GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 51-61cm (20”-24”).
Colour: Sable/white, tricolour or blue merle.
Coat: Rough variety - harsh straight outercoat with a soft furry under coat.
Short hair on the head, ears and lower legs, and an abundant mane on the neck and feathering on the rear of hindquarters.
Smooth variety - short harsh outercoat.
Gait: Fore and hindlegs move out soundly with elbows, hocks and feet turning neither in nor out.
These herding dogs combine beauty of structure with working abilities.
The barely perceptible stop is set midway inthe long wedge shaped head and the semi erect ears are placed high on the skull. The beautiful obliquely set almond shaped eyes are normally dark, but in the case of blue merles, one, both or part of the eye may be china blue or blue flecked. The neck runs into a slightly long body with a deep chest. Fore pasterns must be springy and the hindquarters well angulated. The long plumed tail may be raised in action or when excited.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
Collies are excellent guard dogs having been originally bred to herd and guard sheep - instincts they have never lost. They best respond to firm kind training and discipline, but may become stubborn if subjected to harsh treatment. In domestic situations, they are gentle and friendly with no trace of aggression and make excellent companions for people of all ages.
Minimal trimming is needed, but in the Rough variety regular grooming with a pin brush that reaches through to the undercoat is necessary.
HISTORY
Herding is one of the earliest occupations for dogs. Thus, it is not surprising that the Collie’s ancestry goes back some 2,000 years to the days of the Romans. In northern Scotland where sheep raising was an important industry during the 16th and 17th centuries, the farmers developed the distinctive type of sheep herder that we know as the Collie. Generally it was the Rough coated Collie that was used for working with sheep. 

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 63.5-68.5cm (25”-27”)
Colour: Black or liver. 
Coat: A mass of small crisp curls. Smooth hair on head, pasterns and feet.
Gait: Fore and hindlegs propel well out.
These upstanding dogs are eye catching with their distinctive coats. The large dark eyes are set midway in a strong well proportioned smooth coated head. In contrast to the head, the pendant ears are covered with small tight curls. Among the tallest in the gundog group, in order that these dogs reach the ground easily, means the neck must be proportionately longer than the shorter legged retrievers. A strong body, deep chest for adequate heart and lung room, strong well angulated fore and hindquarters are required. The tapering tail is carried out when the dog is moving.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
These retrievers with their weatherproof coats, excel in working on land or in water. The jaws must be wide so the dog can balance the game between its jaws without crushing the prey and marking the skin - this is known as a ‘soft’ mouth. It is surprising  this breed is not more popular, as besides being most intelligent and lovable, they reputedly have an impish sense of humour. Although amenable to training, Curly Coated Retrievers have the ability to think on their own and use their own initiative. Their naturally oily coat requires little care and like a duck, easily shakes off water. No trimming is required, and only periodic brushing is needed to remove dead hair during seasonal shedding.
HISTORY
This breed is believed to be one of the oldest of the retrieving breeds. Originally evolved for the job of retrieving ducks from English marshlands, it is presumed Curly Coated Retrievers are the result of crosses during the 16th century between an English water spaniel, the liver coloured Irish Water Spaniel, a retrieving setter and the Poodle. Due to their affinity with water, some believe that later, the smaller St. ]ohn’s Newfoundland also may have played a part in the evolvement of the breed. 

GENERAL APPEARANCE
The desirable weight for the Dachshund is 9-12 kgs.
The desirable weight for the Dachshund Miniature is 4.5-5 kgs.
In profile, the Dachshund is a long, low dog with a level topline.
The head is to be long and appear conicle when viewed from above, from the side it is to taper uniformly to the tip of the nose.
The body should be moderatley long and full muscled. Sloping shoulders and back reasonably level. 
In Australia all colours are permissable except for white (barring a small patch on the chest). The dapple colour should be evenly marked throughout. Other colours include Black and Tan, Red, Shaded Red, Cream, Shaded Cream. Chocolate, and some other variations.
The Dachshund's gait should be free and flowing.
The Smooth Haired coat should be dense, short and smooth. The skin should be loose and supple but well fitting all over. There should be little or no wrinkles.
The Long Haired coat should be soft and straight (or only slightly waived). The hair should be its longest under the neck, on the underparts of the body and behind the legs where it forms abundant feathering, on the tail where it forms a flag. The outside of the ears well feathered, the coat flat.
The body of the Wire Haired Dachshund with exception of the jaw, eyebrows, chin and ears. should be covered with short, straight, harsh coat with dense undercoat. There should be a beard on the chin, eyebrows bushy, but hair on the ears almost smooth.
CHARACTER
The Dachshund is required to have intelligence, strength, endurance and versatility, a long body with relatively short legs and three different coat types, all of which combine to enable it to fulfil its purpose.
The intelligence, obedience and size of these dogs make them ideal companions in the city or the country. They are full of character and are quick to defend themselves and thus make excellent watchdogs. Although eager to please, there are times when their independence makes them stubborn. They are popular pets having no doggy odour and are easy to keep clean - naturally the Long and Wire Coated Varieties take a little more grooming. 
HISTORY
Originating in Germany, the Dachshund (Teckel) was bred to hunt small game. predominantly badger, that goes to ground.  The dog was required to scent, track and pursue game into burrows. The Dachshund was required to move over all types of terrain, including dense undergrowth and water.
They take their name from the German word ‘dachs’ meaning badger. Being short legged makes them ideal for going into burrows. The shortened legs are believed to have been brought about by a mutation of genes. The Miniature Dachshund is the Standard variety bred down for rabbit burrows.The Wirehaired variety arose from an infusion of Dandie Dinmont lines and the Longhaired variety through crosses with German Stoberhunds. 

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 56-61cm (22”-24”).
Colour: Black spotted or liver spotted. Spots not large but well defined.
Coat: Short, hard, dense and glossy.
Gait: Smoothly co-ordinated with strong fore reach and hind propulsion.
These clean cut elegant dogs should be muscular, active and free of coarseness. Their sparkling round eyes are set midway in well proportioned heads with the spotted ears hanging to the side. The elegant fairly long neck is free of loose skin and runs into a strong body with a deep chest. The strong legs are muscular with a good turn of stifle and finish with round catlike feet.
The tail should reach approximately to the hock and when moving, should be carried horizontally.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
All Dalmatian puppies are born white, but by 2-3 weeks their spots start making an appearance. As a breed, they are outgoing and friendly with an affinity to horses - in the past they used to be seen following the horses under coaches and fire engines. Free from nervousness and aggression and liking to please, Dalmatians make excellent pets and are great companions to take jogging or for a walk in the park. While they do have a tendency to shed coat, regular brushing will remove the dead hair and control the situation. Apart from that their coat is quite trouble free.
HISTORY 
Although this breed received their official name from coastal Dalmatia by the Adriatic Sea, ancient friezes discovered in the Middle East, depict spotted dogs of the Dalmatian type from as early as 1250 BC. It is believed the breed made its way to Europe with the Romany gypsies during the 14th century and arrived in Britain a century later. 

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: Approx. 20-28cm 
Colour: Pepper - dark bluish black to light silver grey. Mustard - reddish brown to pale fawn.
Coat: Outer coat to be hard but not wiry with a soft linty undercoat.
Gait: Free moving with fore and hindlegs moving straight and with strong hind propulsion.
Quite unlike any other terrier, in profile the Dandie gives the impression of a series of curves on short legs. The domed square skull is covered with a soft profuse topknot with round widely set eyes and a shorter muzzle. The lowset hanging ears are well fringed with darker feathering. The chest comes down below the elbows and the well padded feet point forward or may turn slightly out. The flexible body has a topline that curves gracefully up over the rump and then down to a lowset, low carried, feathered tail. The well angulated hindlegs are set rather wide apart.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
The Dandie is more sedate than many of the terrier breeds, but at the same time is still a good ratter. They make good house pets and companions.
These fun loving terriers are both responsive and affectionate, but have the terrier streak of independence. However, for the conscientious gardener, the Dandie’s love of digging might not be welcomed. The coat is made up of hard and soft hairs, creating the typical ‘crisp’ feel to the touch. The coat requires stripping a couple of times a year. For those not interested in showing, then clipping back to 5cm (2”) will suffice.
HISTORY
While the evolution of this breed is shrouded in mystery, it is believed they are the result of small rough coated terriers being crossed with Otter Hounds. By 1700, a distinctive type of terrier was to be found in the Cheviot Hills on the English/Scottish border, but it was not until 1814 that they rose to famewith the publication of Sir Walter Scott’s novel Guy Mannering. In this book a character named Dandie Dinmont owned 6 of these charming little dogs. Thus it is from a fictitious person that the breed takes its name.