The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be

In Farley Mowat’s autobiography The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be, written and published in 1954, readers are brought to the prairies of Saskatoon, Canada 1921 where Mowat spent most of his childhood, and a journey across them with his strange dog, Mutt.  Just after moving to Saskatoon, Mowat’s mother is approached by a boy with some ducklings he wishes to sell.  Upon looking into the basket, the mother sees a young puppy in the basket and winds up buying him. What followed were adventures with the strangest things anyone could imagine a dog doing.  From walking atop fences to avoid unfriendly dog packs to swimming down freezing lakes in winter after a winged goose, Mutt was a mystery among mysteries.  In Mowat’s other autobiography Owls in the Family and chapter 13 of The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be, he brings two owls into his already zoo-like home.  The larger of the two, Wol named after Christopher Robin’s owl companion, and Weeps, a small, timid creature who was traumatized just as young Farley found him.  Upon bringing these animals into his abode Mowat wrote, “These two were among the most fascinating animals that I have ever known.  They gave me a great deal of pleasure-but they made Mutt’s life hell on earth.”

Readers who enjoy personal experiences from the author or who love the classic “boy and his dog” style will find this book a treasure among treasures.  Other books by Mowat are, The Boat Who Wouldn’t Float, Owls in the Family, and Never Cry Wolf.  Readers who enjoyed this book may also enjoy reading Marley and Me, Because of Winn-Dixie, and other dog related stories.

Author; Farley Mowat,

Genre; Autobiography