Dogs - Lesson for kids

We will start a new series in which we will learn more about different types of animals every day. 

We will do some reading, watch videos and learn more about specific animals in general.  

Animals do not only entertain us, but they are also important and we need to be kind to them.

We start off by learning a bit more on dogs.

• You can do some of your own research on a specific breed of dog you are interested in once you are done with this lesson - find out more about the breed and how to care for it.

                      

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As the famous saying goes, dogs are man’s best friend. Whether it’s as reliable workers, family pets or loyal companions, dogs are wonderful domestic animals that offer a number of qualities that are put to good use by humans. 

If you count all the dogs around the world, there will be more than 400 million and for many many years dogs has been a very popular choice for humans to keep.  Dogs can be very helpful and are even trained to help disabled people.

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There are a lot of breeds of dogs.  Depending on what you look for in a dog, must it be a pet, a hunter, a helper or good with kids, you will decide what dog will fit in your family.  There are small ones and big ones.  It is very important to know that puppies are very cute, but they grow up and you cannot return a dog because it is not a puppy anymore.  You have to love your dog for its whole life.

Examples of a few breeds include: Bulldog, German Shepherd, Collie, Golden Retriever, St Bernard, Greyhound, Bloodhound, Chihuahua, Labrador, Great Dane, Rottweiler, Boxer and Cocker Spanial 

• See if you can find pictures of these different breeds.

The breed that is most popular is the Labrador.  This is a very gentle dog and are also used to train and assist people that needs a guide dog.

• Which people will use a guide/service dog?

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Dogs have such a great bond with humans that they are known as 'man's best friend'.  They are loyal and will help you and is always happy to see you.

Dogs have excellent hearing and smell - much better that humans.  That is a reason why dogs will hear intruders and are able to be trained to work as 'sniffer dogs' that can smell if there are drugs or maybe a bomb in luggage or on a person.

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A dog can live as long as 10 to 14 years, but there are some breeds that can even get older, so if your dog is healthy, you can have your best friend around for a long time.

A dog's favorite food is meat, but some breeds will eat grains and vegetables.

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• Do you have a dog?  What do you like about your dog?  How do you care for your dog?
• If you do not have a dog, why would you like to have one or why do you not want one?

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