Scooter, The Cow Dog: A Time To Listen and Learn

The mountain lion roared a terrifying snarl as it jumped from the big rock and landed in front of Fifi. Katie screamed!

Ten-year-old Katie Collins didn't like to listen to her parents and do her chores. Neither did her pet dog, Fifi. So when her parents decided to send her to stay a few weeks with her grandparents on a working cattle ranch in South Texas, Katie wasn't happy. And, when Scooter, the ranch's semi-retired cow dog saw them arrive on the ranch, he couldn't believe his eyes. Their reluctance to listen and learn on a busy Texas ranch would soon lead to all kinds of misadventures....including a large mountain lion.

"Scooter: the Cow Dog," provides a clever "what goes around comes around" lesson about the importance of listening to those with more experience, as well as being responsible for your own actions. Scooter, the retired cow dog, plays and chases chickens and cats most days, is still on the job when it comes to being needed. There is always a time to play, but there's also a time to work and learn." Jennifer Kuhns, award-winning Author of "Hailey's Dream"

"What a wonderful book! Scooter the Cow Dog is now one of my heroes." Major Mitchell, author "Charlie Shepherd"

"Scooter: The Cow Dog" is a beautifully described story of lessons learned. The illustrations are well drawn and to the imagination!" Claudia Hull, author of "Procrastimonsters, They're Everywhere"

The backstory of this book revolves around my own grandchildren.  They range in age from six to fourteen . . .two girls and two boys.  I wanted to write a story for them.  I wanted to write a story with a life lesson yet make it entertaining.  What's more entertaining than a story about a great dog? 

Having raised two daughters myself, both of whom love dogs, I decided to write about a little girl who never listens to her parents or does as she's told.  I decided to give her a little dog who pretty much is a reflection of her own disobedience.So with a working subtitle of "Listen and Learn" I began writing.

Honestly, I used my then twelve year old granddaughter as my focus group by asking her to read early drafts of the story.  I wanted her reaction.  I quickly realized writing a Western themed children's story for someone living in the Southeast would present its own set of problems.  She had no clue about corrals, ranch hands, cow dogs, remudas or other Western terminology.  I had to rewrite the story to make it more understandable for a wider audience.

Second, I knew I had a problem after she read the first draft and showed no emotion or excitement about the story.   That's all it was "a nice story".  My daughter suggested I create situations in which the young reader could relate.  So I did . . . Scooter gets in trouble and scolded almost as much as the average child.Now my granddaughter could relate and share a high degree of empathy.  Now the reader was involved and the lesson I was trying to convey was sown in receptive soil.  Thanks for your interest.  Phil Mills, Jr.