Old English Sheepdog
Modified: 30-11--0001 00:00:00
An Old English Sheepdog is a breed of dog formerly used for herding livestock, and now primarily kept as a pet. They are best known for their shaggy grey and white fur which also covers their face, including their eyes, which leads some casual observers to wonder how they can see.
In Australia and the UK, they are often known as a Dulux dog, as a result of their prolonged use in advertising Dulux paint.
Appearance
Males generally weigh 70 to 100 pounds(45 kg); females, 60 to 80 pounds. They stand around 22 inches at the withers. Their long coats can be any shade of gray, grizzle, blue, or blue merle, with optional white markings. The undercoat is water resistant. The Old English Sheepdog's abundant coat is an effective insulator in both hot and cold weather.
Temperament
This breed is intelligent, funny, social, and adaptable. It generally gets along well with children, other dogs, other pets, and visitors. Like all herding breeds, it requires plenty of exercise, both mental and physical.
Care
The long coat requires thorough brushing at least weekly, and the long hair around the pads of the feet can form mats if it isn't kept trimmed.
Some people save their Old English Sheepdog's hair from grooming and have spun it into yarn.
Dulux dog
The Old English Sheepdog is the brand mascot for Dulux paint. The dog was first introduced in Australian advertising campaigns in the 1960s. Since then they have been a constant and highly popular feature of Dulux television and print adverts in both Australia and the UK. So much so, that most uninformed people in those markets refer to the breed as a 'Dulux dog' rather than a Sheepdog.
Over the years, different dogs have appeared in the adverts. However, they all look very similar, partially as a result of most of them being selected from a closely related line of pedigree dogs. The first Dulux dog was Shepton Dash, who held the role for eight years. His successor, Fernville Lord Digby, was the most famous Dulux dog and also made his owner, Cynthia Harrison, famous. When filming commercials, Digby was treated like a star, being driven to the studio in a chauffeur driven car. Barbara Woodhouse was employed to train Digby and his three stunt doubles, who were used whenever specific tricks or actions needed to be filmed.
Apart from Dash, all the Dulux dogs have been breed champions, and five of them have won 'Best of Show' prizes.
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