SOLVED. Childrens novel about a lost puppy, gets called "good dog" [s]

[Harper]

The story goes along the lines of, the puppy (who I think was unwanted and given away) is in a box on the back of a truck/lorry, going through the forest to a farm, the box falls off and the pup is lost.
He wanders through the forest, scared and alone. He remembers being called "good dog".
He encounters animals such as racoons and watches how they forage through garbage bins, to work out how to survive. He becomes scared of humans, but (I think) it has a happy ending

[Tab]

How many years ago did you read this?
Anything about the cover?

[Lena]

is it 'shiloh"?

[Diana]

Maybe Just a Dog by Helen Griffiths?

[Harper]

Tab wrote: "How many years ago did you read this?
Anything about the cover?"

Tab, unfortunately I can't remember anything about the cover. I would have read this book in the 80's.

[Harper]

Lena wrote: "is it 'shiloh"?"

Definitely not Shiloh. This book doesn't feature humans as part of the story, apart from the occasional incidences where they cross the pup's path.
ie in the scene where he is going through the bins with the racoon, the human comes out yelling and the dog learns to run away as soon as the porch light comes on, to avoid The Human.

[Harper]

Diana wrote: "Maybe Just a Dog by Helen Griffiths?"

I Haven't read "Just a dog", so I am not sure, but I don't feel like it is.
The synopsis of Just a dog, says that the dog " alternately experiences human kindness and cruelty" which suggests to me that there is more human interaction than I can remember there being in this story.
But it definitely sounds very similar!
Anyone who has read "Just a dog" can tell me if the dog in the cardboard box gets lost in the forest, towards the start of the book?

[Diana]

I haven't actually read it either, sorry. I have read some of the author's other books and your plot seemed like something she would write.

[Harper]

Ahh, thanks :-)
Well, I have asked on the synopsis of it on here, so hopefully someone who has read it can confirm or not :-)

[Tab]

Hi Fella ?
Kirkus:
The heartwarming adventures of a timorous pup lost in the wild proceed relentlessly through the inevitable encounters with a skunk, a garbage-canny raccoon, the Big Storm, and the man with a gun.

Also, the Amazon reviews mention the box the puppy was in falls out of the truck and into the woods.

[Harper]

Tab wrote: "Hi Fella?
Kirkus:
The heartwarming adventures of a timorous pup lost in the wild proceed relentlessly through the inevitable encounters with a skunk, a ga..."

OMG that is it! Thank you so much, Tab!

[Tab]

You're welcome!