My Life in Dog Years

I chose this book, bcause it really looked interesting. This book is about the author, Gary Paulsen, and some of his dogs he has owned. My favorite dog was Josh, because he was the smartest and he always watched over his owner and friends. My favorite part was when another dog of his, Quincy, had jumped out of Paulsen's car into Dairy Queen. Over all, this book was too good to put down.

Oh! This is a book worth reading. Basically Gary Paulson devotes each chapter to one of several dogs that played an important role in his life. An animal lover to the hilt, Paulsen will introduce you to dogs that protected him, hunted with him, played with him and just hung out with him on his ranch. Each story is tender and gives the reader glimpses into Paulsen's childhood (riddled with alcoholism and neglect)as well as his adulthood (filled with dogs, horses and a person or two!) Written at a sixth grade reading level, this book would be a great read-aloud at bedtime for kids six and up. Both kids and adults will want to get up and hug the family dog goodnight once they finish a single chapter in this gem of a book. What a find!

Until I read this book, I never thought about how profoundly a pet can influence one's life. There's something miraculous and amazing about our relationships with animals, even though we tend to take them for granted. Gary Paulsen has distilled that magic into eight vignettes, stories of eight dogs who have been a part of his life. I read this aloud with my son and we laughed and sighed and sniffed back a few tears, then hugged our pets a little more tightly. A few of the stories end sadly but there's a good mix, many of the dogs live to a happy old age.

Gary Paulsen has owned many great dogs over the years, and each dog has its own special characteristics and abilities, in their own special way. Throughout the book, different dogs help, protect, and make Paulsen laugh during his bad times. Among some of the dogs were Cookie, the sled dog who saved his life; Snowball his favorite friend that he owned as a little boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting dog, who would never follow Paulsen home. Instead he would wait until the next day when Paulsen went to hunt, and he would be right by his side. One of my favorite parts of the book was the little twist about where Ike was always going, and why he didn't follow Paulsen home. Dirk was Paulsens K-9 bodyguard. Although he was small, don't let him fool you, he would take on any challenge that would lye in his path. Josh is a brilliant Border collie that Paulsen still owns to this day. Josh was more human than dog. When Paulsen would talk to him, he would not only listen, but in a way he would talk back. Josh has great talent, and is always watching out for everyone. My Life in Dog Years is definitely a five-star book. Paulsen used great imagery that you can relate to in your own life experiences. It was the perfect length book, that was not to long, not too short. It was a very detailed book that made you want to keep reading until you were finished. This book will make you laugh and make you cry. My favorite dog was probably Josh because of how smart he is, and how fast that learns things. All of the dogs were great companions, and had a close relationship with Paulsen. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs, or is just looking for a good read.

This is my daughter's book. I didn't plan on reading it. The first story hooked me. This book is a dog lover's must read. It's quick, yet stoic, full of respect and a certain wisdom. If you've ever owned and loved a dog, you'll love this book.