Our different ES Color's
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HERDING
English Shepherds are natural low heelers,
with strong herding instinct. They exhibit agility, stamina, and stout hearted perseverance and will use the amount of force
necessary to accomplish the job. Their natural instincts enable them to work with a minimum of direction, however they can
be trusted to not bother livestock when help is not needed.
HUNTING
English Shepherds are also valued for their
tracking, hunting and treeing ability. Advertising brochures from the 1950s depict English Shepherds treeing squirrel, coon
and possum, and note "English Shepherds will tree anything and everything." This may include, of course, your neighbor's cat!
An industrious English Shepherd may not be satisfied with simply treeing critters -- he may decide to climb a tree or two
himself! English Shepherd owners need to be aware of and make allowances for the many faceted drives their dogs inherit.
AGILITY
AND MORE
With their blend of intelligence, athleticism, and trainability, English Shepherds excel at many of the newer
dog sports. English Shepherds have succeeded at the highest levels of obedience and agility. They also make outstanding partners
in Search and Rescue, and many English Shepherds are certified Therapy Dogs, visiting residents in nursing homes and hospitals.
English Shepherds are truly all-purpose dogs, eager to work for their owners in a variety of settings.
Copyright of The English Shepherd Club  |
Appearance
The English Shepherd is a dog of medium
size, presenting a picture of sturdy balance and harmonious proportions, built for speed and maneuverability. He is alert
and his face shows a high degree of intelligence. English Shepherds have a medium length, double coat, which affords all weather
protection.
English Shepherds come in four basic color patterns: black and tan, sable and white, tricolor (black, white
and tan), and black and white. Because they have not been bred for the show ring, English Shepherds have retained much natural
variation in features such as ear set, tail carriage, markings, and even build. These differences are appreciated by their
owners as reflective of the care breeders have taken to preserve the essential character of the breed, rather than focusing
on attaining perfect conformity to a "cookie cutter" ideal.
Copyright of The English Shepherd Club
History
English Shepherds are descendants of the
Shepherds' dogs of Scotland and N. England. This group also gave rise to modern "show" Collies and Border Collies. English
Shepherds differ from their cousins in having been bred primarily for an upright, loose-eyed herding style, and by the continuous
selection for all-around ability. These abilities include not only herding but also guarding and hunting. The surge in popularity
of dog shows and sheepdog trials in the 20th century resulted in increased demand for the Collie types which these venues
were designed to showcase. English Shepherds have never been primarily show dogs or trial dogs, but rather practical versatile
workers for farmers who were interested in function rather than flash.
Copyright of The English Shepherd
Club
- English Shepherds are intelligent, alert, responsive working dogs. They are exceptionally
devoted, and have a strong desire to work in partnership with their owner, whatever the task.
- English Shepherds are
working dogs, valued for their herding and guarding ability. They make wonderful companions and partners in homes where their
intelligence,
spirit, and devotion are understood and appreciated. - While very happy on a farm with chores to do, the English Shepherd
makes an excellent family companion
- Because of its working background and devotion to family the English Shepherd
makes a great companion for an active family committed to involving their dog in their daily life.
- They want to be
part of the family and remain a working dog. The English Shephed is happiest when he has a job to do; watching the kids, escorting
the family to the park, and guarding the property from the wily UPS driver are all tasks the suburban English Shepherd excels
at.
- Copyright to The English Shepherd Club
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Stony Creek's Irish Gale Brooke - Copyright Randi Ross
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Stony Creek's Bubba Ross - Copyright Roger Ross
HISTORY
According to legend, the English Shepherd is a combination of native dogs of the British Isles and the Roman sheep and
cattle dog brought to the British Isles by Caesar when he invaded in 55 B.C. Romans used these dogs to herd the livestock
brought along to feed the troops. As the livestock was depleted, surplus dogs were left along the way, and were used by local
natives and interbred with existing types of dogs with similar herding talents to intensify those instincts. The English Shepherd
was brought to the American colonies by some of the first settlers and followed the development of the United States from
east to west. This multi-purpose breed was highly prized as it was used to herd valuable livestock and to protect the isolated
homesteads. The United Kennel Club is the original registrar of the English Shepherd and has recognized them since 1934.
GENERAL
APPEARANCE
A medium-sized dog of sturdy balance and harmonious
proportions. Built for speed and maneuverability. The English Shepherd's alert face shows intelligence. Being a "total" breed,
English Shepherds should be judged both on their ability to work livestock and their physical and structural appearance. To
be taken into primary consideration are type, balance, soundness, gait and temperament.
CHARACTERISTICS
Energetic, intelligent, very active, agile, courageous and gritty. Fearless for their purpose. Acting immediately when
commanded, and very responsive to the master's voice. Adapting themselves almost at once to working commands around farm stock.
Working characteristics include: strictly low heeling, and very free with the use of their teeth. Also very watchful as guards
of the home. Companionable to their master.
Fault: Excessive nervousness, or aggression.
HEAD
The head is of medium length and slightly rounded between the ears. The head and
neck are carried slightly raised. The skull is wide and flat above the eyes, broad between the ears. The width of the skull,
between the inner corners of the bases of the ears, is approximately the same distance. The flews are straight and do not
droop. The jaws are deep and powerful.
Faults: Peaked or domed skull.
STOP - Medium stop, moderately defined.
MUZZLE
- The muzzle is moderately broad, but is neither wide and stubby nor thin and snipey. The length of the muzzle, from the tip
of the nose to the stop, is about equal to the distance from the stop to the occiput.
Faults: Heavy, pugged. Snipey.
TEETH
- Strong and regular, scissors bite.
Severe faults: Overshot and undershot bites.
EARS - Wide at the base. Folding over
approximately ¾ down and laying close to head.
EYES - Dark or medium brown. Moderately round with a slightly oblique set.
Express character with a strong, intelligent look.
Faults: Protruding or sunken eyes.
NECK
Neck is well muscled, arched of medium length setting well into the shoulders.
BODY
The backline is horizontal. The shoulders are well laid back;
shoulder blade and upper arm are about equal length. The ribs are well sprung. The body length, from the point of the shoulder
to the point of the buttock, is about the same as the height at the withers. The loins are strong and deep. The flank is not
tucked up.
Faults: Roached or sway back.
CHEST
Deep,
extending down approximately to the elbows. Wide, allowing large lung capacity.
HIPS
Wide, muscular. Very compact, denoting strength to spring.
FORELEGS
Straight. Medium bone. Muscular. Not too short.
HIND LEGS
Slightly bent at hock. Very muscular. Well haired.
FEET
Compact and round, strong but flexible pasterns. Well padded. Well arched
toes.
TAIL
Moderately long with the tip of the bone reaching
to the hock joint. A Plume tail. Carried slightly higher than back, only slight curve, when standing or at rest the tail should
not be carried straight up or over the back.
Natural bobtails are acceptable, should be about six to eight inches long
and carried level with the back line.
Fault: A tail that is carried straight up and over the back when the dog is at rest.
COAT
Coat is thick, glossy, and soft. May be straight, wavy or curly,
except on the face, skull and legs. Fully covering body from ears down to feet. Reaching well under the body and on the upper
half of the legs. The front legs are feathered. The tail is plumelike. The undercoat is soft and fine, affording protection
from the elements, Any evidence of excessive grooming is to be penalized.
Faults: Kinky coats. Heavy manes and heavy frills
on the underside of the neck and on the chest.
COLOR
There
are five predominant color patterns: Black and White; Black and Tan; Black, White and Tan; Sable and White, and Tan & White
. The Black and White has a well-defined black coat with white trim. White trim may include: a white neck ring, a blaze of
white on foreface and/or topskull, or both, as well as those areas defined below for tan trim. However, the white blaze should
not extend back so far as to meet the white neck ring.
The Black and Tan has a well defined black coat with tan trim, which
appears on the cheeks as "shepherd spots," over the eyes, as a broad chest bar, on the front legs as stockings up to just
above the knees, inside the hind legs, on the feet, or under the tail and inside the ears. A Black and Tan may white on the
chest. If any white appears in the trim areas, the dog is not a Black and Tan, but is defined as a Black, Tan and White (tri-color).
The
Black, Tan and White (tri-color) has a well defined black coat with some white replacing the tan trim. There must be, however,
tan "shepherd spots" over the eyes.
Tan includes colors from light gold to mahogany brown.
The Sable and White has a
well-defined, sable-colored coat with white trim.
Tan & White has a well defined tan coat, which can range from shades
from a Fawn to a Red, with white trim.
Permitted: white neck ring, white tip on tail, white chest; white on lower legs;
blaze on face
Disqualifications: Excessive white covering more than 1/3 of dog. Solid white coats. Whites with black or
sable spots. Blue merles. Solid red or red merle. Solid black coat. Albinism.
GAIT
The gait is smooth, without choppiness, indicating the ability to change direction instantaneously.
Moving ahead with effortless motion, without rolling.
Viewed from the front, the forefeet track close together, but do
not cross over.
Viewed from the rear, the hind legs are straight from the hocks to the ground, and move as to take the
weight under the center of gravity.
HEIGHT
Males - 19
to 23 inches, 20 to 21 inches preferred. Females - 18 to 22 inches, 19 to 20 inches preferred. The same height at the shoulders
as at the hips.
WEIGHT
Males, 45 to 60 pounds. Females,
40 to 50 pounds.
DEW CLAWS
Dewclaws are common. It is
recommended that they be removed a few days after birth as a preventative measure against injuries which may lead to infection.
DISQUALIFICATIONS
Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid. Extreme aggressiveness or
shyness. Excessive white covering more than 1/3 of dog. Solid white coats. Whites with black or sable spots. Blue merles.
Solid red or red merle. Solid black coat. Albinism.
SCALE OF POINTS
General Appearance & Characteristics 15
Head (skull, stop, muzzle, teeth, ears, eyes, nose 15
Neck, Body
& Chest 15
Hips, Forelegs, Hind Legs, Feet & Tail 20
Coat & Color 10
Gait 15
Height & Weight 10
Total 100
Copyright The United Kennel Club
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Stony Creek's Mulligan Murphy - Copyright Carol Ross
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