CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE®
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A DRAGONLARK BOOK
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2022 with funding from
Kahle/Austin Foundation
https://archive.org/details/lostdogO000mont
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE’
Fans Love Reading
Choose Your Own Adventure®!
“Come on in this book if you’re crazy enough!
One wrong move and you're a goner!”
Ben Curley, Age 9
"| like this book because it's like you're
writing your own book!"
Kyle Smart, Age 5
“Sometimes I’m scared because |
don’t know what will happen. Then I just
make a different choice.”
Natasha Burbank, Age 9
“If you want to go on a magnificent adventure
of your choice, go to page 1 and begin reading.
If you don’t then get another book!”
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CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE and the CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE IN
OVAL are trademarks of Chooseco LLC and are registered in the United States and may be
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dress may not be used in connection with any product or service that is not affiliated with
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manner that disparages or discredits Chooseco LLC.
Lost Dog! ©1985 R.A. Montgomery
Warren, Vermont. All Rights Reserved.
Artwork, design, and revised text ©2011 Chooseco, LLC,
Waitsfield, Vermont. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of Chooseco, LLC.
Illustrated by: Keith Newton
Book and cover design: Julia Gignoux, Freedom Hill Design and Book Production House
For information regarding permission, write to:
CHOOSECO
P.O. Box 46
Waitsfield, Vermont 05673
www.cyoa.com
A DRAG
ON DAK Ky BOO 1s
ISBN: 1-933390-00-X
EAN: 978-1-933390-00-0
Published simultaneously in the United States and Canada
Printed in Canada
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CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE®
LOST DOG!
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ILLUSTRATED BY KEITH NEWTON
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Where’s your dog Homer?
He’s not on the porch. He’s not behind
the garage, either.
“Homer! Hey, Homer!” you call. “Where
are you?”
There is no answering bark. Homer had
to spend last night outside because he’d
chewed up a shoe. (This time it was Dad’s
shoe.) He must have wandered away!
You run into the living room.
“Dad! Dad! Homer’s lost. He’s run away!”
you shout.
Turn to the next page.
Your dad lowers the paper he is reading
and looks over the top of his glasses.
“You always get too excited,” he says.
“Homer is not lost. He'll come home.”
The paper goes back up.
Go on to the next page.
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Next you try your mother.
“Mom, Homer’s gone!”
Your mom is too busy to help.
You try your older brother.
“Beat it, squirt,” he says. “I’ve got
important things to do. No time for dogs
or little kids. Beat it!”
Turn to the next page.
Just then your younger sister, Jessica,
comes up to you.
“Tl help,” she says. “We could go to the
radio station. They report lost dogs and
Cals
Go on to the next page.
“Good old Jessica. It’s nice to have some-
one I can count on!” you say.
But maybe you should look down by the
fort in the woods first. It’s one of Homer’s
favorite places.
If you go to the local radio station in
town, turn to page 7.
If you decide to look down by the fort in
the woods, turn to page 10.
“Who’s going to do the talking?” you ask.
“It was your idea, Jessica.”
“Yeah, but Homer is your dog,” she
replies.
If you insist that Jessica do the talking,
turn to page 18.
If you decide to do the talking,
turn to page 24.
“Homer loves the fort, Jessica. Follow
me, you Say.
“I don't know. Those older kids who built
it are mean!” says Jessica.
“I know, but we’ve got to find Homer,”
you reply.
Soon you come to a clearing in the
woods. The fort is built on a platform way
up in the biggest tree. You and Jessica stand
behind another tree.
“Quiet, Jessica,” you say.
“Why?” she whispers.
Turn to page 12.
12
“Schooner the bully is there!”
Schooner is talking loudly to two other
boys.
“We'll be rich! Rich, I tell you! Hey,
what’s that noise? Is there anyone out
there?”
Schooner stares right at the spot where
youre hiding!
eae
If you stay where you are and keep quiet y)
go on to the next page.
If you run for it, turn to page 14.
“Don’t move, Jessica,” you whisper. “He
doesn’t really see us.”
“Okay,” she whispers back.
Schooner turns away and goes on talking
to the others. You catch a few more of his
words. He’s talking about Old Pete!
Old Pete lives all alone in a little cabin.
He’s very smart, and he’s a good friend of
your dad’s.
“We'll break into the old guy’s house. He
hides his money in a big tin can under the
floorboards. I’ve seen him,” says Schooner.
Turn to page 17.
“Run for it, Jessica!” you yell.
Schooner arabs a big stick. He charges
after you and Jessica!
“If Homer were here .. . oh, I wish
Homer were here! He’d save us,” Jessica
says.
“Yeah,” you reply. “Old Homer would
take care of Schooner.”
Just at that very moment Homer appears
out of nowhere!
“Homer! Homer, where were you?” you
shout.
But Schooner is almost on top of you.
If you decide to stay and face Schooner
with Homer’s help, turn to page 35.
If you keep on running, turn to page 38.
“But he’s got a dog. I saw it this morning.
A big brown-and-black dog,” says one of the
boys.
“No! That's not his dog. That’s just some
mutt who comes by looking for handouts
now and then. No trouble with him if he’s
still there.”
You turn to Jessica. “It must be Homer!
Homer likes Old Pete. He visits him a lot.”
“What do we do now?” Jessica asks.
If you decide to go home for help,
turn to page 46.
If you decide to run to Old Pete’s house
and warn him, turn to page 51.
“You do it, Jessica,” you say.
“Okay. But stand next to me!”
You open the door. You are right in front
of a desk. A large blonde woman is sitting
behind it.
“Well, what do we have here?” she asks.
You forget all about Jessica and blurt out,
“My dog’s name is Homer, and he’s lost.”
Jessica gives your hand a squeeze. The
woman stands up and says, “Right this way.
We'll take care of it!”
Turn to page 20.
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The woman shows you into an office
and introduces you to Mike Watt, the radio
deejay. He’s the one who reads the news.
You explain the problem.
Mike Watt asks, “How about going on the
air? You report on Homer. You've got a
good voice.”
It’s scary, you think. Being on the air will
be scary!
Turn to page 22.
Mike Watt takes you into a small sound-
proof room and stands next to you. A
red sign on the wall blinks “ON THE AIR.”
You clear your throat and speak into the
microphone.
“My dog’s name is Homer, and.. .”
Your message is going out to thousands of
people! You feel proud of yourself.
Go on to the next page.
In just a few seconds you're done. You
can't believe it was so easy!
Mike Watt says, “Great job. You really do
have a perfect radio voice. Hey! How about
doing a kids’ radio program for us?”
If you tell him that you don’t have time to
talk about that right now because you're
looking for Homer, turn to page 26.
If you say, “Yes, let’s start right away, ”
turn to page 30.
“Okay. okay, I'll do the talking. But what
do I say?” you ask Jessica.
“Just act natural. Just talk to the people
the way you talk to me. They don't bite.
They don't even bark!” she says, laughing.
“Very funny, Jessica,” you answer.
Go on to the next page.
Things go easily, and the radio station
helps out. What a relief! The message about
Homer will be broadcast at noon.
You decide not to wait at the station.
Instead you'll keep looking for Homer. You
can call the radio station later for messages.
If you go to look for Homer at the
playground, turn to page 32.
If you check with the police to see if any
dogs have been found, turn to page 57.
You promise Mike Watt that you'll be back
after you find Homer. He says, “Don’t let us
down, now. You've got a future in radio!”
It’s exciting when you imagine having
your own kids’ program. On the way home
that’s all you can think of.
Go on to the next page.
“What about Homer, big shot?” asks
Jessica.
That wakes you up from your daydream.
She’s right. Homer really is the most impor-
tant thing. He comes first!
Turn to the next page.
Out of habit, you put your hand down to
pat Homer. He gives you a juicy lick on the
fingers.
“Stop that, Homer! Come on, stop it!”
YOu Say.
Then suddenly you realize what’s
happening.
“Homer! Homer! Where in the world did
you come from?”
Homer just looks up and nudges you with
his nose. If he could talk, he would probably
say, “Aw, come on. You worry too much.”
The End
Years later, when your children ask you
how you became one of the world’s most
famous radio announcers, you tell them the
story of the time Homer disappeared.
“But what happened to Homer?” they ask.
Go on to next page.
“Oh, he showed up. He wasn’t lost after
all. That’s why my program was called
‘Homer's Show.’ It was my big break-
through!” |
The End
You and Jessica run toward the play-
ground.
“Homer loves the playground,” Jessica
says.
“I only hope he’s there!” you say.
But when you arrive at the playground,
there is no Homer. As a matter of fact,
there’s only one person there—a little kid
sitting in the sandbox.
“Boy, is he dirty!” says Jessica.
“Yeah. Wait until his mother sees him,”
you answer.
“Hey, have you seen a big brown-and-
black dog around here?” you ask the boy.
He pours a pail of sand over his head.
Turn to page 34.
“Yup!” he answers. He keeps digging in
the sand.
“Well, where is he?” you ask.
“I don’t know,” the boy says. Suddenly he
gets up and runs away.
If you follow him, turn to page 40.
If you let him go and search the
playground for Homer, turn to page 47.
35
“Okay, Homer, let Schooner know who’s
boss!” you say in your loudest voice.
Homer lets go with a huge bark, followed
by an even bigger growl.
You stand your ground. “We mean
business, Schooner. Leave us alone!” you say.
Turn to page 37.
Schooner adjusts his hat and looks at you.
“Pll let you go this time,” he says. “But
don’t come back!”
You, Homer, and Jessica run out of the
woods as fast as you can. You're safe!
The End
“Let’s get out of here. Come on! Keep
going!” you shout.
Schooner and his two friends are right
behind you, yelling and screaming. Suddenly
Homer stops short, turns around, and bares
his teeth. He gives a low, fierce growl. You
and Jessica stop to watch.
Go on to the next page.
39
Schooner raises his hand.
The fur on Homer’s back rises in a ridge
of black and brown bristles. He stands still,
growling and barking.
Turn to page 44.
“Come on, Jessica. I'll bet he knows
where Homer is. Follow me!” And you run
off after the little boy.
He’s fast, but finally you grab him by his
dirty shirt.
“Got you!” you say.
“Let me go! Help! Let me go!” he
screams. Just at that moment a woman ina
floppy hat rushes up.
“Let Henry go at once!” she orders.
Turn to page 42.
41
“Yes, ma’am.” You qulp and let go of
Henry. Jessica tries to hide behind you.
“We're just trying to find our dog Homer,”
you say.
“Well, this is a boy, not a dog.” The
woman takes Henry by the ear and marches
him off.
Go on to the next page.
43
“What now?” Jessica asks.
“Let's keep on looking,” you reply. “We'll
find him!”
The End
To continue looking for Homer, head to
the police station by turning to page 57.
Schooner backs away slowly.
“I was only kidding. Honest, dog, I wasn't
going to hurt these kids! Only kidding. Nice
pooch, nice poochy,” Schooner says.
Then Homer gives one giant bark.
Schooner and his two friends take off like
three rockets back toward the old fort.
“Nice work, Homer. You saved the day!”
you say, giving Homer a big hug.
The End
You and Jessica slip away from your
hiding place and run as fast as you can
toward home.
“What about Homer?” Jessica yells.
“I don’t know,” you say. “Let’s hurry.
We'll have to find Homer later!”
Just then Homer dashes out of the woods
and runs—thump!—tright into you.
“Hey, Homer! Where did you come
from?” you ask.
Homer gives several low barks and some
worried growls.
“What is it, Homer? What is it, boy?”
Turn to page 54.
“That kid doesn’t know what he’s talking
about. Come on, let’s look down by the
duck pond,” you say to Jessica.
Moments later you are at the edge of a
large pond. No Homer!
Turn to the next page.
Just then another little kid—a girl
more than three or four years old—slips
into the pond. Her mother isn't watchi
You jve Res the por |
wo
“You're very brave,” the little girl’s mother
says to you. “You saved my daughter’s life.
Why, without you—I don’t even want to
think what could have happened!”
She offers to take you home, but you and
Jessica say no. “We have to find our dog
Homer. He’s lost,” you say.
Boy, what a day! You hope it’ll end
soon—with Homer found.
“Schooner and his gang are going to Old
Pete's right now. We've got to warn Pete,”
you say. “I don’t think we can make it home
and back here with help in time.”
Into the woods you go, following a narrow
path. It doesn’t take long to get to Old
Pete’s cabin.
Turn to the next page.
53
But no one’s there.
No Homer, no Pete, no nothing!
If you decide to go into the cabin
and wait, hoping Pete will come
back, turn to page 61.
If you head back into the woods,
turn to page 72.
54
“Maybe he wants us to go with him.
Probably to help Pete,” you say.
“How could he know those bullies are
going to rob Pete?” Jessica asks.
“Dogs have ways of knowing things,” you
answer.
Go on to the next page.
You follow Homer on the trail to Old
Pete’s cabin. You get there just in time!
Schooner’s gang is sneaking up on the
cabin. Homer leaps forward, barking a
warning.
Turn to page 69.
The police station sounds scary to you.
What if Homer’s been hit by a car? But you
screw up your courage, and you and Jessica
go into the station.
The policeman at the desk looks down at
you and smiles. “Well, you didn’t rob a
bank, did you?” he says.
You explain about Homer. The policeman
says, “I'll check it out right away.”
Turn to the next page.
The policeman reads the reports on his
desk carefully.
Then he calls the patrol car to ask if any
dogs have been hit.
o9
You all hear the patrol car answer over
the two-way radio: “No dogs hit by any cars
that we know of. No cats either.”
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“Whew! Wow, I was really worried that
Homer had been hit. Thanks, Officer. We'll
keep on looking,” you say.
“Jessica, we haven’t even checked the
dog pound yet,” you say.
“You're right! Pretty dumb, huh? Let’s
go, she answers.
Turn to page 67.
The cabin is full of Pete’s science
experiments. You think you hear something
upstairs. Is it Pete, or the bullies?
“Jessica, grab one of those pots and a
wooden spoon. Beat on it when I tell you to.
We'll scare Schooner and his gang away!”
Turn to page 63.
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The noise upstairs gets louder. Just then,
you see Schooner and his gang approaching
from the clearing.
Turn to the next page.
Suddenly, there is an explosion from
upstairs.
“Eureka!” yells Old Pete, and he and
Homer come running down from the attic.
Homer is barking excitedly. “We’ve done it!”
Between the explosion and Jessica
banging the pots and pans, Schooner and
his friends look very scared and run away.
Pete just laughs. “What a day,” he says.
“I haven’t had so much excitement since the
Fourth of July party—fourteen years ago!”
The End
66
67
An hour later you peer through a fence at
a pack of dogs in the pound.
d : _Se
Turn to the nex page.
“Homer! Hey, Homer! It’s us!” you shout.
Homer leaps at the fence—his tail
wagging, tongue licking.
“Okay, Homer, you'll have to leave your
new friends,” you say. “Let’s go home!”
The End
“Let’s get out of here!” Schooner yells.
He and the other two boys run off into the
woods. Pete comes out of his cabin. “What's
all this racket?” he says.
Turn to the next page.
“Schooner and his gang were after your
money!” you savy.
Pete gives a little laugh. “Well, there is no
money, he says. “And what’s more, I'm
tired of Schooner. This time he’s gone too
far. I'm going to talk with Schooner’s
parents tonight!”
The End
Just then you hear a noise. It is a low, eerie
sound, sort of like a loon and sort of like. . .
“It sounds like Homer when he’s sick,” you
shout to Jessica. “It must be Homer!”
The low moaning sound gets louder.
“Homer! Homer!” you shout.
But there is no answer.
You peer underneath the house. It isn’t
Homer! It’s a little gray-and-black dog.
Turn to page 74.
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“Nice dog. We’re friendly,” you say,
reaching down to show the little dog your
hand. Jessica backs away so the dog won't
be scared.
Just at that moment, Homer appears,
wagging all over. The dog under the house
slowly crawls out. Then you notice its leg.
It’s hurt!
Homer nudges the little dog with his nose
and whines. Now you understand. Homer
has been trying to help!
Go on to the next page.
795
“Good Homer!” you say. “Jessica, you
take this dog back home. Mom will know
what to do about its leg. Homer and I will
stay here and scare off Schooner’s gang.
Right, Homer?”
He gives a sound that’s half-yowl, half-bark.
You know he means, “You’re right, boss!”
The End
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. A. Montgomery has hiked in the Himalayas,
climbed mountains in Europe, scuba-dived in
Central America, and worked in Africa. He lives in
France in the winter, travels frequently to Asia, and
calls Vermont home. Montgomery graduated from
Williams College and attended graduate school at
Yale University and NYU. His interests include
macroeconomics, geopolitics, mythology, history,
mystery novels, and music. He has two grown
sons, a daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters.
His wife, Shannon Gilligan, is an author and noted
interactive game designer. Montgomery feels that
the new generation of people under 15 is the most
important asset in our world.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Illustrator Keith Newton began his art career in
the theater as a set painter. Having talent and a
strong desire to paint portraits, he moved to New
York and studied fine art at the Art Students
League. Keith has won numerous awards in art
such as The Grumbacher Gold Medallion and
Salmagundi Award for Pastel. He soon began illus-
trating and was hired by Walt Disney Feature
Animation where he worked on such films as
Pocahontas and Mulan as a background artist.
Keith also designed color models for sculptures at
Disney's Animal Kingdom and has animated
commercials for Euro Disney. Today, Keith Newton
freelances from his home and teaches entertain-
ment illustration at the College for Creative Studies
in Detroit. He is married and has two daughters.
For games, activities, and other fun stuff, or to write
to R. A. Montgomery, visit us online at,;CYOA.com
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Have you ever read a book that’s
about YOU? This book is!
Homer is your dog, and best friend. You two have a great time
together. But Homer is not a dog who likes to sit at home with a
bone in front of the television. One day, Homer vanishes. There are
a trail of clues, but you'll have to decide where to look. And who e
will keep Homer out of trouble? YOU choose what happens next!
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