condition identified in the breed. Ask about hypothyroidism and about deafness in the line, and whether the dog has had a BAER hearing test.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Old English Sheepdog
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Good Practice — the Royal Kennel Club’s minimum before breeding
The tests the Royal Kennel Club says breeders should, at a minimum, complete before breeding.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hip score (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Total of both hips, 0–106. Lower is better. |
| Elbow grading (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Grade 0–3. The dog is graded on the worse of the two elbows. |
| Eye testing (BVA/KC/ISDS) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC/ISDS | Result printed on the eye certificate. |
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNA test — MOD (Multiocular Defect) | DNA test | Laboratory | The result printed on the laboratory certificate. |
| DNA test — PCD (Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia) | DNA test | Laboratory | The result printed on the laboratory certificate. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 9 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years, 201 dogs scored). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Old English Sheepdog stud dogs
No Old English Sheepdog studs are listed right now
When an Old English Sheepdog on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Old English Sheepdog litters
No Old English Sheepdog litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
