Bobtail Breed Origins and Caracteristics
The bobtail or an old English shepherd dog is one of the most ancient breeds of sheepdogs. Its origins are not known precisely. According to numerous experts, the Ovtcharka from the south of Russia should be considered among its ancestors as well as the Brie shepherd. The bobtail is a medium-height dog, but due to its abundant long hair it looks sturdy. It is generally born without a tail and when it is indeed born with one, it is cut short. Its barking is characteristic and its sound is hollow and ripped. Its temperament is quiet, vigilant without being a coward. It is intelligent and it likes children.
The Russian Ovtcharka, which has contributed to the bobtail birth, is nowadays disseminated in Crimea and the south of Ukraine, but its origin must be found in Spain, in the province of Asturias. From here these dogs departed accompanying merino herds that were imported by Russia. They cross-bred with the Tartar dogs and thus the Russian Ovtcharka was born. It is a docile and confident shepherd that was recognized as an autonomous breed in 1952 by the FCI.
The Cumberland can be easily confused with a bobtail but this one is bigger and, its hair is denser and it has a long and disheveled.
Bobtail. Size: male 55 cm, female 51 cm. Weight: 25-30 kg. Colors: all the nuisances of gray, straw-color, bluish gray (1), blackbird with or without patches.
Russian Ovtcharka. Size: 62-65 cm. Weight: 35-40 kg. The male has to be clearly differentiated from the female. Color: white (2), white with a small yellow patch, ash gray with small or big patches, with an internal layer of gray hair that gives the fur a bluish aspect.
Cumberland. Size: taller than 60 cm. Weight: 35-40 kg. Colors: black with a white star on the forehead, a white patch on the chest, white feet and white hair on the tip of the tail.
The long and dense hair of all the aforementioned breeds tends to get tangled, especially behind the ears and the neck on the rear legs and the anal region. These dogs have to be groomed frequently at least once a day.
