<P> The Old English Sheepdog is a large dog, immediately recognizable by its long, thick, shaggy grey and white coat, with fur covering their face and eyes . The ears lie flat to the head . Historically, the breed's tail was commonly docked (resulting in a panda bear - like rear end), but tailed Old English sheepdogs are now common, as many countries have outlawed cosmetic docking . When the dog has a tail, it has long fur (feathering), is low set, and normally hangs down . The Old English Sheepdog stands lower at the shoulder than at the loin, and walks with a "bear - like roll from the rear". </P> <P> Height at the withers is at least 61 cm (24 in), with females slightly smaller than males . The body is short and compact, and ideal weights are not specified in the breed standards, but may be as much as 46 kg (101 lb) for large males . </P> <P> Colour of the double coat may be any shade of grey, grizzle, black, blue, or blue merle, with optional white markings . The undercoat is water resistant . Puppies are born with a black and white coat, and it is only after the puppy coat has been shed that the more common grey or silver shaggy hair appears . Old English Sheepdogs only shed when they are brushed . </P> <P> Undocked Old English Sheepdogs are becoming a more common sight as many countries have now banned docking . The Kennel Club (UK) and The Australian National Kennel Council breed standards do not express a preference for (legally) docked or un-docked animals, and either can be shown . The American Kennel Club breed standard states that the tail should be "docked close to the body, when not naturally bob tailed", even though the practice of cosmetic docking is currently opposed by the American Veterinary Medical Association . It is believed that the practice of tail docking came about in the 18th century as a result of taxation laws that required working dogs to be docked as evidence of their working status, but nowadays, in places where the practice is still legal, tail docking is mainly performed for purely cosmetic reasons . </P>

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