Kristy's family has a new member: a Labrador retriever puppy named Scout. Kristy is extra excited, since Scout isn't any ordinary puppy — she's being trained to be a guide dog for the blind. The whole family needs to pitch in to help Scout learn to help others.
Kristy's a great BSC president and a great Krushers coach. But can she succeed as a dog trainer? Kristy needs to learn a few new tricks....
Gillian - puppy coordinator who interviewed the Brewers
Tom Feldman - manager of the grocery store
Imani - dog trainer
Maya - Deb's mobility instructor
Jim - man that Kristy runs into with a guide dog
Locations[]
The Guide Dog Foundation in Smithtown, New York
Pop Culture and Real-Life References[]
To Kill a Mockingbird, Nate the Great (book)
Continuity and Inconsistencies[]
Continuity
In chapter 1, Kristy recalls when Watson had his heart attack from Kristy and Mr. Mom.
On page 57 Kristy says that Mary Anne has her reading glasses which first came up in Mary Anne's Book.
Inconsistencies
Scout is referred to as a "she" in the book. But in the summary in the back of the book, Scout is referred to as a "he."
Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter[]
Dear Reader,
In Kristy Thomas, Dog Trainer, Kristy’s family takes on a big responsibility when they agree to train a guide dog. Training a guide dog is a huge commitment. Kristy’s family has to be very careful about what they teach Scout, where they take her, and how they let her behave. When Scout grows up, she’s going to have a lot of responsibility, so it’s extra important that the Thomases train her well.
Training any pet is a big responsibility. It takes lots of patience. Right now, I am training my new cat, Willy, not to claw the furniture. This is a slow process, but he is learning. He is also learning not to take Gussie’s and Woody’s food. Every day he gets a little better, and I reward him for good behavior.
When you’re training a pet, remember the three P’s — practice, perseverance, and patience!
Trivia[]
This is the first introduction of Scout in the books.
The Brewers have an invisible electronic fence around the house.
There's a typo on page 24, there's no closing parentheses.
Claudia didn't know that you can't feed dogs chocolate.
Kristy and Scout got one person to donate to the guide dog foundation at the grocery store.
Mrs. Cooper works with Watson.
In chapter 7, Mary Anne is baby-sitting for Ben and James. Ben is 11. It’s unlikely that he would need a sitter.
Nannie's favorite cereal is Rice Krispies, Charlie's is plain cornflakes, and Elizabeth's is granola mix.
Jake Kuhn scores a double.
Watson said puppies are easier to train then human children.
Karen's ambitions are wide-ranging and change often.
Shannon the dog starts going to dog obedience classes.