Medical Info: Sheepdog Grooming Information

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Vanda,

My OES is almost 11 months old now. She doesn't smell - we bath her about 1 time per month - she doesn't drool, although after eating or drinking a wipe with a rag is a good idea- and she is the smartest, easiest to train dog I have ever owned. Each dog is unique and each will have different "challanges", but if you are committed to spending the time on training a dog properly and understand their grooming requirements then an OES is a wonderful choice. When I was researching dog breeeds I found tons of information on the internet. Use a good search engine like google and type in Old English sheepdogs and you will have more information than you will know what to do with! Good luck with your decison.

Ann
This is not a grooming issue, however I thought that I should share some of the great information I received last week.

While at the NEOESR picnic one of the grooming demonstrators, Kelly, offered to show me how to groom and clip Baxter if I brought him to her house. All she asked is that he be clean and brushed out. If you were at the picnic, she was the one with Monty - the absolutely gorgeously groomed sheepdog that was in full coat. So, after thinking about it for a bit (she lives in Waterford Connecticut and we live in New Hampshire), I gave her a call and set up a time.

This wonderful woman spent four hours showing me what were the best tools to use, how to groom him and how to clip him and patiently answering all of my questions.

Tools that Kelly used are a #1 All Systems pin brush, Matbreaker Dematting tool, an Oscar Frank Universal Slicker brush with a curved back, 10" straight shears with a short shank, and an #1 All Systems Dematting Comb (this comb is about 5 1/2 inches long with teeth spaced about 1/4 inch apart), nail clippers and ear powder. I was able to find all of these tools except for the Dematting comb at http://www.petedge.com. I found the comb at http://www.mjm-1allsystems.com.

The pin brush pins are 1" long - the brush that I got from the local pet store has pins that are about 5/8" long. I could hear the difference between the two brushes when she ran it through Baxter's fur. The brush I had been using sounded as though it was extremely rough and breaking the fur. The #1 All systems pin brush ran through the fur smoothly.

To start the process we put Baxter on his side and proceeded to "line brush" him. Basically that means making a part in his fur and brushing the coat away from you - if he is on his side with his paws closest to you, brushing the fur up - against the grain. Kelly used the slicker brush on the mats that he had on his paws (amazing how those snarls develop so rapidly). Once she finished brushing one side, she had him stand up and used the Dematting comb to fluff up his fur and then trim off the "peaks" or ragged edges of the fur. The 10inch shears made the long cuts that looked a lot better than my old shears did. I think that the long cuts help the fur fall better and hide the cutting marks. When she finished trimming one side, she brushed out the other side. The reason for brushing one side, trimming and then brushing out the other side was so that the fur on the brushed side didn't clump up and the rough areas would be easily seen (since Baxter has never been professionally groomed there were a LOT of these).

To trim the fur on his paws, she lifted the paw up and cut the fur on on his hocks even with the bottom of the pad. Then she trimmed all the fur growing between the pads even with the bottom of the pads.

Kelly then used the Matbreaking Dematting tool to thin the fur on his neck and chest. This made it obvious that he really did have a neck. She then trimmed his beard to about 2 1/2" long. She trimmed all the ragged fur around his ears - the objective was to have the ears blend smoothly with the fur on his head. She also trimmed a bit of fur around his nose - to help his beautiful big nose be a bit more obvious and cleaned up my hack job on his bangs. I have to admit that I don't think that I am brave enough to use the 10" shears around his eyes as Kelly did. I think that I'll have to depend on my old round tipped shears for that.

As for his backside, she trimmed the fur to about 1" from the top of his thighs to top of his back following the curve of his body. I suspect this will make it a lot easier to keep him clean.

A couple of points - she did let me know that sheepdog fur is extremely forgiving. This is useful since my skill levels are no where near hers (she had a grooming shop and she also shows sheepdogs). I have several books on how to groom a sheepdog, however, having it done in front of me was extremely helpful. She also mentioned that she was willing to show other OES owners how to do this. Since I don't want to put her phone number and last name up publicly, if you are interested, pm me.
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that the navigation menu on the OESCA website (http://www.oldenglishsheepdogclubofamerica.org/) is missing. Used to be that there was a menu with links to all sorts of information including breed standards, competition results, grooming advice, top kennels, etc. But for the past couple weeks, the only information is to the Centennial Store. Can't even reach information about the Centennial event. There is not even a link to a webmaster so I can report the problem. . .
Depends on the type of book you want, most are on the breed and history, the one mentioned above is a great "the complete old english sheepdog". Another great one if you can get your hands on one is "The Old English Sheepdog" by "Ann Davis (Arch)", excellant one too. There is a lot around on the breed. There 2 of my favourites.

However if you want more and in great detail about the breed, including history, training, and detailed grooming, trimming, clipping, bathing, drying and all over general coat care then one of the best is -

"Care and Grooming Of Old English Sheepdogs" by "Monique Carriere". It covers so much, just about everything and is the most detailed book I have ever read on general coat care & Information on OES.

Very hard to get now, but you might be able to seek out one in a 2nd hand book shop, if you are lucky, as it has been out of publication for quite awhile. Very Happy
No not me Michelle it is Carl Lindon, he has put an awful lot of detailed time and information together to help people learn, especially if it is there first experience with OES. Very Happy

Another link from Carl and if it is your first OES, this one is on Proper line Grooming an OES, the best detailed helpful instructions I have ever seen, especially as it comes with detailed pictures too. THANKS CARL. Very Happy

http://www.oes.org/html/sheepdog_grooming.html

AND GEORGE, What ya talking about????, Mine do LOL Razz

Bosley's mom wrote:
80 pound lapdog.... Excited


80 pounds? We haven't seen 80 pounds since before Clyde was a year old!

I've said this before but however much you think a lot of grooming is, multiply that by about 20 and that's the realistic amount of time that it takes to keep a dog in full coat. That being said, a well bred dog will have an awesome, sweet, playful and lovable temperament that is impossible not to fall in love with.

For all the background (health, standards, etc.) information that you're looking for, go to http://www.oldenglishsheepdogclubofamerica.org/
There is one that is full of grooming information, what tools to use, grooming, trimming, bathing, quick clean ups etc.. It has been out of publication for quite a few years and is hard to get, might be able to source one from a second hand book shop. It also comes with diagrams too. Very Happy

The Care and Grooming of Old English Sheepdogs" by Monique Carrie're.
Published by " Best Read Books Ltd, 444 Pleasant Park Road,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. K1H 5N1."
Ever watched a foal develop? They seem to grow first on one end, then the other, and eventually the ends catch up with each other Wink Puppies do that too to some extent.

Are you sure her front legs are currently shorter than her hind legs? They could be a little bit I suppose, but keep in mind that even though the legs will eventually (most likely) be equi-length upon maturity, the OES standard calls for a sloping topline - or as you reference a slight slope in the back level. I.e. her back shouldn't feel flat or level as you run your hand down the length of it (i.e. her topline).

Hint:
Withers = top of shoulder blades, i.e. the front part of the back
Loin - towards the rear

As described in the American standard:

"Topline-- Stands lower at the withers than at the loin with no indication of softness or weakness. Attention is particularly called to this topline as it is a distinguishing characteristic of the breed. "

To expand upon that, taken from the OESCA online judges seminar (an exciting read, quite frankly) http://www.oldenglishsheepdogclubofamerica.org/NEWFRONTPAGE/judgesed/judgel/default.htm

Robert Cole says: "The arch over the loin being a distinguishing characteristic serves a function complimenting
his wider hind quarters than forequarters. The wide and stout, gentle arch over the loin allows the bobtail to get his feet quickly under his hind end and lift into an instant gallop uphill much like that of a rabbit; the widely spaced hindleg generating thrust, then reaching past on the outside of the narrower forequarters. A square compact breed, the arch over the loin adds to the length of topline when the dog stretches out at the gallop. It is believed by those in the breed that this arched type of topline is stronger than a level one."

The topline of the OES is a unique characteristic. The loin is very stout and gently arched. The topline is not to be mistaken for a roached back nor is it a swayback with the highest points at the top of the pelvic frame. The correct topline has a gentle rise with the highest point over the loin. This rise is not as dramatic as grooming would suggest. The illusion of rise in the loin produced by grooming must be tested by actually feeling the topline of the dog.

The muscular development over the topline provides additional power to the hindquarters. This enables the Bobtail to perform his herding tasks exceptionally well.

From the slide off the withers the back is relatively level until the gentle rise over the loin Topline is examined by placing the left hand on the withers and running the right hand across the back to the loin. You should feel a gentle rise and your right hand should be slightly higher than your left. There should be a slight but distinctive slant as the croup drops off from the loin. Do not confuse a high flat croup with a rise in the loin portion of the back.


I know, I know - too much information just to note that if she gets that from the OES side of the family, she's probably quite normal. Wink

Kristine
The listing indicates this has been on Craigslist for 2 hours-

Olde English Sheepdog(s) Adolescent Males
Olde English Sheepdog(s) Adolescent Males (Burnet County). Reply to: comm-745713586@craigslist.org Date: 2008-07-07, 1:02PM CDT ...
austin.craigslist.org/pet/745713586.html - 2 hours ago - Similar pages - Note this

http://austin.craigslist.org/pet/745713586.html

Quote:
Olde English Sheepdog(s) Adolescent Males (Burnet County)
Reply to: comm-745713586@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-07-07, 1:02PM CDT

I found these two boys loping down the middle of a fairly busy country road this holiday weekend, let me tell ya, they were pretty happy to see me when I stopped...although they have happy personalities, in my opinion they have not had it very good wherever they came from, their coats are ruined, they are completely matted and full of mud, they were so dehydrated from the heat and lugging all that dead hair around, immaciated or at least very thin and they appear to have major eye infections and possibly some skin issues that we have yet to discover under all that crap... I am having them groomed down today so my vet can actually tell what he's working with.. I have asked around about these dogs, but no one seems to know where they came from, but my husband says we are not a rescue organization and since we have 3 labs and a mini schnauzer already, the addition of these two boys isnt really making him too pleased. According to my vet, they appear to be about 2-3 years old, they have another appointment tomorrow with him for a thorough check up and to get back on the right track, and after that I would like to find a country home for them where they can stay together, they seem to be pretty co-dependent and after all they appear to have been through together, I dont blame them. But if you can only handle one, I would consider it, after reading up on them, they will require daily grooming to keep from getting into this shape again and I know two will be quite a big job! If you are interested in giving them a forever home, please email me with your information and I will get back with you as soon as possible.

* Location: Burnet County
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 745713586
From the OESCA Health & Research committee - for full text please see www.oeshealth.org.

For more info on the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC), please see http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/



Dear Owners and Breeders of Old English Sheepdogs:

OESCA and the Health and Research Committee are launching a breed blood drive to capture the DNA of our current OES. The vast majority of our current generations of dogs have not been collected and stored. Should we fail to capture this vital DNA, our breed’s research potential will be severely disadvantaged. You need to act now to store as many samples as possible. It is also critical that samples are collected and stored from our most prolific breeding animals.

The Canine Health Foundation has agreed to a 50% reduction in cost for OES donations to the CHIC DNA Repository from June 1 – September 20, 2008. The reduced fee for OES will be $10.00 per dog.

OESCA takes pride in the fact that we contributed over 350 samples with pedigree information to Drs. Johnson and O’Brien at Missouri State for cerebellar ataxia research and over 100 donations to the Ostrander lab for hip dysplasia research. The 350 samples banked at Missouri State remain available for today’s OESCA research projects; the Ostrander Lab samples collected at the Centennial Show were specifically collected for hip dysplasia research are not available for other research. This means DNA on most of the living OES today needs to be collected and stored before we have lost the opportunity to do so.

Steps to participate include:

(1) All dogs attending the 2008 National Specialty will have the opportunity to contribute at the DNA clinic being held during the specialty week. Three veterinarian teams will be collecting blood on Wednesday, Sept. 17, Thursday, Sept. 18 and Friday Sept. 19 from 7:00 am-9:00am in the Grooming Building. Please plan ahead by filling out the form and survey prior to the National.

DNA Form & Survey:
http://www.oeshealth.org/files/CHIC%20DNA%20Bank%20App%20&%20%20Survey%20OES.doc

Blood Draw Instructions:
http://www.oeshealth.org/files/DNA%20Repository%20Submission%20Directions.doc

(2) For dogs not attending the National Specialty, you can draw their blood samples and send them in with the appropriate paper work. We have found that veterinarians often will perform this service free because it is for research. In fact, some vets will come to your kennel and draw blood on all of your dogs.

(3) Additionally, some of the OESCA Regional Clubs, like the Greater Pittsburgh OESC, are organizing collection clinics after a show with the club paying for the fees involved and handling the shipping.

(4) With each dog’s sample, you will need to complete the attached forms, including a 3-5 generation pedigree and a brief health survey. Your reduced fee is $10.00 per dog. Send the paper work, payment and blood sample(s) overnight, using cool packs, to OFA . Your vet may do this for you. (Further instructions are on the attached forms.)

SPECIAL APPEAL TO OWNERS AND BREEDERS
OF PROLIFIC DOGS

Prolific dogs have the greatest impact on any breed. It is critical that we have stored DNA from the breed’s most used studs and bitches. We will appreciate your full cooperation and urge you to collect and store DNA from these animals as soon as possible.

On behalf of the Breed, OESCA and the OESCA Health and Research Committee, thank you for participating in the CHIC DNA Repository. If you have any questions, please contact:

[Please see the OESCA health & research website for contact information - www.oeshealth.org]

Collecting and banking DNA is likely the single most important act you can contribute to advance our breed’s health. As stated on the CHIC website, “Blood is the gold standard for genetic material; your dog’s DNA is sufficient for all research methods, including technology in the future. Moreover, the stability and purity of DNA is of the highest caliber, which offers the most benefits.”

Your dog’s DNA can help reduce incidence of inherited disease in Old English Sheepdogs.



This isn't just for OESCA breeders - this appeal goes out to all breeders as well as all owners who have a known pedigree on their dogs and a willingness to help. The club thinks we can collect 300 DNA samples. I think we can do better than that.

[where's the throws-down-the-gauntlet emoticon? Wink ]

Kristine
Yes, I think you would be a great sheepdog owner. Sounds
like you have experience with caring for dogs and have
researched about the extra care in grooming that an Old English
requires.

My concern is timing for you. A college schedule is very busy,
and often requires being at school for long days. You also will
have a busy social life as well. An OES puppy grows up to be
a large dog, males can be in the high 90's to 100 lbs. Ideally
need a large yard to play and run off energy, in addition to walks.

He/she would require being put outside during the day as well.

Not trying to discourage you, but suggesting you might want
to wait until you get settled after you finish school. You would
then be able to fully enjoy caring and playing with your pup.

The reason why I suggest this is that I had an OES while in college.
My situation was a little different, I lived at home and commuted
to school. It took the 3 of us (myself and parents) to care for him
during the day. All of us had jobs and I had school and a part time job,
but our work committments were close to home.

Everyones situation is different, only you can decide if this is the
right time for you. My vote is to wait until after finishing college.
As you search the site, you will see that OES need lots of attention.
They bond with there owner and "velcro" on to you. You will want
to fully enjoy the experience. Very Happy

Good luck with school !

Here is a link for the OES club of Americal

http://www.oldenglishsheepdogclubofamerica.org/breed_info/breed_information.htm

They have a breeder referral program as well.

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