Its trademark is its beautiful, profuse coat, but the intelligent and agile Old English Sheepdog can easily complete any demanding task asked of him by a shepherd or drover. Square in build and possessing great strength, the OES enjoys working and is seen in the conformation, obedience, agility, and herding rings today with their characteristic shuffling gait. His coat, which serves as insulation, can be any shade of gray, grizzle, blue or blue merle with or without white markings.
General Appearance: A strong, compact, square, balanced dog. Profusely coated, thickset, muscular and able bodied. his bark is loud and has a distinctive ring in it.
Size: Height Males 22" and upward. Females 21" and upward. Well muscled with plenty of bone.
Head: A most intelligent expression.
Eyes: Brown, blue or one of each. If brown, very dark is preferred. If blue, a pearl, china or wall eye is considered typical.
Ears: Medium sized and carried flat to the side of the head.
Neck: Fairly long and arched gracefully.
Body: Rather short and very compact, broader at the rump than at the shoulders, ribs well sprung and brisket deep and capacious. Neither slab sided nor barrel chested. The loin is very stout and gently arched.
Tail: Docked close to the body, when not naturally bob tailed.
Feet: Small and round, toes well arched, pads thick and hard, feet pointing straight ahead.
Coat: Profuse, but not so excessive as to give the impression of the dog being overly fat, and of a good hard texture. Not straight, but shaggy and free from curl. The undercoat is a waterproof pile when not removed by grooming or season. Ears coated moderately. The whole skull well covered with hair. The neck well coated with hair. The forelegs well coated all around. The hams densely coated with a thick, long jacket in excess of any other part. Neither the natural outline nor the natural texture of the coat may be changed by any artificial means except that the feet and rear may be trimmed for cleanliness.
Color: Any shade of gray, grizzle, blue or blue merle with or without white markings or in reverse.
Gait: When trotting, movement is free and powerful, seemingly effortless with good reach and drive, and covering maximum steps. Very elastic at a gallop. May amble or pace at slower speeds.
Temperament: An adaptable intelligent dog of even disposition, with no sign of aggression, shyness or nervousness.
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