Q: What kind of dog doesn’t bark?
A: A hush puppy!

Explanation: You already know what a dog is.  According to the American Kennel Club, there are over 340 breeds of dogs in the world.  A breed is a type of dog like a Poodle or a German Shepherd.  The sound that a dog makes is called a bark.  When it is written, you might see words like “arf,” or “woof,” or “bow wow” to show that a dog is barking.

In English, baby animals have names that are different from the adult animals.  A baby cat is a kitten, a baby rabbit is a bunny, and a baby dog is a puppy.  If you would like a list of other baby animal names you could start here.

When you tell someone to hush, you are telling them to be quiet.  Often people will put their index finger in front of their lips and say, “Shhhh!” when they want you to hush.

A hush puppy, on the other hand, is a type of fried food made with cornmeal.  Hush puppies are often served with shrimp, catfish, or a barbecue sandwich, according to Southern Living.  I would encourage you to try them if you are able to; they are quite tasty!

This joke is funny because it plays with the words hush puppy (telling your baby dog to be quiet) and hush puppies (a type of food).

If you would like to try making some hush puppies, here is a video that can show you how: