WE are thinking of buying an old english. I have previously owned labs/retrievers, but have always wanted an oes. I usually take in rescue dogs, however, having two small children, have decided on a puppy.
I would like advice on buying a puppy, things to ask and what to look out for etc. I am told that the average hip score is around 20, how will this be shown to me?
We would be grateful for any advice, even the most basic stuff.
thank you
J Davies

Hi Guest,

Not my breed, but if the average hipscore is 20, you should be looking for puppies where both the parents have been hipscored at less than 20.  The hipscore is made up of a right score and a left score, both hips having been x-rayed.  A fairly even score on either side eg 7/7 is better than an uneven eg 3/11. 

Please don't accept any of the following as excuses:

The dog can jump a 5 bar gate so we reckoned it didn't need hip scored...

The hip score is only high because the dog/bitch ran up and down stairs too much/didn't get enough exercise/fell down holes/etc etc as a puppy.

These may be true, but you only have the breeders word for it, and unless the dog is 99% perfect in every other way there is no need to breed from a dog with a high hip score in breeds where there can be problems.  You may only be setting yourself up for trouble later in the pup's life.

If you're not sure, walk away.

Forgot to mention: the parents' hip scores should be on the puppy's registration, or failing that, the breeder should have a copy of the score sheet for each dog.

I only have a small amount of experience with OES.... but here is what i know.

They DO herd.... and will round up anything that is 'round-up-able.

That, in practical terms WILL mean your children and yourself.

All puppies nip, thats a given, but a breed with a herding tendancy is more likely to use that to help him 'herd'. Be aware of it.

OES has a VERY high maintenance coat. Please, if you are going to get one, understand how much work this is.
The puppy coat is very fluffy. Persevere and get the pup VERY used to being groomed, dried with a towel, having the hair inside the ears plucked, fur under the tail near the anus trimmed (or it can and will get messy). Make grooming a nice relaxing, rewarding experience and all should be well.

Then the pup will start to change to its adult coat. This will mean that as the harder adult coat comes through the soft fluffy puppy coat, tangles and knots are inevitable. Keep up the grooming or there will be BIG matts and knots and an expensive bill at the groomers.
You more than likely WILL need to take your pup to a groomer. Even though when small you can handle the grooming yourself, DO take the pup there early on, so he/she can see that its not a scary experience. The reason for needing a groomer is not really the brushing, but the WASHING and DRYING. Drying a fully soaked OES can take several DAYS if you dont have a dryer. An OES who enjoys a full life, bounding around in and out of rivers and lakes, in and out of mud etc WILL start to pong like an old pond if its not occasionally bathed (dont go overboard though, you will ruin the coat and cause skin problems).

Personally i cant see the point in getting a breed like an OES and then shaving it nearly bald, but thats just me.
An OES that IS shaved will end up loosing the hard coat of an adult dog, and have a soft fluffy coat. The harsh adult coat is far more waterproof and dirt repellant (let it dry and brush it off). The soft fluffy coat is NOT, and will act like a sponge and you will find it hard to remove dirt from it.

OES are a dog bred for stamina, not speed. They are capable of going all day and will need several hours exercise a day when fully grown. As a pup caution needs to be taken with growing bones, do not over exercise, concentrate on little sessiosn of fun training to tire the pup out, rather than marathon walks!

Em