The Case of the Perfect Dog

Hank the Cowdog #59

by John R. Erickson, Gerald L. Holmes (Illustrator)

Hank is helping the cowboys with the dangerous mission of rounding up a very angry bull when a strange twist of events brings a yellow Labrador onto the scene. The entire ranch quickly becomes enamored with this new addition to the ranch's Security Division. Who wouldn't love a good-natured dog who strikes fear into the hearts of angry bovine, wears a big sloppy grin all day, and adores the ranch kids? Where will Hank fit in now that there is a Perfect Dog on the scene? Hank sings a little thing called "Happy Dog," and the yellow Labrador sings his story in "Happy's Confession."

Genres: Fiction, Childrens

127 pages, Hardcover

First published March 28, 2012

About the author

John R. Erickson, a former cowboy and ranch manager, is gifted with a storyteller's knack for spinning a yarn. Through the eyes of Hank the Cowdog, a smelly, smart-aleck Head of Ranch Security, Erickson gives readers a glimpse of daily life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle. This series of books and tapes is in school libraries across the country, has sold more than 7.6 million copies, is a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and is the winner of the 1993 Audie for Outstanding Children's Series from the Audio Publisher's Association. Publishers Weekly calls Hank a "grassroots publishing phenomena," and USA Today says this is "the best family entertainment in years."

Hank the Cowdog made his debut in the pages of The Cattleman, a magazine for adults, and when Erickson started getting "Dear Hank" letters, he knew he was onto something. So in 1983, he self-published 2,000 copies of The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, and they sold out in 6 weeks.

When teachers began inviting Erickson to their schools, Hank found his most eager fans. Teachers, librarians, and students alike love Hank. According to some Texas Library Association surveys, the Hank the Cowdog books are the most popular selections in many libraries' children's sections. The lively characters make excellent material for reading and writing lessons, and turn even the most reluctant readers into avid Hank-fans.

Erickson was born in Midland, Texas, but by the age of 3, he had moved with his family to Perryton, Texas, where he and his wife live today on their working cattle ranch. They have 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren. His advice to young writers is, "Write about something you know. Try to leave your readers better off than they were before."

Reviews

[SSM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh! This was def one of my favorites:) I liked the mixed up conversation between Hank and Drover in the beginning! And Happy is hilarious! His “ridiculous impulses” 🤣 and his song was really funny as well. Really well written once again, like always! 😀

[Paula Dyches · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Our Top 5 Favorites in the Series!

My kids (14, 12, and 10 yrs old) and I absolutely love this series... we started listening to them 7 years ago while my daughter underwent many eye surgeries She was 6 at the time and an avid little reader. These books helped to pull her out of her deep depression due to her vision changes. My kids still like to relisten to them now. They are so entertaining with the book being written from the dog's perspective. Each book has a mystery or problem that Hank (The Head of Ranch Security) needs to solve and is laced with comedy throughout. This one they end up taking in a lost labrador and he really showcases the common traits of the breed and the problems he brings... or is it just jealousy on Hanks part?

These are great if you have younger children that love animals and it's a great excuse for those of us that are still young at heart. I would definitely recommend these as an audio read because they are amazingly narrated with sound effects and music. Also, since Hank is a dog, he gets mixed up with his words at times which does make it a more challenging read for those younger readers.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Hank the Cowdog.

The part with the bull was hilarious. I could hardly read it aloud my wife was laughing so hard. She grew up on a farm, and the story was all too real for her.

Unfortunately, that part was funny, but it was the very beginning. Other parts were cute; the garden, the glasses, but not nearly as fun as the start, so it felt kind of boring. The emotional climax was the first thing to happen, not the last.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you never read any of the Hank the Cowdog (Head of Ranch Security) books, you should try a couple. This is #59 in the series. They are a lot of fun. Better yet, try one or two as audiobooks. There's even more fun. Great for family trips.

[Merceda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect dog ate a lot of stuff. And he robbed the garden of all the plants, and brought rotten potatoes back to the porch. And he puked up most of what he ate. And he finally went home to his real people which was good since he was always messing up on the ranch.

[LIZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual from this series a very good book, and in addition finally not containing rip and snort!!!

[Clinton Sheppard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some very funny times when a Labrador retriever who's prone to doing ridiculous things shows up on the ranch.

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pictures where very poor quality. The lab looked like a boxer. :( I liked the story, but the pictures have gone downhill.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing, but a little boring for a Hank. Songs are pretty blah. Definitely better to listen to than to read.

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very good and interesting book. It was confusing at the beginning but then it got easier to understand as you read on! :)