It's like life. Often pointless, confusing and tragic. It took the repetitiveness of events to convey the monotony of time and day to day living. For the people who didn't get the training sessions, it struck me how meticulous they were with the dog's training and yet Edgar was often treated as an afterthought and not as important as they were. This after finally being able to have a child. Such is life again. How we can so easily take people for granted, or pretend we don't notice their handicaps.

The search was for a new breed, yes. Part vanity, as was the motivation of the branch kennels with their marketing ploy; the Sawtelle's were no less vulnerable to that. The irony is they worried so much what each dog meant, but had no idea what their own son meant. Or each other, or Claude. That seemed what the author was trying to convey.

Now as to why Claude would want to kill his brother. Good grief, we see all manner of senseless murders by family members everyday. I didn't have to know why he did it. I accepted that he had just been released from prison when he arrived there. That along with the sketch of his troubled youth let the reader know he was a bad seed. He wanted his cake and to eat it too. He sold his share probably intending at the time to come back and take it whenever he chose, just slip into his brother's life and take it over. Revenge. But, he thought himself merciful that he took great pains that his brother not suffer.

I didn't get the sense that in the end the dogs were going off on their own to be kings of the wild. It was led by Essay. She chose her littermates and a few others SHE deemed worthwhile. She, not the breeding records determined the future of the stock.
Where were they headed? Why to Henry's place with Tinder and Baboo!! Henry wasn't ordinary. He was extraordinary, to them. Because he was a man of honor.

You make very interesting points, Maire. I appreciate you taking the time to write me and help me better understand this book. I definitely agree that Edgar was seen as an afterthought. I find it interesting how you bring up the idea of how we take people for granted. Very true. That's very evident in life and the book. Thanks again for your perspective. I wish I could go deeper into discussion but it's been quite awhile since I read the book.