Chris is a sullen farm youth who resents the fact that his widowed mother has remarried. Howard's new stepfather, a sheep rancher, would give anything to gain Ron's love and respect. Nursing an injured German shepherd back to health, the boy invests all of his affections in the dog. When the dog's real owners show up, Howard is certain that his stepfather will betray him and return the animal.
—Hal Erickson