Breaking the Chain: The Guard Dog Story

by Patrick McDonnell, Rob Thomas (Introduction), Marisol Thomas (Introduction)

From the award-winning syndicated comic strip Mutts, the long-awaited “Guard Dog” story is now collected and presented in full color along with supplementary material, timed for the 30th anniversary

Guard Dog made his debut in the Mutts comic strip in 1995 and quickly became one of the strip’s most beloved characters. As a chained dog longing for freedom, he’s played an important role in raising awareness about the cruelty of tethering and has inspired countless Mutts readers to become involved in animal welfare.
 
In October 2023, nearly three decades after his debut, Guard Dog’s freedom story began to unfold in newspapers and online. After being abandoned by his owner, left alone and suffering, Guard Dog was discovered by his animal friends Mooch and Earl, and ultimately rescued by Doozy, a kindly neighborhood girl, and Ozzie, Earl’s guardian. After years of visiting Guard Dog to provide him with comfort and support, Doozy adopted him—marking the end of a long life of neglect and the beginning of one filled with love and safety.

The story line concludes with Guard Dog not only getting a new home but also a new name—Sparky—a nod to Patrick McDonnell’s greatest artistic inspiration, Charles M. Schulz, creator of Peanuts.
 
As Guard Dog found his happy ending, McDonnell received requests from readers all over the world, many of whom had been invested in Guard Dog’s plight for decades, hoping that the long-anticipated story would be made into a book. This collected volume answers the demands of those passionate readers.
 
Brought to life with Patrick McDonnell’s warm and intimate art, and featuring the complete story, now in color for the first time, Breaking the Chain is an emotionally resonant vignette whose grounding in the real-life animal neglect issues that affect millions of chained dogs worldwide will move both long-time Mutts fans and first-time readers.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Animals, Comic Strips, Graphic Novels Comics, Humor

192 pages, Hardcover

Published September 3, 2024

About the author

Patrick McDonnell’s comic strip, MUTTS, is celebrating its 30th anniversary, having appeared in over 700 newspapers across 20 countries. MUTTS has received numerous awards for its artistry and its animal and environmental themes. These include the NCS Reuben for Cartoonist of the Year, seven Harveys and the Eisner Humanitarian Award. Charles Schulz called MUTTS “One of the best comics strips of all time.”

BREAKING THE CHAIN: THE GUARD DOG STORY, a collection of his newsworthy story centered freeing MUTTS chained dog, Guard Dog, will be published in fall 2024.
McDonnell’s latest book is THE SUPER HERO’S JOURNEY, a graphic novel love letter to Marvel Comics and Jack Kirby. It was on 11 ‘best of’ lists for 2023.

THE ART OF NOTHING, an oeuvre of McDonnell’s work, comprehensively celebrates Patrick’s comic strip career. McDonnell is also the author of New York Times bestselling picture books, including THE GIFT OF NOTHING and the Caldecott Honor winning ME...JANE (a childhood biography of Dr. Jane Goodall). Both have been adapted as musicals for the Kennedy Center stage. In addition, he has collaborated with spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle on GUARDIANS OF BEING and with poet Daniel Ladinsky on DARLING I LOVE YOU. HEART TO HEART: A CONVERSATION ON LOVE AND HOPE FOR OUR PRECIOUS PLANET is a collaboration with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness has said “It is my hope that this book will open the eyes, minds and hearts of all people.”

In 2021, Ohio State University hosted Side Effects, a major exhibition of his large scale canvases. There will be a year-long retrospective of McDonnell’s comic strips, book illustrations and paintings at the San Diego Comic-Con Museum opening in January 2025.

McDonnell was a member of the Board of Directors of The Humane Society of the United States for 18 years as well as The Fund for Animals, and continues to serve as a director for The Charles M. Schulz Museum and D&R Greenway Land Trust.

You can sign up for the MUTTS daily email at mutts.com.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to enjoy reading the Mutts comic strip collections with my daughter when she was younger, but I haven't really been a regular reader for the last decade.

I do remember feeling sad whenever we came across any strips that featured Guard Dog, the lonely dog chained up in a neighborhood yard. So I was happy to hear that that storyline finally got some closure in the regular comic strip and has been given a special collection.

Be ready to get choked up as Guard Dog's chain binds him to the loneliest and most perilous moment in his long life of suffering.


Side note: The introductory text material contains numerous spoilers about the storyline. Skip directly to the strips if you want to preserve the surprises.


FOR REFERENCE:

Collects select Mutts strips from November 27, 1995 to October 12, 2023, almost all strips from November 6, 2023 to December 19, 2023, and the strip for February 14, 2024.

Contents:
• [Introduction] Our Dog – Guard Dog and Giving Voice to the Forgotten / Rob Thomas and Marisol Thomas
• The Time Was Now – The Story of Guard Dog / Patrick McDonnell
• A Selection of Classic Guard Dog Dailies and Sunday Strips – 1995-2023 / Patrick McDonnell
• The Guard Dog Story / Patrick McDonnell
• Afterwords – The animal welfare community reacts to the Guard Dog Story / Kitty Block, Katy Hansen, Karen Dawn, Ingrid Newkirk, Jim Nelson, Susanne Kogut
• True Stories – MUTTS readers share their experiences unchaining a dog / Melanie Wagner, Susie Slanina, Bethany Dalton, Cathy Tomlinson
• We Can All Do Something – A Resource Guide / Patrick McDonnell
• [Acknowledgments]
• About the Author

[Susan Beam-Gilleland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love , love this book. I was reading the comic strip when it all started, and it would be the first thing I read every morning.
Was so glad when Guard Dog (Sparky) got rescued and hope this impacts dogs and rescuers everywhere.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a rescue pet, if you love animals, if sad/heart-warming stories are your thing, this book is for you. This broke my heart, then made me smile.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh. I couldn't have picked a better book to ring out the year.

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of Mutts comic strips focused on Guard Dog's storyline. Initially, one or two strips are presented per page. During the finale, the format switches to one panel per page.

Initially, Guard Dog was meant to be a "bully" character. Instead, he ended up shining a light on the plight of chained dogs like him.

In a text section about Guard Dog, McDonnell mentions that some organizations objected to Guard Dog being freed, feeling that he was a more impactful character when chained. I couldn't help but wonder if PETA and PETA reps accounted for most (all?) of those comments.

I wouldn't call myself a huge Mutts fan, although I enjoyed occasionally reading it in the newspaper, and I don't recall being particularly invested in any of the characters' stories. Still, after reading this, personally, I'm glad that McDonnell allowed Guard Dog to go free, even if it took 30 years to get to that point.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one deserves endless stars in a review. I follow “Mutts” daily. I too was one of the people waiting for each day’s comic in 2023 when Mr McDonnell was in the process of freeing Guard Dog. I never realized how involved I was in the story till he was free and went home with Doozy — with his new name: Sparky — and I cried with joy and relief. My first thought at that name was Charles Schulz — and I was right!!! (lifetime “Peanuts” fan here!!!). The comments in the book from the author and others are beautiful!!! And even though I knew how freeing Guard Dog ended, I found myself crying again — thrilled by so many good humans in the world, seriously disappointed in the cruelty of the not good ones. This book has gone right to the “Favorites” section of my book shelves!!

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fan of dogs and cats you should already be following Mutts. (If you aren't, go. Go do it now. You can like the Mutts page on Facebook, or you can get each day's strip in your email.)

Some of my favorite strips over the years have featured Guard Dog, a dog tied up, outdoors, year round. Last year Guard Dog's owner moved away and left the dog behind. Like other fans, I eagerly looked forward to each day's strip, sloooowly moving the story forward. We were anxious, we were scared, we were hopeful. The seven-week story is captured in this lovely, moving book. Guard Dog gets a happy ending; not every dog does.

[Will Thimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely wonderful and had me in tears at times. It's also a beautifully made book that looks great

[Mary Ann Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, and I cried! I found myself wanting to rescue Sparky, and finally, it happened!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me all teary eye, from the foreword, to the actual story to the afterword which contains stories and pictures of rescue dogs who got freed from the chain. This book also contains resources how you can help chained up animals.

I always have mixed feelings when I see guard dog appear in the comic strips. I get the important message that the author is sending but the same time it always makes me sad (Just the scene where he howls at night really loud, Earl and Mooch wake up and run to him to give him a big hug the same time it is so sad and heartwarming .).

So glad the author decided to give him his own little story and finally happy ending.

Such an important book!

[Nate]

I wish there were more actual strips collected here, but the overall presentation with essays from McDonnell and dog owners makes for an affecting read. Bring tissues.

[Cindy Reifsnider · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most wonderful story and so happy to have it in a book to read whenever I want to. Already read it twice since receiving my copy midday today. A great rescue story.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comic strip character brings attention to the plight of dogs all over the world: dogs who are kept outside on chains their whole lives. This is how my parents kept dogs. As a kid, I read a story in “Dog Fancy” magazine that said that it would be better to take your dog to the shelter and let them take their chances than to keep them on a chain 24/7. My eyes were open and when I mentioned it to my mom, she snapped, “dogs like pulling, you try to take them for a walk and see how much they like to pull.” Even as a kid I knew that dogs pulling on a walk because they were experiencing new sights and smells was different, but I was helpless. (And when I did try to walk them, they were too strong for me and they would run away for days and I would be in trouble). An artist might be telling a story through their art, but sometimes the art makes the people who experience it remember the “guard dogs” in their own past and vow to make the world a better place.

[Kim Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was hard waiting from one day to the next, as we worried over Guard Dog's ultimate fate. This sweet character's story is one that will touch your heart. Though only a cartoon dog, his story has had a big impact, inspiring many to take up the cause of real life dogs and help break the chains that bind them. I loved reliving this story and it still pushed all my buttons.

[Lisa Yee Swope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adopt, don't shop... and having an animal in your life obliges you to care for it with love! If you're not able to do that, get a plushie!
Guard Dog's story made me cry every day it was in the papers as it unfolded in the comics. So glad Mutts made up a full compilation.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the story of Guard Dog (aka Sparky) doesn't bring you to tears, then you are dead inside. And I would know, I generally am dead inside and this movie made me sob.

Between McDonnell storytelling and art, nothing will top this as my favourite book of the year.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never tear up over anything, but I can’t stand seeing animals neglected. The Guard Dog Story had me wiping away tears, and hugging my own dog. A beautiful triumphant story of a new favorite character.

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

finally guard dog was freed and i was in tears again!!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess I needed a good cry. McDonnell knows how to use simple line drawing and few words to create a real, emotional story. Now, I'm going to go out walking with my own rescue dog.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll admit it — I openly wept as I read this.

I’ve always loved comic strips, though Mutts was only ever on the periphery. Growing up, my newspaper didn’t run the strip, so I never got a chance to connect with it. The handful of strips I’ve read of it throughout the years were enjoyable, and now looking back I wish I had a personal connection to it like I do with Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, The Far Side.

Comic strips are such a unique art. Having to tell mini stories every day in one to four panels, ending in some form of punch line is tough enough as is, but add in that you need to craft artwork as well? And most of the time characters that readers connect with? When well done, these strips feel like their own little worlds with friends that you get to visit on a daily basis. When AMAZINGLY done, they’re also able to tell long-form stories, while still keeping their format, they are emotionally resonant. Before Guard Dog, Calvin and Hobbes had the arc about Calvin finding a hurt raccoon, and that was maybe the first time a comic strip felt heartbreaking to me.

I picked Guard Dog up on a whim, and I’m glad I did. Heartbreaking is still the perfect word for it. Don’t get me wrong, there are still jokes. It’s still funny at times. Or rather clever, in a way where the ending one-liners feel less like punch lines and more like gut punches. It’s also incredibly heart warming. Putting the spotlight on real life issues could’ve come across as preachy, but no, this one feels real and thoughtful. Dogs are angels put on this Earth to love us, and anyone who thinks similarly should read this.

[Eliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breaking the Chain: The Guard Dog Story
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5 (3.5/5)

The main story, though short, was quite cute and I could see why it could be a tearjerker (it definitely made me teary-eyed). However, I think some of the impact was lost because we could read the story in one sitting. From reading the excerpts that were included, it seems like the comic strip originally ran in a one-panel-a-day format. I can imagine that this would've upped the anty astronomically, because the anticipation would be so prolonged. As it was, I didn't really have to ask "what's going to happen next?" since I could just flip the page and find out. I also think that the overall anxiety of whether guard dog would be ok was basically alleviated from the start because of the order of the information. I think it might have been better for the uninformed reader (such as myself) to have the first few "guard dog over the years" panels at the start, then the main guard dog story, and then the explanation from the author and all of the other back material at the end. I basically got the story spoiled from reading the author's notes! That's no fun. :/

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this will give you a hard bound copy of the comic strips that so many people were transfixed by, it is much more. There is information of how Guard Dog came to be, commentary by other people, Patrick gives a narration of the layout of the story and factors that played into this but also his feelings, work, and factors that played into the timeline. Then there was Doozy and then the strips.
At the end there are true stories of freed guard dogs.
Having the strips all together takes me back to the time when so many of us were reading them on Facebook, sharing them with each other, and commenting-the community that this gave us. So many of us commenting that we were crying, calling out for the chain to be removed, or Doozy's mom to say they would keep him, and then the tears of joy.
I bought the book to have the strips all in one place. It gave me much more.

[Matt Graupman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patrick McDonnell's gentle comic, "MUTTS," is so simple and poetic, the strips are almost like cartoon haikus (and that's just the writing, his art might be even more perfectly sparse). That's why "Breaking The Chain: The Guard Dog Story" is worth reading. The seven-week long plot about a chained dog finally getting his freedom is certainly emotional and impactful but I didn't really need all the extra gobbledygook surrounding the strip itself. It more than speaks for itself and a chapter of internet reaction posts wasn't necessary or informative (CAVEAT: the sketchbook material was lovely). It's a nice way to package a seminal story arc but the strip itself is the star. Also, we don't deserve dogs, man.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, beautiful story. More than once I felt tears coming to my eyes from just a few short panels and their quick take on the reality for chained dogs. While my dog was not a Guard Dog, while I was looking to adopt, I followed a bunch of rescues and saw many stories of abuse and abandonment. Some of those pictures were hard to look at and it does raise the question how can someone do that. This collection of comics from the Mutts stripe concerning the character Guard Dog does a beautiful, heartfelt, and tragic reality of mistreated pets. It is a lovely wake up call we need and I hope it continues to bring the harsh reality and the beauty of pets to others and changes the futures of many dogs.

[Betsy Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I realized I needed to review this book. I read it whenever I need to be reminded that there are good people in the world. McDonnell collected a month's worth of comic panels which told the story of Guard Dog, a dog chained in a yard. When his owner moves away and leaves him chained up, tears flow. Mine. A cat and dog decide to visit Guard Dog, only to find him near death. The dog runs to his master who comes to help save the day.

This heart-warming story ran in a number of daily newspapers for a month. I've given this book to a number of friends. I suggest you pick up a copy, read it with a box of tissues nearby, and then send copies to your friends. They'll thank you.

[Jean Samaniego · Rating 5 out of 5]

I followed the comic strip for weeks when the Guard Dog story came out last year. I cried everyday and hoped that he would be freed. When that day came, I balled like a baby with tears of joy and happiness! Then word came out that there would be a book, I didn't hesitate and pre-ordered it! It finally arrived and I cried even knowing the ending! This is a great book for any animal lover but especially for those of you who advocate against animal abuse. If you don't cry/show emotion while reading this book, you can't be human! Thank you Patrick for a wonderful book!

[Jennifer McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story of awareness of why a dog should NEVER EVER be chained.
I have always read and followed Mutts comic strip.
Guard dog always appears in several strips.
This book is the story of how Guard dog finally gets freed from his chains. It’s beautiful and heartwarming. Full of love and commitment to an animal. I absolutely loved this book. Especially since I have followed Guard dog’s story from the beginning in the comic strip.
Mutts comic strip is for all animal lovers. Patrick McDonnell covers all topics relating to the treatment of animals.

[Joe Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a reader of the Mutts comic by Patrick McDonnell for many years, and one of the most interesting characters is Guard Dog, at least in my opinion. We don't know too much about Guard Dog except that his owners always chain him outside. He has a human friend, a little girl named Doozy, who visits him from time to time, but we never meet his owners.

I don't want to say much more for fear of spoilers, but you should be able to guess what happens by the title: "Breaking the Chain."

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mutts is another of my beloved strips. I've been reading it for years, loving the humor and the heart. This is a strip which has made a difference. Like so many others, I waited for years for Guard Dog to finally be let off the chain and Patrick McDonnell did it brilliantly. This collection can be a standalone for those unfamiliar with the strip and a happy recap for fans who watched the saga play out day by day.

[ashes ➷ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute! Includes the full guard dog saga of fall-winter ‘23 along with some reader comments and stories. One star off solely because the way the book was arranged (one panel per page) was very pretty but ultimately hurt the impact of some punch lines due to the confusion and inconsistency of where they fell. Tiny nitpick about a very sweet book, though; I did cry.