My Life in Dog Years

If you've ever had the enjoyment of listening to Gary Paulsen speak you know that he is a great storyteller on and off the page. I could hear Gary as I read this book - every dog, every story was pure Paulsen! This is a fantastic book for anyone who has ever shared their life with a dog. Forget those sappy humane society commercials…..just have Gary Paulsen talk about his dogs and you'll be won over!

Gary Paulsen, young adult and children writer, has owned dozens of unforgettable and amazing dogs. In each chapter of this small book, he tells the tale of one special dog, among them Cookie, the sled dog who saved his life; Snowball, the puppy he owned as a boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting companion; Dirk, the grim protector; and his true friend Josh, a brilliant border collie. Some of the story a very funny, some incredibly sad (Paulson had a painful and difficult childhood—many of these dogs were really his salvation). After reading this book I told my husband that I wanted a dog like Josh—what a brilliant dog. But then again I think I will just keep my less than brilliant golden retriever Sam, a dog of great show more compassion though not a lot of smarts. 4 out of 5 stars. By the way, I listened to the audiotape of this book read by Gary Paulsen. As much fun as it was to hear him read his book, he does tend to laugh at his own jokes (as he continues to read) making it difficult to understand at times. I would suggest reading and listening to the book. show less

Great little book. The book is small and the margins are big, so a quick read. Great stories though. One story talks about a farm dog that makes his rounds to all the animals on the farm, unless the little girls in the household are out and then he is watching them and not letting them get to close to the pigpen. In Jon Katz's books like 'Rose in a Storm', he talks about how the farm dog keeps a mental map of all the animals, but the story on Rex in My Life in Dog Years describing the patrols helps you understand how it is done.

The story of Caesar the Great Dane had nice Marley and Me type stories that are pretty funny. Other stories also had very funny moments.

The book ends with a story on Josh the Border Collie. Darn those dogs are show more quirky but so freakin smart. Love how they are always looking for ways to help out.

So short book, but definitely a good quick read. show less

This is a delightful collection of stories about the dogs that the author has known and loved. It made me smile, and chuckle several times. Highly recommended for dog lovers, but worth reading by anyone.

My life in dog years is a collection of short stories about the impact dogs have had on the authors life. Gary Paulsen has lived an unusual life and the dogs that have come and gone through out that life are just as unusual. Some stories are humorous and others you will need a box of tissues near by. Each story holds a different specific central message but the one theme that is carried out through each chapter is that a dog can offer humans much more than a generic companionship, in fact many of the dogs mentioned seemed to have impacted that authors life more than humans.

Wonderful stories of the dogs in Paulsen's life and how they helped him growing up in an alcoholic home. Many of these make great read-alouds for upper elementary and middle school. "Dirk" in particular is recommended.

This is a sweet and funny book, both a memoir and a group of short stories. Each chapter is about an entertaining dog; dangerous, life-saving, sweet, hilarious, perseverant, or extremely smart. Paulsen's writing is clever and delightful.