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Breeds of DogsA Reading A–Z Level P Leveled Reader

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Breeds of DogsLevel P Leveled Reader© 2002 Learning Page, Inc.Written by Kathie Lester

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Written by Kathie Lester

Photo Credits:Front cover, pages 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18,19, 20, 21, 22, 23: © Kent and Donna Dannen; back cover,page 4: © Jack McCredie; title page: © Mark Silverberg; pages 6, 7: © PhotoDisc; page 9: © Desert Labrador RetrieverRescue; page 15: © Jeanetta K. Hodges.

Curly-coated retriever puppy

CorrelationLEVEL P

Fountas & Pinnell NReading Recovery 21

DRA 30

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Table of Contents

Introduction ...............................................4

Sporting Dogs............................................8

Hounds.....................................................10

Working Dogs..........................................12

Herding Dogs ..........................................14

Terriers......................................................16

Toy Dogs ..................................................18

Non-sporting Dogs.................................20

Choosing a Dog.......................................22

For More Information ............................24

Index of Dog Breeds...............................24

Introduction

Did you ever notice how many differentkinds of dogs there are? There are bigdogs, small dogs, long dogs, short dogs,hairy dogs, and even hairless dogs.There are dogs with big ears, little ears,big noses, little noses, long legs, shortlegs, long tails, and no tails at all.

Portuguese water dog, St. Bernard, andBernese mountain dog

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How did different kinds of dogs cometo exist? Long ago, there were nodogs—there were only wolves. Somepeople became friends with wolves and started feeding them. In exchange,the wolves helped people by protectingthem and helping them hunt.

Other dogs are called mixed-breeddogs. They are a mix of two or morekinds of dogs. Mixed-breed dogs aresometimes called mutts.

Why are there so many kinds of dogs?The reason is because there are lots ofbreeds of dogs. Breeds are kinds of dogsthat are kept separate from other breedsduring mating time. If each breed ofdog only mates with its own kind, thepuppies will be that same kind of dog,too. These dogs are purebred, whichmeans that since their parents are the same, they will be the same, too. A male and female bulldog will havepups that are bulldogs.

Bulldogs

Wolf

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The pointer is a sporting dog that wasbred to see and point at game. A pointerfreezes in place with one front leg upand points with its nose.

Sporting Dogs

Sporting dogs were bred to helphunters. Some sporting dogs help ahunter find the game—the animal thatis being hunted. Other sporting dogsfind game that has been shot and bringit back to the hunter.

Over time,people sawthat somewolves werebetter atrunning.Other wolveswere better at hunting, and others werebetter at digging. Some people wanted a wolf who was even better at one ofthose tasks. So they started only lettinggood runners mate with good runners.And they only let good diggers matewith good diggers. Over manythousands of years, the wolves peoplekept as pets changed into the breeds of dogs we know today. Of course, the wild wolves stayed wild and arestill wild today.

There are seven groups of dogs, andeach one has many breeds. Let’s learnabout these groups and some of theirmembers.

Pointer

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The Irish wolfhound, a sighthound, is one of the tallest dogs in the world. It can be .9 meters (3 ft.) tall at the shoulder. It was bred to hunt and kill wolves. Itslong, strong legs make it a fast hunter.

The Labrador retriever, or Lab, is apopular sporting dog that is also a goodfamily dog. It was first bred to retrieve,or bring back, birds that had been shotif they fell into a pond or lake. Labshave webbed feet to help them swimwell. Their waterproof coat keeps them warm in cold water. They havestrong jaws for carrying heavy birds.

Hounds

The job of hounds is to chase game on the ground. There are two kinds ofhounds. Sighthounds use their eyes tochase game. Scenthounds use their noseto follow the scent, or smell, of game.Hounds may bark to let a hunter knowthey have cornered the game, or theymay kill the game themselves.

Labrador retriever

Irish wolfhound with Welsh corgi

The Newfoundland is a large, sturdydog. It has a thick, waterproof coat that keeps it warm. Long ago,Newfoundlands were used to pull boats and heavy fishing nets throughthe water. Today they are used inEurope to rescue drowning people.

The best scenthound is the bloodhound.It has loose skin on its face and long,floppy ears. Both of these things helpstir up smells so that the bloodhoundcan find game animals easily.Bloodhounds are also good at findinglost people.

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Working Dogs

Working dogs are smart and tough.They do jobs like guarding, protecting,rescuing, and pulling sleds and carts.

Bloodhound

Newfoundland

The Welsh corgi is a sturdy, quick,short-legged dog. It was first bred to drive cattle. Because it is short, it can duck under cows and nip at their ankles. It is able to move quicklyto keep from being kicked.

The Samoyed comes from the coldestparts of Asia. Samoyeds were first used to guard and herd reindeer. Today they work as sled dogs. Their weatherproof coat is extra thickfor warmth. Their stocky shape helpskeep body heat inside.

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Herding Dogs

Herding dogs are fast-moving andsmart. They were bred to control other animals, such as sheep or cattle.Herding dogs control animals bybarking, staring, or nipping. Herdingdogs are easily trained. They areindependent, eager workers.

SamoyedsWelsh corgi

The Airedale is the largest terrier. It wasoriginally bred to kill badgers, weasels,and otters. It is a natural watchdog andhas also been used as a police dog.

The Border collie was made famous in Babe, a movie about a pig that herdedsheep. Babe learned this skill from aBorder collie. Border collies were bred toherd sheep and cattle, and they still dothat work today. They are athletic dogsthat can run very fast. They are good atmaking sheep and cattle obey them.

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Terriers

Terriers are usually small or medium in size. Most terriers were bred to findand kill fierce pests like rats, otters,foxes, and badgers. They had to be very brave to hunt these fierce animals. As pets, terriers can be stubborn andhard to train.

Border collie

Airedales

The papillon is a small, friendly, smartdog with big ears. Papillon is the Frenchword for butterfly. This dog’s ears looklike butterfly wings.

The Jack Russell terrier has become very popular because there is one on Frasier, an American television show. However, this dog is not right for everyone. It needs lots of exerciseand activity every day. Otherwise, itwill be difficult and destructive.

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Toy Dogs

Toy dogs have been bred for their small size. Some toy breeds originallyhad jobs hunting or killing pests. But most toy dogs were first bred as companions to people.

Jack Russell terrier

Papillon

The Shar-Pei is an unusual-looking dog.Its skin is wrinkled and loose, and itsmouth is shaped like a hippo’s mouth.The Shar-Pei was first bred as a Chinesefighting and guard dog. Its loose skinmade it possible for the dog to twistaway if another animal grabbed it.

The hairless Chinese crested is baldexcept for puffs of hair on the head and feet. It has dark gray skin with pink spots. It needs sunblock lotion in the summer. In the winter, it needs to wear a coat to stay warm.

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Non-sporting Dogs

This group of dogs includes manybreeds that don’t fit into the othergroups. These breeds no longer performthe jobs they were first bred for. Theirjob now is mostly to be companions to people.

HairlessChinesecresteds

Shar-Pei

Choosing a Dog

Purebred dogs can have healthproblems. Many people believe thatmixed-breed dogs are healthier. Mixedbreeds come in all sizes and colors.They often have lively personalities.

Bringing a dog into your family is a big decision. It is very important tokeep a dog healthy with regular visits to the vet. It is also very important totrain the dog to be well-behaved.

Dalmatian puppies are born completelywhite. Their spots develop in the firstfew weeks of life. Dalmatians weretrained to trot beside a horse-drawncoach. If farm animals got in the road,the Dalmatian would move them out of the way. It also protected the horsesfrom wild dogs. The Dalmatian had to be very strong so it could trot formany miles.

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Dalmatians

Index of Dog Breeds

Airedale, 16

bloodhound, 11

Border collie, 15

bulldog, 5

Dalmatian, 21

hairless Chinesecrested, 19

Irish wolfhound, 10

Jack Russell terrier, 17

Labrador retriever, 9

Newfoundland, 12

papillon, 18

pointer, 8

Samoyed, 13

Shar-Pei, 20

Welsh corgi, 14

Now you know more about why thereare so many kinds of dogs. Dogs reallydo come in most every shape and size.They have many kinds of personalities,too. If you get a dog, be sure to chooseone that will get along well with yourfamily. A dog can be a good friend for many years.

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For More Information• United States

American Kennel Clubwww.akc.org

• Great BritainThe Kennel Club www.the-kennel-club.org.uk

• CanadaCanadian Kennel Clubwww.ckc.ca

• AustraliaAustralian NationalKennel Councilwww.ankc.aust.com