Let’s look at the jowls area and under the ears.  

This area is very dark compared to other tones in the picture. Refer to   Jasper’s portrait.

With darkest thread tone, embroider with the angles of the stitch following the direction of the fur.

A clue here is to ask yourself which way does the fur sit naturally.

Which way would you pat the dog? This is how you stitch the fur.

If you could put your hand on this embroidery and stroke this dog, would you be able to brush the fur smoothly or rub against the angle of your stitches to rub him up the wrong way.

Note the ears

Begin with the  lightest areas. In this case the edge was done first but with two different angles, one layering over the other.

Sections of darker tones were then incorporated into their places. Blend each tone into the other.

Remember this is a picture and we are not painting by numbers.