Move over, Marianne: Meet the four-legged stars of the new Sense and Sensibility

There are plenty of reasons to watch the new film adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. The beautiful country houses, the costumes, the romance — and, perhaps most importantly, the dogs.

Director Georgia Oakley was determined to fill Austen's world with animals. 'It was always really important to me to have loads and loads of animals in the film,' she says. Rather than giving them elaborate storylines, she wanted to follow in the footsteps of Austen and make them a part of everyday life — much as our own pets are a part of our everyday lives. It's a nice touch, and one that makes the world of Norland Park and Barton Park feel more lived in.

First up is Phyllis the pug, who appears alongside Fiona Shaw's Mrs Jennings. 'I've had a lovely time with my pug, Phyllis, who behaves well or badly depending on the day,' says Shaw. Apparently, Phyllis even inspired the actress's laugh as Mrs Jennings — quite an achievement for a dog who isn't actually mentioned in Austen's novel.

There's Danny the whippet, a breed with a long history of keeping company with the aristocracy. Dogs of whippet type appear in 18th-century portraits, although they were equally popular in northern mining towns, where whippet racing was once a favourite pastime. Elegant, affectionate and capable of reaching speeds of up to 35mph, they're just as happy tearing across a field as they are occupying the best seat in the drawing room.

Enter Olivia the old English sheepdog. Long before becoming famous as the Dulux dog, the breed was developed in the 18th century to drive livestock across the British countryside. Their shaggy coats, affectionate natures and capacity for chaos have made them firm favourites ever since. Paul McCartney even wrote Martha My Dear about his beloved sheepdog, although, rather sadly, the breed is now on the Royal Kennel Club's Vulnerable Native Breeds list.

The rest of the canine cast includes great Danes, originally bred in Germany to hunt wild boar; greyhounds, whose speed and elegance have endeared them to the aristocracy for centuries; and beagles, those cheerful little hounds with an extraordinary sense of smell and a selective approach to obedience. Elizabeth I hunted with small beagle-type dogs, and Prince Albert later kept a pack.

Mastiffs also make an appearance. These enormous, gentle dogs have guarded British houses and estates for centuries. Shakespeare praised their courage in Henry V, and one is even said to have protected her wounded master at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Despite their formidable reputation, they're famously affectionate family companions.

In the original novel, Sir John Middleton has a favourite hound named Folly, whose puppies he is rather generous with. He even offers one to John Willoughby, before discovering the young man's appalling treatment of Marianne and declaring him 'such a deceitful dog!'

Unfair on the dogs, if you ask me.