Coat color
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"Any shade of gray, grizzle, blue or blue merle with or without white markings or in reverse. Any shade of brown or fawn to be considered distinctly obejectionable and not to be encouraged."
Keep in mind that the above description is of a mature OES. From puppyhood to final maturity at 3-4 years of age, the coat goes through many changes. Below are examples of some of the different stages.
3 month old , 4 month old and 6 month old with black coat
8 month old, 10 month old and 13 month old showing the coat changes, which will cause the coat to have a rusty cast or frosty look and starting to thin a little in the 13 month old
These two pictures are the same bitch at 20 months and 4 years of age.
Markings
Below are 6 dogs with distinctly different marking which are all CORRECT. The Standard calls for an Old English Sheepdog to be:
"Any shade of gray, grizzle, blue or blue merle with or without white markings or in reverse. "
These 6 dogs range from super dark markings to very splashed, all are correct.
Most Old English Sheepdog puppies are born black and fade out as they get older. Some are "Born blues" which are dilutes. They are very evident at birth, being slate colored with a "frosted" appearance. These puppies have very mature looking coats very early on. Similarly to the blues in Bearded Collies, these puppies also have slate pigment and gray eyes. IF, you see gray eyes, check the nose pigment and it should be slate. This is NOT addressed in the Standard clearly. The nose says "black" but in the eyes section the reference to a "pearl eye" is a grey eye. There have been National Specialty winners that were Born blues and one of OESCA's Top Producers is a Born Blue. As a judge or breeder,you may never see one, but you should know what they look like so you are not confused.
The Top Producer Ch.Jendowers Spencer was given RWD, while in the classes because he had a "light eye" according to the judge, who later learned that his eye color matched his coat color! His litter sister Ch.Jendowers Cloud Nine was BOS at the 1975 OESCA National Specialty under breeder-judge Hugh Jordan. At the same Specialty, WD was also a born blue Ch.Bahlambs Blue Billie Boy under Romona Van Court. At the 1990 OESCA National Specialty the Best of Breed winner was another Born blue Ch. Bahlambs Broadway Billboard under breeder-judge Mona Berkowitz.
On the left is a Born blue puppy next to his Born black littermates. On the right is a Born blue puppy being shown next to a Born black puppy and below is a Born blue adult champion.
