Dogs

The German Shepherd Dog is also known as the Alsatian. It is handsome, well proportioned and very strong. It has a sturdy, muscular, slightly elongated body with a light but solid bone structure. Its bushy tail reaches almost to its hocks and hangs down when the dog is at rest. Its front legs and shoulders are muscular; its thighs thick and sturdy. It has round feet with very hard soles.

Alsatian head.

Two Alsatians sitting.

Basset Hound dog. The Basset (sometimes spelt Bassett) has a large, well proportioned head, sad, droopy eyes and long, low-set ears with loose skin and under the chin (known as dewlap). A muscular neck and shoulders arch above a powerful chest, and the stubby legs end with huge paws.

Basset Hound dog watched by sitting Labrador

These dogs arrived in the UK in 1989 from France, where they are one of the most popular breeds. They were originally breed to hunt, but have been known to be so enthusiastic that once on the scent they ignor their owners' calls. These dogs have a sence of humour and are considered a happy outgoing sort. They are very independent but always happy to please.

Images seen here show the large and small profiles.

The Beagle is a small to medium-sized dog. A member of the hound group with a keen sense of smell for tracking hares, rabbits and game, and as such often used as detection dog. They are popular as pets because of their size, even temper, and lack of inherited health problems,  which also make them the dog of choice for animal testing.  Beagle-type dogs have existed for over 2,000 years, although the modern breed was developed in Britain around the 1830s from several breeds. Snoopy is probably "the world's most famous beagle".

Belgian Shepherd dog. Developed in Belgium for guarding and herding of sheep. They were formally recognized as the Belgian Shepherd Dog in 1891. Present in the gene pool of these dogs there were dogs with long coats, short coats, rough or wired coats and a variance of colors, giving four varieties in all. The Groenendalel (known simple as the Belgium Sheepdog), with a solid long black coat, the Laekenois, a rough or wire-coat in fawn, red or brown, the Malinois, a short coated in fawn, red or brown and the Tervueren, a long coated fawn or dark red dog.

Border Collie in standing position. The Border Collie was born in the British Isles and grew to maturity in the border country of England and Scotland. There are several theories surrounding the derivation of the "Collie" portion of his name, but no doubt as to his purpose in life. Some historians claim that "colley" derives from a Gaelic word meaning something useful, some say it comes from "coalie," a word meaning black, and a third source trace the meaning from the name of a breed of Scottish sheep. But few would disagree that the Border Collie is the finest sheepherding dog, a marvelous competition dog, and a suitable if somewhat hyperactive pet for lively households. The British Isles are home to about three dozen breeds of sheep. These animals had to be brought in from the fields periodically for shearing or driving to market or moved from one field to another as the seasons changed. Several breeds -- Smooth and Rough-coated Collies, Bearded Collies, Old English Sheepdogs, Pembroke and Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Shetland Sheepdogs -- developed to do these tasks, but none is as fanatically dedicated as the Border.

Border Collie (sheep dog) ready for work.