John Campbell, age 10, of Staten Island, New York, for his question:

Which was the first breed of dog?

Cave dwelling hunters had half tamed hunting dogs as long ago as 20,000 years. But these hardy fellows were of no special breed. The ancient Egyptians seem to be the first people to think of selecting certain dogs and breeding them for a special purpose. Around 10,000 years ago, they were using a greyhound type dog for hunting fleet footed antelope. This was, of course, before the dawn of history and we are not sure whether this antelope¬ dog can be rated as a definite breed.

However, about 8,000 years ago, the saluki dog appeared in Egypt. He was indeed a special breed and his descendants are cherished desert dwelling dogs to this day. The saluki is a graceful, greyhound type dog standing 28 inches high and weighing as much as 60 pounds. His smooth coat is glamorized with long silken fringes on the legs and long silken hairs on the big, floppy ears. This descendant of the first breed of a dog is a beauty. In ancient times, his relatives were cherished in Persia and Arabia as antelope hunters, as status symbols and as trusted family pets.