Worksheet: Traits, breeds and selective breeding

A two part worksheet: grades 3 to 5 compare traits in a dog family; grades 6 to 8 explore how people created breeds through selective breeding. Answer key included.

Name: __________ Date:

Part A (grades 3 to 5). Traits in a family

Here is made up data for a mother dog, a father dog and their four puppies.

Dog	Coat color	Ear shape	Coat length
Mother	Black	Floppy	Short
Father	Yellow	Floppy	Short
Puppy 1	Black	Floppy	Short
Puppy 2	Yellow	Floppy	Short
Puppy 3	Black	Floppy	Short
Puppy 4	Black	Floppy	Short

Which trait is the same in every dog? ______________
Which trait varies among the puppies? ______________
Where did the puppies get their coat colors from? ______________

Part B (grades 6 to 8). Breeds made by people

Read the breed groups guide. The American Kennel Club sorts breeds into seven groups, many of them named for the jobs the dogs were bred to do.

Name two AKC breed groups named after a job. ______________ and ______________
Pick one group. What traits would breeders have chosen to help those dogs do that job? ______________
Explain in your own words how selective breeding is different from natural selection. ______________

Answer key (for teachers)

Ear shape and coat length (floppy, short) are the same in every dog.
Coat color varies (black or yellow).
From their parents: offspring inherit traits from their parents (NGSS 3-LS3-1). The data are invented for practice.
Any two of: Sporting, Hound, Working, Herding (the other AKC groups are Terrier, Toy and Non-Sporting). See the AKC groups article.
Accept reasoned answers, for example herding dogs selected for responsiveness and stamina, hounds for scenting or speed.
In selective breeding, people choose which animals reproduce to pass on desired traits (NGSS MS-LS4-5, LS4.B); in natural selection, the environment determines which traits help animals survive and reproduce.

Sources

The 7 AKC Dog Breed Groups Explained, American Kennel Club
What is a pedigree dog?, The Royal Kennel Club