A Dog’s Purpose, Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of A Dog's Purpose.

What did you think of the beginning of the book this week? It took me a bit to get used to reading a story from a dog's perspective. Once I got used to the narration, I enjoyed the first section. I will admit, though, that reading an animal's inner thoughts made me feel a little differently towards my dog. Did anyone else feel like they had to be a little extra loving to their pet after reading Bailey's (or Toby's) inner thoughts?

I didn't read the plot description before starting the book, so I was really surprised when Toby was reborn (as Bailey) for the first time. Were you surprised by that development? I really liked Toby, so I was sad to see him go. I was a little confused about the place where Toby lived. Did the person who rescued him just have a huge yard of dogs? It wasn't like she owned an animal shelter, right? 

I like Ethan and his family, and how they are so attentive to Bailey. One of my favorite inner-dialogue sections of Bailey's was when he was figuring out how to use the doggie door. It was so funny to read how he figured out that the door worked both ways. I also liked reading about what he did to occupy his time in the garage. Reading that section helped me to understand my dog and the weird things she does when she's bored. 

I have a bad feeling about Todd, don't you? He seems like bad news. The description of his bedroom and his attitude immediately made me think of Sid from the original Toy Story. He was just destructive throughout the entire section. What do you think he was planning to do when he lured Bailey away from his house? It was all so creepy and weird. 

This section ended with Ethan getting lost and then found in the woods. It was interesting that Bailey knew where they were, but he went along with Ethan. I imagine that if he were a more mature dog, he might be able to steer Ethan back home earlier, but since he had never been in that situation before, he trusted that Ethan had a plan. 

What section was your favorite? Did you have a favorite thing that Bailey thought? 

I thought it was really creative that W. Bruce Cameron decided to write the book from the perspective of a dog. I figured that Cameron would have to be a big dog lover to decide to write an entire book series about dogs, and I was curious to find out what inspired him. The biography on his website tells what inspired him to write this book and its sequels. 

Finally, did you know in the movie version, Josh Gad voices Bailey? He's such a versatile voice actor, playing Olaf in Frozen and now this dog. If you want to hear him talk about his role, check out the video below. 

I hope you enjoyed this first section and are excited to keep reading. Please let me know your favorite parts, and if you have a guess about what Bailey's ultimate purpose will be, you can always leave that guess in a comment to me. 

Make sure to read through chapter 22 for next week. I hope to hear from you in the comments section.