The Puppy Sister

Last updated
First edition (publ. Delacorte Press) ThePuppySister.jpg
First edition (publ. Delacorte Press)

The Puppy Sister is a children's novella written by S. E. Hinton and published in 1995. The story revolves around Aleasha, a tricolor Australian Shepherd puppy who realises that the only way to really feel like a member of her new family is to become human. Aleasha begins a gradual, physical transformation from puppy to human child, trying to get used to both her new outward appearance as well as the struggle to actually feel more human. The story is based on her real life dog (Aleasha) and son's (Nick) relationship.

Contents

A graphic novel based on this story was published in 2010.

Plot summary

The Davidson family adopts Aleasha, a black, white, and tan colored Australian shepherd puppy from a farm. Aleasha loves her new family and really feels happy playing with their young son, Nick though he is not very thrilled about the new dog since he would rather have a little brother or sister.

One day after returning from the vet's office, Aleasha sees herself in the mirror and realises that she is not an actual human member of the family, but a puppy. She decides to physically transform into a human girl so she can fit in better with the Davidsons.

Aleasha begins by practicing walking on her hind legs and trying to speak. She eventually manages to walk across the kitchen on two legs, but has trouble forming words due to the still canine shape of her mouth. One day, she surprises Nick by saying his name to him. He also discovers subtle changes in Aleasha's physical appearance—her ears are shorter and her muzzle is shrinking. Nick decides to keep this a secret until a later day.

One day, Nick surprises his mother by showing her and Dad Aleasha's new verbal skills. Mom and Dad Davidson are amazed with Aleasha, but accept her changes. In the meantime, they decide to keep Aleasha away from the outside world until she completes her transformation. To cover up for the soon-to-be absent dog, the Davidsons begin telling people that they gave away their puppy and plan to adopt a little girl.

As time passes, Aleasha begins to struggle with her shift from canine to human. She eats meals with the family, but dislikes eating vegetables (until Mom tricks her by dropping stir-fry ingredients on the floor, knowing Aleasha's dog instincts would cause her to eat the food as it fell). When Aleasha is allowed to go trick or treating on Halloween, disguised as a werewolf like Nick, she gives in to her canine side by howling in fear upon being spooked by a man pretending to be a scarecrow at one house. At the same time, Aleasha is beginning to look like less like a dog and more like a furry child, leaving her in a very awkward halfway point through her transformation. By Christmas, Aleasha begins to gain more human abilities such as color vision. However, she is also no longer able to communicate with the family cat, Miss Kitty, as Aleasha's ears are now more human than animal.

By the spring season, Aleasha has finished her physical change and is now a seven-year-old girl with black hair and yellow-colored eyes. However, she still possesses some canine instinct. At a baseball game with dad and Nick, she catches a foul ball with her teeth. Few physical hints of her past canine form are also apparent—Aleasha will always have pointy teeth and ears, as well as very strong toes. However, she learns that no one ever completes changing throughout life, and also keeps one secret from her family—Aleasha can still smell love.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catahoula Leopard Dog</span> American breed of dog

The Catahoula Leopard Dog is an American dog breed named after Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. It became the state dog of Louisiana in 1979. It is recognized by the United Kennel Club under the name Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog, while the American Kennel Club Foundation Stock Service calls it Catahoula Leopard Dog. Both registries have assigned the breed a herding group designation, although it has traditionally been used in hunting feral boars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Shepherd</span> Breed of dog

The Australian Shepherd is a breed of herding dog from the United States. The name of the breed is technically a misnomer, as it was developed in California in the 19th century, although it has its origins in Asturias, in the northwest of Spain; the breed was unknown in Australia at the time. It is claimed that Australian Shepherds descend from a variety of herding breeds, including collies imported, alongside sheep, from Australia and New Zealand; the breed reportedly took its name from this trade. Originally used solely as a herding dog, the Australian Shepherd has become one of the most popular companion dog breeds in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog communication</span> Communication of dogs with other dogs and as well as humans

Dog communication is the transfer of information between dogs, as well as between dogs and humans. Behaviors associated with dog communication are categorized into visual and vocal. Visual communication includes mouth shape and head position, licking and sniffing, ear and tail positioning, eye gaze, facial expression, and body posture. Dog vocalizations, or auditory communication, can include barks, growls, howls, whines and whimpers, screams, pants and sighs. Dogs also communicate via gustatory communication, utilizing scent and pheromones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tibetan Terrier</span> Dog breed

The Tibetan Terrier is a medium-sized breed of dog that originated in Tibet. Despite its name, it is not a member of the terrier group. The breed was given its English name by European travelers due to its resemblance to known terrier breeds. The Tibetan name for the breed, Tsang Apso, roughly translates to "shaggy or bearded ("apso") dog, from the province of Tsang". Some old travelers' accounts refer to the dog as Dokhi Apso or "outdoor" Apso, indicating a shaggy or bearded working dog which lives outdoors.

<i>Darcys Wild Life</i>  TV series or program

Darcy's Wild Life is a teen sitcom starring Sara Paxton, and broadcast on Discovery Kids in the United States, and the Family Channel in Canada, from October 2004 to March 2006. The show also aired on NBC as part of the Discovery Kids on NBC programing block.

<i>The Shaggy Dog</i> (2006 film) 2006 film by Brian Robbins

The Shaggy Dog is a 2006 American science fantasy family comedy film directed by Brian Robbins and written by The Wibberleys, Geoff Rodkey, Jack Amiel, and Michael Begler. It is a remake of the 1959 film of the same name and its 1976 sequel, The Shaggy D.A., both loosely based on the 1923 novel The Hound of Florence by Felix Salten. The original film had a character named Wilby Daniels transforming into an Old English Sheepdog after putting on a magic ring, whereas the remake presents a character named Dave Douglas transforming into a Bearded Collie after getting bitten by a sacred dog. It stars Tim Allen, Robert Downey Jr., Kristin Davis, Danny Glover, Spencer Breslin, Jane Curtin, Zena Grey and Philip Baker Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal roleplay</span> Animal roleplay or petplay (erotic roleplay related to BDSM)

Animal roleplay is a form of roleplay where at least one participant plays the part of a non-human animal. As with most forms of roleplay, its uses include play and psychodrama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puppy</span> Juvenile dog

A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies can weigh 1–1.5 kg (2.2–3.3 lb), while larger ones can weigh up to 7–11 kg (15–24 lb). All puppies display primary altriciality and healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier. Puppy refers specifically to young dogs, while pup may be used for other animals such as wolves, seals, giraffes, guinea pigs, rats or sharks.

<i>Inubaka: Crazy for Dogs</i> Japanese manga series

Inubaka: Crazy for Dogs is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yukiya Sakuragi. It started in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Jump on September 22, 2004, and was later transferred to Monthly Young Jump on August 18, 2009, where it ran until April 28, 2010. Its chapters were collected in 17 tankōbon volumes. The series was licensed in North America by Viz Media with a preview in the new Animerica; Viz Media ceased its publication in March 2011.

Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy is a British family television film following the life of a border collie puppy as she grows up to become a working Herding dog. Part fiction, part documentary, it was filmed by real-life shepherd David Kennard on his farm in Devon. It features his seven working dogs - the puppy Mist, her gentle mother Gail, grandfather 'Sir' Gregory, eccentric, bubbly, hyper uncle Jake, sour and negative great-auntie Fern, gruff, tough cousin Ernie and wise auntie Swift.

<i>Courage of Lassie</i> 1946 film by Fred M. Wilcox

Courage of Lassie is a 1946 Technicolor MGM feature film starring Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Morgan, and dog actor Pal in a story about a collie named Bill and his young companion, Kathie Merrick. When Bill is separated from Kathie following a vehicular accident, he is trained as a war dog, performs heroically, and, after many tribulations, is eventually reunited with his beloved Kathie.

<i>Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days</i> (novel) 2009 book by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is a novel written by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney, and is the fourth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. It was released on October 12, 2009, in the USA and October 13, 2009, in Canada. The film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, released on August 3, 2012, was based on the book and its predecessor, The Last Straw. It follows the narrator, Greg Heffley, on his summer break between seventh and eighth-grade.

<i>Pretzel</i> (picture book) Book by Margret Rey

Pretzel is a children's picture book written in 1944 by Margret Rey, illustrated by H.A. Rey and first published by Harper & Brothers.

<i>Pound Puppies</i> (2010 TV series) Canadian TV series or program

Pound Puppies is an animated children's television series that first aired on the Hub Network on October 10, 2010, in the United States as the first Hub "original series". It also aired on YTV in Canada and on Boomerang in the UK, Ireland and Australia. Produced by Hasbro Studios, it was the second series to adapt Pound Puppies into a cartoon format. Originally a property by Tonka, Hasbro acquired Tonka itself and currently manages Pound Puppies. The plot style and music were similar to the 1960s TV series Hogan's Heroes and to films like Stalag 17 and The Great Escape. 9 Story Entertainment animated the first 7 episodes of the series. However, DHX Media/Vancouver took over production starting with episode 8.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolt (Disney character)</span> Disney character

Bolt is a fictional character that appears in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 48th feature, Bolt (2008). He is depicted as a White Shepherd with superpowers such as a "super bark" and the ability to shoot lasers from his eyes. When he found himself lost, Bolt discovered that he was an actor in a television show, and must take it upon himself to get back home, learning how to be a normal dog in the process. Bolt's journey and personal evolution as a character are core to the film's main themes.

<i>Beverly Hills Chihuahua</i> (film series) 2008 American film

Beverly Hills Chihuahua is a Mexican-American film trilogy. The films are based on a chihuahua named "Papi" going through adventures alongside his family and friends.

A cell dog is a rescue dog that is being housed with a prison inmate, with the goal of improving the lives of both. Through intensive training, prison inmates are able to transform a homeless, abused, or neglected dog into a service animal. The founder of the cell dog program was a Dominican nun named Sister Pauline Quinn. Starting in Washington state in the 1990s, the program soon took off, spreading to over two hundred prisons across the United States. Quinn's idea has spread internationally helping inmates and at risk dogs around the world.

<i>Sherlock Bones</i> Manga

Sherlock Bones, also known as Sherlock the Detective Dog or Tanteiken Sherdock in Japan, is the story of a young teenage boy who adopts a dog from the pound. Once the young boy discovers that his dog can talk with his grandfather's old pipe, they go on adventures and solve crimes. The story was created by Yuma Ando with art by Yuki Sato. The manga was released in Japan in 2012 and translated to English officially in 2013.

The Seventh Brother is a 1995 Hungarian-German-American animated fantasy-comedy-drama film for children made and produced at Hungary's Pannonia Film Studio. It was co-produced with Magyar Televízió, Germany's RealFilm, and the U.S. outlet Feature Films for Families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellard</span> Fictional dog from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Wellard is a Belgian Tervuren dog from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. His character first appeared in the series on 18 October 1994, and became EastEnders' longest-serving pet, before being killed off on 15 August 2008. Although the character is male, he has been played primarily by three female dogs: Zenna, her daughter Chancer, and her granddaughter Kyte. A fourth dog briefly served as a replacement for Zenna in 1996, when she was given time off from the show to have a litter of puppies.

References