The German Shepherd Dog is well proportioned and very strong with a sturdy, muscular, slightly elongated body with a light, solid bone structure.

The dark eyes are almond-shaped, and never protruding. The ears are wide at the base, pointed, upright, and turned forward. The ears of puppies under six months may droop slightly. The bushy tail reaches almost to its hocks and hangs down when the dog is at rest. The front legs and shoulders are muscular and the thighs are thick and sturdy. The round feet have very hard soles.

The coat most often comes in black with tan, sable or all black, but also can come in blue, liver and white.

Often used as working dogs, German Shepherds are courageous, keen, alert, fearless, cheerful, obedient and eager to learn.

This breed needs owners who are firm, confident and consistent.  

The Golden Retriever is a sturdy, medium-large sized dog.

The head is broad and the muzzle is straight, tapering slightly with a well defined stop. The nose is black or a brownish black.  The eyes are dark brown. The short ears hang down close to the cheeks. The tail is thick at the base with feathering along the underside.

Coat colour comes in cream to a rich golden.

These are lovable, well-mannered, intelligent dogs with a great charm. They are simple to train and always patient and gentle with children, which makes them a popular family dog. Full of energy, Golden Retrievers enjoy pleasing their masters, making training rewarding to both parties. The Golden Retriever has very little, if any, guarding instincts. While they rarely attack, Golden Retrievers make good watchdogs, barking loudly at a stranger's approach.

The Border Collie is a medium sized, energetic working dog.

The body is slightly longer than it's height.  The flattish skull and muzzle are about the same length, with a moderate stop. The eyes are oval, set well apart and brown in colour. The medium sized ears are set well apart, either carried erect or semi erect.

The coat colours come in black and white, tri-colour, red & white, black & gray, yellow, yellow & white, sable, and all black. The hair on the face, ears and front legs is always short and sleek. Since Border Collies are bred for working ability and intelligence rather than for physical beauty, conformation varies widely.

The Border Collie is very intelligent and aware of their surroundings. They are able to be trained to a high degree. They are hardworking dogs and thrive on praise.

To be truly happy, they need a lot of consistent leadership, extensive daily exercise, and a job to occupy their minds.  They are not ideal pets for people who have no plans to spend a lot of time with them. These dogs are too intelligent to lie around the house all day with nothing to do. 

The Bearded Collie is a medium-sized, strong working dog. Their bodies are long and lean and their heads are large, broad and flat with a moderate stop. Their muzzles are relatively short, strong and full tipped with a black nose that is large and square.

The medium-sized ears hang close to the head and are covered with long hair. Their eyes are wide set and consistent with the colour of their coats. Their tails are carried low unless the dog is excited.

They have a shaggy, waterproof, double-coat, which hangs over the entire body including the chin (hence the nickname "Beardie"). Beardie pups are born black, blue, brown or fawn, with or without white markings and often lighten, first fading to a light gray or cream as the dog matures. Their coat colour will change several times before it reaches the adult color. The final coat color is somewhere between the puppy coat and the color the coat is when the dog is about a year old.

The Beardie has a cheerful, happy-go-lucky, demeanour. They are affectionate, playful and lively, and make a perfect companion for children. However, they require a lot of excercise and stimulation.  Without this they can be quite destructive.

An owner who displays authority  and is calm, but firm, confident and consistent will get the best from this dog. The Beardie is a noisy barker, but not  a watch dog.