My Life in Dog Years Cunning and Cleverness Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

I knew then, and I know now, people who would not be able to learn that. I was skeptical that a dog could learn such things […] but by the end of the day I would not have been surprised to hear that Rex had learned to read. (5.28)

Okay, so that's one thing the dogs in this book can't do: read. Then again, it's been a long time since Paulsen actually wrote this book. He's probably taught at least one dog to read since then.

Quote #5

It might be noted here that he had a remarkable memory. Every one of the seven years that he was with us, when the first trick-or-treater came to the door on Halloween, no matter the costume, Caesar went into the bedroom closet, pulled a housecoat over his eyes and would not come out until it was over. (6.64)

Caesar was a huge, clumsy dog that could scare people who didn't know him. Still, he remembered a scare, too, especially if it was it a child in a werewolf costume.

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)

Paulsen drops a lot of comments about animals being smarter than people. Sometimes you get the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he's not a huge fan of people.