When Bailey meets eight-year-old Ethan, he quickly figures out his purpose: to play with the boy, to explore the Farm during summers with the boy, and to tidy the boy's dishes by licking them clean (only when Mom isn't watching). But Bailey soon learns that life isn't always so simple--that sometimes bad things happen--and that there can be no greater purpose than to protect the boy he loves.

"I knew the girl was mine. The one I had been waiting for. But this girl, the right girl, somehow didn't hear me. My barks were not loud enough to reach her. I was not big enough to jump the fence and race to her. She walked steadily on with the three dogs on the leashes, and Gail reached down into the pen. "My goodness, Max, what is all the racket about?" she asked, lifting me up. "Careful, now! You'll make me drop you!" I wiggled and whined in her...

"Even though Bella has to hide from the neighbors and learn boring games like No Barks and Go Home, she loves her boy Lucas. Then one day Bella is picked up by Animal Control and Lucas is forced to send her to a foster home far away. Bella waits and waits for Lucas to come and get her, but days go by and he does not come. Finally Bella realizes what she needs to do--she needs to Go Home to Lucas--and even four hundred miles of dangerous Colorado wilderness...