Lad by Albert Payson Terhune
"Lad: A Dog," written by Albert Payson Terhune, is a beloved collection of twelve interconnected stories that chronicle the life and adventures of a remarkably loyal and brave collie named Lad over a span of twelve years. The narrative begins with Lad's early days, where he befriends a young puppy named Lady, who later becomes his mate. The stories showcase Lad's unwavering loyalty, obedience, and heroism, depicted through various challenges, including his courageous defense of his family against a burglar and his participation in a dog show where he wins accolades.
As the stories unfold, readers witness Lad's deep connections with his human family and the trials he faces, including conflicts with other dogs and a fierce encounter with a rabid friend. Terhune skillfully captures Lad's thoughts and emotions, creating a palpable bond between the reader and the dog. The book is not only a tribute to the canine spirit but also resonates with themes of love, loyalty, and resilience. First published when Terhune was forty-seven, "Lad: A Dog" set the stage for his successful writing career, appealing to dog lovers and children alike, while continuing to hold a special place in the hearts of readers decades after its release.
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Subject Terms
Lad by Albert Payson Terhune
First published: 1919; illustrated
Type of work: Adventure tale
Themes: Animals and emotions
Time of work: 1906-1918
Recommended Ages: 10-13
Locale: Sunnybank, Pompton Lakes, New Jersey
Principal Characters:
Lad , a beautiful and intelligent collie, who is fiercely loyal and obedient to his master and mistressLady , Lad’s impish and beguiling mateThe Master , owner of The Place, a country estate in New JerseyThe Mistress , the Master’s wife, whom Lad adoresHamilcar Q. Glure , a neighbor who seeks to use his wealth to get what he could not win in fair competition
The Story
The book Lad: A Dog is composed of twelve chapters, each of which is a short story that could well stand on its own, yet together they portray adventures in this great dog’s life over a period of about twelve years. The plots of the separate stories, although basically independent stories with a common plan, follow a progressive development of this dog’s life. He first meets Lady when he is four and she is but a month-old puppy. He accepts this tiny mite and takes her under his protection. Later she becomes his mate. He idolizes her. Though she also loves him, she takes him for granted, teases him often, and through her involvement with other dogs, stirs up many problems for Lad.
Author Albert Payson Terhune shows that the strong loyalty Lad offers his loved ones is a factor in his survival and ultimate victories. Lad’s bravery and obedience continually show forth. In one story, his mistress is stricken with pneumonia, and he is told that quiet must be maintained. He sadly but obediently complies. In the midst of his concerned sadness for his mistress, a burglar enters The Place. Lad silently attacks, is wounded by the thief’s knife, but ultimately defeats the intruder. Lad’s final delight comes when his mistress is returned to health.
Several chapters make a continuous story commencing when Lad is entered in the Westminster Kennel Club dog show where after much suspense, he unexpectedly wins two blue ribbons. In the next chapter, he is lost when his family starts home from the dog show; Lad must fight other dogs and escape from people to make his own way from Manhattan Island to Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, thirty miles away.
Later, Hamilcar Q. Glure, the “Wall Street Farmer,” is introduced and soon shows himself to be a conniving man who deceptively tries to beat locals in dog shows by using his wealth when he cannot otherwise win. Lad, obedient to his master and mistress even when their orders make no sense to him, thwarts all of Mr. Glure’s plans and makes the local people happy. Other chapters are varied, but all are exciting. One deals with the restoration of an invalid child. Another tells of Lad’s care for his own son, Wolf. In another, Lad’s ancestral instincts save some sheep.
By the time Lad has become an old dog, he has earned the title of “king of the dogs.” When he approaches, other dogs on the estate step aside in deference to him. The climax comes when Lad’s friend, Rex (a collie and bull terrier mix), injured in hunting, goes insane and attacks Lad. Lad, who is much older than Rex, stands his own but is barely able to do so while retreating. Then Lad’s own son, Wolf, under the influence of Rex, joins the fight against Lad. This situation is the only one in the story where his deliverance comes from somewhere other than himself. He finally approaches close enough to home so that his master is able to come to his aid and kill Rex. When it seems that Lad cannot possibly pull through, even in his old age he still has enough stamina to survive and live for another two years, receiving complete respect from the other dogs, including Wolf. When he dies a natural death, he is still “king.”
Context
Terhune was forty-seven when Lad: A Dog was first published, the first of about twenty-seven books on dogs. The first three dealt with Lad, the rest with other dogs that lived at Sunnybank, Terhune’s country estate and the location of his breeding kennels. Lad: A Dog will appeal to any dog lover and may make dog lovers out of some who are not already so inclined. This achievement is Terhune’s major one with Lad: A Dog, the portrayal of this special animal in such a way as to make each story completely believable and yet give the reader a sense of the dog’s thoughts as the story unfolds. Recognition of Lad’s willingness to be obedient in spite of the frequent confusion in his guileless thought processes will endear him to many who read Lad: A Dog.
The Call of the Wild (1903) and White Fang (1905), Jack London’s famous books about dogs, treat the subject quite differently. In each, the major theme seems to weave a story about men, Alaska, and gold around the character of these wolf-dogs. Bel Ria (1977) and The Incredible Journey (1961), two of Sheila Burnford’s books, treat animals in a loving fashion but do not so consistently reveal the animals’ thinking processes. The Voice of Bugle Ann (1935) by MacKinlay Kantor is one dog book that Terhune himself believed to be a classic. The reader may come to feel an affection for each animal in these books, but Terhune’s Lad becomes the reader’s personal friend and pet.
It is this love of Lad that continues to attract young readers. In The Master of Sunnybank (1977), Irving Litvag tells that letters still arrive from children who have discovered Lad: A Dog and other of Terhune’s dog books. In this modern world, many children badly need someone or something to love. Since Lad becomes the reader’s personal friend and pet, he fulfills this need. Children of all ages still read Lad: A Dog and other dog books by Albert Payson Terhune.
Lad: A Dog was the first dog book written by Terhune, but his first dog story was “His Mate,” published in the January, 1915, issue of Red Book. “His Mate” later became chapter 1 of Lad: A Dog. Each of the chapters in Lad: A Dog had previously been published as a short story. Terhune’s output of dog stories established him as a very successful writer (he had eight books that sold more than one million copies each), and clubs were formed all over the country to honor him and his collies. Yet he always referred to himself as a “hack writer” when discussing his dog books. He attempted to produce literature of higher quality in several novels; these works were moderately successful but never earned the praise for which he hoped.