Fourth Grade
Worksheets
A Special Dog
Becky stared at the little white dog. She was a normal dog in every way except one. She had no front legs. Becky didn't want to look at the animal at first. She felt rude staring, but it was hard not to.
The dog didn't notice the staring, walking almost upright like a human as she followed her owner. The dog's long, plumed tail wagged as she walked.
Theresa, the dog's owner, caught Becky's eye and walked over to where the girl stood. Amy, the dog, happily followed along.
"Hi," said Theresa to Becky. "I'm Theresa, and this is my dog, Amy. You look like you want to say hello."
Becky nodded and reached down to pat Amy, who pressed her chest against the girl's legs. Becky scratched the dog's neck and rubbed behind the silky ears while the tail wagged even harder.
"Amy was born without front legs," said Theresa. "She didn't know she was different. At first, she pushed herself around, and then her back got strong enough to support her. She taught herself to walk on her two hind legs."
"That's pretty neat," said Becky. "I never knew dogs could do that."
"I've thought a lot about it," said Theresa. "I think that if Amy were a human, we'd call her an optimist. She never thinks she can't do something but tries to find a way to do what she wants."
