Two Yellow Lab Puppies and an Old Guy

Book excerpt: Two Yellow Lab Puppies and an Old Guy by H. G. Hastings-Duffield Like the author’s other books, this, too, is a miscellany. However, unlike all the others, Two Yellow Lab Puppies and an Old Guy aims at humor, even in the discussions that definitely are intended as edification for the reader. Readers might smile, maybe even laugh, at the observations, questions, and conclusions of the most erudite puppies ever to exist. “How Do You Know If What You Do Is Right?” is a fascinating discussion between Shaker, the male pup, and the old guy. The text contains sixteen discussions of various subjects. Besides the subject matter is the entertaining back and forth between Shaker and Emmy, his sister. The author skillfully delineates them as quite different personalities. Shaker is no dummy, of course, but his interests and values are often at odds with his sister’s. Emmy is not a prude, but she is very formal and strongly opinionated about what is the proper way to behave and to speak, among other things. Despite the quarrelling, the author never allows the reader to think anything other than they dearly love each other.