Old English Sheepdog vs Polish Lowland Sheepdog

An Old English Sheepdog
Photo: AKS.9955
A Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Photo: Beltapar

Side by side

Old English Sheepdog
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Adult weight
27–45 kg (60–100 lb) (breed club figure)1
14–23 kg (30–50 lb) (estimated: the AKC breed page's 30-50 lb, one range for both sexes)
Height
No sourced figure
Males 45–50 cm; females 42–47 cm2
Lifespan
Median 12.1 years3
No sourced figure
Fully grown
12 months, both sexes4
11 months, both sexes4
Group
Sheepdogs & cattledogs5
Sheepdogs & cattledogs2
Coat
Double coat5
Double coat2
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
A brush once a week
Exercise
Plenty
Health
Bone cancer (much more likely); Lymph node cancer (more likely)6,7
No sourced figure
Class
Family
Companion

Which suits you

Size
The Old English Sheepdog is much larger: about 36 kg (80 lb) as an adult, against 18 kg (40 lb) for the Polish Lowland Sheepdog.
Temperament
They differ most on affection (Old English Sheepdog: a lap or leaning dog; Polish Lowland Sheepdog: affectionate on its own terms) and on independence (Old English Sheepdog: cooperative, with its own ideas; Polish Lowland Sheepdog: decides for itself).
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

Old English Sheepdog
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Large

The breed is steady, good-natured and playful, with a clownish streak, and some try to herd the people around them. In Britain it became widely familiar through decades of paint advertising.

Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Medium

In temperament it is alert, self-assured and quick to learn, with a watchful reserve towards strangers that makes it a capable watchdog for house and yard.

The Old English Sheepdog page →The Polish Lowland Sheepdog page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Old English Sheepdog
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Activity
A good daily walk and play
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Differs
Learns readily, likes games
Needs daily brain work
Handler demand
Differs
Needs steady training
Needs an experienced owner
With people
Old English Sheepdog
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Affection
Differs
A lap or leaning dog
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Differs
Bonded to its family
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Differs
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Decides for itself
Around the home
Old English Sheepdog
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Sensitivity
Differs
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Average
Voice
Differs
Very vocal
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Differs
Usually fine with small pets
Chases; needs managing
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour8. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home9,10.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Old English Sheepdog grows to the heavier adult, about 36 kg against the Polish Lowland Sheepdog's 18 kg. The Polish Lowland Sheepdog's weight is not a published figure.
Old English Sheepdog
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
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More comparisons

Compare the Old English Sheepdog with
Bearded Collie vs Old English SheepdogBearded Collie vs Polish Lowland SheepdogAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·