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A Dog’s Purpose Study Guide for Grades 8-12

A Complete Study Guide for A Dog’s Purpose, by W.

Bruce Cameron, including pre-reading information,

vocabulary lessons, and motivational activities.

Amy Cameron

Judith Robben

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents.........................................................................................................2

How My Writing Career Went to the Dogs ...................................................................3

Author’s Purpose .........................................................................................................5

An Approach to A Dog’s Purpose..................................................................................7

Essential Questions for the Students: ...........................................................................8

VOCABULARY – SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADE ............................................................... 10

VOCABULARY – EIGHTH GRADE .................................................................................13

VOCABULARY – NINTH GRADE ...................................................................................15

VOCABULARY – TENTH GRADE...................................................................................17

VOCABULARY – ELEVENTH/TWELTH GRADES .............................................................19

CONNECT WITH THE TEXT ..........................................................................................21

Chapters 1-10 ............................................................................................................22

Chapters 11-20 ..........................................................................................................24

Chapters 21 – 32 ........................................................................................................29

MOTIVATING ACTIVITIES..........................................................................................344

Grammar Connections .............................................................................................355

Extending the Lesson .....................................................36Error! Bookmark not defined.

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How My Writing Career Went to the Dogs

By W. Bruce Cameron

My mother is fond of telling a story about visiting my kindergarten class and being advised that

during story time, the children preferred that I be the only person telling stories.

I preferred the same thing.

The other kids probably had stories of getting a haircut or a pair of roller skates, but mine were

likely filled with fire-breathing monsters and kindergarten children saving the planet. For as

long as I can remember, my brain has served up a constant supply of internal movies, of stories

flowing into my head in a steady stream. Opening my mouth to let the stories out was as

natural and necessary an impulse as sitting down with pencil and paper would prove to be as I

got older.

Technology changes—I went from pencil to typewriter to word processor to computer—but my

impulses never have. My head is full of stories, and I want to tell them.

One December afternoon I was driving with my fiancé and long time writing partner to visit

family in Northern California. I was behind the wheel and the steady pulse of the dotted yellow

centerline coming at me on the pavement put me into a relaxed, almost hypnotic state. A new

story started in my head, a story about a dog who grew to understand he had a purpose too

important to be fulfilled in just one lifetime. The entire narrative—the characters the dog would

meet, the lessons it would learn, the challenges it would overcome—flashed into my brain as if I

were downloading it from some central story server.

We stopped for coffee, and when my partner came back with her latte, I said, “sit down; I want

to tell you a story.”

I wound up talking for an hour and a half, straight through, picking my way unerringly through

the plot points. When I finished, my partner looked at me with tears in her eyes and said,

“you’ve got to write that book.”

A Dog’s Purpose came to me the way the best ideas often do: of a piece, complete and whole,

with little repair needed.

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Writing this book has been one of the great creative experiences of my life.

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Author’s Purpose:

“Just about everything I know about dogs, I have been taught by dogs�” W. Bruce Cameron.

It is no coincidence that many of Cameron’s pet names appear in his novel. Cameron states that Bailey is a “combination of all the Labs I have ever owned: their propensity for snacking, their adoration for their owners, and how they can sense the excitement and nervousness emitting from others.”

While Bailey’s return to Earth as different dogs appears to be a result of reincarnation, Cameron does not adhere to either Buddhism or Hinduism as a model for this spiritual journey. “If you notice,” Cameron points out, “there is a great deal of time that has passed between Ellie’s death and her return to Earth as Buddy, which suggests a richer spiritual experience other than being reborn immediately.”

In A Dog’s Purpose, Cameron makes his own rules. “I hope the reader can tell that each dog wants to be in a loving relationship with a human being. All of Bailey’s experiences will enable him to not only find Ethan, but to save him.” Each experience the dogs share gives them the tools needed to bring Ethan and Hannah together again. Cameron enthuses, “We see the sadness wafting off of Ethan, like the sadness that came from Jakob. The dog does not realize that Ethan is an old man and incapable of having a child. Buddy knows that Jakob had a sadness that was fixed with a new relationship and the birth of a baby; Buddy is acutely aware of Ethan’s sadness and wants him to have the same things.”

This is not a novel about how animals serve humans. Ellie knows her job is to do what she is told, and that makes her happy to some extent, but she also feels something is missing in her relationship with Jakob. Bear tries to follow Victor because he wants to be a “good dog.” In both instances, the dog is searching for his or her role, or purpose. Whether by Intelligent Design or not, Bailey learns from his past lives that in order to save Ethan, he has to be brought into a family.

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Point of View – The unique quality of the narrative of this story is that it is told from the dog’s point of view. For this reason, Cameron is vague about specific time and setting. “There are some textual clues, but it is ambiguous for a reason. A dog does not have sense of the year or the setting of a story. A dog sees the terrain but doesn’t draw conclusions about where he might be on a map.”

Cameron makes a reference to Ethan and his family watching the moon landing in one scene, where Bailey is jazzed up by the sense of fear and excitement. Years later, two men make a subtle reference to Y2K. It is up to the reader to do the math. The reader may picture the Southwest in Cameron’s description of the dried cracked earth, or the appearance of canals and bi-lingual characters, but the state’s names are rarely mentioned.

Humor is also used effectively as a result of the dog’s point of view. According to Bailey, Smokey the cat is the “instigator” in some of the trouble he finds himself in. When Bailey is punished for the disordered kitchen, he looks with glum distaste at Smokey and thinks, “Smokey, you are a bad cat, a bad, bad cat.” In Bailey’s view, neither the cats, ducks, or horses have any real value to the family, but he does acknowledge a hierarchy and is satisfied when he knows his place within it.

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An Approach to A Dog’s Purpose

As a teacher, this book offers a variety of “teachable moments;” students can identify and analyze the point of view, make predictions based on contextual clues, recognize the use of foreshadowing, make inferences based on real-world context and relevance, and identify and discuss literary elements that include: theme, setting, tone, and character analysis. This work of fiction pairs well with non-fiction material. It serves as a jump-off point for reflective and persuasive papers. Students can discuss and research man’s relationships to animals, the empathy we feel for vulnerability in other species, how we use animals to manage our lives, and how we judge our own lives and “purpose.” In addition, there is an opportunity to reflect and speculate on the author’s purpose for choosing the different breeds of dogs to serve different purposes in the book.

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Essential Questions for the Students:

1. Do the different breeds in the book represent different

purposes? Support your answer with details from the text.

(Students may have to briefly research the 3 different

breeds and explain what they are known for). Do the

circumstances surrounding the birth of each dog contribute

to its outcome?

2. What can you infer about the passage of time in the story?

What clues are you given? Are there any gaps in time

between when a dog dies and when it is reborn in the story?

3. What is the symbolism of the “flip”? Why did the “flip”

reappear at the end of the story? Use quotes to support

your answer.

4. Why do you think the author used the point of view of a dog

when writing the story? How does the point of view relate

to the author’s purpose? How would the story be different

if it was told in Ethan’s point of view, or Hannah’s?

5. How does the author use foreshadowing to build rising

action in the plot? Is it effective; why or why not?

6. What is Bailey’s conflict and how is it resolved?

7. How do dogs “know” when their owners are sad, happy,

fearful, etc.? Find textual support for your answers.

8. What clues are given to help you identify the time and place

of each life? Can you deduce where each dog lived? Support

your conclusions with text from the book. Teacher Tip:

With Google Maps, you can figure out where Ellie is when

they are hunting for the man who took the girl.

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9. How are dogs’ vulnerabilities to mankind and their

environment depicted in the book?

10. What does the dog learn in each of his lives that help him

fulfill his purpose? What do you believe will happen next; will

the dog be reborn again?

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VOCABULARY – SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADE Teacher Tip: For middle school students, use strategies for effective vocabulary instruction, such as graphic organizers, concept chains, and modified Frayer Models.

Define the Word

Draw a picture or find a picture on the Internet to place here that demonstrates the word

Synonyms of Word – have students find one or two words that have the same meaning

Use the word in a sentence that demonstrates the student’s comprehension

Modified Frayer Model Select 2-3 vocabulary words related to the same concept. In pairs or groups, have students explore how the words are related to each other. Have students create word chains that demonstrate these relationships. Share with class. Write a paragraph using the words that demonstrate their connection. Chapters 1 – 5

6th Grade List 7th Grade List

Prancing Beseech

Culvert Plummet

Deprive Disheartened

Surly Wafted

Erupt (ed) Radiated

Feeble Senora

Deflated Compulsion

Submissive Compelled

Menace Propelled

Contempt Perimeter

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Chapters 6 – 10

6th Grade List 7th Grade List

Gratitude Shied

Scavenger Disdain

Lure Encounter

Solemn Humiliated

Lethargic Reluctant

Commotion Assume

Attentive Pungent

Vapors

Chapters 11 – 15

6th Grade List 7th Grade List

Canopy Pursuit

Edible Dismay

Fuss(ed) Apathy

Grieve Tentative

Conflict Procession

Audible Ventured

Tension Dispel

Reluctance

Chapters 16 – 20

6th Grade List 7th Grade List

Mournful Resentment

Previous Flared

Ecstatic Audacious

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Urgency Veer (ed)

Frantic Subdued

Certified Alzheimer

Turmoil Intertwined

Primal

Chapters 21 – 25

6th Grade List 7th Grade List

Dwelling Mystified

Gait Imminent

Genuine Rapport

Timid Burdened

Disability Agitated

Linger Assurance

Ponder Bellowed

Conscious

Chapters 26 – 29

6th Grade List 7th Grade List

Eviction Malevolence

Fragrant Intimidating

Deliberate Baffled

Vanished Muffled

Threshold Illuminate

Rummaged Fathom

Distracted Receptive

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Chapters 30 – 32

6th Grade List 7th Grade List

Peer(ing) Astounded

Obediently Surge

Adoration Harbored

Consult Oblivious

Burrowed Impending

VOCABULARY – EIGHTH GRADE

Acrid – Chapter 1

Audibly – Chapter 23

Beseech – Chapter 1

Boisterous – Chapter 4

Brood – Chapter 5

Compelled – Chapter 1

Compulsion – Chapter 3

Cowering – Chapter 1

Culvert – Chapter 1

Descent – Chapter 1

Dimwits – Chapter 1

Dissipated – Chapter 9

Feral – Chapter 28

Gait – Chapter 21

Gratified – Chapter 7

Lethargic – Chapter 9

Loathsome – Chapter 12

Manic – Chapter 7

Mottled – Chapter 1

Parched – Chapter 5

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Perimeter – Chapter 2

Pungent – Chapter 6

Radiated – Chapter 1

Rambunctious – Chapter 2

Relentless – Chapter 1

Resignation – Chapter 2

Resolve – Chapter 22

Snide – Chapter 7

Sparse – Chapter 2

Surly – Chapter 2

ADVANCED:

Baleful – Ch. 6 Clamber – Ch. 5

Embedded – Ch. 6 Furtively – Ch. 3

Groveled – Ch. 3 Haughtiness – Ch. 7

Impassively – Ch. 9 Intoxicating – Ch. 3

Obliterate – Ch. 11 Plummeted – Ch. 1

Savoring – Ch. 1 Shambled – Ch. 1

Subdued – Ch. 14 Succulent – Ch. 2

Taut – Ch. 25 Dispel – Ch. 15

Tantalizing – Ch. 3

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VOCABULARY – NINTH GRADE

Adrift – Chapter 28

Aerodynamic – Chapter 10

Affixed – Chapter 11

Astringent – Chapter 8

Baffled – Chapter 27

Beacon – Chapter 29

Beckoned – Chapter 5

Bellowed – Chapter 25

Blearily – Chapter 5

Concoctions – Chapter 8

Cunning – Chapter 20

Despaired – Chapter 1

Elation – Chapter 20

Encountered – Chapter 17

Enticed – Chapter 20

Feeble – Chapter 17

Illuminate – Chapter 28

Intently – Chapter 19

Mournful – Chapter 16

Ponder – Chapter 26

Pedigree – Chapter 26

Primal – Chapter 20

Rapport – Chapter 22

Recoiled – Chapter 22

Reminiscent – Chapter 19

Serene – Chapter 32

Skittish – Chapter 1

Submission – Chapter 6

Sulked – Chapter 17

Turmoil – Chapter 18

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ADVANCED

Arrayed – Ch. 4 Beguiled – Ch. 2

Berth – Ch. 29 Consigned – Ch. 8

Contemptuously – Ch.3 Dubiously – Ch. 30

Ebb – Ch. 32 Grudgingly – Ch. 1

Hackles – Ch. 20 Heeded – Ch. 1

Jauntily – Ch. 1 Motley – Ch. 18

Strewed – Ch. 7 Tinged – Ch. 18

Unabashed – Ch. 31 Veering – Ch. 16

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VOCABULARY – TENTH GRADE

Accelerant – Chapter 15

Aimlessly – Chapter 27

Audible – Chapter 14

Bestowed – Chapter 32

Catastrophic – Chapter 17

Cringed – Chapter 15

Crooned – Chapter 1

Ecstatic – Chapter 17

Emerged – Chapter 2

Emitted – Chapter 4

Enhance – Chapter 13

Excavated – Chapter 13

Exerted – Chapter 4

Fathom – Chapter 28

Finality – Chapter 17

Foraging – Chapter 19

Fray – Chapter 4

Immersed – Chapter 18

Intertwined – Chapter 14

Languid – Chapter 9

Lingering – Chapter 1

Malevolence – Chapter 27

Methodically – Chapter 5

Oppressive – Chapter 4

Pelted – Chapter 25

Plume – Chapter 8

Rousing – Chapter 7

Searing – Chapter 4

Sprawled – Chapter 18

Tentative – Chapter 8

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ADVANCED

Ambled – Ch. 28 Audacious – Ch. 19

Circumnavigation – Ch. 2 Distended – Ch. 5

Emulated – Ch. 10 Fetid – Ch. 20

Galvanized – Ch. 14 Jounce – Ch. 1

Imminent – Ch. 21 Intrusive – Ch. 4

Laden – Ch. 7 Melee – Ch. 1

Placate – Ch. 4 Splayed – Ch. 8

Tenuous – Ch. 17 Wafted – Ch. 1

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VOCABULARY – ELEVENTH/TWELTH GRADES

Assurance – Chapter 23

Boggy – Chapter 11

Brimming – Chapter 28

Baying – Chapter 29

Conferring – Chapter 4

Daft – Chapter 9

Dejectedly – Chapter 14

Disconcerting – Chapter 24

Disgorged – Chapter 7

Disillusionment – Chapter 5

Eased – Chapter 22

Encasing – Chapter 4

Exuberant – Chapter 12

Feigned – Chapter 9

Feverish – Chapter 28

Gingerly – Chapter 25

Hackles – Chapter 20

Hilarity – Chapter 25

Impending – Chapter 32

Implications – Chapter 5

Infraction – Chapter 4

Laboriously – Chapter 30

Loftily – Chapter 23

Mystified – Chapter 21

Oblivious – Chapter 17

Perfunctory – Chapter 19

Plaintive – Chapter 8

Provocative – Chapter 7

Procession – Chapter 14

Rebuke – Chapter 29

Riveted – Chapter 28

Sated – Chapter 28

Shards – Chapter 12

Subserviently – Chapter 3

Surging – Chapter 11

Wistful – Chapter 22

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ADVANCED

Adroitly – Ch. 29 Cordoned – Ch. 15

Disgorged – Ch. 7 Emanating – Ch. 8

Grappling – Ch. 22 Ignominy – Ch. 8

Inexplicable – Ch. 5 Inextricably – Ch. 25

Luxuriated – Ch. 31 Redolent – Ch. 28

Salving – Ch. 14 Vestiges – Ch. 6

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CONNECT WITH THE TEXT

PLOT SUMMARIES

As you read through the book with students, use these summaries to check

for comprehension and personal connections. Having students connect with a book in a personal way ensures an increased attentiveness and interest in the book, making reading the book

less forced and more enjoyable. Books that are forcibly read often are given

little real thought, and students may go through the literature without a clear

understanding of what they have read. Students may have their own experiences to share with the

class?stories rich with details about the dogs in their lives which have made a

difference..

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Chapters 1-10

CHAPTERS 1 – 5 1. What does the narrator name his brothers and sister?

2. How does the puppy know his mother is afraid of humans?

3. What can you predict will happen to “Hungry”? Why?

4. Why doesn’t the puppy like the garbage truck?

5. How is the last sentence of chapter one an example of

foreshadowing?

6. Can you guess the rescue workers’ ethnicity? What are your

clues?

7. How does Toby’s mother get out of the pen?

8. What is Sister’s condition when she is brought to the Yard?

Why do you think she is in such a condition?

9. Why is Toby put in a collar after surgery?

10. How is the hierarchy of dogs maintained in the Yard? What

dog challenges it? What is the result?

11. What does Spike do to Toby?

12. At the end of chapter four, what does Toby say is his

“purpose”?

13. How does the reader know Toby’s fate at the end of

chapter four?

14. When Toby wakes, he says it is at once “strange and

familiar.” How is it strange and how is it familiar?

15. Why do you think the new man shows a “bland indifference”

to the puppies?

16. How does the puppy escape?

17. Why is ““Fella” left in the truck?

18. Why is Fella’s time in the truck nearly fatal?

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CHAPTERS 6 – 10

1. What kind of dog is Fella now?

2. What does the puppy consider to be “the most wonderful

concept in the world”?

3. Who names the puppy?

4. How does Bailey learn his place in the family?

5. How does the author use foreshadowing in chapter six?

6. Why is Bailey confused when the mother is angry about the

mess he makes in the garage?

7. How do you feel when you read the end of chapter seven?

Can you make any predictions about Todd and Bailey?

8. How would you describe Todd?

9. How does Bailey get out of Todd’s house?

10. One day, the noise from the bus is louder than usual. What

is happening on this day?

11. What does Bailey like about the farm?

12. Why is Bailey “humiliated” at the farm?

13. How does Bailey get the nickname “Doodle”?

14. How does Bailey learn the game he names “Rescue me” and

what makes him want to play it?

15. The author gives Bailey “voice” in these chapters. How is

humor used with Bailey’s exploits with Smokey?

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Chapters 11-20

Chapter 11

1. How does Bailey support Ethan when Ethan is afraid or sad?

2. When Ethan is left by himself at the farm, he takes Flare

out for a ride. Why does this confuse Bailey and what do you

predict might happen on their adventure?

3. What causes Flare to “scream”?

4. What does Ethan build with sticks?

5. Why is Bailey worried about Ethan? What is it about Ethan’s

condition that alarms Bailey?

6. How does Bailey compare Ethan to his brother, Hungry?

7. How does Bailey help save Ethan?

Chapter 12

1. The farm is located in what state?

2. How does Grandpa “reward” Bailey after Ethan’s rescue?

3. What do you think happened to Marshmallow? What textual

support do you have for your conclusions?

4. Why does Drake accuse Ethan of cheating in the go-kart

race?

5. How do the children stand up to Drake and Todd? What

might this suggest about the history of Drake and Todd’s

relationship to the neighborhood kids?

6. Why does Todd throw a rock through Ethan’s window?

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Chapter 13

1. Why does Bailey dig up Smokey?

2. Why doesn’t Ethan participate in the childhood activities

that he used to? Why would this be confusing to a dog?

3. How does Todd try to stir up trouble between Hannah and

Ethan? What do you think is his motivation for doing so?

4. Why does Bailey growl at Todd while Todd is speaking to

Hannah?

5. What do you think is wrong with the meat that Bailey finds in

his yard?

Chapter 14

1. What does Bailey think of Felix?

2. How well does Bailey interpret the emotions that human

beings have? Give examples.

3. How does Bailey know that something is wrong when he

returns to his home after one of his night time adventures?

4. What prompts Bailey to attack Todd?

Chapter 15

1. What is Bailey’s least favorite command?

2. What are Ethan’s injuries and how do you think this will

affect his aspirations to play college ball?

3. Why do the police cut off some of Bailey’s fur and stick it in

a plastic bag?

4. How is Bailey a “hero”?

5. What happens to Todd?

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Chapter 16

1. How has Felix and Bailey’s relationship changed somewhat?

2. What is Ethan’s condition when he returns from the hospital

and how is his mood?

3. How would you describe the relationship between Ethan’s

mother and father?

4. When was the only time that Ethan’s leg doesn’t give him any

pain?

5. Why does Ethan stay at the Farm instead of returning home

to go to school?

6. What kind of job does Ethan get?

7. At the end of chapter 16, Ethan has to leave Bailey. Where is

he going and how do you predict this will change their

relationship?

Chapter 17

1. At the beginning of chapter 17, Bailey feels betrayed; why?

2. What does Bailey dream about?

3. When Ethan watches Hannah at track practice, he is

suddenly angry. His anger spills over into the conversation he

has with Hannah. What is he angry about?

4. How do we know that the marriage between Ethan’s mother

and father is over?

5. What is Bailey’s favorite time of day? Why?

6. When Bailey gets sick, he can sense tension from Ethan’s

mother. Bailey seems to will himself to wait for something.

What is happening to Bailey and what is he waiting for?

7. When Bailey is put to sleep, how does he describe his “letting

go” of life?

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Chapter 18

1. Why is Bailey puzzled when he is born again as a puppy?

2. Why is Bailey astonished at his new gender?

3. What kind of “tests” does Jakob perform on the puppy?

What do you think he is looking for?

4. What kind of dog is Bailey now and what is “his” new name?

5. Ellie states, “A dog’s job was to do what people wanted.” How

is this demonstrated in our lives today? Do people use dogs?

Do people (in general) give anything to dogs?

6. How is “obeying a command” and “having a purpose”

different?

7. Why does Ellie feel there is something “broken” inside of

Jakob? How does this affect their relationship?

8. What is Ellie being trained to do?

9. Using context clues, can you guess what year it is now? How

much time has passed since Ethan was a boy?

10. Foreshadowing is used at the end of this chapter. What do

you think is happening based on the textual clues?

Chapter 19

1. Why would the police enlist the help of a search dog to find

an Alzheimer patient?

2. In chapter 19, the reader discovers the reason for Jakob’s

sadness. What is it and how does Ellie respond to it?

3. How do we know that Ellie is now living in California?

What are the clues?

4. Why does Ellie become a “front seat dog” in this chapter?

What are they searching for?

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Chapter 20

1. How does Ellie use her memories of being Bailey to capture

the bad man?

2. What happens to Jakob?

3. When Amy puts Ellie is the kennel, Ellie thinks she has been a

bad dog; why?

4. When Maya says that she would “hate to let Ellie down,” we

can predict what her relationship to Ellie may be. What is it?

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Chapters 21 – 32

Chapter 21

1. Ellie has a vocabulary of words she understands – some from

being the previous two dogs; some she has learned as a

rescue dog. What are some words that she understands?

2. What does Ellie think about cats?

3. Describe Ellie’s life with Maya. How is it different than what

she has known?

4. Why doesn’t Maya think she is good to enough to work with

Ellie?

Chapter 22

1. What was the surprise Maya had for Ellie and how does she

react?

2. Why does Ellie feel conflicted when she is visiting Jacob?

3. When Maya tells Jakob that receiving her certification is

“too hard,” Jakob responds with anger. What do we learn

about Jakob’s past and how does this motivate Maya?

4. How does Ellie know that she won’t be working with Jakob

anymore?

5. Why does Ellie miss the boy more when she is with Maya than

when she was with Jakob?

6. When Maya takes Ellie to a disaster area, we know from

textual clues that an earthquake has taken place. What are

these textual clues?

7. Why does Maya ask Vernon to play “find” with Ellie after

Ellie has found four bodies?

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8. Ellie finds a woman who is alive, but in the rescue, Ellie is

hurt. How is she hurt and what do you predict will happen to

her “job” as a result?

Chapter 24

1. What special event occurs at the beginning of chapter 24 and

how is Ellie involved?

2. Who is Alyssa and what is her relationship to Ellie?

3. Why is Jakob different when Ellie sees him again?

4. Why is Ellie semi-retired and where does Ellie and Maya give

their presentations?

5. What happens to Geoffrey and how does Ellie find him?

Chapter 25

1. How does Ellie save Geoffrey and what happens to her as a

result?

2. When Ellie starts feeling the signs of aging, she knows that

she will be leaving Maya and the family soon. She reflects on

her past lives, and what is her conclusion about how she has

spent them?

3. Why does Ellie believe she has finally served her purpose,

and how does she think her other lives helped her accomplish

her goals?

4. Why is the vet’s office so familiar to Ellie and how does she

feel armed with Maya’s love at the end of her life?

Chapter 26

1. Why is Ellie so surprised to be reborn as a puppy again?

2. Why does Ellie feel like a bad dog?

3. What emotion does Ellie feel from Derek?

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4. What kind of pet owner is Wendi? Why is this confusing to

the puppy?

5. How does “Bear” come to live with Wendi’s mother? Do you

think this will be a better relationship than living with

Wendi? Why or why not?

Chapter 27

1. Why does Bear think he may be forced to bite Victor and

why is the thought of attacking humans so abhorrent to the

dog?

2. Who is kind to Bear when he lives with Lisa and Victor?

3. Why does Lisa get a fine for $50?

4. What does Victor do to Bear and why does Bear feel guilty

and sad when he is left alone?

5. Why is the end of this chapter hopeful?

Chapter 28

1. How had playing “Find” all those years help Bear decipher the

clues about where he was?

2. Why does the dog feel “adrift” when he is cut off from

humans?

3. Why does the dog feel that his appearance may resemble

that of his first mother? What does he attribute this to?

4. Why does the dog feel drawn to the old man who owns “Leo”?

5. What important discovery is made at the dog park?

6. What does the dog mean when he says he has returned to

being a “feral dog”?

Chapter 29

1. How does the dog’s black fur help him from capture?

2. How does Jasper “help” Bailey find the Farm?

3. How is the passage of time evident when Bailey finds Ethan?

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Chapter 30

1. Why do you think Ethan changes his mind about adopting out

the black dog?

2. At first, the lady at the shelter is angry with Ethan when he

comes to claim the dog. What causes her to change her

attitude?

3. How does the dog get his new name and what does he

discover when he searches Ethan’s home?

Chapter 31

1. Why is Ethan sad?

2. How does “Buddy”compare Ethan’s sadness to that of

Jakob’s?

3. What does Buddy think that Ethan needs? Why is his

reasoning somewhat flawed?

4. Why does Buddy go to the park without Ethan? Do you think

Buddy planned to find Carly, the dog who smelled like

Hannah?

5. How does the dog use Find/Show to reunite Hannah and

Ethan?

6. Both Hannah and Ethan’s sadness is lifted by the end of the

chapter; why?

Chapter 32

1. Why does Buddy think that Carly is stupid?

2. How does life change for Ethan and Buddy?

3. What does Buddy sense is wrong with Ethan?

4. Why is the flip important in this chapter?

5. Do you think that Ethan knows that Buddy is really Bailey?

Why or why not?

6. How does Bailey feel at the end?

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7. Do you think it is possible that dogs live many lives?

8. Do humans need to have a “purpose” in life? Why or why not?

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MOTIVATING ACTIVITIES

1. Discussion – How does mankind use dogs to serve them?

Think of all the different ways we use dogs, and what breeds

we choose. Is it a coincidence that Ellie was a German

Shepherd and Buddy was a black Lab? Is it a coincidence that

Labradors are often used as “guide” dogs? Does Buddy guide

Ethan to happiness?

2. Create a Time Line: Show the characters’ names on the

bottom and the dogs’ names on the top.

3. Character Analysis: Use a graphic organizer to compare

Ethan, Jakob, and Maya. How are their needs for a dog

different? How are their needs similar?

4. Historical Influences: Create a T-Chart to show the

differences between a Feral dog and a Domesticated dog;

how are they different? Research when and how dogs were

domesticated.

5. Synthesis: Create a board game where the objective is to

get Bailey home. Devise a system for getting around the

board and introduce the other characters into the game.

6. Schema: Brainstorm with a group of students and create a

graphic organizer that explains the dangers a dog faces when

released into the wild or unknown territory.

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Grammar Connections

Writing with Adverbs Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They

answer the questions where, when, how, and to what extent. They are commonly formed by adding –ly to an adjective. Create adverbs from the following words taken

from the novel:

Subservient + ______

Submissive + ______

Contemptuous + _____

Laborious + _____

Instinctive + _____

Impassive + _____

Solemn + ______

Lethargic + _____

Languid + _____

Bleary + _____

Teaching Tip: To understand how affixes create new words, explain the use of derivational morphemes. Morphemes are units of meaning. An addition of –ed to a verb will create a new verb because it will show tense. The use of –ly or –ily added to words will create adverbs. In the word “unceremoniously” there are several morphemes. See if your students can identify how many morphemes exist in this word and what the prefixes and suffixes mean. Demonstrate how the words they learn from this novel, such as “furtive” and “haughty” may be used as descriptors, but that creating adverbs from the same words, i.e. “furtively” and “haughtily” modify the actions of others; hence, they ADD to the VERB. (Adverbs)

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Georgia Lee Cameron along the creek with her own rescued dog,

Duchess

Extending the Lesson

Adopt a Dog Shelter There are dog shelters, dog rescue organizations, and dog charities virtually anywhere. Student involvement could include doing a fund raiser, volunteering at a shelter, attending a charity event, or even creating a dog rescue organization. The students could sponsor a dog as it moves through the stages of rescue, training, fostering, and successful adoption. Much of the inspiration for A Dog’s Purpose came from personal involvement.

The author’s daughter, Georgia Lee Cameron, is a

28 year old woman living in

Denver who realized that her passion for animal welfare and rescue was more than a hobby - it was a cause. In 2005 she collaborated with a dog

trainer to start Nikeno’s Second Chances (NSC Rescue), an animal rescue organization specializing in training and education throughout the re-homing

process. NSC is non-kill and strives to save as many adoptable dogs, cats and livestock from euthanasia as possible with their budget and space constraints. While they have funds to help with everyday care and emergencies, the

ability to bring animals to proper health, have them altered, micro-chipped and vaccinated is the largest cost in the budget.

There are several animals that have been a part of NSC Rescue that

would have been written off at other shelters. They take death-row transfers from kill-shelters, un-socialized strays that have never had

human interaction and family pets that are now, for whatever reason, unwanted by their owners. They deal primarily with adult and elderly dogs because the greatest need is for services in those

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populations, but have not turned away puppies when they have been brought to the door. Cats and kittens have recently joined the ranks

and in 2009 they accounted for over half of NSC's successful adoptions. While ideally NSC is just a brief stopping point for these

animals before they find their forever home, some have been in the program from as little as a few days up to almost a year. Every

adoptable animal deserves a second chance and NSC's mission is to help these pets achieve success. NSC works with local veterinarians to ensure that all are well taken care of. This includes vaccinating,

micro-chipping and providing basic medical care. When necessary, extensive therapy for those that are sick or injured is also provided.

All the animals in the program are spayed and neutered, and NSC will also provide long term assistance for special needs animals adopted

through the shelter on a case by case basis. Additionally, because NSC has its roots in behavioral training, they are able to provide modification for problem animals through in-depth therapy rather than

expensive medications.

NSC primarily works with the local Colorado Front Range community; however have accepted transfers from the surrounding states of Texas,

New Mexico, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas, as well the entire state of Colorado as a whole.

NSC started as a response to the unfulfilled need for professional

assistance during the dog adoption process. While numerous people are willing to adopt shelter animals, many times the combination of

untrained dogs and unknowledgeable owners leads to returned or unwanted animals. By giving the dogs structured training throughout

the adoption process, the chance of successful adoption is greatly increased. NSC provides the necessary tools for shelter dogs to lead positive, well-mannered lives in the homes they find themselves. They

receive personalized behavioral modification from the moment they join the NSC program. This includes animals that are placed for private

adoption, ones that are rescued from abusive situations or as strays, animals from municipal shelters that are on “death-row”, and also those

that are placed in foster homes for more thorough training. NSC makes certain that after adoption the dogs adapt properly to their situations by requiring all prospective adoptive families to go

through a personalized four week instruction program. This ensures that the animals are maintaining their training and that the owners

are able to address any issues before they actually become problems. Educating the owner is as important as educating the animal. By

providing a greater understanding of basic dog communication, NSC eliminates the later issues often encountered by new owners. NSC provides the framework for these animals to be polite and behaved

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members of society. The new owners fulfill this task with help of NSC’s guidance and schooling.

Creating an animal rescue is both easy and difficult. Anyone can be

an advocate of shelter animals and animal welfare. By offering to volunteer with local rescue agencies and fostering adoptable animals,

people can get involved to the degree that best suits them. For those that want to take a step further, there are a few key steps that must be undertaken in order to properly run.

• The organization will need to be incorporated

• The organization will need to obtain insurance and a department of agriculture license in order to house any more animals

• than the legal limit.

• Successfully filing a 501 application is critical so that supporters can make tax deductible donations.

From there the organization it will grow at the rate one puts work into

it. NSC has grown substantially over the last several years, in part because of a few key volunteers and because of the foundation in training.

The benefits are many – one gets to rescue the animals one feels are

worthy and to direct one’s efforts where they are most needed.

For more information on NSC Rescue - please see our website - www.NSCrescue.org or email Georgia@NSCrescue.org