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Dogs + Breed Characteristics

  • Boerboels are strong and fearless with guardian instincts, but they're also very playful and affectionate toward their owners.

  • While all breeds need exercise and mental stimulation, the highly intelligent, energetic Border Collie needs them more than most. He will never be satisfied with life as a couch potato.

  • Proudly scruffy and plain-Jane brown, the Border Terrier looks like a mutt, and he would not have it any other way. A working terrier with a hard, wiry coat and bristly muzzle, the Border Terrier does not have time for lots of showing off or aggressive terrier posturing. He is calm, cool, collected, and ready to go for a walk, chase the rabbits out of the garden, or just sit contentedly beside you.

  • Despite their beautiful presence, in their natural habitat, formerly Russia, Borzois were among the most skilled hunting dogs, masterful at tracking, sighting, and running down wolves. It is this legacy that makes them most suitable for country living.

  • This much-loved dog is one of the few purebreds created and established in the United States. Although he is all dog, this Bostonian tough guy is a sweet and affectionate companion animal. The main interest of a Boston Terrier is to be with you.

  • The Bouvier des Flandres was bred in Belgium to drive cattle, pull carts and protect the farm. When properly trained and socialized, the Bouvier makes a fine canine companion, but make no mistake - although technically a herding breed, the Bouvier has a strong personality and a guard-dog instinct.

  • Boxers show their indefatigable enthusiasm for life with their muscled, wiggly bodies and by wagging their little stub of tail. Always ready for play and affection, Boxers make good family dogs.

  • When governor Richard W. Riley signed into law the act making the Boykin Spaniel the state dog in South Carolina, he said it was because of the fierce dedication, stalwart loyalty, noble character, and eagerness for both hard work and lively play exemplified by this native breed.

  • A sheepdog from France? With his long shaggy locks, curiously perked ears and air of dignified aloofness, the Briard is indeed a French sheepdog with that je ne sais quois - not like his British or German sheepherding brothers, but entirely original.

  • These dogs are playful and happy to join their family in anything. Most are friendly and accepting of strangers. They're happy, waggy dogs who always greet their family with an invitation to play.