Some years ago I owned several registered Old English Sheepdogs. These beautiful sheepdogs make wonderful family pets, provided you have one with the correct temperament. They make excellent guard dogs and provide loyal companionship. They are a large dog with long shaggy coats of hair, and come in colors of sable, grey, and blue merle with white. If you decide you want to own an Old English Sheepdog, be prepared to give them lots of attention and care. The most difficult part of owning an Old English Sheepdog is keeping it well groomed.
The hair on the Old English Sheepdog can range in length from four to five inches and if not taken care of properly can quickly develop mats. Combing and brushing one of these dogs can be very time consuming and hard on a person’s back. It is best to start grooming your sheepdog as a puppy, for two reasons. First to help train it to sit or lie for long periods of time while the grooming process is done. Second, to let them become familiar with the many different tools you need to perform the grooming process.
Start by assembling the grooming tools, which are cotton balls, cotton swabs, vegetable oil, a steel dog comb, soft and hard bristled dog brushes, pointy and rounded end scissors, and electric hair clippers. Keep all of these within reach. Using an old table about waist high to groom your sheepdog will help your back considerably. If you don’t have a table, then having the sheepdog lie on the floor will work just as well, just be sure to stand and stretch at least every 15 minutes. Mats can prevent your sheepdog from being bathed properly so it is best to bathe your sheepdog after you have combed their hair and removed all mats.
With your sheepdog lying on its side, start combing its underside with the steel comb. Comb in small sections, starting at the end of the hair and working your way inward toward the body of the sheepdog. Work your way up the side of the sheepdog to its back, including all sides of the front and hind legs and the neck area. If a mat can’t be combed out, it will be necessary to cut it out. If mats are not removed, they will continue to get larger and can cause your sheepdog pain, so it s best to remove them even if you have to cut close to the skin. While grooming your sheepdog, be sure to pet and offer praise for your sheepdog’s good behavior. If the sheepdog becomes agitated, let them up for a shot period; preferably when you take your 15 minute stretches.
Position the sheepdog on its other side and perform the same process. Before grooming its face, you need to groom its paws. Using your pointy scissors, trim away all hair from between the pads on the sheepdogs paws, being careful not to nip the sheepdog with the ends of the scissors. If you have dog nail clippers and know how to clip a dogs nails, you can trim them at this time. I prefer to have a vet do this.
Comb the sheepdogs head area and ears, working gently as these are sensitive areas. For safety reasons use the rounded end scissors to trim around the eyes and mouth. Old English Sheepdogs are prone to developing cataracts. To help prevent this, using a cotton ball and warm water, start in the inner corner of their eye and gently wipe outwards, removing any accumulated dirt.
Old English Sheepdogs are also susceptible to ear mites, so trim the hair from underneath the sheepdog’s ears. Their ears are also a magnet for dirt collection. The best way to clean the dirt from inside a sheepdog’s ears is by using cotton balls dabbed with vegetable oil. Then use paper towels to wipe off the excess. Gently use cotton swabs with vegetable oil in the inner ear area.
When you have completely combed your sheepdog, use the soft and hard bristled brushes to finish the grooming process. This last step will help remove any loose hairs before bathing. Bathe your sheepdog in the bathtub with a shower hose and pet shampoo, and dry them using a towel and/or blow dryer. Use the same brushes again to smooth out any tangles and promote a shine in their coat.
The hair on Old English Sheepdogs acts as insulation from the cold in winter and the heat in summer, so cutting their hair is not really necessary. I have found that trimming it though to about three inches helps prevent mats and does not hurt the sheepdog. To make this process go faster, I use electric animal hair clippers and trim the hair in the same way I would a humans, except I make it the same length all over.
If you decide to have your sheepdog groomed by a professional, check-out the groomer thoroughly, asking for references. I took my sheepdogs twice to two different professionals and both times the groomer clipped them to look like a poodle, even though I was assured that the groomer knew how to trim an Old English Sheepdog. Nothing looks more ridiculous than an Old English Sheepdog trimmed like a poodle.
