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Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers
Gary Paulsen brings his love and knowledge of the sport of Iditarod racing to readers in this memoir about the life of a litter of pups who are born to pull sleds across the snowy frontier–and the marvel he experiences as he watches them grow and learn.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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About the author
Gary Paulsen
408 books3,977 followersGary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
April 23, 2024
My dog annoys me a lot of the time. She's a small, snarly breed (yorkiepoo) who attacks members of our family without warning or provocation. When she's perched on a high piece of furniture (especially a bed), she feels big enough to challenge us and often does so, staring us down if we enter the room, daring us to come within snapping distance. She's obsessively possessive of cough drops and chocolate, hoarding those little bits of poison in her makeshift lairs and assaulting anyone who unwittingly edges too near. She and I mostly steer clear of each other, but that changes temporarily whenever I read a Gary Paulsen book about him and his dogs. The companionship to the deepest part of the soul that is poignantly expressed in these books affects the way I see my own dog, softening my resentment toward her, and I believe she senses it. After finishing Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers: Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs, I got down on the floor on an equal level with my dog to pet her. She almost always walks away if I extend an invitation to hop up and join me on the couch, but when I'm on the floor she ambles over and wants me to pet her. The kinship between man and dog in this book is so winsome that it bled over into my life and influenced the way I interacted with my pet, and how rarely can a book boast an impact like that? Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers is not just another Gary Paulsen wilderness memoir; it's one of the finest books of his long, distinguished career in children's literature, a bright star among many bright stars that twinkles with a braver, fiercer light than all but one or two Paulsen offerings. This is one of the better children's books you're likely to read.
Gary Paulsen knew and worked with scores of terrific dogs during his sledding career, but Cookie was as memorable as any of them, a passionate animal with an unbreakable will. She bore numerous litters of champion dogs: natural leaders and indefatigable sled-pullers who saved Paulsen's life many times on runs in the dead of Minnesota winter. Her final litter was fathered by a ragtag hound named Rex, whom Cookie jumped in the middle of a sled run for a quick mating session. After this overture Paulsen could expect a batch of puppies in precisely sixty-five days (Cookie was a dependable gestator), and as he made camp to allow the unexpected romantic interlude to play out, he pondered the nature of love and mating. The act of carnal knowledge is a ceremony of mystery and wonder with nothing artificial in it, simply two creatures acting on nature's prodding to be close. Intercourse isn't dirty and it's not a lustful game; it's the joining of two souls for the miracle of creating kids who are part of both parents yet somehow entirely their own beings. Paulsen writes about his thoughts as he listened to Cookie and Rex: "(T)he sounds were sweet, soft, gentle—not whines so much as terms of endearment, courtesy, and hope. They made me think of all the good parts of living and loving; how two can honestly become one; how we have made it all seem pointless with posturing and fashion and frills but that it is not frivolous, it is as old and meaningful as time, and it has all to do with the one thing that we are on earth to do—to make more, to make better, to bring new things into it, into life." Humans joke about sex and twist it into something it isn't, something vulgar or profane, but in nature the act is sacred, and its unapologetic consummation between two of Paulsen's sled dogs let him see that clearly. Cookie and Rex's unplanned mating led to what happens for the rest of this book.
Cookie's litter was due mid-January, a hectic month for dogsledders in northern Minnesota. Her time came just as one of the worst blizzards Paulsen ever saw whipped across the state, temperatures nosediving to forty degrees below zero Fahrenheit, one hundred below with windchill factored in. Cookie lived with the other dogs in an outdoor kennel and couldn't be brought into the house to give birth—her winter coat was in full bloom, which would make the heat indoors life-threatening—but Paulsen couldn't leave her to have the puppies in the kennel, not in this weather. The sopping-wet pups would turn to ice in seconds. Paulsen erected a crude shelter for Cookie and himself out of straw bales, stacking them in a rounded enclosure like an igloo to keep the braying winds and lethal cold at arm's length. Insulated sufficiently from the elements, Cookie had her litter a few hours later as Paulsen bided his time sitting nearby. Seven warm, gray puppies she tugged from inside herself, miniature versions of the magnificent sled dog Cookie was, but the eighth and final pup was stillborn, dead upon delivery. Cookie and Paulsen both did their best to resuscitate the unresponsive babe, but it was beyond help. With a heavy heart Paulsen attempted to remove the last puppy Cookie would ever birth, but the mother was far from ready to give up on her child. Even as Paulsen continued to try and whisk the dead infant off the scene so Cookie could focus on her other children, the mother's heart would not let her baby go, and she put Paulsen on notice in no uncertain terms that taking the puppy from her would not be tolerated. The lengths she went to in order to guard her deceased pup make for as emotional a story as anything Gary Paulsen has written, and form the foundation of this book. It is sobering and awe-inspiring.
Newborns grow into frisky, happy puppies, and their joy around a farm and a kennel are infectious. An entire chapter is devoted to the blessing of having the puppies around. The older dogs had games of their own they played with the pups, a surprising variety of fun that no two adult dogs conducted in the same way. It's humorous and heartwarming to read, demonstrating the intelligence and creativity of the kenneled canines. Carlisle the quick red dog's game is my favorite, but all of them mentioned in Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers bring a smile to one's face. The adults didn't avoid the pups because they were immature; they delighted in being part of their lives. "All the adult dogs wanted to be visited by the pups—males, females, young and old. They loved the little pack—as they had loved all the puppies we had raised—and they would reach out and try to snag the puppies into their circle as they went by, hooking them with a foot and pulling them in to play and roll, and I could not watch it without thinking of them all not as a kennel or a pack but as a wonderfully happy family with fifty-odd uncles and aunts and brothers and sisters and parents and grandparents." The puppies reciprocated their elders' affection. "The puppies, fat and round and happy, spread an almost consummate joy wherever they went, and if it took all morning they would go to every single dog to say hello and play, at least for a few minutes." The dogs knew they'd miss out on a lot of joy on if they restricted themselves to age-based cliques, and never made that mistake. By playing together and all becoming friends, their kennel was a happier place. And games weren't the only aspect of their interaction. Paulsen tells of the education imparted by the elder generation to the rambunctious young ones, on subjects including how to get food from inside a hard beaver skull, self-cleaning, and singing. And just like human kids, the puppies "learned of love simply because of what they were—puppies—and it is impossible not to love them, even when they are eating your favorite parka that you left on a doghouse for just a minute while you ran to the bathroom." Kids and puppies get into mischief whether they mean to or not, but they learn of love early on because we can't help loving them in spite of their occasional naughtiness. Unconditional love is the model they learn to follow in interacting with parents, peers, and someday their own kids, and the seeds are planted when they're little. There's no more rewarding stage of life than childhood.
Gary Paulsen relates several anecdotes of letting the young dogs into his home when they grew old enough to be curious, and the damage they inflicted inside in the space of a few seconds. Paulsen was in the early stages of training Cookie's pups to be members of a sled team, but he thought it would be good for them to get a taste of life indoors, so he let them in several times in spite of the minor devastation caused during their first romp. As the dogs became comfortable in the house, they eventually passed that instinct on to their own descendants, and having them visit the house every now and again ended up as part of the routine. When the pups were ready to be harnessed to a sled for their first voyage through the crisp virgin snow of Minnesota wilderness, their ecstasy was boundless, and they were almost impossible to control. They chased every animal that popped into view—mice, squirrels, grouse, rabbits, even a moose, a car, and a coyote—but didn't catch any of them, not that they minded. As Paulsen says, "Nothing mattered but the day and the sun and the snow and the celebration of the first glorious run with the young dogs." When you're young and have limitless energy, potential, and ambition, and all you want is to be free and try daring new things and get caught up in the euphoria of life with your friends who are equally excited about testing their strength and talent, it doesn't matter much on any given day whether you accomplished what you aimed to. You were out there giving it your all and being innovative and crazy, and that's what you'll remember about those youthful days beside friends with the future seemingly endless before you like the clean snow of a wilderness sled run, feeling like you can do no wrong. It's a joyous season of life.
On a night early in the pups' training, Paulsen tells of a sled run that started out uncommonly well, but detoured sharply into disaster. When many Minnesota train routes were rendered obsolete by the advent of trucks to transport supplies, the train tracks were removed but the paths retained for dogsledders and other sportsmen to use. The wooden trestles remained to allow passage over lakes and rivers, but once when Paulsen took his dogs on a long run, they ran into a problem halfway across a trestle. The dogs stopped abruptly and Paulsen was thrown from the sled to the snowbank ten feet below, luckily avoiding the unforgiving ice and freezing river. After he collected himself, Paulsen had a big problem: trying to get his dogs to reverse course in a coordinated manner. He decided his best option was to untie them one at a time so they could move independently, but as he did they each ran off into the night, bound for home. Even Cookie, the last dog untied, deserted Paulsen, leaving him with a multi-day journey through heavy snow and bitter cold while hauling his own dogsled. He knew the dogs were only doing as they were taught by racing for home, but that didn't ease his predicament. The story was nowhere near over, though. Cookie was not a typical sled dog, and her response to this trial was as incredible as we've come to expect by now. It's another emotional high point of the book.
The final chapter is called "Last Run", and get ready for a story as poignant as the title foreshadows. Paulsen was concerned when Cookie started limping in recent runs, and consulted a veterinarian. After years as Paulsen's incomparably dependable lead dog, it's arthritis of the back ankles that took Cookie down. She couldn't run sleds anymore, the vet unequivocally said. Paulsen weaned her off life in the kennel and into the main house, where he and his wife had quite a time keeping Cookie under control. She was used to being in charge of her home; why should that change because she was shacking up with humans instead of dogs? At least one unfortunate house cat made a meal for Cookie, collar and all, before Paulsen realized he had to be specific about each individual domesticated animal Cookie wasn't permitted to snack on. It wasn't long before Paulsen received bad health news of his own, a heart condition that would prevent him from ever entering another sled race. Changes in diet and exercise ameliorated his health, but he had to join Cookie in retirement from dogsledding. He tried to sit and relax with her in the house, read books, take notes for novels he wanted to write, and watch television, but settling into a sedentary lifestyle isn't easy for a man and his canine companion who have enjoyed the rush of sledding the perilous paths of Minnesota winter. "I had come to know greater things in my life" than taking it easy, Paulsen says, and being kept from participating in them was difficult. Paulsen learned to hold conversations with his old sledding partner, trying to view their current condition as the start of a new adventure for him and Cookie rather than the end of a legendary partnership. But the love of the run still pumped through Cookie's veins as it did Paulsen's. Even after the other dogs were sent away and the kennel removed, Cookie remembered exactly where she'd stood to have Paulsen harness her to the team, and twice her instincts overrode her new lifestyle and she hopped out of the house and trotted to her old position, proudly waiting to be tied in with the team for a glorious run through moonlit Minnesota night. In her heart of hearts she couldn't accept that she would never again feel the thrill of racing on such a night. And then one day the end was at hand for an old dog who hadn't run the trails in years, and lifelong friends were separated by the part of life's wondrous story that one wishes would not come, the end. Love buried beneath the patch of earth where so many memories were made isn't love ended but deferred, transformed from the physical plane to the realm of vivid memories that will forever hold true of halcyon days enjoyed together, "of when she was young and there was nothing in front of us but the iceblink on the horizon, and I hoped wherever dogs go she would find a lot of good meat and fat and now and then a run." Goodbye is the hardest part of any story, but it can't undo the joyful moments that preceded it. No matter what, those are ours for keeps.
I can't explain how Gary Paulsen packed this much emotion and meaning into eighty-one pages. And Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers features many full-page illustrations by Ruth Wright Paulsen, generally at least one per chapter, which means the story is shorter than the page count indicates. It is a masterpiece, a perfect example for authors who release mammoth tomes yet can't generate more than a fraction of this book's emotional potency. Gary Paulsen is one of the greatest writers of his era, but I still marvel each time he produces a book that touches me this deeply. If you love Woodsong, you're going to want to read Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers. I don't know if I can express how much it means to me, but I've tried my best here. This book is an intense love letter to a way of life and the tempestuous bond between humanity and the wild, and will keep the winterdance alive long after Gary Paulsen is gone. And that, my friends, is a priceless gift.
Gary Paulsen knew and worked with scores of terrific dogs during his sledding career, but Cookie was as memorable as any of them, a passionate animal with an unbreakable will. She bore numerous litters of champion dogs: natural leaders and indefatigable sled-pullers who saved Paulsen's life many times on runs in the dead of Minnesota winter. Her final litter was fathered by a ragtag hound named Rex, whom Cookie jumped in the middle of a sled run for a quick mating session. After this overture Paulsen could expect a batch of puppies in precisely sixty-five days (Cookie was a dependable gestator), and as he made camp to allow the unexpected romantic interlude to play out, he pondered the nature of love and mating. The act of carnal knowledge is a ceremony of mystery and wonder with nothing artificial in it, simply two creatures acting on nature's prodding to be close. Intercourse isn't dirty and it's not a lustful game; it's the joining of two souls for the miracle of creating kids who are part of both parents yet somehow entirely their own beings. Paulsen writes about his thoughts as he listened to Cookie and Rex: "(T)he sounds were sweet, soft, gentle—not whines so much as terms of endearment, courtesy, and hope. They made me think of all the good parts of living and loving; how two can honestly become one; how we have made it all seem pointless with posturing and fashion and frills but that it is not frivolous, it is as old and meaningful as time, and it has all to do with the one thing that we are on earth to do—to make more, to make better, to bring new things into it, into life." Humans joke about sex and twist it into something it isn't, something vulgar or profane, but in nature the act is sacred, and its unapologetic consummation between two of Paulsen's sled dogs let him see that clearly. Cookie and Rex's unplanned mating led to what happens for the rest of this book.
Cookie's litter was due mid-January, a hectic month for dogsledders in northern Minnesota. Her time came just as one of the worst blizzards Paulsen ever saw whipped across the state, temperatures nosediving to forty degrees below zero Fahrenheit, one hundred below with windchill factored in. Cookie lived with the other dogs in an outdoor kennel and couldn't be brought into the house to give birth—her winter coat was in full bloom, which would make the heat indoors life-threatening—but Paulsen couldn't leave her to have the puppies in the kennel, not in this weather. The sopping-wet pups would turn to ice in seconds. Paulsen erected a crude shelter for Cookie and himself out of straw bales, stacking them in a rounded enclosure like an igloo to keep the braying winds and lethal cold at arm's length. Insulated sufficiently from the elements, Cookie had her litter a few hours later as Paulsen bided his time sitting nearby. Seven warm, gray puppies she tugged from inside herself, miniature versions of the magnificent sled dog Cookie was, but the eighth and final pup was stillborn, dead upon delivery. Cookie and Paulsen both did their best to resuscitate the unresponsive babe, but it was beyond help. With a heavy heart Paulsen attempted to remove the last puppy Cookie would ever birth, but the mother was far from ready to give up on her child. Even as Paulsen continued to try and whisk the dead infant off the scene so Cookie could focus on her other children, the mother's heart would not let her baby go, and she put Paulsen on notice in no uncertain terms that taking the puppy from her would not be tolerated. The lengths she went to in order to guard her deceased pup make for as emotional a story as anything Gary Paulsen has written, and form the foundation of this book. It is sobering and awe-inspiring.
Newborns grow into frisky, happy puppies, and their joy around a farm and a kennel are infectious. An entire chapter is devoted to the blessing of having the puppies around. The older dogs had games of their own they played with the pups, a surprising variety of fun that no two adult dogs conducted in the same way. It's humorous and heartwarming to read, demonstrating the intelligence and creativity of the kenneled canines. Carlisle the quick red dog's game is my favorite, but all of them mentioned in Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers bring a smile to one's face. The adults didn't avoid the pups because they were immature; they delighted in being part of their lives. "All the adult dogs wanted to be visited by the pups—males, females, young and old. They loved the little pack—as they had loved all the puppies we had raised—and they would reach out and try to snag the puppies into their circle as they went by, hooking them with a foot and pulling them in to play and roll, and I could not watch it without thinking of them all not as a kennel or a pack but as a wonderfully happy family with fifty-odd uncles and aunts and brothers and sisters and parents and grandparents." The puppies reciprocated their elders' affection. "The puppies, fat and round and happy, spread an almost consummate joy wherever they went, and if it took all morning they would go to every single dog to say hello and play, at least for a few minutes." The dogs knew they'd miss out on a lot of joy on if they restricted themselves to age-based cliques, and never made that mistake. By playing together and all becoming friends, their kennel was a happier place. And games weren't the only aspect of their interaction. Paulsen tells of the education imparted by the elder generation to the rambunctious young ones, on subjects including how to get food from inside a hard beaver skull, self-cleaning, and singing. And just like human kids, the puppies "learned of love simply because of what they were—puppies—and it is impossible not to love them, even when they are eating your favorite parka that you left on a doghouse for just a minute while you ran to the bathroom." Kids and puppies get into mischief whether they mean to or not, but they learn of love early on because we can't help loving them in spite of their occasional naughtiness. Unconditional love is the model they learn to follow in interacting with parents, peers, and someday their own kids, and the seeds are planted when they're little. There's no more rewarding stage of life than childhood.
Gary Paulsen relates several anecdotes of letting the young dogs into his home when they grew old enough to be curious, and the damage they inflicted inside in the space of a few seconds. Paulsen was in the early stages of training Cookie's pups to be members of a sled team, but he thought it would be good for them to get a taste of life indoors, so he let them in several times in spite of the minor devastation caused during their first romp. As the dogs became comfortable in the house, they eventually passed that instinct on to their own descendants, and having them visit the house every now and again ended up as part of the routine. When the pups were ready to be harnessed to a sled for their first voyage through the crisp virgin snow of Minnesota wilderness, their ecstasy was boundless, and they were almost impossible to control. They chased every animal that popped into view—mice, squirrels, grouse, rabbits, even a moose, a car, and a coyote—but didn't catch any of them, not that they minded. As Paulsen says, "Nothing mattered but the day and the sun and the snow and the celebration of the first glorious run with the young dogs." When you're young and have limitless energy, potential, and ambition, and all you want is to be free and try daring new things and get caught up in the euphoria of life with your friends who are equally excited about testing their strength and talent, it doesn't matter much on any given day whether you accomplished what you aimed to. You were out there giving it your all and being innovative and crazy, and that's what you'll remember about those youthful days beside friends with the future seemingly endless before you like the clean snow of a wilderness sled run, feeling like you can do no wrong. It's a joyous season of life.
On a night early in the pups' training, Paulsen tells of a sled run that started out uncommonly well, but detoured sharply into disaster. When many Minnesota train routes were rendered obsolete by the advent of trucks to transport supplies, the train tracks were removed but the paths retained for dogsledders and other sportsmen to use. The wooden trestles remained to allow passage over lakes and rivers, but once when Paulsen took his dogs on a long run, they ran into a problem halfway across a trestle. The dogs stopped abruptly and Paulsen was thrown from the sled to the snowbank ten feet below, luckily avoiding the unforgiving ice and freezing river. After he collected himself, Paulsen had a big problem: trying to get his dogs to reverse course in a coordinated manner. He decided his best option was to untie them one at a time so they could move independently, but as he did they each ran off into the night, bound for home. Even Cookie, the last dog untied, deserted Paulsen, leaving him with a multi-day journey through heavy snow and bitter cold while hauling his own dogsled. He knew the dogs were only doing as they were taught by racing for home, but that didn't ease his predicament. The story was nowhere near over, though. Cookie was not a typical sled dog, and her response to this trial was as incredible as we've come to expect by now. It's another emotional high point of the book.
The final chapter is called "Last Run", and get ready for a story as poignant as the title foreshadows. Paulsen was concerned when Cookie started limping in recent runs, and consulted a veterinarian. After years as Paulsen's incomparably dependable lead dog, it's arthritis of the back ankles that took Cookie down. She couldn't run sleds anymore, the vet unequivocally said. Paulsen weaned her off life in the kennel and into the main house, where he and his wife had quite a time keeping Cookie under control. She was used to being in charge of her home; why should that change because she was shacking up with humans instead of dogs? At least one unfortunate house cat made a meal for Cookie, collar and all, before Paulsen realized he had to be specific about each individual domesticated animal Cookie wasn't permitted to snack on. It wasn't long before Paulsen received bad health news of his own, a heart condition that would prevent him from ever entering another sled race. Changes in diet and exercise ameliorated his health, but he had to join Cookie in retirement from dogsledding. He tried to sit and relax with her in the house, read books, take notes for novels he wanted to write, and watch television, but settling into a sedentary lifestyle isn't easy for a man and his canine companion who have enjoyed the rush of sledding the perilous paths of Minnesota winter. "I had come to know greater things in my life" than taking it easy, Paulsen says, and being kept from participating in them was difficult. Paulsen learned to hold conversations with his old sledding partner, trying to view their current condition as the start of a new adventure for him and Cookie rather than the end of a legendary partnership. But the love of the run still pumped through Cookie's veins as it did Paulsen's. Even after the other dogs were sent away and the kennel removed, Cookie remembered exactly where she'd stood to have Paulsen harness her to the team, and twice her instincts overrode her new lifestyle and she hopped out of the house and trotted to her old position, proudly waiting to be tied in with the team for a glorious run through moonlit Minnesota night. In her heart of hearts she couldn't accept that she would never again feel the thrill of racing on such a night. And then one day the end was at hand for an old dog who hadn't run the trails in years, and lifelong friends were separated by the part of life's wondrous story that one wishes would not come, the end. Love buried beneath the patch of earth where so many memories were made isn't love ended but deferred, transformed from the physical plane to the realm of vivid memories that will forever hold true of halcyon days enjoyed together, "of when she was young and there was nothing in front of us but the iceblink on the horizon, and I hoped wherever dogs go she would find a lot of good meat and fat and now and then a run." Goodbye is the hardest part of any story, but it can't undo the joyful moments that preceded it. No matter what, those are ours for keeps.
I can't explain how Gary Paulsen packed this much emotion and meaning into eighty-one pages. And Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers features many full-page illustrations by Ruth Wright Paulsen, generally at least one per chapter, which means the story is shorter than the page count indicates. It is a masterpiece, a perfect example for authors who release mammoth tomes yet can't generate more than a fraction of this book's emotional potency. Gary Paulsen is one of the greatest writers of his era, but I still marvel each time he produces a book that touches me this deeply. If you love Woodsong, you're going to want to read Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers. I don't know if I can express how much it means to me, but I've tried my best here. This book is an intense love letter to a way of life and the tempestuous bond between humanity and the wild, and will keep the winterdance alive long after Gary Paulsen is gone. And that, my friends, is a priceless gift.
January 20, 2014
This book was a good story on a team of sled dogs that race in the Iditarod Trial. On this team is a vast array of smart dogs all lead by an alpha female named Cookie. She has been leading the team for many years and provides great young puppies that are bred to be leaders. Cookie is very valuable and has saved Paulsen’s life on several separate occasions. The skilled litter that Cookie produces plays a vital role in how the other sled team members can train the young pups. The pups are wild and full of energy but when reprimanded they sit at attention ears up and ready to learn. One of the sled team dogs named Anthony, was a bigger sized dog with a great amount of strength and taught the pups how to get a tasty snack from a skull. Rex was one of the young males that Cookie bred and Paulsen would have normally stopped the spontaneous mating, but the first thing that he thought of was “love.” For that exact reason he did not separate the two even though he would have preferred a different male with better qualities to breed with Cookie. Along the trail complications occur and this requires Paulsen to get run back home from the trail by his team and at that moment he and Cookies Iditarod Trail expeditions were over.
The main characters in the book were Paulsen and Cookie, who were together most of the time. They had a strong relationship and Cookie would so just about anything for Paulsen until she had a litter. After her litter was born she was all about protecting them and when Paulsen tried to take a dead puppy away she growls at him, baring teeth. Some secondary characters are Anthony and Rex who are dogs on the team. Anthony shows intelligence by teaching the pups things, while Rex is the father to the whole litter.
This story takes place through Alaska on the Iditarod Trail. There are many scenes from waking up early in morning and letting the puppies inside, to the day and evening where they train and race on the trail
The major themes that I think are portrayed in this story are love, friendship, and respect for nature. These themes occur within the whole story with Paulsen admiring nature, along with his total respect for the dogs and there close bonds together.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking to read a good morals book that shows the beauty between man and dog. This book can be entertaining to everyone who has even a slight love for canines.
The main characters in the book were Paulsen and Cookie, who were together most of the time. They had a strong relationship and Cookie would so just about anything for Paulsen until she had a litter. After her litter was born she was all about protecting them and when Paulsen tried to take a dead puppy away she growls at him, baring teeth. Some secondary characters are Anthony and Rex who are dogs on the team. Anthony shows intelligence by teaching the pups things, while Rex is the father to the whole litter.
This story takes place through Alaska on the Iditarod Trail. There are many scenes from waking up early in morning and letting the puppies inside, to the day and evening where they train and race on the trail
The major themes that I think are portrayed in this story are love, friendship, and respect for nature. These themes occur within the whole story with Paulsen admiring nature, along with his total respect for the dogs and there close bonds together.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking to read a good morals book that shows the beauty between man and dog. This book can be entertaining to everyone who has even a slight love for canines.
February 8, 2022
Great book. It's only fault is how short it is. I think I read it in an hour or less.
Gary Paulsen got me interested in dog sledding with Winterdance, which is probably my favorite book. I read it again every couple of years. Another of his books, Woodsong, has some totally amazing stories in it. Especially if you are a fan of his books, this one is another must have to read. It follows Cookie his lead dog, the puppies from one of her litters, and leads to the end of his dog sledding days. Great details on taking care of pups in a sled dog kennel. Great observations on Cookie. Funny stories of letting a large pack of sled dog puppies into the house. Sadly the book doesn't keep going, and for that reason I won't tag it with favorite, but the stories are good enough to be in that category.
Gary Paulsen got me interested in dog sledding with Winterdance, which is probably my favorite book. I read it again every couple of years. Another of his books, Woodsong, has some totally amazing stories in it. Especially if you are a fan of his books, this one is another must have to read. It follows Cookie his lead dog, the puppies from one of her litters, and leads to the end of his dog sledding days. Great details on taking care of pups in a sled dog kennel. Great observations on Cookie. Funny stories of letting a large pack of sled dog puppies into the house. Sadly the book doesn't keep going, and for that reason I won't tag it with favorite, but the stories are good enough to be in that category.
Read
August 2, 2018The novel Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers by Gary Paulsen is about the journey from Canada to Alaska that Gary and his dogs were part of. Cookie who is the mother of these dogs and the oldest one that has been through all the journeys has a special bond with her owner. However, she is very old and the owner wants to go to the last trip with her. In this last trip, it is like a nonstop action and embraces that bond between human and animals. I would recommend this novel to anyone who values the animals in this world regardless of age. It showed me how important it can be to have someone or something alongside you in your life.
February 17, 2017
Must read
I loved winterdance, I read it quite some time ago but it was one of those books you don't expect to love but do. When I saw Paulsen had written another I downloaded it but it's taken a while to get round to reading it! When I did, I couldn't put it down and I've read it in two days flat. Thus is the dogs story, how they are born and grow up as part of this amazing family and in particular Paulsen's relationship with cookie his number one dog. If you love dogs you will love this and I wholeheartedly recommend it. Now I think I will read winterdance again.
I loved winterdance, I read it quite some time ago but it was one of those books you don't expect to love but do. When I saw Paulsen had written another I downloaded it but it's taken a while to get round to reading it! When I did, I couldn't put it down and I've read it in two days flat. Thus is the dogs story, how they are born and grow up as part of this amazing family and in particular Paulsen's relationship with cookie his number one dog. If you love dogs you will love this and I wholeheartedly recommend it. Now I think I will read winterdance again.
August 10, 2017
The last chapter of this book tore my heart out much the way that the movie Denali did. Dogs are better than people and this book is a perfect tribute.
January 20, 2022
This was a beaut to read. I don’t think I was ready to reminisce about my childhood in the dog kennel until lately, and it is still a bittersweet and loaded memory bank. But this short sweet read encapsulates so much of my 20 years growing up alongside sleddog puppies and retirees. It is poignant, true and stunning in its account. Paulsen may have been a short timer but he nails all the feelings and then some. I will be buying for my old dad, and maybe reading it aloud to him too.
September 8, 2022
I'm very conflicted by this book. On the one hand I find sled dogs and that life fascinating, but there were a lot of physical cringe moments for such a short read. Let me stress that I 100% believe in the working dog who lives and breathes for the work and is not in any way abused. But as someone with spoiled fur babies, I couldn't do it.
December 22, 2015
Personal Response: I liked the book Puppies, Dogs and Blue Northerners because it was a book about the outdoors. It had many different adventures in it from Canada to Alaska. The guy raised and raced dogs at his house in Canada. He had one favorite dog that had been through everything with him. Her name was Cookie. Cookie was the lead dog that has been through the races and all the training with the young pups.
Plot: The plot of the story was when Cookie, “the main female dog” had her puppies. She watched over them and made sure they didn’t get out of her sight. When they ran around to play with the other older dogs she’d sit on the top of the kennel and watch every step they took. When they finally get old enough to begin training she would run with them.
Characterization: The main character of the book Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northerners was the owner of the dogs. He was the one telling the story through his point of view. Another main character was Cookie. She was an Alaskan Husky with blue eyes and a thick coat. She was the lead dog on the team and helped keep all the puppies in line while training.
Impacts of setting: The book took place in current day Canada. It went through all four seasons many times but it mainly stuck with winter. The book took place in the woods way back where no one else lived or drove. It told about him working the dogs through a snow covered woods in the pitch dark, the only way he could see was by moonlight. Back in the woods he had to make his own trail to work his dogs.
Thematic Connection: The thematic connection in this book is it is not easy living by himself in the woods, but when he had friends “like dogs” it can make life a little easier on you. Dogs are smart and can be good friends and may even keep you alive. When the trainer was running them through the woods on the trail, someone had taken the plywood off the tracks. The dogs noticed it was gone and stopped before they got into too much trouble.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to any outdoorsman, male or female, because it tells how a dog can save his life and can be a good friend. I would recommend this book to ages fourteen up, because it is a good read and I think everyone would love it.
Plot: The plot of the story was when Cookie, “the main female dog” had her puppies. She watched over them and made sure they didn’t get out of her sight. When they ran around to play with the other older dogs she’d sit on the top of the kennel and watch every step they took. When they finally get old enough to begin training she would run with them.
Characterization: The main character of the book Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northerners was the owner of the dogs. He was the one telling the story through his point of view. Another main character was Cookie. She was an Alaskan Husky with blue eyes and a thick coat. She was the lead dog on the team and helped keep all the puppies in line while training.
Impacts of setting: The book took place in current day Canada. It went through all four seasons many times but it mainly stuck with winter. The book took place in the woods way back where no one else lived or drove. It told about him working the dogs through a snow covered woods in the pitch dark, the only way he could see was by moonlight. Back in the woods he had to make his own trail to work his dogs.
Thematic Connection: The thematic connection in this book is it is not easy living by himself in the woods, but when he had friends “like dogs” it can make life a little easier on you. Dogs are smart and can be good friends and may even keep you alive. When the trainer was running them through the woods on the trail, someone had taken the plywood off the tracks. The dogs noticed it was gone and stopped before they got into too much trouble.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to any outdoorsman, male or female, because it tells how a dog can save his life and can be a good friend. I would recommend this book to ages fourteen up, because it is a good read and I think everyone would love it.
February 3, 2017
The summary of Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers a man named Gary Paulsen has a sled dog named Cookie that has had five amazing litters. Never less that eight and twice she has had 12 but altogether over 40 puppies. During the time of the story, Cookie has had her last a best litter of puppies. If you read you will learn about the many different adventures and an unbreakable bond between a man and his dogs. Throughout the story, you will learn about Cookie and her litters Iditarod racing in the woods of Minnesota. Later in the story, the man soon realizes that he has not rewarded cookie for all of her good work.
The setting of the story takes place in the woods of Minnesota where temperatures are anywhere from forty to negative one hundred and snow is mostly always on the ground. The main setting is the kennel where Cookie had the litters and where Gary raised them. The moral of Puppies, Dogs , and Blue Northers is never take things for granted. I say this because Gary and his wife Ruth felt as if they did not repay Cookie enough for all of her work.
A positive aspect the book is I really liked this book a lot because I really like dogs and it’s a great story being told about the main dog and the owner. Another positive aspect of the story is it teaches you many different lessons. One lesson is to take care of what you have. I say this because the way Gary took care of his dogs could teach that no matter what you should always take care of your things no matter what. A negative aspect is I feel like the story can be taken so much father. I also wish it could have talked more about his family's input with the dogs and their relationship with the many different sled dogs
The setting of the story takes place in the woods of Minnesota where temperatures are anywhere from forty to negative one hundred and snow is mostly always on the ground. The main setting is the kennel where Cookie had the litters and where Gary raised them. The moral of Puppies, Dogs , and Blue Northers is never take things for granted. I say this because Gary and his wife Ruth felt as if they did not repay Cookie enough for all of her work.
A positive aspect the book is I really liked this book a lot because I really like dogs and it’s a great story being told about the main dog and the owner. Another positive aspect of the story is it teaches you many different lessons. One lesson is to take care of what you have. I say this because the way Gary took care of his dogs could teach that no matter what you should always take care of your things no matter what. A negative aspect is I feel like the story can be taken so much father. I also wish it could have talked more about his family's input with the dogs and their relationship with the many different sled dogs
October 24, 2014
I thought "Puppies Dogs and Blue Northers was a really good book. I don't normally like to read books, but this one wasn't bad for me. This book was interesting because of all the events that took place. It was cool to learn more about sled dogs.
There was a lot of snow there and you had to get from place to place somehow. Gary didn't like to use snowmobiles, so he had a team of sled dogs. They can get going pretty fast if you don't have a lot of weight on the sled. He thought using his sled dogs was a better idea. This was how he met Cookie, his lead dog. Cookie had her last litter of pups right in front of Gary. He tried to help her with the pups as much as he could, but one of the pups died. Cookie kept trying to bring it back to life by licking it. She had to retire because she had arthritis in her ankles. She could barely walk, let alone run, with a team of dogs in freezing weather. She went to the doctor and the doctor said to retire her. Gary was a little upset because he had always run Cookie as his lead dog. After a while he wants to retire because he won't run without her so he lets her inside the house with him.
The main or lead dog was named Cookie. She was Gary's favorite dog. She was with Gary for a long time and was really close with him.They ended up becoming best friends for years. Gary was a retired man who took care of many sled dogs.
The story took place in Minnesota in the 1900's. Most parts of the story took place on the trails or by the dog kennels.
If I recommend this book to someone, I would recommend it to one of my friends because it a good, easy book that won't take a long time to read. It's also a good book.
There was a lot of snow there and you had to get from place to place somehow. Gary didn't like to use snowmobiles, so he had a team of sled dogs. They can get going pretty fast if you don't have a lot of weight on the sled. He thought using his sled dogs was a better idea. This was how he met Cookie, his lead dog. Cookie had her last litter of pups right in front of Gary. He tried to help her with the pups as much as he could, but one of the pups died. Cookie kept trying to bring it back to life by licking it. She had to retire because she had arthritis in her ankles. She could barely walk, let alone run, with a team of dogs in freezing weather. She went to the doctor and the doctor said to retire her. Gary was a little upset because he had always run Cookie as his lead dog. After a while he wants to retire because he won't run without her so he lets her inside the house with him.
The main or lead dog was named Cookie. She was Gary's favorite dog. She was with Gary for a long time and was really close with him.They ended up becoming best friends for years. Gary was a retired man who took care of many sled dogs.
The story took place in Minnesota in the 1900's. Most parts of the story took place on the trails or by the dog kennels.
If I recommend this book to someone, I would recommend it to one of my friends because it a good, easy book that won't take a long time to read. It's also a good book.
February 9, 2018
What a wonderful story! Paulsen is at his best when writing about his dogs. The only drawback to this book is that it's so short. Puppies are so much fun and Paulsen's kennel does sound friendlier than most. Though I don't know how friendly it is to let 36 puppies in the house to wake up his son and wife! If you enjoy this one, find a copy of Winterdance. You'll enjoy it even more!
September 3, 2018
Short, sweet and very touching; this book is a wonderful tribute to Gary's star lead dog Cookie, documenting their relationship and their life together as a sled team in Minnesota. At 67 pages long, this was a quick read in an afternoon, and quite frankly gave me a good cheering up. Well worth a read :)
March 11, 2018
This was a short read that went along very well with Woodsong. Cookie, the lead dog is featured in both books. This seems to be a more reflective and mature story that would probably appeal to adults more than children.
July 4, 2024
Book: Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers
Author: Gary Paulsen
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars
I have been reading Gary Paulsen off and on since I was in elementary school. Some books rank among my favourites and others don’t. Paulson is most known for his Hatchet series.
In this one, we follow Gary as he writes about his experiences as a dog sledder. He talks about his dog Cookie from the time she gives birth to her last litter to their final adventures together. He talks about the puppies growing and how they change the overall makeup of his kennel.
This book is very short. It’s only about ninety pages. I thought that Paulsen did an amazing job at bringing the story to life. He transports us right into the wildness and the snowy background. You are there with the dogs in the dead of winter, following them along on the path. You experience the training, the days at the kennel, and the rides. Everything is brought to life.
Paulsen captures the world in a way that many authors don’t. He takes what appears to be a dead landscape and brings it to life. He brings the danger and the sense of hope right to the readers. Now, this is a middle-grade book, and it shows. It is written young, but nothing is left off the page. He keeps in the audience but still gives us a great story.
Overall, I did enjoy this short book a lot. I thought it did a great job of giving us a complete story in so few words.
Author: Gary Paulsen
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars
I have been reading Gary Paulsen off and on since I was in elementary school. Some books rank among my favourites and others don’t. Paulson is most known for his Hatchet series.
In this one, we follow Gary as he writes about his experiences as a dog sledder. He talks about his dog Cookie from the time she gives birth to her last litter to their final adventures together. He talks about the puppies growing and how they change the overall makeup of his kennel.
This book is very short. It’s only about ninety pages. I thought that Paulsen did an amazing job at bringing the story to life. He transports us right into the wildness and the snowy background. You are there with the dogs in the dead of winter, following them along on the path. You experience the training, the days at the kennel, and the rides. Everything is brought to life.
Paulsen captures the world in a way that many authors don’t. He takes what appears to be a dead landscape and brings it to life. He brings the danger and the sense of hope right to the readers. Now, this is a middle-grade book, and it shows. It is written young, but nothing is left off the page. He keeps in the audience but still gives us a great story.
Overall, I did enjoy this short book a lot. I thought it did a great job of giving us a complete story in so few words.
October 17, 2018
Paulsen is a great story teller. His descriptions of the dogs in his books really brings out their unique characters & personalities. He brings together the joy, adventure, love, and sorrow that occur in life when we share our lives with dogs. I always laugh and cry when I read his stories. They’re always very memorable.
I like reading Paulsen’s nonfiction stories, such as this one, because he’s had a lot of interesting wilderness adventures that the average person doesn’t get to experience.
I recommend reading My Life in Dog Years before this one because this book expands on Paulsen’s adventures with Cookie the sled dog. Cookie is introduced in the beginning of that book.
I don’t recommend the first chapter of this book for kids. Perhaps skip over the first chapter if you read it with them...
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Spoiler Alert:
It starts off awkward, then gets sad, then cute, funny and adventurous, and then back to sad. Overall a good read, minus the awkward part at the beginning.
I like reading Paulsen’s nonfiction stories, such as this one, because he’s had a lot of interesting wilderness adventures that the average person doesn’t get to experience.
I recommend reading My Life in Dog Years before this one because this book expands on Paulsen’s adventures with Cookie the sled dog. Cookie is introduced in the beginning of that book.
I don’t recommend the first chapter of this book for kids. Perhaps skip over the first chapter if you read it with them...
_____________________________________________________
Spoiler Alert:
It starts off awkward, then gets sad, then cute, funny and adventurous, and then back to sad. Overall a good read, minus the awkward part at the beginning.
May 29, 2025
My granddaughter recommended this short non-fiction read about snow dogs in Minnesota by a favorite author of mine. As always, I was impressed by Paulsen's beautiful prose when describing people, places, and--in this case--creatures. He is unparalleled in capturing just the right turn of phrase, just the right emotion for each moment of a story.
I did not know Paulsen was an Iditarod racer--what a versatile person! This account of his beloved lead dog Cookie touches the heart and mind as only this author can. >^..^<
I did not know Paulsen was an Iditarod racer--what a versatile person! This account of his beloved lead dog Cookie touches the heart and mind as only this author can. >^..^<
May 21, 2021
I always enjoy Paulsens nonfiction about animals and nature. He has such a loving and unique way of describing the animals. He makes you question what you thought you knew about animals and their relationships to humans and each other. He expresses a lot of dignity and respect for the animals in a really beautiful way, and it always makes me reconsider my own relationships with the natural world.
May 13, 2018
This story is by Gary Paulsen, it’s called” Puppies, dogs, and blue northerns, this story is very inspirational and heartwarming
This book is about the author, he going to observe the sled dog, he discover his dog, the dog environment around them and the dogs talk, when he discover this , he like going to a new world
This book is about the author, he going to observe the sled dog, he discover his dog, the dog environment around them and the dogs talk, when he discover this , he like going to a new world
April 4, 2019
I met Gary and Cookie in Winterdance and felt like I rode with them during the Iditarod and laughed until I cried at their thrilling adventures. I'm glad I had the chance to say goodbye to Cookie in this book. She has a special place in my heart. God used her story in Winterdance to begin a beautiful healing in my heart. Thank you Cookie and Gary for sharing your stories with me.
March 10, 2020
Sled dogs are an interesting idea to me. Racing using dogs and creating a bond stronger than you could normally with a canine sounds appealing. There were some moments in the book that made me smile, and some that made me rather emotional. Especially the very end. I won't spoil anything, but it's truly something that made me feel.
October 20, 2020
I just love Gary Paulsens animal books.
His love for them pours out onto the pages.
I laugh out loud and sob along with him.
also, lovely pictures in this book.
- I started reading his books when my sons were young (my boys loved his Hatchet and Tucket series), and I continue to enjoy his books.
His love for them pours out onto the pages.
I laugh out loud and sob along with him.
also, lovely pictures in this book.
- I started reading his books when my sons were young (my boys loved his Hatchet and Tucket series), and I continue to enjoy his books.
September 14, 2021
Gary Paulson writes mainly of his lead sled dog and breed dog through the years, Cookie. It’s a short book, but you will learn about Gary, his wife, Alaska, raising sled dogs, puppies and more. By the end you won’t have a dry eye as Paulson shares about growing old alongside Cookie. I also learned why Paulson was a favorite author of my sons for much of their childhood.
February 17, 2022
I think this is a great book if you love dogs and the outdoors. In the book He talks about his adventure with growing puppies for his sled dog team and how they learn and grow from each experience. I Really enjoyed this book because the puppies made me smile. I 100% recommend this book for anyone who loves dogs and the outdoors.
September 10, 2025
I found an uncorrected proof in a nearby Little Library and cruised through this tiny book in an hour or so. Fun to spend an hour with a Minnesota dogsledder and his favorite dog over a few seasons and and few years. 6 or 7 stories. All of them are charming. I guess I had better read Winterdance now.
December 23, 2025
Damn you, Gary Paulsen, for making me tear up with this tale of sled dogs, but mainly about the beloved lead dog Cookie. I enjoyed reading the tales of the puppies and their education by the other sled dogs, plus some tales of Paulsen’s dogsled days. Another excellent memoir by this prolific author. Also loved the illustrations by Paulsen’s wife Ruth.
Highly recommended for dog lovers.
Highly recommended for dog lovers.
June 5, 2018
This short story “Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers” which is by Gary Paulson. It is a book is talking about dogs. It is talking about the leader dog and some interesting story about the dogs with the author.
June 27, 2018
This was a good book made even better by being an audiobook read by author Gary Paulsen. I could hear his chuckle as he read the funny parts and his getting choked up during a sad part. He LOVES his dogs, and it sure shines through in this book!
September 4, 2018
I read this because Blair Braverman recommended it, and am very glad I did. An affecting, transporting, and frequently funny series of episodes in the author’s relationship with his lead sled dog and her last litter of puppies.
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