Shepherd

Confident with a sense of purpose, the English Shepherd is a true all-purpose working breed. This well-balanced medium-size dog is built for speed and agility, and his supreme intelligence makes him relatively easy to train. The English Shepherd’s keen herding ability, coupled with agility, stamina and perseverance, positions him as an excellent herding dog. He also is valued for his tracking, hunting and treeing abilities, and has the intelligence, athleticism and easy trainability needed to excel at obedience and agility.

The Dutch Shepherd resembles the Belgian Shepherd Dog in coat type and physical characteristics, sans color. His original herding abilities still intact, the Dutch Shepherd is lively, energetic and active with plenty of stamina, reflected in his physical appearance: his body is medium-sized, powerful and well-muscled and is slightly longer than tall.

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The Hovawart is a large, strong and powerful working dog primarily used as a guardian of livestock and property. The breed is well known for its versatility and keen scent ability, positioning him as a suitable guard, watch, tracking and rescue dog, not to mention a devoted family companion. He is recognized for his powerful head, triangular drop ears, deep chest, heavy boning, and well-balanced body that’s longer than it is tall. His long, slightly wavy coat can be black, blond or black-and-gold.

Large, sturdy and strong, the Maremma Sheepdog has a majestic and rustic appearance and functions as a guard of livestock and property. Resembling a polar bear, the Maremma Sheepdog’s long, harsh white- or cream-colored coat helps him blend well with the sheep he’s guarding. He has a large, flat head, triangular ears, deep chest and low-set tail. The Maremma Sheepdog’s body is of heavy build, and is slightly longer than it is tall.

The Sarplaninac — pronounced Shar-pla-nee-natz — is an ancient breed substantially built to guard livestock in mountainous terrain. As such, the Sarplaninac looks bigger than he actually is due to the breed’s heavy boning and thick double coat with a body that’s slightly longer than it is tall. He bears exceptional strength, characterized by his large teeth and muscular build as a means to scare away potential predators.