Herding Dogs: Old English Sheepdog and Puli

Here are two thick-coated herding dogs: the Old English Sheepdog and the Puli.

Old English Sheepdog

As breeds go, the Old English Sheepdog isn't very old at all, his history going back only 150 years. Whatever the length of tail if a puppy is whelped, it is docked too short as to look tailless, thus the nickname "bobtail." The body is square and heavyset, the forelegs straight with heaps of bone, and hindquarters round and brawny. In walking or trotting, the Old English has a characteristic ambling or bear-like gait. His head is huge, having square and strong jaws, and ears flat to the head. Dark eyes are favored, but in blue dogs a pearl eye, walleye or china eye is typical. The coat is full, hard, and quite shaggy.

WEIGHT: 70-85 pounds
HEIGHT: males 22-inch minimum; females slightly less
COLOR: gray, grizzle, blue, or blue-merled, with or without white markings, or reverse.

Puli

The Puli has helped Hungarian shepherds for more than a thousand years. Though he seems hidden beneath a wealth of long hair, his coat is well-suited to extreme weather. Puppies are born fluffy and, with growth, the soft undercoat naturally tangles with the coarse outercoat and forms long cords. The Puli is a dense, square-looking dog of moderate size. His forelegs are aligned and the hindquarters well-developed and beefy. The medium-size head is proportionate to the body, having a strong and straight muzzle, dark almond-shaped eyes, and V-shaped ears. The tail is held over and blends into the backline.

WEIGHT: 25-35 pounds
HEIGHT: 16-17 inches
COLOR: solid colors of rusty black, black, gray, and white.