English Shepherds are thought to descend from the dogs brought to the British Isles by Julius Ceaser when he invaded over 2000 years ago. Over the centuries these Roman dogs were crossed by the inhabitants with their native dogs and then selected for those same qualities that are so valued and so rare today:Loyaty, Guardian Instinct, Bidability, Herding and Hunting/Tracking/Retrieving ability.

After centuries of selection, these dogs were brought to America by the settlers. Again Like was long bred to Like and selection continued resulting in all of the stories and legends about "OLD SHEP" that we still hear today.

With the demise of the small family farm after WWII "OLD SHEP" lost popularity. People wanted speciality dogs. Dogs bred for a single purpose or even worse, bred for a certain specified appearance that would win ribbons in dog shows.

This philosphy of breeding has always resulted in the loss of valuable qualities. Qualities such as temperment, intelligence, soundness, and bidability. The best you can hope for is a good one dimensional dog.

Many people have sought to preserve "OLD SHEP". Some of them are listed below. We at Bloodstock Genetics are grateful to all of these dedicated people who have loved "OLD SHEP" as much as we do and have contributed so much to the preservation of the breed.

We have traveled all over the US searching out the best of these bloodlines. Our breeding decisions stress retaining Soundness, Intelligence, Loyalty, Bidability, Guardian Instinct, and Herding Ability while attempting to Increase Size.