Lad: A Dog

“Lad: A Dog” is about not just any dog, but the dream dog of every pet owner that ever lived. Lad was a Rough Collie, champion show dog, and champion pet.  He was obedient to a degree that would stun any person who has ever owned a dog.  He was intelligent nearly beyond belief and, according to Mr. Turhune, he had a soul.  Yes, Lad was a real dog, and the stories about him are true: He belonged to Mr. Turhune, and the author appears in the book as “The Master”.

This is a picture of the real Lad!

Lad is a precious dog, and his stories are not soon forgotten.  He is, like I said, the dream dog of any person who wishes to own one.  He is brave, smart, loyal, wise and very lovable.  Really, I can hardly say enough for the books.  There are several more books and when I heard that, I was relieved.  Because when I had finished the book I wasn’t ready to stop!   This dog is one of the most endearing I’ve ever read about.  He’s right up there with Old Yeller, Ol’ Dan and Little Anne, Lassie, and all those stars.  They’ve even got a movie about him, but I’ve never seen it, and it’s only available on VHS for now.

Anyway, though this book has little or no content that would not be suitable for children 5 & up, the language is somewhat out of date and rather advanced.  I enjoy the most difficult “Robin Hood” talk, and even try to speak it myself, but the speech in “Lad” sometimes makes me do double-takes.  It’s not exactly hard, it’s just not a cursory read, and a little in depth.  However, this would make a fabulous read-aloud if you want to advance to reading with a greater vocabulary.  Or, older children would enjoy it on their own.

Oh yeah, and the only content that might not be suitable for young children would be that sometimes, when Lad is protecting his home and people, there are some slashed and bleeding arms, and things like that.  But the descriptions are very slight and passing: you know it happened, but the blood is not what the author dwells on.

Lad’s Grave

This is another of my favorites, and I highly recommend it!

Here’s a paperback edition of  “Lad: A Dog” at Amazon.com, but  I haven’t been able to find a reasonable price on a hardcover edition at any of the popular book sites.  However, here’s a place that might help you find one, AddAll.com, this link takes you to search results for Lad: A Dog.  Hope you can find something!