INTRODUCTION

The Bobtail is also known as the ‘Old English Shepherd’, renowned for his extraordinary herding ability, his ability to take good care of the human family and for his peculiar appearance resembling a giant-sized stuffed toy. There is one peculiarity that owners of this breed tend to love and that is its funny habit of grouping children together when they are playing in the garden, an instinct derived from its origin as a sheepdog.

THE HISTORY OF THE BOBTAIL

In the mid 19th century the bobtail was bred for the role of assisting in the control of livestock in rural western England. It is generally believed that the Bobtail we all know is descended from dogs of Roman origin which were transported to central Europe and later mixed with other English Mastiffs, allowing the development of the Bobtail breed.

It was then in the British Isles that it received the name ‘Old English Shepherd’, where it was highly prized by shepherds for its particular ability to drive cattle, a genetic quality derived from its crossbreeding with British cattle breeds. We have this historical reference, but there is really no certainty as to which breeds were used for this particular mixture, but given their physical characteristics, it is possible to determine that their ancestors include the Bearded Collies. Similarly, characteristics of the Ovtcharka breed, of Russian origin, are found in the Bobtail.

What is certain is its geographical origin. The Bobtail was born out of the shepherds' need for working dogs that were agile and hardy. This was in the West of England and it was in 1880 that the Bobtail breed was officially introduced at a dog show. Since then, the Bobtail breed has been recognised by the Kennel Club, the world-wide organisation responsible for the classification of dog breeds, and since then there has been a clear record for posterity of the standards required for a Bobtail to be considered a pedigree breed. Bobtail lines genetically devoid of tails are now in use, a feature which was adopted as the breed standard because their tails were originally docked.

THE BOBTAIL STANDARD

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Strong, symmetrical, square, very harmonious in construction and of robust build. Absolutely no weakness of limbs. Completely covered with abundant coat. A muscular, solid dog with a very intelligent expression. The natural shapes must not be artificially modified by using scissors or shearing machines.
Of great vitality, presenting a slightly ascending topline and, when viewed from above, a pear-shaped body. It has a typical sway when walking with an ambling gait or with a normal gait. His bark has a characteristic timbre.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: In the dog, when standing, the withers are lower than the loins.
The head in proportion to the size of the body. The length of the muzzle is about half the total length of the head.

HEAD

CRANIAL REGION:

SKULL: Voluminous and square in shape. The supra-orbital region is well arched.

STOP: Well defined.

FACIAL REGION:

TRUFA: Large and black in colour. The nostrils are broad.

HOCIO: Strong, square and truncated,

JAWS / TEETH: Teeth strong, large and well set. The jaws are strong and articulate in a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper incisors overlap the lower incisors in close contact and are set square to the jaws. Pincer bite tolerated but undesirable.

EYES: Wide apart. Dark coloured eyes or gaze eyes. Both blue eyes are permissible. Pigmented eye rims preferred.

EARS: Small and close fitting to the sides of the head.

NECK: Of good length, strong and gracefully arched.

BODY: Rather short and compact.

LOIN: Very robust, broad and slightly arched.

CHEST: Well let down and broad. Ribs well sprung.

TAIL: Formerly the custom was to docked the tail or born naturally tailless.

• AMPUTATED: Usually completely docked.
• UNMUPLED: Natural carriage. With good fringe and abundant hair of harsh texture.
  
  

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS:

Shoulders: Shoulders should be well laid back, closer together at withers than at shoulders. Shoulders loaded are undesirable.

ELBOWS: Close to the chest.

FOREARMS: Forelegs perfectly straight; very strong bone, supporting the body so that it is not close to the ground.

HANDS: Neither turned in nor out. Small and tight. Fingers well arched, pads thick and solid.

HIND LIMBS:

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Hind third well covered with hair, round and muscular.

KNEE: Well angulated, but without exaggeration.

LEG: Long and well developed.

Hock: Well let down.

METATARSE: Seen from behind, should be perfectly straight.

FEET: Turning neither in nor out. Small and tight. Toes well arched, pads thick and solid.

GAIT / MOVEMENT: When walking, the hindquarters swing in the manner of a bear. At trot, the extension is easy and the drive given by the hindquarters is powerful. The limbs move in planes parallel to the axis of the body. Very springy gallop. In slow movements, certain dogs may have a tendency to march in ambling gait.
In movement, the dog may adopt a naturally lower head carriage.

COAT

HAIR: Abundant, of a very rough texture, not smooth, but wiry and free from curls. The undercoat is waterproof. The head and skull are well covered with hair. The ears are moderately covered. The neck is well covered, as are the forelegs all around. The coat is more abundant on the back third than on the rest of the body. More importance should be given to quality, texture of coat than to length and abundance.

COLOUR: Any shade of grey, taupe or blue. The body and the hindquarters are of uniform colour, with or without small white patches at the extremities of the limbs (socks). White patches in unicoloured areas should be rejected. The head, neck, forelegs and lower belly should be white, with or without spots. Any shade of brown is undesirable.

SIZE AND WEIGHT:

HEIGHT AT WITHERS:

• Males: 61 cm and over,
• Bitches: 56 cm and over.

Type and balance of conformation are of major importance and should not, in any case, be sacrificed to size.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Aggressiveness or extreme shyness.
• Any dog showing clear signs of physical or behavioural abnormalities.
  
  

N.B.:

• Male dogs should have two apparently normal appearing testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs of typical breed conformation should be used for breeding.
  
  

BOBTAIL HEALTH

In addition, there are six diseases to which Bobtails are often exposed and for which care should be taken:

• HIP DYSPLASIA: Hip dysplasia is a multigenic, osteoarticular disease that can be hereditary and degenerative. Therefore, there may be different factors with which to try to predict whether the disease can be developed or not. It is necessary to bear in mind that, although it may be a hereditary disease, it does not always have to develop as it is possible that the dog does not transmit it to its descendants.
  
  

• WOBBLE SYNDROME: A disorder of the intervertebral discs and caudal cervical vertebrae causing spondylopathy, with compression of the spinal cord, myelopathy. It is more common in males than in females.
  As it is a neurological problem that affects the motor apparatus, it is easy for owners to see that something is wrong. It is usually seen more frequently in the hind limbs. The toes of the hind limbs tend to drag. Coordination is lost.
  Often the dog with this syndrome carries the neck in flexion as there is less compression and therefore less pain.
  Those affected increase the base of support, open the hind legs wider and the gait becomes stiffer, with the limbs straight, the neck in ventral flexion, i.e. downwards, which relieves them ostensibly.
  The diagnosis will be made on the basis of the signs, with X-rays and myelography. It is a chronic process, and medical treatment only brings about a temporary improvement, with the animal having to be confined for a month and administered anti-inflammatory drugs. If there is no improvement in three or four weeks or there is significant neurological deterioration, surgery should be considered.
  
  

• DIABETES: Diabetes in dogs is an endocrine disease that occurs most commonly in older and middle-aged dogs. As in humans, dogs that are diabetic have an inability to produce insulin or to use insulin properly. This results in high blood glucose in dogs that can put their health at risk.
  
  

• DEAFNESS: Deafness in dogs can occur as a congenital defect, as a result of injury, as a consequence of ageing or chronic infection. In addition, the use of certain medications or too loud noises can also cause damage to the ears, even leading to complete deafness in the animal.
  In most cases the onset of deafness in dogs is related to old age or a congenital defect. In addition, a high percentage of cases tend to occur in dogs with white hair, as those with less pigmentation in the inner ear are more prone to suffer from this disease.
  
  

• CATARACTS: Cataracts in dogs are a loss of transparency of the lens that helps them to see better, i.e. loss of the crystalline lens. Due to the breakage of the crystalline tissue, opacity is produced in the eyes and causes blurred vision. It is essential to treat them as soon as possible because the more time passes, the more dense they become and the more likely it is that the canines will have a total loss of vision without the ability to recover it.
  
  

• STOMACH TORSION: Stomach torsion in dogs is a serious condition which, if not treated quickly, can be life threatening. To avoid these possible complications, which can be lethal, it is advisable to visit the vet as a matter of urgency. We recommend that you contact your nearest centre by telephone so that they can prepare everything while you arrive. Any saving of time can be decisive.
  
  

THE BOBTAIL'S PERSONALITY

Very intelligent and with great vitality, this is how we can describe the Bobtail's character. He is a dog who loves to feel part of the family and to do his job in the field. He always seems very willing to participate in the activities that take place in his home, sometimes behaving in a similar way to small lapdogs. The Bobtail is undoubtedly a very sweet dog with a personality that can make anyone fall in love with him. He becomes very familiar with family members and, therefore, many owners of this breed say that they feel this dog is ‘very human’. He is easily befriended by children and knows how to behave around them, hence he is known in England as the ‘Nanny-dog’ for his quality of being especially sensitive to the youngest members of the household and keeping a watchful eye on them.

Bobtail dogs are very affectionate and patient, and know how to adapt to new environments with ease. Their intelligence and patience helps owners when training and educating them, as they learn lessons quite quickly. They are perfect dogs for the home, but it is necessary to give them space for outdoor physical activity. We must remember that this is a working dog and therefore, we cannot deny them exercise. He needs a frequent dose of stimulation, otherwise we will have a lazy, depressed Bobtail who will not even be in the mood to play with the children. With good training, the Bobtail is so docile that it does not even require a leash to go for a walk. It is almost touching to watch the scene of a Bobtail dog with his family on their walks to the park, or walking with the children a few streets to school.

CONCLUSION

The personality of the Bobtail or Old English Shepherd Dog is endearing to those who have owned one, as most people refer to it as ‘a very human dog’ because of the trust, affection and rapport they experience when they meet this breed. In England it is known as a nanni-dog as it is a patient, affectionate dog, which is trusted by many parents when playing with their children.