Old English Sheepdogs face extinction?

[pkcrossley]

https://www.rawstory.com/the-old-english-sheepdog-breed-faces-extinction-in-britain/

[Sam I Am]

Oh I hope not. They are lovely dogs. The bad thing is that the gene pool gets smaller and smaller which can lead to a health crisis  in future puppies. It happened to the Scottish Terrier .

[Kathryn]

Yes, they are lovely dogs.  Had a friend with two, and they were the most even-tempered things...but she did spend a half hour every day brushing them.  They were quite active though, and loved to go on long walks through the woods near her house -- where they picked up leaves and twigs in their coats, and sometimes burrs and what-have-you. Have not seen one around here for a very long time.

 

[Hillscreek]

I've always wondered about that coat. Such big dogs such a huge amount of coat. Originally they were 'drovers' dogs used more for keeping the sheep in order on the long walks to market more than herding locally like collies. Their build and coat are perfect for that in damp cool UK. But the coat would not do the job fluffed out and combed like the show dogs who were back combed and fluffed as early as 1907. What happened with the working dog I wonder.