Tomorrow, June 22nd, is the final day of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, where our furry friends try to show us they’re the top dog. It’s a tough job. Their handlers attack them with brushes, barrettes and blow-driers to make them look perfect. Then the dogs have to trot around the ring without barking, drooling, or sniffing the other dogs. There are many “breeds” of dog — with different sizes, shapes, colors of fur, and amounts of furriness — and each breed has a perfect look that every dog tries to match. Once dogs win the top prize, they never come back again, so every year we get a new champ! Let’s see who wears the barrettes the best and drools the least.
Wee ones: Get on your hands and knees like a dog, and bark exactly 4 times!
Little kids: The dogs clump into 7 “groups,” like “Working Dogs” and “Toy Dogs.” If you have 1 pet dog from each group except a Toy Dog, how many pet dogs do you have? Bonus: If you had 3 pet dogs, who would have more total legs: the dogs, or you and your family?
Big kids: Some dogs come in different sizes, like the miniature, standard, and giant schnauzer. If 20 of each size of schnauzer compete today, how many schnauzers show up in total? Bonus: If the 192 breeds EACH had exactly 20 dogs competing, how many dogs would come to the show this year? (Hint if needed: multiplying by 20 is the same as multiplying by 2, then by 10.)
Answers:
Wee ones: Count your barks: 1, 2, 3, 4.
Little kids: 6 dogs. Bonus: Different for everyone…the dogs have 3 x 4 = 12 legs, then count up your family’s legs with 2 per person.
Big kids: 60 schnauzers. Bonus: 3,840 dogs!
