Peter Hepp, age 10, of Gulfport, Miss., for his question:

ARE THERE MANY BREEDS OF RETRIEVERS?

The retriever is a hunting dog that is trained to find and bring back game that has been shot. Dog breeders in North America classify retrievers as sporting dogs and recognize five breeds: the Chesapeake Bay, the curly coated, the flat coated, the golden and the Labrador.

A retriever has a coat of outer hairs called guard hairs, and an undercoat that protects the dog from water and cold. The dog is a strong swimmer and has a fine sense of smell. It takes training easily.

The Labrador retriever originally came from Newfoundland, not Labrador. It was developed in England and is a very popular breed. It is usually black although it can be yellow or chocolate.

The golden retriever is a medium sized dog that was first bred in Scotland about 1870. For dog shows, the golden retriever must stand between 20 and a half inches and 24 inches high at the shoulder.

The Chesapeake Bay retriever is about the same size as the golden retriever but is brown to a light straw in color.