Supermodels of the canine world

Some dog breeds are so elegant they look as if they've been painted by one of the great masters.

- By Freya Parr

1 DALMATIAN

Its white coat marked with dark spots, this large, unmistakable dog is forever linked in many minds with Disney's 1961 film One Hundred and One Dalmatians. That animated blockbuster launched the breed onto the global stage – though the Dalmatian had long been popular in Britain, where it became a status symbol in the Regency period, trotting alongside carriages.

2 SIBERIAN HUSKY

Though captivating ice-blue eyes are common among Siberian huskies, they're sometimes brown, amber or even one of each. Members of this ancient breed are believed to have worked as sled dogs in northeast Asia, in what's now the Russian far east, for thousands of years. Its dense coat provides excellent insulation against the bitter cold of the Siberian winter.

3 SALUKI