Champion Dog: Prince Tom

by Jean Fritz, Tom Clute, Ernest Hart (Illustrator)

Children's Book

Genres: Childrens, Dogs, Biography, Nonfiction, Animals, Middle Grade, Juvenile

121 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

Jean Guttery Fritz was an American children's writer best known for American biography and history. She won the Children's Legacy Literature Award for her career contribution to American children's literature in 1986. She turned 100 in November 2015 and died in May 2017 at the age of 101.

Reviews

[Michael Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this the first time in 1964. I have read this book over and over through the years. I wore out my first copy and have bought new (old) copies through time. This is an amazing book of the underdog. I always related to Prince. Every youth should be given the opportunity to read this inspirational story.

PS at age 57, with MS, I adopted a little Cocker Spaniel from the animal shelter. His name is Webster, and he is champion in my life. That's enough.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have absolutely no idea why, but this was my fav book as a child. I must have read it about 10,000 times. It's about a puppy just like any other who grows into the best in show. Maybe it made me feel hopeful. I just ordered a new copy on Amazon so I can read it again -- I haven't seen it in years but I've never forgotten about it.

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute book. A little blond cocker spaniel that was the runt of the litter goes on to greatness. Illustrations are very detailed. Quick fun read.

I liked how the puppy is first described:
“The blond dog didn't stand around carefully for even one minute. He put his nose to the ground where there were all sorts of exciting new smells waiting for him. He followed the smells and he followed his nose as fast as he could go, exploring the new world of the back yard. Then he came back to Ann and he talked to her. Up and down in his throat he told her about the smells and all about himself and maybe, if anyone had been able to understand him, he even told about some of the wonderful plans he had for himself when he grew up. He tried to wag his little stub of a tail but he was too excited to wag just his tail. He wagged and the whole back half of the little blond puppy went from side to side.”

Just a nice story I would recommend. Also nice to see a picture of the real dog with his trophies on the back cover.

[Josiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn't enjoy an uplifting novel with more depth than meets the eye? A 1983 Newbery Honor author for Homesick: My Own Story, Jean Fritz wrote juvenile fiction and nonfiction well into her nineties, and no book of hers was more cheerful than Champion Dog: Prince Tom. The true story of a runt cocker spaniel growing up to be one of the most decorated competitive canines of his day is a celebration of overcoming adversity, proving that even if you're underestimated by the world, you can accomplish any goal you set your mind to. Prince Tom is an interspecies inspiration.

Tom Clute, a jukebox owner from Adrian, Michigan in the early 1950s, pays little attention to a newspaper announcement about puppies for sale. As a child he owned a dog, but those days are long past. Tom's mother, however, believes it might do him good to revisit those happy times. As a birthday gift, Tom is pleased to receive the blond runt from the cocker spaniel litter he read about in the paper. The man selling the pup warned that he might not survive and would never amount to anything, but Tom is willing to lavish the runt with all the care he needs to grow up healthy. Soon after meeting the frisky critter, Tom realizes this is no weakling. Prince—named for Tom's childhood dog—is an intelligent and active animal. Tom brings him to his old friend Dr. Thompson's house, and the man's five kids are amazed by the stunts Prince can do without any training. Undersized as he is, Prince takes a flying leap over the five children kneeling in a row on the ground, not unsure for an instant that he can pull it off. One of the boys, Nathan, predicts Prince will win awards and end up with a full title to his name that befits royalty. As a start, he lengthens the puppy's name to Prince Tom, and by the time the blond cocker spaniel is officially registered, his name is Prince Tom III. Tom Clute has no idea how accurate Nathan's predictions for Prince will be.

A free spirit, Prince doesn't like obedience school, where Tom sheds his usual casual tone and adopts a stern voice. Prince barely passes the class, and the teacher advises Tom to abandon any aspirations for Prince as a show animal. But once Prince and Tom get back on the same mental wavelength, nothing can prevent the joyful dog—growing bigger and healthier by the day—from racking up wins at dog shows at an unprecedented pace. Prince earns gold and silver cups, multiple illustrious titles, and posts a perfect score of 200 more than once, virtually unheard of in the dog show community. Nathan was convinced the runt would become a legend from the first time they met, and Tom couldn't be prouder of his all-star pet. But Prince isn't finished. At the suggestion of a friend, Tom trains Prince as a hunting dog, and he's as successful in those contests as his earlier ones. The ultimate title to compete for is the National Trials, where Prince would be up against dogs from around the world bred specifically to hunt birds. Is it fair to subject Prince to that level of competition? Nathan is positive the dog can handle it, and Tom's adult friends have learned never to doubt Prince. Tom will love his cocker spaniel however he performs, but he sure would be proud to call him the National Field Trial Champion. There never was, nor ever would be again, a dog like Prince Tom III, C.D., C.D.X., U.D., N.F.T.C. And his legend lives on in these pages.

Prince is unique, so it takes a while for Tom to adapt to training him as a show dog. A bright puppy with lots of original ideas must not feel hampered by his owner's commands; they should be presented as an exciting challenge to be met, a collaborative creative endeavor rather than the owner merely ordering his canine around. Prince doesn't emerge as an extraordinary show dog until Tom grasps that and redesigns his commands so they both have fun planning tricks to impress competition judges. Once Tom learns to trust him, Prince's talent establishes him as one of the finest dogs in modern history. Every magnificent performer must hone their abilities in a way that suits themselves, not a rigid system that can't possibly accommodate all personalities. Once they find their style, there's no telling what they might achieve. Champion Dog: Prince Tom is a story of how rewarding the journey can be.

After reading this book, I'm not surprised Jean Fritz eventually won a Newbery Honor, though one could have expected it to take less than twenty-five more years. Her storytelling leaves the reader with the feeling of having known Prince personally, an eternal champion even if his life could only last a finite span of years. His story imparts hope that whatever your handicap, you can rise to greatness and be admired and beloved by many. I rate Champion Dog: Prince Tom at least two and a half stars, and I'd love to read it on many more occasions. Spending time in Prince's company is an honor. When a book makes you hopeful and happy, it's a keeper, and I'm keeping this one.

[Danita L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhhh, I stumbled across Champion Dog: Prince Tom here on Goodreads while searching for a different book. I read this so many times as a child that the book is literally in tatters. And yes, I still own the book years and years and years (too many to count, lol) later. I read it to my own family when they were just children. It is a wonderful story made even more so by the fact that it is all true. Such a quirky, amazing little book.

My family owned a blonde cocker spaniel named Prince in the same years as I was reading this book. I cannot remember if I named my dog Prince because of this book or if I asked my parents for the book because of Prince.

Highly recommended, all these years later, for young readers and their parents.

[Lynn Rugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two books, read early in life, set my course to love dogs and books: This one, and Sinbad and Me by Kin Platt.
Read them both before I was 8 years old. Give them to any kid.

[Jennifer (JenIsNotaBookSnob) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that I found at a yard sale in childhood and read over and over until the covers fell off. I had completely forgotten it until coming across a copy in a thrift store the other day.

I cannot REALLY vouch for it being as amazing as I remembered, I will need to read it again. However, I know that as around an 8 year old child I loved the book enough to read it over and over again.

[shalea :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was so cute and it made it even better that it's a true story.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking a nostalgic trip back to my dog crazy youth just before a birthday tomorrow, the year 2020 hasn’t been a complete stay-at-home waste.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting real life book about how a small skinny puppy- the runt of the litter, becomes a champion dog with love and skill. It was his owner Tom who trained Prince. With love and patience, he taught him first to be a trick dog; then a TV performer; an obedience trial champion; and best of all a prize-winning hunting dog. In the end, Prince Tom became Prince Tom the Third, C.D., ( Champion Dog) C.D.X., ( Champion Dog Excellent)U.D., ( Utility Dog) N.F.T.C. ( National Field Trial Championship.) But there was one person who knew Prince could win those special trials. This person encouraged Prince and knew Prince could win every single one of those trials, even before Prince won any thing. This person is Tom's friend, Dr. Thompson's son, Nathan. In fact Nathan was so much help, that after Prince had won the hunting trial, when Tom found Nathan's lucky horse shoe attached to Prince's collar that he had snuck on it, Tom quoted, " Maybe this really helped," he said holding the horse shoe between his fingers. " I bet we wouldn't even be here today if it weren't for Nathan," Tom said. He scratched Prince thoughtfully. "You know what we're going to do Princey?" he said. "We're going to take Nathan back a present. And we're going to get it right now." I think it's a wonderful book. You should read it!

[JTownsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

A realistic fiction about a small blond cocker spaniel owned by Tom Chute. People dismissed the small cocker p. 49 "..he's just not the type", p. 54 " It's just a waste of time to bring that dog here". p. 90 " It's a shame, he could have been a real dog". and p. 2 "All anyone noticed was the the little blond puppy was too small". Tom named his small cocker spaniel, Prince Tom III. Well, he named him Prince Tom and when he was registered the AKC added the III because there were already two other dogs with that name. To Tom, Prince p.13"...looks perfect".
Prince is an underdog. p. 2 "...he ran a little faster, jumped a little higher and played a lot harder than the others (his brothers and sisters)." The story is about overcoming challenges when others dismiss you out of hand because of your looks or behavior. Prince Tom goes on to become a companion dog, then a companion dog extraordinaire, filled by utility dog titles and finally a national field dog champion. His title becomes, Prince Tom III C.D., C.D.X., U.D., N.F.T.C. It is a great story about believing in yourself and giving all you have to achieve your dreams.

[Kamas Kirian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for young readers. What kid doesn't like a tale about a dog? The story is straight forward; man gets a puppy, dog naturally learns some tricks, enters obedience school and does well, enters competitions and does extremely well, end of story. There's no fancy words, and a few pictures. The chapters are short and the line spacing is fairly large. There is no mystery as to what happens. The only suspense is whether he becomes champion on the first attempt or if he has to work at it a few times.

This was my father's book. He probably got it around 2nd grade. I read it when I was a kid while staying at my grandparent's place when I was in about 2nd grade. I just read it to my daughter, who is in first grade. A chapter a night while she lays in bed after reading some simpler books to me.

The hardcover book was formatted well, with no obvious spelling or grammar errors. For a cheap children's book, it's weathered it's 60 years quite well. The pages are discolored, but not brittle. The binding is still fully intact.

[Bronwyn Manzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that my mom read to me before I was a good reader. I love and adore animals and loved this book. It is the story of a "Runt" who overcame the obstacles of being a runt to become a champ. At that time Cockers were among my favorite dogs and ended up getting a sweet little female Cocker who I named Princess because I had fallen in love with Prince Tom. This book has long been out of print but I periodically find it in used book stores. I purchased such a copy a few years ago at a book sale and will treasure it forever as it brings about good memories of mom reading it to me and my sister.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
Prince Tom, was the runt of the litter and always looked down upon because he was blond, but to Tom Clute he was the best dog in the world. Tom trained Prince for dog shows and Prince won several titles. Prince wanted to do something new, so they started hunting, and again Prince won another title.

Personal Response:
Such a great book. This book was so encouraging and had a great message: believe in yourself, no matter what anyone else says.

Themes:
Believing in yourself, dogs, pets

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book as a child and found it again on Amazon (it is out of print). It is based on a true story and the underdog aspect may be what makes it so engaging. It's not a life-changing book; it's just a really charming read, well remembered and loved by children from the 60s and 70s (see all of the 4 and 5 stars reviews!). Recommended for fans of the Misty of Chincoteague or Black Stallion type story.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Way back in grade school, this book was one of my choices from the Weekly Reader program. I read it, and re-read it. Tried to teach our dog to fetch, to heel...anything! It's a warm, funny story about a man and his dog.

BTW, it's true.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

don't remember it at all, but i remember loving it as a child.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was very young, but I loved it!

[Sandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the first books I actually owned. I LOVED this book as a young girl and read it several times. Lovely story.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this because of the real stories, you know, and it's by the owner of the dog:). 4 stars because parts of it was a little stupid... but I recommend reading it:)

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for a 5th grade book report and loved it..I read it over and over and over again! Would love to get my hands on a copy now just to have on my book shelf at home!!!

[Marie Kuiper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book. Read it a number of times. Cute, clever dog. Kind owner, and boy who loves dog. Shows the versatility and sporting ability of the cocker spaniel.

[Jonathan]

Read this one as a boy, many years ago. Still have it, still pick it up and re-read favorite parts, still laugh delightedly at what this dog was capable of. A wonderful story.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read this when I was nine years old. Fun to read it again after all these years.

[Carol Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book several times as a kid. Thought Cocker Spaniels were the smartest breed. My image of them was crushed when the first cocker spaniel I met was a submissive urinater.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

didn't realize this was by jean fritz - one of my favorite books as a kid -always wanted a coker because of it.

[Amber Lark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to make my mother read this to me over and over again! It is great for kids who love dogs!

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book as a child. As an adult it was still pretty good.

[Karen Getz · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite books growing up.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been at least 60 years since I first read this book: Champion Dog, Prince Tom. When I started to read it for the second time, I forgot that this was not a fictional book. This is a true story. It is a biography — a biography of a dog.

This is an excellent book. It was obviously written for kids, and I was a kid when I first read it. However, an adult of any age can enjoy this simple yet wonderful story. It is a story of someone, a dog, of humble origins who achieves ultimate success. I won't provide any details here. I think it would be better if people interested in the book read it for themselves.

Back in the late 1950s and early 1960s, my parents gave me money to buy books like this one from Scholastic Book Services. I don’t know if I still have all of them, but I have this one and a few others.

Tom Clute is who owned the dog. He is listed as a co-author. However, I believe that Jean Fritz wrote the book from what she was told by Tom. I don’t know anything about Tom Clute other than what is in the book. However, you can do an internet search about Jean Fritz. She was an award winning author of almost 50 biographies and histories for children. She was born in November 1915 and died in May 2017. She lived to be 101.

In addition to the great story in the book, I note two other interesting items.

1) Nathan, a boy in the book, is distressed at one point because his pet turtle “ran away.” It was found by the dog Prince Tom, by the way. However, I found it funny that a turtle could run away. I have seen some turtles while walking in parks near lakes. I have never seen a turtle running.

2) The price of this book, written on the front cover, was 35 cents. It is not a thick book, 121 pages, but that is still a good price, even for when it was copyrighted in 1958 and printed in 1961.

If you can find a copy of this book, I suggest that you get it for any young person who you may know. You may also enjoy reading it.