grooming an Old English Sheepdog

Question
I would like to keep the body of our Old English clipped down. We live on 10 acres with lots of stickers.  What size oster blade works best?

Answer
Hi Mary-
Sounds like you prefer to do this yourself. Do you have a good clipper and do you know how to use it?
Old English have very sensitive skin so you need to leave enough hair for protection against the elements- including those stickers. I like a #3 ( maybe a 4) skip tooth for just that reason. Leaves about 3/4 inch of hair. Resist anything shorter. The deal is tho that you have to clip every 4-6 weeks to keep it manageable. A #3 won't cut through matts and knots. Unless you keep your dog brushed out EVEN THOUGH HE HAS SHORT HAIR - he can get matted up running around the wonderland of your 10 acres. Use a large steel comb to go through his coat at least once a week. It will take out the burrs as well.
Good luck