Dog Sense

Dog Sense
By Sneed B. Collard III
Published: 2008
ISBN: 9781561454600

Fiction

A story about learning to deal with conflicts and challenges in an unfamiliar environment and to accept changes in life that are beyond control. Thirteen-year-old Guy's favorite hobbies were skateboarding, surfing, and playing video games with his friends, but that was in California before his dad left and he and his mother moved in with Grandpa. Kids in Montana don't do the same things and, besides, he has no friends. Brad, the school bully, is using him as his own personal punching bag. He eventually becomes friends with Luke Grant, who suggests that Guy's Border collie might be a good candidate for the annual Frisbee-catching contest. Since Brad's German Sheppard is the current favorite, Guy's entry intensifies their rivalry. When he bets Brad for ownership of his beloved pet, readers share his desperation to beat the bully. An easy read with believable characters, the story has enough action to keep reluctant readers interested.