Dog breed guide
Old English Sheepdog
The Old English Sheepdog is a large, profusely coated dog described as biddable, bold, faithful and trustworthy. The coat needs daily attention, with Dogs NSW putting full maintenance at three to four hours of grooming a week. It is described as very well suited to families with children and suits a house with a garden better than a flat.
Also searched as Bobtail, Dulux Dog.
Old English Sheepdog at a glance
- Adult weight, male
- 32 to 41 kg
- Adult weight, female
- 27 to 36 kg
- Size
- Large, 25 to 40 kg
- Coat
- profuse and of good hard texture, not straight but shaggy and free from curl
Ratings
Petboost editorial ratings from 1 to 5, drawn from the breed standard text under Sources. A breed with no basis in the sources for a rating shows none.
- Shedding
- Grooming effort
- Energy
- Trainability
- Good with children
- Suits an apartment
5 means it sheds heavily
5 means it needs the most grooming
5 means it needs a lot of exercise
5 means it learns quickly and eagerly
5 means it suits a family best
5 means it copes best in a small home
Comparisons
Next steps
- Find a local groomer or daycarePet businesses near you that take bookings online.
- Check a Old English Sheepdog puppy's weightWhere a puppy sits against the breed's adult range.
- Dog age in human yearsFrom a formula, not the seven-to-one rule.
Sources
- Petboost breed reference data, adult weight ranges (breed list snapshot).
- Dogs Australia, Old English Sheepdog Breed Standard, https://dogsaustralia.org.au/members/breeds/breed-standards/Old-English-Sheepdog, read 2026-10-05
- Dogs NSW, Old English Sheepdog, https://www.dogsnsw.org.au/breeds/browse-all-breeds/old-english-sheepdog/, read 2026-10-05
- The Royal Kennel Club, Old English Sheepdog, https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/pastoral/old-english-sheepdog/, read 2026-10-05
General information about the breed, not veterinary advice. Speak with your vet about your own pet.