John Grogan opens the autobiography with a reflection on his own childhood dog. Saint Shaun “was one of those dogs that give dogs a good name” (x). He was obedient, a quick learner, naturally well behaved, affectionate, and calm. Saint Shaun joined the family when John was 10 years old and lived to be 14. The day Saint Shaun died was one of only two times John’s father cried, the first being at the loss of a stillborn child years earlier. Saint Shaun is the family dog against which John judges all other dogs.

The story begins with John and his wife Jenny in the early stages of marriage. They are young, in love, and both ambitious in their writing careers. They live in a small bungalow-style home in West Palm Beach, Florida. They recover and refinish the original oak floors, and replace surfaces and accessories throughout the house.

After accidentally killing a plant that John gave her, Jenny searches for a dog to bring into the family. She worries that if she can’t keep a houseplant alive, then she won’t be a good mother; a dog seems like the perfect step between houseplant and child to practice her caregiving skills.