My Life in Dog Years

This is a great book that children and adults will both enjoy. I'm going to read it to my fourth grade students. Each chapter is about a different dog in Paulsen's life. It is a funny and touching book.

My Life in Dog Years
Gary Paulsen
By: Sadie Edwards

For those of us that like dogs, My Life in Dog Years by Paulsen Paulson is a perfect fit. As a dog lover Paulsen takes the reader through his life using his dogs to explain how his life was at that moment. The most unique thing is that every dog tells its own story. Each of these animals impacts Paulsen’s life and it seems that they were his best friends. Reading this book is a must for someone that enjoys animals and doesn’t mind a few tear jerker moments.
This book is dedicated to a dog that he stated he has written about numerous times. The dog that courageously saved his life. The dedication of the book to Cookie shows how important these pets, companions, and best friends were to him. In this story, Paulsen explains that he was trapping beaver and was near part of a pond that had thinner ice. He had left the dogs to rest and was walking over the icy pond when the ice broke and he fell through. His yells woke Cookie and she could wake the other dogs and pull him out of the ice-cold water. In my opinion, this sets the tone for the book. This dedication shows the love that he had for his dogs and the love and loyalty they showed to him.
Paulsen’s first dog was Snowball. He was seven years old and was living in the Philippines where his dad was stationed in the Army. Paulsen explains that he was having difficulty adjusting to life there because his parents were always gone and he had a hard time making friends. Paulsen begged his mother to save Snowball from being eaten and he and the dog became instant friends. This dog also saved Paulsen’s life by killing a poisonous snake. When it was time for Paulsen and his family to return home, Paulsen had convinced his mother and father to fill out the paperwork to allow Snowball to come home with them. About two weeks before their departure, Snowball was killed. An Army truck had hit the dog and Paulsen had to leave his friend behind.
The next dog that had an impact on Paulsen’s life was Ike. Paulsen advised that he spent much of his time by himself because he was very shy. He stated that his parents were alcoholics and this resulted in him being a very lonely child. At the age of 12, Paulsen received a rifle and decided to begin hunting. He hunted most days but was still lonely. He wanted someone that he could share his adventures with. Paulsen took up duck hunting and wasn’t necessarily great at it. It was especially hard for him to retrieve the ducks from the water. As if his pleas were heard, a dog shows up out of nowhere in the woods. This dog looked to be fed and it acted as if it wanted to hunt. It was in fact a hunting dog. Once the first duck was shot, the dog retrieved it and allowed Paulsen to look at the tag that was around his neck. This dog’s name was Ike but there was no other information on the tag. Ike would meet Paulsen and hunt and then they would separate at the bridge. Ike never traveled home with Paulsen. One morning after many, many hunting trips and shared sandwiches, Ike didn’t show up. It was thirty years later, and Paulsen was giving a presentation about sled dogs at a store that a veteran came to him to tell him about his own dog. The veteran said that the dog was a lab and that they had hunted until the veteran had lost the use of his legs. When he came home wounded, the dog did not leave his side. Paulsen asked the veteran the dog’s name and the veteran said Ike. Paulsen is telling us in this chapter of the loyalty that dogs have for their owners. I feel that Paulsen was proud to have been a friend to Ike.
In the next chapter of the book we see a very different dog from before. The other dogs mentioned so far have been loyal companions. The previous dogs have been more like friends. Each of them have met him by chance, maybe fate, and this one is no different. Paulsen seems to be in a very rough place in life. He is a teenager and his parents are too intoxicated to even make sure there is food in the refrigerator. Paulsen works doing odd jobs and buys his own school supplies and clothes. He is also the target of a local gang and is getting beat up regularly. One night when he is heading home from work, he hears a growl from a stairwell and the dog will not let him pass. Paulsen throws half of a hamburger to the dog and escapes but only runs into the gang that continues to beat him. It is at this point the dog attacks the gang members and runs off from Paulsen. He proceeds to take the dog home and gives him the name Dirk. Dirk follows him to school and protects him from the gang members. During this time Paulsen recalls that he and Dirk weren’t really friends. Dirk didn’t want to be petted. He was simply Paulsen’s protector. That summer Paulsen worked for a farm and Dirk went with him. It was now that Paulsen could provide a friend for the owner of the farm. Dirk took up with the owner and Paulsen left him there to herd sheep.
The next dog, Rex, wasn’t really Paulsen’s dog either. Growing up Paulsen worked on a lot of farms. His love for dogs intrigued him to watch them as they worked. Paulsen followed Rex around the farm and watched Rex herd cows, help kittens and check on the pigs, calves and chickens. Paulsen notices that Rex doesn’t take a break at all through the day and is completely happy with his life on the farm.
As Paulsen grows older and is married and has a family of his own, his love for dogs is still present. Paulsen finds an ad in the paper that someone is moving and needs to find a home for their dog, Caesar. Caesar is a Great Dane and that just so happens to be one of his favorite breeds. The dog arrived at Paulsen’s home and was sad that his old owner was gone. It took a few days for Caesar to perk back up but when he does he happens to drag Paulsen through a yard, a bike shop and a small café. Caesar loved to chase cats and even though he was a very large dog, he won the hearts of the community.
Paulsen also speaks with great fondness that he purchased a dog from a kid at a bookstore. This dog was named Fred and was apparently very mischievous. He made messes where ever he went. As it turns out, Fred made a friend of his own with the 500lb pig that Paulsen and his wife raised. This pig was simply called Pig. In the story Paulsen speaks that Fred and Pig grew fat together and ate the best vegetables they could find together in the garden.
The next dog is a tough Alaskan that looks more like a dirty mop. Paulsen happened upon this dog when he wanted to run the Iditarod in Alaska when he exchanged carpentry work for a good hot meal. Paulsen’s Husky couldn’t pull the sled for more than 30 miles and while he was eating with this family Quincy took to him. Paulsen suggested that the lady take the Husky so they made a trade and Paulsen left with Quincy. In the end, Quincy turned out to like Paulsen’s wife best and even saved her from a bear attack. Quincy was a smart dog and always remembered the best places to get treats. Dairy Queen was his favorite. This pet died of old age at about twenty.
The final dog in the book is Josh. Josh is old when the book is written and Paulsen seems to feel like the dog is basically human. This dog has characteristics of a human and seems to understand exactly what Paulsen tries to tell him. Josh is ticklish and likes to play but is also serious when needed and makes sure that he helps with the horses and other work that needs to be done. He likes to play games and tries his best to cheer his owner up when he is sad. Paulsen states that Josh is always with him whether he is riding horses or going on a book tour. Josh turned into Paulsen’s best dog.
I enjoyed reading this book since I am a dog lover myself. The only parts that made me sad were when the dogs passed away or left him. I would recommend this book to my friends and family because I feel that it shows us how important animals are in our lives.
Comparing this book to another that was written by Paulsen was very interesting. Although the book The Hatchet did not mention dogs, Paulsen still managed to bring my attention to the wolves that were in the wild. His love of dogs was represented in The Hatchet when the main character, Brian, felt that the wolf would never hurt him. To me, this shows that Paulsen sees dogs as a protector and loyal friend throughout his writings.
All in all, Paulsen’s love for dogs helped him through rough times in his life. This also helped him through good times. He learned about love, loyalty and friendship though these amazing pets. The dogs showed him how hard they worked for their owners and how fulfilling life could be with a pet.

My Life in Dog Years

Gary Paulsen

Have you ever had more then one dog in your life? Well Gary Paulsen has. He has had many in his life. His first dog was named Snowball and he had got him while he was in the Philippians islands with his dad in the military. One of the most important things that Gary had in his life was dogs. He has had lots of dogs; most were given to him or were abandoned.

One time when Gary was young he would go hunting early in the morning. When he was in his duck blind one day a dog came up to him and the dog loved to hunt. For about two to three weeks the dog kept hunting with him, until one day he didn't show up. Gary figured that somebody took him into their house as a pet he went back to his owner. About thirty years later he was giving a speech and after he was done talking an older man came up to him and told him about this great dog who loved to hunt but he never got the chance to go out and hunt. It turns out that Gary was hunting with this guy's dog. That was really special to Gary.

When Gary met all of his dogs he had a thing for them. Whether it is the intelligence, the stupidity or the roughness and the destroying power of the dog he still loved them the same amount. He had dogs that would pee on the carpet and knock down the flower pot when they walked in the house. When he had his sled dogs he would have to train them everyday.

Gary Paulsen must have a lot of courage to have so many dogs and either to have to put them down or have them get hit by a car like Snowball He would talk about how he never got to bring Snowball back to the U.S. I know how devastating it must have been to lose snowball and have it be his first major loss in his life. That is how it was for me.

I chose to read this book because I have read many books by Gary Paulsen before and I have really like them. I think he is one of the best authors because he keeps you interested all the way through the book. I learned that most of Gary's life was spent with dogs. All the way from a kid to when he wrote the book. I also learned that you can get through tough times like if your parents are alcoholics. Gary ha

Gary Paulsen, the author of many young adult novels about survival in the wilderness, tells parts of his own life story here. He loves dogs and says he has owned hundreds of dogs in his lifetime, each with its own distinct personality and its own little quirks.

In this book, Gary Paulsen talks about the dogs that have most affected his life. He devotes a chapter to each of these special animals, describing them and telling stories that bring them to life for the reader. There is Cookie, whom he credits with saving his life; Snowball, the dog he owned as a child in the Philippines; Ike, a dog who hunted with him for a short time when he was young; Dirk, his protector from town bullies; Rex, a dedicated farm dog he observed and admired; Caesar, a gigantic dog who charmed the local children; Fred, who made friends with Gary's pet pig; Quincy a raggedly little dog who took to Paulsen's wife; and Josh, the dog Paulsen owned at the time this book was written.

Through Paulson's storytelling, we see that each of these dogs did have a distinct personality and intelligence. His passion for these animals is obvious, and even I, a definite non-dog-lover, found his descriptons appealing and amusing. The only drawback of this book is that, by focusing on the stories of the dogs, Paulsen avoids telling very much of his own story, which I find even more fascinating than the stories of his pets.

Gary Paulsen has a way with story telling, my first book I read of his, is called Harris and Me. I fell in LOVE with that book. That book led me to all the others. He's a YA author, but I absolutely love his stories. Young or old his books are to be enjoyed by all.

This book was published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for young readers on July 1999. My Life in Dogs Years has not won any awards but the ratings are at the top of the list. I liked this book becaause of the way it was written and because it was about all kinds of dogs. It was really good i can tell you that from experence that the author put alot of work in this book, telling about all of his amaazing dogs Cookie, Snowball, Ike, Quincy, Josh and what they have done for him.These dogs are just so great that you would wish you had one just like them. I mean these dogs go from being a life saver to being a farm dog.This book is great for all ages no matter if you have someone read to you or you read on your own. After a little bit of reading you will be sitting up and begging for more. Most of his books are terrific because some are scary, funny, depressing, trilling you just got to love them. Ever since i started reading his books he is my favorite author. Also after you finish reading this book and you liked it there is a another book called NightJohn by Gary Paulsen and that is a terrific book too.

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!

This book is half auto-biography and half dog-story book. The two are combined when Gary Paulsen writes about the dogs that have shared his life.

Each story proves the importance of these furry friends in his life, and they also provide a glance into Gary's rough childhood and difficult adult years.

Overall, I thought the book was inspiring and heartwarming, though there were many details of the author's early life that alternately made me angry and sad.

Good book. Quick read. I laughed, I sighed. I was reminded of how wonderful dogs of all sorts are.

Pam T~
mom/blogger

This book was very interesting, entertaining, funny, and hard to put down! Something that was very cool about the book was that, each chapter was a different story, so it was hard to get bored with. Gary Paulsen (the author) had a very complicated life, but yet he was able to take those complications in his life and weave them into a great story that is enjoyable for all ages. Anyone who loves dogs, would love this story. Every chapter is about another dog, so you really get to know different species and lifestyles of different dogs with different personalities. If you are looking for a nice book to get into, this simple, but quite amazing book, is definitely for you no matter what your age!!!!!!!

This is the best autobiography I have ever read. The author chronicles his life though the joys and fears, good times and bad, that's he has shared with his dogs. It's action filled and heart wrenching at times. I read this when I was about 8 or 9. And it changed my view on the world. I can focus on great times and good memories and think back to lessons learned. I am buying this for my kids so they too can share in learning how to enjoy life.

This is an autobiography about Gary Paulsen. He talks about nine different dogs in this book. He talks about them, because they have helped him threw hard times when he was kid and still now as an adult. He picks them up off the street and from the pounds. He is an animal lover because of his younger experiences with animals.

If you like dog books this is a book for you. He talks in detail of what had happen in this book. He did this to entertain the readers and to give the readers something to enjoy. This a book made for middle school readers. This is a new kind of book for dog books.

I looked forward to reading this book each night when I went to bed, and this story "kept me up into the wee hours", because I couldn't put it down and go to sleep! Sometimes I laughed so loudly that I woke up my husband! The wonderful thing about Gary Paulsen's writing about these dogs in his life, is that he saw them as "real people", with his/her own personality, intelligence, a sense of humor, and someone that he could interact with and learn from. He truly loved and valued each one of his dog companions. I loved feeling his passion for them.

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.

My Life in Dog Years is an autobiography about Gary Paulson and some of his many dogs. This was an entertaining book that really proved how special the dogs were to him.

My Life in Dog Years is about Gary Paulsen and some of his dogs that he has had throughout his life. It starts with his first dog that he bought in the Philippines where he lived when his dad was serving in the army. Then it tells about Ike, the dog that he knew as he struggled through his childhood with parents who were alcoholics. Together they found a love for hunting and he and Ike became Gary's only friend. Later in his life, Dirk, "the protector", was introduced. The other dogs he tells about are Rex, Caesar, Fred and Pig (an actual pig, not a dog), Quincy, and his current dog Josh. It shows how much each dog was different and how each affected his life.

This book was fun to read and funny. Each dog was so different and it was interesting to read about his life while learning about some of his dogs. Each chapter was about a dog and the part of the author's life that it was in. There is a lot of detail and I could just picture the dogs and where they were. For example, in parts of the book, I could just picture the dog tearing up the house or eating a cookie. "He sat for a moment, staring at me, then out the window; then he climbed on the couch, knocking over the coffee table, two end tables and a lamp." (p. 71) "I taught him to sit up and hold a cookie on his nose until I commanded him to flip it in the air and catch it. He loves cookies and he learned the trick in less than ten minutes. And he did it five times. The sixth time, he looked at me over the cookie on his nose as if I was completely insane, then lowered him nose, let the cookie drop on the floor and walked away, and we don't do the cookie trick anymore. Not unless I want to sit up on my hind end and put the cookie on my nose and flip my head up and catch the cookie, we don't." (p. 131) These are two examples that show how funny and exciting the book is.

Anybody who likes books about animals will love this book. I certainly would read it again. The book is humorous and funny while still being true. This book can be read by many ages and even adults could enjoy it.

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.

I really enjoyed the different dog stories through the years. It made me think of the dogs that have shared my life over the years. Some of his dogs were very similar to mine. Gary truly loves these dogs and it comes through in his writings.

This was a very unique book. I enjoyed every chapter, as I learned about each new dog that passed through Gary Paulsen's life. All of them true stories, of course. I do like the author's writing style very much, and it's amazing how descriptive the book is.

I'd pick it up and read it again!
I loved each & every one of these dogs stories.

My Life in Dog Years, written by Gary Paulsen was one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. Gary Paulsen has an extremely different way of writing from other authors. I have read a couple of his other books. This was probably not his best, but it was well written. I would highly recommend it for any dog lover.

As an avid Gary Paulsen reader, I was delighted to discover this book when one of my students shared it with me. I took it home and finished it in an hour or two. Never have I read a book that captures the essence of the love of and from a dog as in this one. I especially loved Caesar, or as a little girl wrote it, "Seezer." As always, Gary Paulsen writes with an uncanny ability to place a person in his shoes and takes them on an emotional rollercoaster. I found myself reflecting on the dogs I have loved throughout my life and wanting to jot down a little something about all of them. A must-read for every dog-lover!

I burst out in laughter at times with this book! I have owned many pets in my life too, I can relate to some of the stories rather well. I'm 39 years old and loved every bit of the book. My daughter will enjoy it too. Thank you for a great book!