<p>According to <a href="http://medievaldogs.wikispaces.com/Medieval+Dog+Breeds" rel="nofollow">http://medievaldogs.wikispaces.com/Medieval+Dog+Breeds</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>While many of today's dog breeds can be traced back to the Middle Ages (and some even older), breeds as we know them today, carefully defined by physical appearance, did not exist in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Instead, dogs were classified by function.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Based on this, it is possible that Enek does not belong to a definite dog breed at all and instead belongs to a breed from which today's breeds are derived. In the books, he is only ever referred to as a sheepdog, and this is consistent with medieval people classifying dogs by function.</p>

<p>As mentioned in the question, Enek shares some traits that could associate him with Border Collies. His fluffy tail, erect ears, fur thickness and coloring, and leg length are consistent with the Border Collie breed. Enek displays a high level of intelligence in volume 13 (though this could just be attributed to personification), and according to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Collie" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Collie</a>,  the Border Collie "is widely considered to be the most intelligent dog breed". </p>

<p>On the other hand, Enek's physical characteristics could also belong to a Dutch Shepherd. All the physical traits still match. The problem is that Enek is a cartoon and thus his traits are too indistinct to make a definite match.</p>

<p>In conclusion, there isn't enough information available to definitively determine Enek's breed. He could be an ancestor of the Dutch Shepherd, Border Collie, or some other herding dog.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-08T01:40:52.170Z
2016-03-11T23:03:41.150Z
2016-03-11T23:03:41.150Z
Shaymin Gratitude
<p>What breed is Norah's sheepdog, Enek? I was looking at sheepdog breeds at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep_dog" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep_dog</a> and thought he sort of looks like a Border Collie, but I'm not sure. </p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/1WYy0l.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/1WYy0l.jpg" alt="Nora with Enek"></a></p>

<p>Edit: After reviewing Enek's first appearance in the second volume, I don't believe that Enek's breed is explicitly stated. As such, it could be difficult to identify Enek's breed just by his appearance. In lieu of any official information, an answer based on Enek's physical traits and information pertaining to prevalence of sheepdog in medieval Europe would be acceptable. I am including some links to references that I have been reviewing.</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bsca.info/history/herdingHistory.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">History of Herding at bsca.info</a></li>
<li><a href="https://janedogs.com/herding-sheepdogs/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Herding Sheepdogs at janedogs.com</a></li>
<li><a href="http://medievaldogs.wikispaces.com/Medieval+Dog+Breeds" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Medieval Dog Breeds at medievaldogs.wikispaces.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Shepherd_Dog" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dutch Shepherd Wikipedia Page</a></li>
<li> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_Shepherd" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Belgian Shepherd Wikipedia Page</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-07T08:24:46.333Z
there is no information about it on the wiki, However Enek does seem like a Border Collie going by the fur and ear patterns.
Parth Srivastav
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-07T16:58:43.567Z
Unless it's explicitly stated in the novels (and I don't think it is), it might be difficult or impossible to know for sure what breed Enek is. I think the erect ears, fluffy tail, fur thickness, and height of the legs do match the Border Collie. It's probable that a case can be made for a different breed though.
Shaymin Gratitude
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-08T00:50:34.000Z
@ShayminGratitude As the asker of the question, you can define how definite you want the answer to be. If the breed was never mentioned in the anime or novels, you can state that you'll accept an informed guess based on evidence; this is very frequent over on SF&F. You can also self-answer, if you find an answer that satisfies you in your own research.
Torisuda
<spice-and-wolf>
What breed is Enek?
# What breed is Enek?
Posted by: username_0 on 2016-02-05
What breed is Norah's sheepdog, Enek? I was looking at sheepdog breeds at <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep_dog> and thought he sort of looks like a Border Collie, but I'm not sure.

[![Nora with Enek](https://i.sstatic.net/1WYy0l.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/1WYy0l.jpg)

Edit: After reviewing Enek's first appearance in the second volume, I don't believe that Enek's breed is explicitly stated. As such, it could be difficult to identify Enek's breed just by his appearance. In lieu of any official information, an answer based on Enek's physical traits and information pertaining to prevalence of sheepdog in medieval Europe would be acceptable. I am including some links to references that I have been reviewing.

* [History of Herding at bsca.info](http://www.bsca.info/history/herdingHistory.html)
* [Herding Sheepdogs at janedogs.com](https://janedogs.com/herding-sheepdogs/)
* [Medieval Dog Breeds at medievaldogs.wikispaces.com](http://medievaldogs.wikispaces.com/Medieval+Dog+Breeds)
* [Dutch Shepherd Wikipedia Page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Shepherd_Dog)
* [Belgian Shepherd Wikipedia Page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_Shepherd)
**Tags:** spice-and-wolf
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: there is no information about it on the wiki, However Enek does seem like a Border Collie going by the fur and ear patterns.  
> **username_0**: Unless it's explicitly stated in the novels (and I don't think it is), it might be difficult or impossible to know for sure what breed Enek is. I think the erect ears, fluffy tail, fur thickness, and height of the legs do match the Border Collie. It's probable that a case can be made for a different breed though.  
> **username_2**: @ShayminGratitude As the asker of the question, you can define how definite you want the answer to be. If the breed was never mentioned in the anime or novels, you can state that you'll accept an informed guess based on evidence; this is very frequent over on SF&F. You can also self-answer, if you find an answer that satisfies you in your own research.  
---
## 1 answers
### Answer by username_0 on 2016-02-08. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
According to <http://medievaldogs.wikispaces.com/Medieval+Dog+Breeds>:

> While many of today's dog breeds can be traced back to the Middle Ages (and some even older), breeds as we know them today, carefully defined by physical appearance, did not exist in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Instead, dogs were classified by function.

Based on this, it is possible that Enek does not belong to a definite dog breed at all and instead belongs to a breed from which today's breeds are derived. In the books, he is only ever referred to as a sheepdog, and this is consistent with medieval people classifying dogs by function.

As mentioned in the question, Enek shares some traits that could associate him with Border Collies. His fluffy tail, erect ears, fur thickness and coloring, and leg length are consistent with the Border Collie breed. Enek displays a high level of intelligence in volume 13 (though this could just be attributed to personification), and according to <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Collie>, the Border Collie "is widely considered to be the most intelligent dog breed".

On the other hand, Enek's physical characteristics could also belong to a Dutch Shepherd. All the physical traits still match. The problem is that Enek is a cartoon and thus his traits are too indistinct to make a definite match.

In conclusion, there isn't enough information available to definitively determine Enek's breed. He could be an ancestor of the Dutch Shepherd, Border Collie, or some other herding dog.
---
