Allison Hann, age 12, of Fogo, Newfoundland, Canada, for her question:

Is there a breed of dog that doesn’t bark?

Most dogs have plenty to say for themselves and an assortment of doggy words to make themselves understood. However, the wild dog dingo of Australia has forgotten how to bark, though once in a while he utters a howling complaint. Hence, we cannot call him a non barking dog. So far as we know, the only dog who never barks is the basenji    and he is recognized as a special breed, developed from a strain of barkless dogs found in Central Africa.

The basenji is a colorful character with a colorful varigated coat of short, silky hair. He is a smallish dog weighing 22 to 24 pounds and his keenly pointed ears are very erect. His wrinkled forehead expresses puzzlement, suggesting that perhaps he worries because he cannot bark like other dogs. However, the basenji can whine when necessary. No, the spunky little character is not at all sorry for himself. He is always alert and ready to fling his sturdy body into a defensive battle.