Woof!

Woof!

A tail-waggingly, terrific book all about dogs!

This book is dedicated to my brilliant first graders at the Eliot K-8 School in Boston. Each day you continue to grow stronger as scholars and teach me new and intriguing things. I love learning from each and every one of you, and hope you continue to amaze others throughout your life.

Rationale for this book

Each year our students complete a non-fiction unit of study in both Reader's Workshop and Writer's Workshop. While there are many skills needed to complete this unit successfully, reading is a main component. As a first grade teacher, my collegues and I often struggle to find non-fiction texts with appropriate content and text that reaches all readers. Many times I feel as though it is difficult to gradually release all students to independence when they are experiencing challenges in accessing text and content. This unit of study is engaging and exciting for our first graders, however, too often I have seen children waiting for a peer or adult to read to them or paraphrase content, which as you can imagine, leads to children feeling discouraged.  In order for all of our learners to appropriately access content for their research,  I have created this book about dogs, a common interest area, as a fun, interactive way of learning. My intention is for students to grow toward independence and feel successful in their learning.

For many years it has been said that dogs are "a man's best friend". These four-legged mammals are often loyal companions and make great pets. 

Which dog is right for you? The possibilities are endless! There are hundreds of different breeds of dogs around the world that come in many shapes, sizes and colors.

Dogs have a great sense of hearing. They can often hear sounds long before people, maybe that's why they make such good protectors, hunters, and even search and rescue workers! 

Sniff, sniff! Ever been sniffed by a dog before? That's because the dog is trying to recognize or remember your scent! A dogs sense of smell might be hands down one of the best. They are able to figure out which scent belongs to which object, person, food, or liquid. 

Give me 5! All dogs also have paws. Just like we use our hands and feet to walk and complete work such as writing, dogs use their paws to get around and dig. Their four paws are protected by a special padding which helps to cushion the dogs feet. These pads act like sneakers or boots.

Don't forget their bark! Dogs communicate through different sounds called barks. The sound of the bark helps to determine what the dog may be trying to tell you, or his fellow dog buds. 

Baby dogs are called puppies. Puppies are born live from their mother just like humans. When they are born they cannot see or hear. Puppies depend on their mothers to keep them safe, and feed them. The babies drink their mother's milk. 

At 8 weeks, a puppy is ready to become apart of a family and leave its mother. 

Puppies need lots of love and care, as they are still growing and learning new things. It is important that we teach our puppies new tricks like how to sit, give paw and even roll over. Puppies also need to learn right from wrong, like where to use the bathroom and what they can and cannot chew on.

Dogs are carnivorous animals, which means they eat meat. They like to eat wet food and dry food. People food like you and I eat is not always healthy for a dog.    

Dogs need a lot of love and care.

when you are sick where do you go? Dogss need to see a special animal doctor called a veterinarian. It is important to make sure your pet has all of its vaccinations and shots to help keep it healthy and prevent it from getting sick. 

Dogs also need lots of exercise to stay fit! Taking your dog for long walks is just one way you can help.

Be sure to give your dog lots of soapy baths to help keep them smelling fresh and clean.

If you've ever had a bad hair day you can understand why it's important to groom your dog. Just as people feel happy when they look their best, so does a dog. And don't forget to trim those nails!

Did you know that some dogs are trained to be famous actors? While some dogs live the life of the rich and famous, others also have unique jobs.

Working dogs are dogs that help people with special jobs. Police dogs, rescue dogs and therapy dogs are just a few dogs with important jobs. 

Other jobs dogs have include herding sheep, guiding or leading people who are blind, and bomb sniffing.

I hope you have enjoyed reading and learning all about dogs. If you are thinking about owning a dog, remember, there are many breeds to choose from, so make sure you find the one that is right for you.The animal shelter might be a great place to start when looking for your "just right" pet!

Remember to take good care of your dog, give it lots of love and it will be your best friend forever.