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3 Check It Out! 4 A Dog’s Nose, Knows 6 Go Home, Bob 10 Draw a Dog 11 DOG Is a Magic Word 12 The Rescued Dog 14 The Yellow Bench 16 Puzzles 18 North to Alaska 19 Dog Funnies 20 10 Dog-Gone Facts 22 Little Paws, Big Helpers 23 Max & Gracie 24 Moses 27 Dalmatians Earn Their Spots 28 Kids and Dogs Photos 29 Kids Corner 30 Puzzle Solutions 2
Do you have a dog? If not, do you know someone who does? Maybe it’s a neighbor or your grandparent. Dogs are special creatures to everyone. That’s why they are called “man’s best friend.” A dog is faithful and loyal to its owner. This issue is all about dogs. I think you will discover many interesting facts. For example, did you know dogs can learn over 1000 words? Maybe you didn’t realize how smart your dog is. Petting a dog is a great thing to do for your health. When you pet a dog and gaze into its eyes, both you and your dog feel good. Don’t worry about finding a dog to play with, walk, or just pet. There are about 400 million dogs in the world! The US has the highest dog population. Enjoy a dog even if you don’t own one. Ask your parents to check about your volunteering at an animal shelter. Or you might have someone who lives near you who would appreciate your walking their dog. Older people with dogs especially would be delighted for you to come and play with their dog or walk it. After you’ve read this issue, write and tell us about your dog or a dog you know. Send us a picture and we will publish it in a future issue.
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by Melanie Brown You wouldn’t be caught sniffing at someone’s backside, trying to figure out who they are, would you? Yet dogs seem to think it’s the best way to get to know another dog. The places dogs choose to sniff are just plain gross, don’t you think? In any case, a dog is a dog, and dogs explore the world nose-first. Many dog experts believe a dog’s sense of smell is up to a million times better than ours. Dogs are used in airports, schools, and public places across the country to find explosives and illegal drugs. Specially trained dogs are used to search for missing persons. All it takes is a sniff of a piece of clothing recently worn by that person for the dogs to get the scent. You might guess that it’s the size of the dog’s snout that allows it to smell so well. And you’d be partially right. But it’s what’s inside the snout that really makes the difference.
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A dog’s cold, wet nose is where it all begins. This moist area catches the smells floating in the air. Then it sends the smells to the dog’s smell membrane deep inside its snout. This membrane is covered with up to 300 million receptors that receive smells. Humans have only about 6 million. A dog’s smell membrane sends messages to the smelling center of its brain. This area of the dog’s brain is 40 times bigger than ours! Because of its sensitive nose, a dog smells more than just the stew cooking on the stove. It smells each of the ingredients: the carrots, meat, potatoes, tomatoes, and onions. Going for a walk in the morning tells a dog whether this is the place where your neighbor dropped gum out of her mouth last week. Or how many dogs have passed this way in the last few days. And you can be sure your dog knows that grungy sock in the corner is your smelly sock. It’s probably one of his most favorite smells of all! Gross!
Which dog has the most incredible sense of smell? These breeds are considered to be the top 10, with the champion sniffer listed as #1!
10. Dachshund 9. German Shorthaired Pointer 8. English Springer Spaniel 7. Coonhound 6. Labrador Retriever 5. Belgian Malinois 4. German Shepherd 3. Beagle 2. Basset Hound 1. Bloodhound
These large dogs have more scent receptors than any other breed. Big, open nostrils help bloodhounds follow scents on the ground AND in the air. Long hanging ears and droopy, loose skin around their heads trap smells so the wind doesn’t blow them away.
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