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The Love of a Dog
Sixty Seconds with My Dog is a moving middle-grade novel about a grieving twelve-year-old who gets a magical chance to talk to her dog for sixty seconds, forcing her to confront what truly matters. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Like many Americans, our family got a dog during the 2020 Covid pandemic. I was not working at the time so training largely fell to me. I was not very good at it and I would often look into the big brown benevolent eyes of our dog and think to myself how great it would be if we could talk to each other. From there it evolved into thinking that it’d be an interesting book idea if you constrained the time period to just one minute.
Dudley is a fantastic character. Were there any real-life dog inspirations or specific Goldendoodle traits that you drew upon to create him?
The inspiration was largely my Havapoo Phoebe, but also from other dogs such as the Bernese Mountain Dog I grew up with, who very much reminded me of the Saint Bernard used in Beethoven. The goldens I’ve known have always been big, friendly, and loving dogs which is why I selected the breed for the story.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I really wanted to focus on the importance of “needs” vs “wants.” I believe that this is a struggle people deal with their entire lives and never fully master. Generally, adults are better than children at recognizing the importance of focusing on getting what they need over what they want but it’s a lesson worth repeating. Ultimately there is no greater need in life than the love of family and friends and I wanted to show that when times are tough and everything is seemingly going against you, you can always turn to your family and friends for support to see you through.
I also wanted to get people thinking about their loved ones and what they might say to them if they had just one more minute to speak with them.
What message or feeling do you most hope readers take away from Sixty Seconds with My Dog?
I want them to root for Phoebe and her redemption. To remember that family will always be there for you. And of course, to remember that there’s little better than the love of a dog.
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Sixty Seconds with My Dog tells the story of young Phoebe, who is struggling with the loss of her father and the trappings of teenage life. When her wish comes true, she wrestles with how to spend those sixty seconds with Dudley. Does she spend the time telling Dudley how much he means to her? Does she use it to let Dudley ask her questions? Ultimately, she decides to use that minute to teach Dudley a trick that can be used to generate her own fame.
Only after nearly losing her best friend Dudley does she come to realize what truly matters in life. This story of friendship and family will appeal to kids and parents alike, as well as to anyone who’s ever thought about how great it would be to be able to speak with their dog.
Sixty Seconds with My Dog
Sixty Seconds with My Dog is a heartfelt middle-grade novel that centers around Phoebe, a smart, sarcastic, and emotionally raw twelve-year-old navigating life after the loss of her father. At the heart of the story is Dudley, her goofy goldendoodle, who becomes her emotional anchor. When a mysterious gift gives her the chance to talk to Dudley for just sixty seconds, Phoebe is faced with a choice: use it for fame, for fun, or for something much deeper. It’s a coming-of-age story wrapped in humor, grief, and a bit of magic.
I didn’t expect to get so sucked into a story about a tween and her dog, but wow, Foster knows how to tap into real emotion without ever getting too heavy. The writing is lively, the dialogue is pitch-perfect, and the humor hits exactly where it should. Phoebe is exactly the kind of narrator you want to follow—funny, flawed, brutally honest. Her voice is strong and clear. I loved how real her relationship with her family felt. Her grief wasn’t dramatized—it just existed like it does in real life, messy and unpredictable. And don’t get me started on Dudley. He’s a total chaos machine in the best possible way, but he’s also the emotional glue that holds Phoebe together.
The book’s real magic isn’t in the pill or the minute of dog-speak—it’s in how it forces you to think about what you’d say to the ones you love if you had only a moment. It hit me harder than I thought it would. The emotional gut punch sneaks up on you. You laugh through Phoebe’s rants about TikTok and annoying brothers and then—bam—you’re remembering your own childhood dog or the time your mom dropped a truth bomb on you in the middle of a tantrum. The writing isn’t overly polished. It reads like a real kid’s brain: scattered, passionate, impulsive. That’s the charm. And the pacing? It flies. Every chapter felt like a breeze.
I’d wholeheartedly recommend Sixty Seconds with My Dog to anyone who’s ever loved a pet, felt misunderstood, or had to grow up just a little faster than they wanted. It’s perfect for middle graders, sure, but honestly, it got to me as an adult, too. It’s funny, touching, and unexpectedly deep.
Pages: 117 | ASIN: B0F6M34LWZ
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