New Dog

freddie_

Hey.
Am currently searching for a large dog. Was thinking about an old english sheepdog. Have a long family history of owning one so know the workload involved. But am wondering can anyone recommend a different dog similar in the OES.
Also have load of dealing with labs but am reluctant to get one due to the high level of exercise they need.THe OES i feel gets the balance right between size, exercise and life span.

Any ideas

ZiabR

freddie_ wrote: »

Hey.
Am currently searching for a large dog. Was thinking about an old english sheepdog. Have a long family history of owning one so know the workload involved. But am wondering can anyone recommend a different dog similar in the OES.
Also have load of dealing with labs but am reluctant to get one due to the high level of exercise they need.THe OES i feel gets the balance right between size, exercise and life span.

Any ideas

I would agree that Labs need a good run when they are younger but they do get quite lazy later in life.

Other options:

Golden Retriever
German Shepard
Alaskan Malamute
Dalmatian
Huskey

What kind of dog are you looking for though? Family dog or?

andreac

If they are reluctant to get a breed due to high energy then most of the above suggestions would not be suitable. Shepherds, huskies and mals all need huge amount of exercise.

Don't forget the coat on an oes. They need a lot of grooming.

I highly recommend a Rottie. Large breed but not high energy. Love lazing around the house once they get their daily walks. No grooming involved as they have a short coat.

freddie_

Thanks for the replys.
Ya i agree most of the dogs listed need a lot of exercise and also a good few of them have major health problems associated with the breed. Its for a family pet.
The OES is still looking the best bet i think, was just checking if there was anything else out there.
In relation to the rottie, what are they like with kids etc.

Mince Pie

Greyhounds and Lurchers are big dogs that are brilliant with kids. Love lounging. Don't need as much exercise as people think, they are sprinters not marathon runners. they also don't need grooming as most will have a short glossy coat (in the instance of lurchers it depends on their x)

Always lots of them that need rehoming from rescue centres.

DBB

I'll throw this in, just to gauge how you'd feel about it!
A greyhound? Saluki? Or large lurcher?

Edited to add: @ Mince Pie... Snap!

sillysmiles

freddie_ wrote: »

Its for a family pet.

Can I suggest looking at a rescue center - lots of big dogs looking for good homes.

andreac

Rotties are amazing with kids. You should see my fella with kids, he adores them.

Just remember the grooming with the OES. They need a serious amount of grooming, but if you keep the coat clipped back then it wont be as bad but will need to be trimmed every few weeks so thats a cost to factor in too.

Lemlin

freddie_ wrote: »

Hey.
Am currently searching for a large dog. Was thinking about an old english sheepdog. Have a long family history of owning one so know the workload involved. But am wondering can anyone recommend a different dog similar in the OES.
Also have load of dealing with labs but am reluctant to get one due to the high level of exercise they need.THe OES i feel gets the balance right between size, exercise and life span.

Any ideas

As a Labrador owner, I don't think you'll get a better breed for kids. My son is 4 so we've had our Lab since he was 2 and the two of them are inseparable. I've never seen a breed as good with kids.

In regard to the high energy drive, my girl tends to come running with me three times a week (5k to 10k run) but other than that, I wouldn't describe her as high energy. She loves a game of fetch but so does any dog. She certainly wouldn't have near the energy drive of a Springer Spaniel.

Knine

I've had lots & lots of dogs & although Labs get a great name for being good with children, the Italian Spinone wins for me! I have had the breed for 17 years now. They are known for having a special affinity with children. They get on well with everyone. I have an extremely boisterous dog but when with my disabled daughter he is like a different dog. They need a great deal of exercise though!

ZiabR

I have Labs myself and I would agree with some of the posters above. Labs and Golden Retreivers are some of if not the best breeds for families. Especially young families. They are so gentle with young children.

As far as the OES goes, they have a fair list of health issues, just like most dog breeds so don't let this cloud your choice. My main concern with the OES is the grooming, it can become a daily thing and they require alot of your time.

Please see below for a list of issues with the OES, some of these affect Labs etc aswell.

http://www.dogbreedhealth.com/old-english-sheepdog/

Some of the main issues with OES:

Other diseases
(for which there are currently no genetic or screening tests for sire or dam)
Portosystemic shunt (abnormality of the blood circulation resulting in blood from the heart bypassing the liver and entering the general circulation)
Cerebellar abiotrophy (progressive inco-ordination)
Immune mediated haemolytic anaemia (destruction of red blood cells)
Shoulder osteochondrosis (males – abnormalities of bone and cartilege, causing inflammation, pain and lameness)
Entropion (inverting eyelid)
Distichiasis (abnormal hairs growing from eyelid margins)
Urinary incontinence (spayed females)
Urolithiasis (stone formation in bladder)
Cancer (various forms)
Deafness
Cataract
Primary ciliary dyskinesia (disease of the respiratory tract, causes respiratory problems and infections)
Hip dysplasia (abnormality of the hip joints causing pain and disability): breed mean score 11.3 (parents should be lower)
Eye disease: Hereditary cataract; Multiocular defects; Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) (gradual loss of sight) Annual eye testing required
Cerebellar Degeneration DNA test offered at North Carolina State University:

pawrick

Another breed worth considering is a newfoundland - similar temperament to a lab from what I've read. Exercise will be an issue with any working dog but it might be worth looking in to as something similar to what you have in mind.

Vel

Grew up with labs and always loved them and felt they were great 'family' dogs. We don't have them now but I must say I'm not that keen on the ones I meet these days in general. Due to their popularity, I'm just not convinced that temperament is the main factor for many of the people breeding them. You'll get A, B and C telling you how they have them and how great they are with their kids etc. but if I was recommending a lab I'd be recommending you do some serious research into where you get one from as I think there are definite questions to be asked about the temperament of some of the labs being bred these days sadly

ZiabR

Vel wrote: »

Grew up with labs and always loved them and felt they were great 'family' dogs. We don't have them now but I must say I'm not that keen on the ones I meet these days in general. Due to their popularity, I'm just not convinced that temperament is the main factor for many of the people breeding them. You'll get A, B and C telling you how they have them and how great they are with their kids etc. but if I was recommending a lab I'd be recommending you do some serious research into where you get one from as I think there are definite questions to be asked about the temperament of some of the labs being bred these days sadly

I would agree with you here alright. The are one of the most popular dogs out there and yes the breed has suffered I think. You just need to do you research and you can still find gems!

Lemlin

Vel wrote: »

Grew up with labs and always loved them and felt they were great 'family' dogs. We don't have them now but I must say I'm not that keen on the ones I meet these days in general. Due to their popularity, I'm just not convinced that temperament is the main factor for many of the people breeding them. You'll get A, B and C telling you how they have them and how great they are with their kids etc. but if I was recommending a lab I'd be recommending you do some serious research into where you get one from as I think there are definite questions to be asked about the temperament of some of the labs being bred these days sadly

I went to Northern Ireland for my Labrador and I'd suggest anyone buying do the same. I know another user here, keno-daytrader, who went to the same breeder as myself because they mentioned knowing a good Labrador breeder one day on here and I contacted them out of interest in the breed and their breeder was the same as mine in Armagh.

I bought my Labrador two years ago and spent three to six months searching. I found by far the best pedigree and health checked dogs were in NI, particularly in Armagh and, to a lesser extent, Down. Getting hip scores and eye scores just seems to be par for the course down there whereas it didn't seem to be here in the South.

I recently bred and sold my own pups and 4 of them went to that area so it seems to be a keen area of interest for the breed.

The only item you'd need to remember is that you will have to check which kennel club the breeder is registering the pups with. If its the UK kennel club, you will have to register the dog in your name with the UK kennel club and then reregister it with the Irish Kennel club. You will also more than likely have to microchip the pup yourself if UK kennel club registered as some NI breeders do not microchip because it isn't a UK kennel club requirement.

madred006

Bernese mountain dog ?