This story still chokes me up. Not because of the dog but because of the boy. It is an old-timey story of what it was like when America was new in Texas. Men had a job to do to provide for their families. That job took them far and wide away from their families. This is the story of how a family had to make changes and make do without their protector and provider. It is the story of how a boy became a man and how his perspective of family changed as a result.Love it!