Moles, gophers and groundhogs aren’t the only animals with an innate predisposition for digging. Add Scruffy the burrowing dog to the list. Virtually any dog may find digging amusing, but several dog breeds in particular were selectively bred for their digging qualities.

Meet the Terriers

Deriving from the Latin word “terra,” meaning earth, the terrier breed group encompasses several dog breeds selectively bred to chase and kill a vast array of ground-dwelling critters. Not all dogs in the this group are avid diggers, though; the real experts in the field include many short-legged terriers, such as Bedlington terriers, border terriers, Parson Russell terriers, Norfolk terriers, Norwich terriers and Yorkshire terriers, to just name a few.

Burrowing Dogs

Another dog breed with a reputation for digging includes the dachshund. With a name originating from the German word for “badger dog,” you can’t go wrong on this fellow’s digging abilities. Indeed, this breed’s long-bodied appearance and short, stubby legs makes him perfect for flushing out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals from their hiding spots.

Amatuer Diggers

While terriers and dachshunds are the diggers of the dog world, any dog breed may enjoy digging activities. Whether digging for curiosity, fun or frustration, or to hunt, it’s just one of those normal traits dogs will persist doing for one reason or another. And purebred dogs aren’t the only specimens blessed with this desire; indeed, even the average mutt may enjoy making a mine field out of your back yard.

An icon has died today and yes, I realize we don’t typically cover this type of celebrity news. But I could not help but feel compelled to write about and pay some kind of tribute to this amazing talented and unique, actor, comedian, father, husband and dog lover.

Various new sources popped up onto my screen, reporting the same sad news that less than a mile from my own home, Robin Williams was found dead in his house in Tiburon, California. According to law enforcement reports, the 63-year-old, apparently took his own life.

This hits close to home for many reasons, the first being that I live in Tiburon as well, growing up in Marin my husband even had the opportunity to meet him a couple of times, something I will be forever jealous of. As a kid and throughout my adulthood, I have thought there were two comedic geniuses of my lifetime: Mel Brooks and Robin Williams, but as a child of the 80’s, there is no question that Robin Williams was there at nearly every part of my childhood. I have seen nearly every movie he has every been in, watched his stand-up routines and was angry when they canceled his most recent show, The Crazy Ones. It is so sad to loose such an amazingly talented and creative individual.

Something not everyone may know is that Robin Williams was a dog lover, or rather, had a dog that he loved and was also a supporter of dog rescue. His Pug, “Leonard Bean” who was adopted from the Curly Tail Pug Rescue in New York city was regularly featured on the comedians twitter account.

My Dinner with Leonard. #recreatetheclassics

“I also have a gay rescue pug called Leonard, who I take for walks because I am very secure in my sexuality. He has a boyfriend and they are planning to adopt a Siamese kitten together. We’re very modern,” Williams says in a interview with the Telegraph.

In an AmA Williams told reddit, “for pure loyalty, there is nothing like a Pug.”

The two often donated images to rescues including a version of this one which was featured in the August calendar of Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation.