# Identify an SF story about dogs and aliens
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 6, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105 "2011-11-06T22:04:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105/1 "2011-11-06T22:04:47Z")
On another list, a friend asks:
"It caused me to half-remember a story. I think it might be by Eric Frank Russell, and no, it is not Allamagoosa.
In this story, the pet dog of a member of an exploration crew gets abandoned when they have to do a panic take off.
The dog is found by an alien race who study humans through it’s knowledge of humans. They discover they like dogs and because of the dog’s feeling for humans, they are kindly disposed to humans. There is an eventual first contact and the dog goes home. “How could we be hostile to someone who returns a beloved pet to it’s Master?” A really good story and crowning moment of heart-warming."
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### Author:  [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105/2 "2011-11-07T02:06:28Z")
Definitely by Eric Frank Russell. It’s titled, “Into Your Tent I’ll Creep.” I have it in an anthology called, “The Best of Eric Frank Russell.” Allamagoosa is in there.
Oops! Sorry, mis-read your description. The story you’re looking for is by Eric Frank Russell, I just can’t recall the exact title and don’t have the volume handy at the moment. The story I referenced has a different outcome. 😉
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### Author:  [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105/3 "2011-11-07T02:26:06Z")
Thanks. Having the confirmation that it’s Russell is helpful.
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### Author:  [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105/4 "2011-11-07T13:05:59Z")
> [@DirkGntly](#):
>
> Definitely by Eric Frank Russell. It’s titled, **"Into Your Tent I’ll Creep.**" I have it in an anthology called, “The Best of Eric Frank Russell.” Allamagoosa is in there.
>
> Oops! Sorry, mis-read your description. The story you’re looking for is by Eric Frank Russell, I just can’t recall the exact title and don’t have the volume handy at the moment. The story I referenced has a different outcome. 😉
Wasn’t that the one with the psychic alien who learns what the dogs are really up to?
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105/5 "2011-11-07T14:58:00Z")
It’s not a Russel story. I remember reading the story the OP is describing and Russel’s _Allamagoosa_ around the same time, in a sci-fi anthology that was not specific to Russel. Upon further research, I found _Great Stories of Space Travel_ from 1970, which includes _Allamagoosa_ and _Propagandist_ by Murray Leinster, which is the story of “a dog named Buck” who gets left behind by a human space crew, to be discovered (and mind-read) by aliens, who ultimately conclude that since Buck is okay, and Buck likes humans, humans must be okay.
[PDF text here](http://www.univeros.com/usenet/cache/alt.binaries.ebooks/10.000.SciFi.and.Fantasy.Ebooks/Murray%20Leinster/Murray%20Leinster%20-%20Propagandist.pdf)
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### Author:  [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105/6 "2011-11-07T18:45:13Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> It’s not a Russel story. I remember reading the story the OP is describing and Russel’s _Allamagoosa_ around the same time, in a sci-fi anthology that was not specific to Russel. Upon further research, I found _Great Stories of Space Travel_ from 1970, which includes _Allamagoosa_ and _Propagandist_ by Murray Leinster, which is the story of “a dog named Buck” who gets left behind by a human space crew, to be discovered (and mind-read) by aliens, who ultimately conclude that since Buck is okay, and Buck likes humans, humans must be okay.
>
> [PDF text here](http://www.univeros.com/usenet/cache/alt.binaries.ebooks/10.000.SciFi.and.Fantasy.Ebooks/Murray%20Leinster/Murray%20Leinster%20-%20Propagandist.pdf)
Thank you.
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### Author:  [@Storm\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Storm_Girl)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105/7 "2011-11-07T21:48:06Z")
Sniff…I seem to have gotten something in my eye…Buck was such a GOOD dog.
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### Author:  [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105/8 "2011-11-07T21:56:56Z")
**Propagandist by Murray Leinster**
I would say that the OP is thinking of this, very good story. It was in an anthology that I got as a gift from an aunt or second cousin, or someone, that first introduced me to science fiction a long time ago.
I wish I still had the book.
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### Author:  [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105/9 "2011-11-07T22:06:25Z")
**Great Stories of Space Travel from 1970**
That is it! Thank you, I will get a new copy. Cabin Boy and A Walk in the Dark are favorites of mine.
Complete list of the stories here:
[http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?257562](http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?257562)
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105/10 "2011-11-07T22:17:57Z")
Yeah, “Cabin Boy” is a classic, and Bradbury’s “Kaleidoscope” is just plain creepy as hell.
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### Author:  [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105/11 "2011-11-07T22:21:41Z")
I was going to say “anything by Dean Koontz” but I’m glad you found it.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-sf-story-about-dogs-and-aliens/602105/12 "2011-11-08T01:28:49Z")
I’m just glad it wasn’t “All Summer in a Day”. We’ve had, like, eight threads asking about that one.