To participate in the annual Read-a-Terhune-Book Day today, I decided my choice would be Treve. Usually Albert Payson Terhune set his dog stories around the New Jersey area where he lived, and the setting was familiar to him. This book featured a collie (Treve) in the Dos Hermanos area in southern Texas. Since I live in the southwest, this seemed like a good selection.


The book is a series of short stories, all of which feature the collie Treve’s adventures. He belongs to two men who are sheep ranch partners. One is young and friendly and the other a crusty old man. He hides his fondness for the dog by grumping at him all the time. Treve isn’t fooled and wags his tail and approaches for pets.


At the end, the partnership between the two men comes to an end. They can split up all the ranch’s assets, but who should end up with the marvelous dog Treve? Even when one owner seems to win, it’s not the final answer. As an author, this was a nice ending twist, although there was a little bit of unbelievable character change involved.


In the last chapter, Mr. Terhune talks about the real collie who lived at his home. The fictional dog was based on the real one. One line appears in this chapter that resonated with me: “All dogs die too soon.” He has written this sentence before, and I cannot help but agree every time I read it. Guess it’s part of being a dog lover.