Dogs have a pretty solid reputation for being very loyal animals. Beyond the regular bond of loyalty between dog and "master" (a word that Paulsen doesn't seem to care for), there seems to be the idea that some dogs have a person. You know, their one and only. Once they've found their person, they're in it for life.
That's certainly true for Ike, whose person is a veteran who was injured in the Korean War; for Dirk, the tough dog that only lets Olaf the farmer pet him; and for Quincy, the dog who runs through at least three other owners before he becomes totally devoted to Paulsen's wife. The dogs that seem most attached to Paulsen himself are Snowball and Josh.
As for Paulsen? He's attached to all of them. Half a century later, he's still honoring the memory of Snowball and Ike. He remembers what each of the dogs in My Life in Dog Years offered him, and never forgets their unique personalities and skills. He's learned a lot about loyalty from them.
Questions About Loyalty
- We know that Paulsen's dogs are loyal to him. In what ways does Paulsen demonstrate his loyalty to the dogs?
- Which of Paulsen's dogs do you think demonstrates the mostly loyalty?
- What do you think inspired Dirk's loyalty to Paulsen?
Chew on This
In this book, the loyalty between dog and master isn't a one-way street. It's a mutual bond.
My Life in Dog Years explores the idea that a dog's loyalty is one of the most powerful forces in the universe.