Hi,

I am looking for an Old English Sheepdog as a present for a 9 year old girl, who's birthday is this week, please could anyone advise if they know where I would be able to get a little puppy asap!!!

Based in London.

Thanks

Allison

Really you should of started looking months ago.
Have you only just decided on this breed.
Please don"t buy from anywhere make sure its not a puppy farm,or
sold buy a third party.
Always see mum and Dad if poss.

I hope the 9 year old likes grooming! :) ;)

Are you positive that your liitle girl wants a pup, and especially one of this breed, which is very active and needs a lot of grooming!
Surely it would be better to take your time, read up about the breed, make sure it won't just be a novelty for your child which will wear off when the dog is no longer a cute little bundle of fluff, and most importantly, look around for reputable breeders. You can always tell your daughter that you are looking for a puppy for her, you might not be able to get one for her birthday, but as soon as you find a good breeder with a litter available you and her will go along and she can take her pick.
A puppy is not something that should be rushed into, it is for life, not just a cute present for a little girls birthday.

I can only hope you do not find someone prepared to sell you one on the basis of this criteria!!!!

I hope that this will not be the sort of present that wears of after a couple of months and then ends up in the dog pound.
Old English Sheep dogs take hours of grooming every week, and not just there coats but there eyes ears and paws all take considrable time to do.
Please let us know if you have experiance with this breed as another short haired breed might be better suited.

Hi, please dont be offended, but PLEASE think again about choosing an OE sheepdog for a nine year old child. Even adults can have trouble controlling them when out for walks. A nine year old will just never be able to exersise and play with her safely for many years to come. they look so cute at 8 weeks I know, but in only a few months they grow very big, they really are very large, active, heavy and boisterous dogs, not at all suitable for a childs pet. Please consider a much smaller breed with a more biddable (easily trained) temperament. My nearly nine year old son, who is no weakling, has trouble controlling his pet Westie, when he really wants to pull, he has to hand him to me, and this is a dog that weighs only 18 lbs.

I am sure if you ask here, posters will be able to help you choose a suitable breed before her birthday and then perhaps on her birthday you could give her a photo of a cute puppy of a suitable breed, or have a short list of suitable breeds and let her choose which breed. please be aware that long coated dogs require a great deal of grooming and care, an adult may take an hour every day to groom, to prevent it looking unkempt or becoming smelly or itchy. There isn't much point in buying a heavy coated breed, if you intend to clip it, as some do, much easier to buy a shorter coated breed in the first place and have no groomers fees, which will be substantial, believe me.

Old English sheepdogs IMO do not have a suitable temperament for a small childs pet, especially if you/she has not owned sheepdogs before. Young girls only have one face, you cant put it back on if a dog takes it off. No offence to other OE owners, but I have known a few OE's whose temperament left a lot to be desired, and IMO need experienced handling and someone very strong to exersise them.

Why not buy her a soft toy for her birthday and a ticket for you all for crufts? Then the whole family can go, look at all the dogs, ask breeders questions and you can all make a decision based on the information gathered such as exercise, temperament, size etc.

You have been given some very good and solid advice, I hope you take it to heart. Doing research now on what breed of puppy to get will pay off big time in the long run. I have three young daughters, one turned 9 last month. She too asked for a pet, but you as a parent need to put the request in perspective. I know that as parents we want to make our children's wishes come true, but at what expense? Remember to have a great dog a lot of time and energy need to be put into it. Young children have good intentions, but often can't handle all the responsibility.
I personally had an Old English Sheepdog growing up. The dog was wonderful, but a handful. Temperment is and should be of the utmost importance where children are concerned. Please take the time to find a good, reputable, knowledgable breeder before purchasing a pup.
Check breeders over the internet with your daughter, look though some breed books. Makaing an educated purchase is the key for a great, and loving child's pet!
Good luck and Happy Birthday wishes to your little girl!
Bumblebee

What great advice 9thM. A cuddly toy on the day and Crufts to look forward to.......I wish it was my birthday :)
Jackie

Allison

I hope you don't think that we're "getting at you". :) It's just that we don't know you and your circumstances and therefore our first thoughts are with what would happen to the dog if it didn't work out. We all have experiences of rescue - all my collies bar the first have been rescue dogs and we're keen that you don't rush into something you might later regret.

HTH

9th & Loki