Eric B. Thomas, age 10, of Enid, Okla., for his question:

WHY DOES A DOG BURY FOOD IN THE GROUND SOMETIMES?

Dogs today have kept many of the instincts and actions that their wild ancestors had many years ago. One of these actions is the way dogs gobble their food when dinner time rolls around. The action indicates they want to eat it fast before some other animal comes along and grabs it. And if there's a big bone or too much food, dogs have been known to bury the extra for possible later use.

Dogs also still turn around several times before lying down, much as they did when wild dogs found it necessary to trample grass to make a satisfactory sleeping place.

Frightened dogs still curl their tails between their legs to keep them out of the reach of enemies. And male dogs still squirt a few drops of urine on every tree possible to tell other dogs they've been here and that this is their territory.