Rehoming Your Old English Sheepdog

This following list of questions has been compiled by
both rescues and individuals who care about this breed...

Veterinarian Information

Veterinarian's Name __________________________________________________________________________________
Veterinarian's Address ________________________________________________________________________________
Veterinarian's Telephone Number: _______________________________________________________________________
Contact the adopter's current or previous vet to ensure pets have been properly cared for.  The vet will probably require permission from a potential adopter to release this information. 

Will you keep this dog on heartworm preventative?    Yes    No   
If tick borne diseases are a problem in your area, will you keep this dog on a monthly tick preventative?    Yes    No
Note that heartworms and tick diseases pose serious or life threatening health problems for dogs.

If the dog is unaltered-
Do you agree to have this dog spayed or neutered?    Yes    No
By what date must this be done? ________________________________________________________________________

Your Home and Fence

Type of dwelling you live in:   House    Condo    Apartment 
Verify a landlord will allow a large dog in the home if the adopter is renting their home or apartment.

Is your yard fenced?    Yes    No

What type of fence secures your yard?:    Chain    Link    Wooden    Invisible

Describe your yard's fenced area.  Include fence height and the size of the fenced area.
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Is the fenced area in your yard attached* to your house?    Yes    No
* If you step outside your door, are you inside the securely fenced play area or do you need to cross an unsecured area in order to reach the fenced play area?

1. Will you always keep this dog on a leash and have control of the dog when not in a secure, fenced area?     Yes    No

2. Will you agree to NOT stake this dog outside except if you are outdoors with the dog and supervising it?     Yes    No

3. Will you agree NOT to use an electric shock collar on this dog for training or discipline purposes?    Yes    No

4. Will you enroll in humane dog training classes to help with training AND to develop a bond with this dog?    Yes    No

Consider a home visit to verify living conditions.  Properly rehoming this pet is your final responsibility to him/her... help ensure this dog will have a good life and not one of neglect or abuse.

Current/Previous Dogs And Pets

Why do you want an Old English Sheepdog? _______________________________________________________________
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What current and previous dog breeds have you owned? _____________________________________________________
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List all pets currently owned or on the property including gender (spayed/neutered), age, breed or type of pet.
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Note that some dogs have a high prey drive meaning they will chase and sometimes kill small animals.  If your dog has high prey drive, he or she may not be appropriate for a family that currently has cats, rabbits, etc.

Are all pets currently in the home both healthy and dog friendly?    Yes    No
If no, please explain___________________________________________________________________________________
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What happened to your last pet? ________________________________________________________________________

How long did you have this pet? _________________________________________________________________________

Have you ever had to give up a pet before?    Yes    No     Why?________________________________________________

About Your Family
Not all Old English Sheepdogs have been properly socialized with children and not all children have been properly taught to respect and interact with dogs.  The Old English Sheepdog in often an exuberant breed with inherent herding and nipping behaviors because of the job they were bred to do.  Children move differently than adults... jumping, climbing, running, fast paced movements, loud, higher pitched voices... and can over stimulate an OES and bring about rough and sometimes aggressive behaviors making them unsuitable for families with young children.  Because of this and the physical size of this breed, rescues often will not place an OES in a home with children under the age of 10.  If in doubt, consider a new home with adults only.

What are the ages of ALL children under the age of 18 that live with you either full or part time- ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you currently don't have children, do you plan to have young children in your home?     Yes    No
(Daycare, grandchildren, any other visiting children.)  _______________________________________________________
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Are there any elderly or frail people living in your home?    Yes    No

Does anyone in your home have allergies? ________________________________________________________________
 
A Dog In Your Home

Will this dog be allowed ON the furniture?    Yes    No

Will this dog be allowed to sleep ON your bed?    Yes    No

Is someone home during the day?    Yes    No

Where will this dog be kept during the day? _______________________________________________________________

How many hours will this dog spend alone each day? _______________________________________________________

Where will this dog stay when you are away?    In the house    In the garage     Outdoors     OTHER__________

Where will this dog be kept at night? ____________________________________________________________________

Grooming Your Old English Sheepdog
Old English Sheepdogs require frequent and special grooming to prevent painful mats and to help keep their skin healthy. How will you address the grooming requirements of this Old English Sheepdog?

Professional Grooming Services*
Home Grooming: Experienced with brushing/clipping
Home Grooming: Inexperienced but will buy tools and learn to groom

*Professional groomer's name and phone number: __________________________________________________________
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A professional groomer can often provide insight as to how well a dog has been cared for in the past.

Do you have an appropriate size indoor crate/kennel for this dog?     Yes    No
If not, are you willing to purchase one if needed?    Yes    No

What will you do with this dog if you can no longer keep him/her?
Return to you.   Give to a friend or family member.   Put an ad online or in the newspaper  
Sell him/her.   Turn in to a shelter or pound.     Surrender to an OES rescue. 
Other________________________________________________________________
 

This list of questions is only a starting point.  Add any other questions you feel might be important...
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Consider having a signed adoption or purchase agreement with the new family.