Pat Flinn, age 9, of Rowayton, Connecticut, for his question:

What exactly is a working dog?

In one way or another, every dog works for a living. He may be a pampered pooch who warms the heart of his owner with loving affection. He may guard the house or scare rabbits from the garden. Every sensible person knows that whatever he does for a living, a dog is worth his friendly weight in shiny gold. Certain dogs, however, are trained to do special duties. Pointers and setters are born hunters, clever enough to help their human friends to find and capture game animals. Lassie's adorable relatives are talented sheep herding dogs. A bloodhound can track the trail of a lost child.

These special dogs are members of different breeds. At the Dog Show, the breeds are arranged in classes, depending upon their special talents. The setters belong in the Sporting Dog class. The Working Dog class includes the Collies and other sheep dogs, the police dogs and the hard working sled dogs. Altogether, you can find 29 different breeds in the class of working dogs.