Dooger, the Grasshopper Hound — Lee Roddy

D.J. rescues an abandoned hound pup from a mountain road and with his best friend, the boys set out to train the dog they named Dooger. But he shows no sign of being a trail hound. About all Dooger chases are grasshoppers, which causes a neighbor to call him a grasshopper hound. The insult hurts D.J. and Alfred, who are determined to prove that Dooger is really good for something-but what? Everything they try ends in failure. When D.J.'s little brother runs away just as a forest fire threatens the area, the friends suddenly find themselves racing the fire and the clock to find the little brother. With only a single clue and Dooger's dubious record of trailing, the dog proves that he is really good for something. In the third book, D.J. learns that everything and everyone have gifts which can be used to help others.