If you’ve seen a Dog in pop media that looks like a big ball of fluffy hair (not a small one – that would either be some sort of long-haired Terrier or a Shih Tzu), then there’s a good chance that what you saw was an Old English Sheepdog.
SHAGGY DOG STORY
When I first started with this article, I remembered that we had an old Dog named Kokoy who seemed to be exactly the way an Old English Sheepdog is described. But the problem was: Did I have photos?
Apparently not, as I found out after a day of sifting through old family albums. It seems that all I remembered was a personal shaggy Dog story – rest assured, I do remember Kokoy as being a big shaggy Dog!
You might have heard from some movies or read from some books the term “shaggy Dog story.” What does that mean? Well, a shaggy Dog story is basically a joke that has a long setup, but it’s either that the punchline is intentionally weak or that it relies totally on how absurd things can be.
The origins of this style of humor are said to be based on the premise that someone is looking for a shaggy Dog, and when a properly shaggy Dog is presented… the response is along the lines of, “[They’re] not that shaggy.”
It’s all about playing with the audience’s expectation of what a joke is. And yes, by the way, Old English Sheepdogs aren’t always that shaggy.
THE STORY ISN’T SHAGGY, BUT THE ORIGINS…
Even experts feel that how Old English Sheepdogs came to be might be a shaggy Dog story – for real. What is sure is that they probably crossed over from mainland Europe and were said to have come from older Sheep herding lines, and those breeds had to have the intelligence for herding activities, combined with having enough size and strength to protect the herd against Wolves and other predators.
Eventually, they became recognizable as a separate breed in the Devon and Somerset areas of England, around 200 years ago.
What’s even more interesting is that they weren’t really meant to be herding Sheep! They were primarily used to herd Cattle.
And here’s where the story gets even shaggier: Experts aren’t sure which preexisting breeds contributed to the Old English Sheepdog. What seems to be agreed upon is that Bearded Collies are part of the mix. The rest, well… even a niche breed like the Caucasian Shepherd Dog (Ovcharka) from the Soviet Union has been included in the genetic line.
WHAT MAKES THE DOG A GOOD OLE’ ENGLISH SHEEPDOG
SO HOW IS A SHEEPDOG SUPPOSED TO LOOK?
Sheepdogs are rather large, as far as the Philippine milieu goes, with a shoulder height of 22 inches, and a weight of around 70 to 90 pounds. Females are usually slightly smaller.
They have floppy ears and have a “square” build – they’d look good even without their crowning glory, which is their curly double coat of fur. The coats are usually blue or a mix of gray with white. Do take note: Their shoulders are lower than their hip area at rest.
In the past, Sheepdog tails were docked (cut) as close to the body as possible, but this is a fading practice, as it is now illegal in many countries.
Sadly, while the practice is not popular anymore in the Philippines, it is technically legal (the same goes for ear clipping).
LAID-BACK? MAYBE. WILLFUL, YES
Old English Sheepdogs are intelligent and sometimes-stubborn Dogs. Because of this, families that adopt them need to learn how to be firm with them, and it’s a good idea to get them some formal training.
English Sheepdogs can also be surprisingly good guard Dogs, and their bark can be loud – another reason to train them properly.
Finally, the males can be aggressive, so early socialization involving both people outside their family and other Dogs should be done.
KEEPING OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOGS HAPPY
First off, English Sheepdogs tend to keep the weight on, which is probably a “feature” of their being working dogs in the first place. Their diet should be controlled, so easy on the treats, even if they’re really cute when they ask for food.
Family members should also be aware that their coats are practically a commitment in themself, particularly if one wants to enter them in Dog shows. However, since they do have good body proportions, keeping their coats short shouldn’t be a problem.
They also need a lot of exercise time outside, to further keep their weight down. As fun and cute as they are, Old English Sheepdogs are not for the unprepared – they are furry family members who need a lot of attention.
FAMOUS SHAGGY DOGS
Because of their congenial look, Old English Sheepdogs have appeared often as characters in pop culture and media. Here are some of the more famous ones.
AMBROSIUS (Labyrinth, 1989)
Ambrosius is the rather cowardly “mount” of Sir Didymus in the Labyrinth movie. Given that Sir Didymus is a tiny, humanized Yorkshire Terrier, Ambrosius was just the right size to be his “horse”.
In the context of the movie, Ambrosius is the fantasy version of Sarah’s actual Dog, Merlin. And that makes sense, since in Merlin the Arthurian character was known as Merlin Ambrosius in some stories.
MARTHA (Paul McCartney’s Sheepdog)
When Paul McCartney was still dating Jane Asher, they had a Sheepdog named Martha. And yes, she is the subject named in the famous Beatles song, “Martha My Dear.”
As it turns out, it was a song to remind Jane Asher of the good times they had. Or, at least, that is what many people think. As for Paul himself, he’s basically singing a song to his Dog Martha, and along the way, he probably ended up singing about his relationship with Jane Asher as well.
Martha went on to be part of the McCartney family for 15 years, before crossing over the rainbow bridge in 1981. In a heartwarming continuation of the story, Martha’s daughter, Arrow, would be featured in the “Paul is Live” album cover in 1993. Looks like Paul is a true Dog lover through and through.
HOT DOG (Archie Comics)
Hot Dog is Jughead’s furry family member, who pretty much acts like Jughead: lazy and always hungry. Oh, and he doesn’t like Reggie Mantle, either.
He usually acts as the chaos factor in many of his appearances, but they usually mirror Jughead’s own misadventures. His thoughts are always in thought bubbles, but the norm is that he can’t communicate with his Important People, unless it’s in the way a Dog usually does.
Interestingly, in his first few appearances, he was with either Archie or Jughead. It was only later on that he would canonically be with the Jones family.
Also, his doghouse is sometimes shown to be highly advanced, be it because of Dilton or some other unusual entities, like Space Canines.
DISNEY’S OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOGS
Disney has quite a few Old English Sheepdogs in their various films. Among the more visible ones are the following.
“THE SHAGGY DOG”
This is pretty much the old body-transformation comedy, but with a person transforming into an Old English Sheepdog.
The original one was made in 1959, and sequels and TV series runs followed. The latest version of the story was a movie in 2006, starring Tim Allen.
MAX (THE LITTLE MERMAID)
Max is Prince Eric’s Old English Sheepdog, who takes a liking to Ariel. His actions in the movie are important, as he had already seen and recognized Ariel in mermaid form, and greeted her when she and Eric first met.
His actions in the final parts of the original movie are critical to the story.
COLONEL (101 DALMATIANS)
Colonel is an Old English Sheepdog who helps Pongo and Perdita find their puppies. What’s unusual is that the Colonel is somewhat different in portrayal than the usual Sheepdog, probably due to his age and the animation style that was used.
He has also appeared in Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers, and the series version of One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
SO, ABOUT SHAGGY DOG STORIES…
Going back to my own shaggy Dog story, I find that I honestly just happen to be more familiar with Old English Sheepdogs because of a family Dog who may or may not have been a shaggy Dog story, and may or may not have been an actual Old English Sheepdog.
What I do remember is that given all the photos of Sheepdogs that I saw while drafting this article, I think that Kokoy, in my memory, is pretty much both. And I would not be surprised if in the end, the punchline would be the classic, “But he wasn’t that shaggy.”
PHOTOS BY JEFFREY LIM
