2026 Reading Challenge
My Life in Dog Years

Questions About My Life in Dog Years

by Gary Paulsen

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Answered Questions (1)

Are you sure these stories are real? Some seem pretty unbelievable
Dave Broyles Who cares? I personally believe all of it.

I had a big white Akbash named Buster. My deadly killer cat brought in a live baby rabbit. All the dogs, I …moreWho cares? I personally believe all of it.

I had a big white Akbash named Buster. My deadly killer cat brought in a live baby rabbit. All the dogs, I had 3, ran up to see what was making all the noise. (Rabbits do scream) and the baby rabbit ran down the hall and into the bathroom, with Buster in hot pursuit and me close behind. I looked in the bathroom, there was Buster, the Abash but no rabbit. I looked in his mouth. There was the rabbit. I tried to take it out. He was having none of it. "My rabbit", he seemed to be thinking. "The rabbit's a goner", I thought. Buster dodged around me and ran to the back door and through to the yard. No more than 15 seconds later, he returned. No blood on him, no fur in his mouth. He wasn't swallowing anything. ??? So I did more research on Akbashs. It turns out that Akbashs are, as adults, male and female, highly maternal and are trusted by ewes around their new born lambs. (from 3000 years of breeding as livestock protection dogs) All I could guess was that Buster had taken the baby rabbit outside and set it free. Dogs are wonderful in their behavior and genetics. This story is absolutely true.

Cookie recruited other dogs to help pull Gary out of a hole in the ice. I absolutely believe this is true. Dogs can have that sort of intelligence and reasoning. Not every dog, but enough do. You are very unfortunate not to have encountered at least one or perhaps fortunate enough never having had to be saved by one. Been a while since I read this book, but this stuck with me.
Gary strikes me as someone who is a truth teller. If he says it, I believe it.(less)
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Unanswered Questions (3)

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