English Shepherd

Characteristics

Health & Longevity

Average Life Span: 12-15 years
The English Shepherd is a healthy breed with only a few medical conditions known to the breed. It is vital that you work with a reputable breeder to ensure that you do not end up with a puppy that is severely sick and unhealthy.

Some of the medical conditions that you need to know about include elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, and collie eye anomaly.

Elbow and hip dysplasia occur when there is a deformation of either the elbow joint or hip joint. Both of these conditions are painful, and they can lead to arthritis that is crippling for your puppy. Typically, elbow and hip dysplasia will not appear until later on in your dog’s life. When this condition is present, you may notice that your pup has lameness in the corresponding limbs.

Progressive retinal atrophy is an eye disease that may affect your English Shepherd. This condition occurs when the retina in your pup’s eye begins to degenerate. This condition affects both of the eyes and will lead to complete blindness.

Collie eye anomaly or CEA is a congenital disease that will affect the sclera, retina, and choroid in the eye. This condition causes blindness in its severe case. Sometimes a mild case of the condition will not cause your pup to be totally blind.

The English Shepherd has a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years.

Temperament & Train-ability

The English Shepherd is considered to be a highly intelligent pup. Since he or she is so clever, it is only natural that your pup will try to become a leader and have power. This breed is independent by nature and will do his or her own thing, so you do not have to worry about him always at your heels.

This breed does make a wonderful watch dog and he or she will be reserved with strangers that enter or approach your home, so it is important to ensure you properly introduce your pup to new people. You will find that your English Shepherd does alert you when someone new is nearby.

When your pup does know someone, he or she is extremely kind to people and other animals as well. This breed does great with children and there are no aggression problems known. Of course, you do want to make sure you socialize your puppy early on to ensure that he or she is not timid around others and has the best, well-rounded attitude.

The English Shepherd loves to serve his or her human and this breed is often used as a therapy dog due to its polite nature and even temper. You will find that since this breed is smart, you will not have much trouble when it comes to training. In fact, your pup will perform well and listen to your commands. This breed likes to perform and does best with a solid routine that is in place.

One thing that you do need to note is that you cannot be a meek or timid owner. This breed needs a strong and confident owner who will take the reins and guide the pup.

Grooming

The English Shepherd has moderate grooming needs. You will need to brush your pup at least once per day to keep your puppy’s coat shiny and to remove any mats and tangles that may form.

This breed is known to shed a bit and if you want to minimize how much shed occurs, you want to brush your pup more often and for longer to remove the loose hairs.

This breed does have a versatile coat that is able to protect them and keep the clean throughout all of the seasons, which means that you do not have to bathe your pup on any schedule. You should only bathe your English Shepherd when he or she really needs it.

You should make sure that you clean your pup’s ears out at least once per week to remove any buildup of wax and debris. If you do not, you may find that your pup develops an ear infection.

In addition, you want to trim your pup’s nails at least once per month to ensure that they do not grow too long, as this can be painful for your puppy.

Diet

Your English Shepherd will consume anywhere between 2.5 cups and 3 cups of food per day. You want to make sure you choose a premium dry kibble for your new puppy. The kibble should be made from high quality ingredients that include vegetables, fruits, rice, and meats. You do want to make sure that the kibble offers the correct nutrition for your puppy to help him or her grow and survive.
 

Find An English Shepherd Breeder

English Shepherd Puppies For Sale

Adopt An English Shepherd

Cost

An English Shepherd puppy will cost you anywhere between $800 and $1,200 depending on the breeder and also the demand for the puppy. One thing to keep in mind is that the price of the puppy does not determine whether or not the puppy is healthy. It is important to work with a reputable breeder and always inspect the puppy before you take him or her home.

In addition to the cost of the puppy, you also need to factor in the cost of vaccines, vet checkups, food, and more

Paws ‘N’ Pups Ranking

Paws ‘N’ Pups ranks every breed out of 4 with 1 being easiest to integrate into your life and 4 being the toughest – The lower the ranking the better.

Ranking takes into account a few basic factors including cost, skill level needed, high vs low maintenance and how critical regular training is to success. The English Shepherd is amazing with kids and other animals, especially when socialized early on in life. You will find that this breed is quite energetic and does require exercise throughout the day. The English Shepherd is easy to train and is affectionate with those that he or she loves. This breed ranks a 2.

 

Old English Sheepdog

Australian Shepherd

Belgian Sheepdog

Belgian Malinois