How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
I am—I say this with some pride and not a little wonder—a "dog person." (1.1)
Paulsen doesn't just love dogs; he's proud to love dogs. He thinks he's a better person for even associating with them.
Quote #2
It is now 1997 as I write this, and everything that has happened in the last seventeen years—everything: Iditarods, published books, love, living, life—all of it, including this book, I owe to Cookie. (1.18)
It's no surprise that Paulsen holds his dog Cookie in very high esteem—she saved his life. Sounds like she deserves it.
Quote #3
Ike was a great barrel-chested black Labrador that became one of the best friends I've ever had and was in all ways an equal; not a pet, not something to master, but an equal. (3.10)
Probably most people think of dogs as pets instead of equals. Paulsen clearly thinks that's wrong. Is that realistic?
Quote #4
On those occasions when I missed…he would watch the duck fly away, turn to me and give me a look of such uncompromising pity and scorn that I would feel compelled to apologize and make excuses. (3.43)
Paulsen leaves little doubt that Ike is a way better hunter than he is. His admiration and respect for the dog shines through all his observations. Sounds like there were times when Ike's admiration wasn't entirely mutual.
Quote #5
"It's like having a nanny for them. When I'm gone visiting with them he stays with Warren and follows the tractor in the fields but anytime the girls are here he's with them. It's so nice. There are so many things to worry about on a farm." (5.33)
Rex the farm dog has a lot of jobs, including taking care of the children. That a mother would trust a dog with her little girls says a lot about how much she admires them.
Quote #6
Pigs are very smart—as smart as dogs and many people I have met—and no doubt deduced that if old food is good, fresh food must be better. (7.28)
Sometimes, when Paulson compares animals to humans, the animals seem to come out looking better. It's obvious that Paulsen is open to the idea that animals have a lot to offer. That makes it easy for him to see their intelligence and skill. It was his first dog, Snowball, that gave him that perspective. He never lost it.
Quote #7
Quincy journeyed through thirty miles of wolf-, wolverine- and bear-infested wilderness on four-inch legs—it's hard to believe he could even get through the swamp grass, let alone the forest and predators […]. (8.10)
You can hear the awe in Paulsen's voice here.
Quote #8
What a dog he was, what an incredible dog! (8.25)
More awe. Here, Paulsen's talking about Quincy, but this sentence would easily fit into any of his other chapters.
Quote #9
He is full of a gentle honor I will never come close to achieving. (9.1)
Paulsen seems to think of his dog Josh as his superior. Shouldn't Paulsen give himself a break? Isn't it harder to be a person than a dog?
Quote #10
[Josh] was too refined for that work. The sled dogs are wonderful but they are primitive, basic, grandly prehistoric and animal. It was like putting a neurosurgeon in the middle of a professional hockey team […]. (9.33)
Here's Paulsen comparing his Border collie to a neurosurgeon. This is one smart dog, and Paulsen knows it.