A combination of acrylic paint, colored pencil, pastel on a board for firmness and stability.  This choice works very well with animals with a lot of texture (wire coated or long haired coats).   This artwork should be displayed framed, under glass with a small (1/4 or 1/8 in) gap between the glass and the surface of the artwork.   This also works well for artwork between 8 x 10 - 11 x 14.  Larger pieces would do better as an oil painting.