The Good Dog

Infobox Book
name = The Good Dog
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Trade paperback edition
author = Avi (pseudonym)
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = USA
language = English
series =
subject = Dogs -- Juvenile Fiction
genre =
publisher = Atheneum Books
pub_date = 2001
english_pub_date =
media_type = Book
pages = 243
isbn = ISBN 9780689838248
oclc = 45505842
preceded_by =
followed_by =

The Good Dog is a children's novel by Newbery Medalist Edward Irving Wortis published under his pseudonym, Avi, in 2001. Written for ages 8-12, [cite journal|title=The Good Dog|journal=Publisher's Weekly (online via Lexis-Nexis Academic database)|publisher=Cahners|issue=March 17, 2003|issn=0000-0019|oclc=2489456] the book has been described as having "a very cinematic feel" comparable to the movies "" and "Beethoven". [cite journal|last=Phillips|first=Marilyn Payne|date=December 2001|title=The Good Dog (Book Review)|journal=School Library Journal|volume=47|issue=12|pages=132|issn=03628930]

Plot summary

The story takes place in the town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It is recounted from the dog's point of view with animals able to express themselves to each other in english. The protagonist is a Malamute named McKinley, who protects his "human pup," Jack.

While helping a runaway greyhound named Duchess, McKinley meets the wolf, Lupin, who is trying to recruit dogs into her shrinking pack. McKinley must deal with Jack's desire to join the wolf pack, protect Lupin from hunters, and figure out how to handle Redburn, an ambitious Irish Setter.

By the end of the book, after overcoming many obstacles, McKinley is transformed from a happy-go-lucky pet into a true leader.

Literary significance and reception

Horn Book Magazine said in their review in 2002 that "the strongest parts of the book depict the communication gap between animal and human and that the novel falls somewhere between a naturalistic account of animal life and a fantasy." [cite journal |last= Sieruta,|first= Peter D.
authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2002
month= Jan/Feb|title= The Good Dog|journal= Horn Book Magazine|volume= Vol. 78|issue= Issue 1|pages= p75|issn= 00185078] Publishers Weekly said that this novel had themes reminiscent to Jack London's Call of the Wild. And that the "the dog's-eye point of view allows for some creative touches, including insights into animal behavior, but most compelling of all is the transformation of McKinley's happy-go-lucky character into a truly majestic leader. [cite journal |date = 2001-11-05|title= THE GOOD DOG (Book Review)|journal= |volume= Vol. 248|issue= Issue 45|pages= p68|issn= 00000019]

References