English Ancient Shepherd Dog, is one of the oldest shepherd dog breeds in England. In the ancient rural areas of western England, farmers raised this agile breed of cattle and sheep dogs to drive livestock to pastures.
The puppies of English Ancient Shepherd Dog are born with a panda-like black and white short coat, and the silver-gray long coat only appears after shedding. Ancient Shepherd Dogs without docked tails are usually docked when they are still puppies or cut at the first tail joint in countries where it is legally allowed. This surgery produces a tail similar to that of a panda. As more countries are starting to ban the practice of tail docking, undocked Ancient Shepherds are becoming more common. The Kennel Club in the UK does not encourage tail docking, but the American Kennel Club requires show dogs to have docked tails.
This breed is compact in structure, muscular, robust, square-shaped, and proportionate. It has a thick and dense gray-white coat and facial hair that covers the eyes. The coat is abundant but not excessive. It has a loud and distinctive bark with a special chest cavity sound.
English Ancient Shepherd Dogs are gentle, easygoing, and can care for children. They cannot tolerate high temperatures and should be protected from heatstroke. Due to their strong-willed nature, they require strict training. They are dogs that even behave obediently during punishment, and are good-natured, reliable, and trustworthy, showing no unnecessary neurotic or aggressive behavior.
The English Ancient Shepherd Dog has a history of about 200 years and is one of the oldest shepherd dog breeds in England. This dog breed was bred for the purpose of herding livestock and as pets, with ancestors including long-haired shepherd dogs and various European shepherd dogs.
In the 19th century, the English Ancient Shepherd Dog was widely used in agricultural areas. In 1873, it made its first public appearance at an exhibition in England.
In 1961, a British paint manufacturer used this ancient English shepherd dog to create a television advertisement, and since then its sales have greatly increased, while its aggressive nature sometimes also shows.
This dog is mainly found in England, but it has gradually developed into a pet dog and is found all over the world.
The English Ancient Shepherd Dog is very intelligent and understanding. It is hardworking, easy to train, and very sociable. It is eager to please its owner and is full of affection for humans, especially its owner and family. Although it may occasionally display some disliked mischievous behavior, overall it is an excellent companion dog and a good guard dog.
This dog is quite sensitive and requires human companionship. It has a large body size and weight, so it needs a certain amount of exercise every day. Its coat is also very thick, so it requires time for regular grooming, cleaning, and grooming. If you are a busy professional who does not have much time to spend with it, the gentle and sensitive English Ancient Shepherd Dog will feel very lonely. Therefore, it is suitable for families with children or the elderly, and the owners have enough time to take care of it.
Turf toe
Symptoms: The dog frequently licks the toes, the toes become red and moist, and severe cases may lead to lameness.
Preparation: Povidone-iodine, erythromycin ointment, Elizabethan collar
Instructions: Wear an Elizabethan collar, remove the hair on the feet, rinse with soapy water or wipe with povidone-iodine. After the inflamed area is dry, apply erythromycin ointment between the toes once a day, repeat for one week.
Ear mites
Symptoms: The dog scratches the ears, shakes the head, the ears have a strong sour odor, accompanied by increased tear stains, hair loss in the ears, dark brown secretions, and earwax.
Preparation: Ear cleaner, earwash solution
Instructions: Clean the hair inside the dog's ears, flush the ear canal with earwash solution or Vetiq ear cleaner, gently massage the base of the ears for 30 seconds, wait for the dog to shake out the earwash solution, use a cotton ball to wipe away the secretions, and gently clean the earlobe and ear canal.
Skin disease
Symptoms: The dog feels itchy, the skin becomes red and itchy, the dog scratches randomly, the fur becomes dull and rough, there is more dandruff, and even patches of hair loss.
Preparation: Diluted saltwater, topical ointment or spray, vitamin B.
Instructions: Put an Elizabethan collar on the dog to prevent scratching and licking. Trim the problem areas of the dog's skin and surrounding hair, then rinse with saltwater to kill bacteria. Apply ointment or use spray, and use antibiotics and vitamin B.
The English Ancient Shepherd Dog is very affectionate and it is best to keep it in a large cage when the owner is not at home, otherwise it will destroy things.
The gastrointestinal system of this shepherd dog is not very good. The main food is beef and mutton, mixed with grains such as potatoes, corn, oats, and wheat. The nutrients in these foods are more suitable for its digestion and glandular function.
In addition, it is necessary to supplement balanced proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, fats, vitamins, and minerals. The dog's demand for minerals is determined by the inherited genes of its ancestors in ancient living environments.
This dog is relatively large and active. It is best to take it for a walk or let it run in the yard in the morning and evening, about 30-40 minutes each time. However, people with less strength should not walk the dog, as they can hardly hold it. It likes to pounce on people, likes to hold your hand in its mouth, and likes to play with dogs smaller in size.
As a breed with special fur, the English Ancient Shepherd Dog has the highest degree of fur density among all dog breeds. Therefore, it is easy to become tangled and dirty, and the owner should pay attention to daily hair care.
1. Do not bathe frequently
When bathing a dog, it should not be done too frequently. It depends on the dog's hygiene situation. In hot weather, it can be bathed one or two more times, while in winter, it can be reduced by one or two times. But in general, it should not exceed 5 times. Otherwise, it will damage its fur and skin!
2. Brush regularly
Dogs shed almost every day, especially during spring and autumn. Regular brushing is an important step for good hair growth. Pet owners can use a special brush for pets to help the dog remove naturally shed hair and avoid tangling. Brushing once in the morning and evening for about five minutes is sufficient.
3. Sunbathe
Sunbathing is beneficial for the dog's hair growth. Besides making the fur more shiny, letting the dog sunbathe can also help kill bacteria. While sunbathing, pet owners can let the dog exercise a bit, which can help improve its physical fitness, promote blood circulation, and help grow healthier hair.
4. Deworming
Poor fur condition is closely related to parasites. Parasites absorb a large amount of nutrients from the dog's body, depriving them of nutrition. Therefore, deworming is essential. It is recommended to do both internal and external deworming. Moreover, deworming medication can cause significant harm to the dog's stomach, so it is advisable to feed them with probiotics regularly to alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Pay attention to diet
In order for the dog to have a beautiful coat, it must have a good nutritional foundation and pay attention to its daily diet. On one hand, feed the dog with nutritious and healthy dog food, choose a brand that suits the dog's nutritional needs; on the other hand, you can give the dog a moderate amount of lean meat, cooked egg yolks, and vegetable oil.
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