The 'shaggy dog' coat everyone falls for needs several hours of hands-on brushing every week for the dog's entire life — skip it for even a couple of weeks and it mats down to the skin, which usually ends with a groomer or vet shaving the dog completely bald to fix it.
12.1years, median
0.4 years below the all-dog median of 12.5.
Measured, not estimated: the middle age at death across 584,734 UK dogs, 284,734 of them deceased. Based on 1,814 dogs of this breed. 95% confidence interval 11.9 to 12.5 years. Half lived longer than this, half did not. UK dogs, so treat it as the best available figure rather than a promise about yours.
In the same study, large breeds as a group had a median of 11.9 years and medium-muzzled breeds 12.8. This breed is large and medium-muzzled.
McMillan et al. 2024, Scientific Reports 14:531 — open access · CC BY 4.0Health tests to ask the breeder for
Old English Sheepdog Club of America sets the tests a Old English Sheepdog needs for a CHIC number in the OFA's open database. A CHIC number means the tests were done and the results are public. It does not mean the dog passed them: ask for the results for both parents, or look them up yourself on ofa.org.
- Hip Dysplasia (OFA Evaluation or PennHIP Evaluation)
- Eye Examination by a boarded ACVO Ophthalmologist
- Autoimmune Thyroiditis (OFA evaluation)
- Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC) DNA test (required since 8/1/2016)
- Multiple Drug Sensitivity (MDR1) DNA test (required since 2026)
When to spay or neuter: the guidelines split at 45 pounds grown, five to six months under it and after growth is complete over it, and the UC Davis study gives a guideline by breed for 35 breeds. The spay and neuter page has both, and the two weeks after.
- Cardiac Evaluation
- Congenital Deafness (BAER test)
- Cerebellar Degeneration DNA test (NC State)
- Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) DNA test
Test names as the club lists them; checked September 2026. OFA CHIC breed page. How to use this at the breeder: check a breeder.
Adopt a Old English Sheepdog near you
Shelters and rescues list Old English Sheepdogs and Old English Sheepdog mixes on Petfinder. Enter a ZIP code to see who is waiting within 100 miles.
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Living with a Old English Sheepdog
Underneath the coat this is a playful, people-oriented herding dog that wants to be with the family, not left in a yard, and it needs a real walk or two a day despite its mellow reputation. The famous 'shaggy' look only stays presentable with daily brushing or six-weekly professional grooming, and most pet owners eventually clip the coat short year-round because the full-coat maintenance schedule breeders describe is unrealistic for a normal household routine.
Health you should know about
- Hip dysplasia — commonly cited figures put prevalence around 11-18% in the breed, well above the roughly 3.5% average seen across all breeds screened.
- Gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat) — a deep-chested breed at elevated risk; one analysis found the breed's odds several times the average and bloat implicated in a meaningful share of OES deaths.
- Hereditary and congenital cataracts — screened for via kennel-club eye schemes in breeding stock.
- Hereditary deafness — testable from around 6 weeks old using BAER testing before puppies go to new homes.
Read the full Dog Care Guide first — costs, daily time, and everything a dog needs before you choose a breed.
Naming a Old English Sheepdog? British dog and cat names, 89 of them, with what they mean.
Sources — 5 references
Last reviewed October 2026. 5 sources listed below. Written and maintained by Petdeals.io. General care information, not veterinary advice — for a sick animal, call a vet.