The Portuguese Water Dog is a relatively rare breed, and has gained recent fame by being the chosen dog of United States President Barack Obama. The Boston Terrier is nicknamed "The American Gentleman," and is considered a highly intelligent and easily trained breed.

Silky Terriers enjoy brisk walks and playing ball, and it's important to keep them busy to avoid boredom. An extremely loving and friendly pet, the Wheaton Terrier is a cool weather dog, and can easily become overheated in hot weather.

Toy Fox Terriers can learn to respond to a large number of words, and are sometimes seen in circus shows with their clown partners. With soft coats and strong wills, the Bedlington Terrier is often described as having the look of a lamb but the heart of a lion.

The Siberian Husky is one of the oldest breeds of dog, and are bred to withstand long work days on little amounts of food. They can carry two people and travel 40 miles a day. The Lhasa Apso is a long-lived breed, with many living in good health into their early 20's.

The breed Belgian Malinois (also known as the Belgian Shepherd Dog) is popular for K9 in all forms of service, such as explosives detection, tracking, and search and rescue. Also called the Russian wolfhound, the sleek and speedy Borzoi's name comes from an archaic Russian adjective meaning "fast."

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is very intelligent, and is considered an excellent working dog. Queen Elizabeth II owns sixteen of these dogs. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is one of the oldest herding breeds, and are extremely loyal family dogs.

Truly a beauty, the Keeshond has a plush two-layer coat of silver and black, with a "ruff" and a curled tail. The Dogue de Bordeaux is one of the most ancient French breeds, and is a very powerful dog with a harmonious temperament.

Known as the "Viking dog," the Swedish Vallhund loves human attention and is very devoted to their owners. The feisty Pekingese breed is over 2000 years old and has hardly changed in all that time.

The Newfoundland is known for its giant size, enormous strength, calm demeanor, and intense loyalty. The Rottweiler is a true working dog, often employed as search and rescue dogs, guide dogs for the blind, and police dogs.

The Spinone Italiano is a loyal, friendly, and alert dog traditionally used for hunting, pointing, and retrieving game. The Bernese Mountain Dog is an outdoor dog at heart, and can move with amazing bursts of speed for their size.

Samoyeds are wonderful companions, especially for small children, as they remain playful into old age. The Irish Wolfhound is described by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as a dog of "great size and commanding appearance" and is a very old breed, perhaps having been brought to Ireland as early as 7000 BC.

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are known for their love of water and their ability to hunt. They are courageous, intelligent, and have a happy disposition. The courage of the Black and Tan Coonhound is legendary, and they have been used to hunt deer, bear, and cougar.

The Leonberger is a giant dog breed yet an elegant breed, too, with a robust and playful personality. A very independent breed, the Shar Pei is a unique and intelligent dog most often recognized for its wrinkles.

The Canaan dog may have existed in the eastern Mediterranean seaboard for millennia, as referenced in ancient carvings and drawings. Schipperkes are naturally curious and high energy dogs that are also very smart and independent.

The Welsh Springer Spaniel is a compact, solidly built dog, bred for hard work and endurance. "Papillon" is from the French word for "butterfly," referring to its characteristic butterfly-like looking fringed hair on the ears. The Papillon is an intelligent dog that has a very easy time learning new tricks.

The Scottish Deerhound is an ancient breed in existence since before recorded history. They are gentle and extremely friendly dogs. Alert, interested, and confident, Gordon Setters were bred to run, and require 60 to 80 minutes of vigorous exercise a day.

The oldest records referring to Saint Bernards are from monks at a hospice in the Great St. Bernard Pass in 1707, with paintings and drawings of the dog dating even earlier. Quiet and gentle dogs, Whippets are loyal and friendly and sometimes used in aged care facilities.

The Great Pyrenees is a very old dog that has been used by shepherds for hundreds of years. They are known to be especially gentle with children. The Bloodhound is famed as being able to track human odors that are several days old, over great distances, even across water. It is used by police all over the world to track escaped prisoners and missing people.