Book Snapshot
• Title: The Science and History of the Domestic Dog
• Genre: Nonfiction (informational)
• Subject: Life Science
• Primary Topic: Domestication, traits, and roles of dogs
• Estimated Guided Reading Level (A–Z): R

What This Book Teaches Best
• Explains dogs’ biological connection to gray wolves, including shared DNA and instincts tied to social behavior and communication.
• Describes the history of domestication and how human artificial selection led to many distinct dog breeds.
• Uses specific evidence to show why dogs have exceptional smell and hearing (brain structures, scent receptors, and hearing frequencies).
• Shows how selective breeding creates specialists for different jobs (speed, herding, cold-weather survival, and service work).
• Teaches how to read dog communication signals (tail wag speed/height, ear position, facial muscles, back posture).

Learning Goals
• Explain how the text connects domestic dogs to gray wolves using specific evidence (classification and DNA).
• Describe how domestication began and how humans’ breeding choices created many breeds over time.
• Identify details that show why dogs can smell better than humans (olfactory bulb and scent receptors).
• Identify details that show why dogs can hear better than humans (frequencies and ear muscles).
• Compare at least two breeds in the text by explaining how traits match their work or environment (speed, herding, cold climate, service).
• Describe what the text says people can look for to understand a dog’s emotional state.

Key Vocabulary From the Text
• subspecies — a smaller group within a kind of animal.
• domestication — animals becoming used to living with people.
• olfactory — having to do with smell.
• frequencies — how high or low a sound is.
• resilient — able to handle hard conditions and keep going.

Discussion Prompts
• Pre-reading question: What jobs or tasks have you seen dogs do for people?
• Comprehension questions: According to the text, how are domestic dogs connected to gray wolves?
• Comprehension questions: What evidence does the text give to show how powerful a dog’s sense of smell is?
• Comprehension questions: What signs does the text say people can look for to understand a dog’s emotional state?

1. If “Booklet” Printing Is NOT Available
   You can still print this correctly with manual duplex printing.
   Step-by-step:
2. Open the PDF.
3. Choose Print.
4. Set:
   o Orientation: Landscape
   o Pages per sheet: 1
   o Print on both sides: Yes
   o Flip on: Short edge
5. Print all pages.
   Because each PDF page already contains two facing book pages, the result will still fold cleanly into a book.