MATT is an alcoholic in his mid 30’s, who’s made a mess out of his personal relationships, to say nothing of his stomach. After getting locked in a drunk tank, MATT emerges with 48 hours of sobriety, only 28 days (and a whole lifetime) to go. Matt takes refuge at his sponsor FRED’s farm, outside of a close-knit Montana town known, oddly, for dog pulls. Fred is a book-thumping AA follower determined to help Matt string 30 days of abstinence together so Matt can visit his mom in hospice. She has one dying wish—to see Matt sober.

Matt is his own worst nightmare—short-fused, stubborn, and erratic. His self-esteem is shot from years of failing, yet he’s convinced he must find and maintain sobriety on his own. Everything changes when Matt finds a mutt on Fred’s property—that’s right, a stray dog has infiltrated Fred’s barn and is licking the chickens. Despite Fred’s objections, Matt keeps the dog, jokingly naming him Youpick (later learning the true spelling, Yup’ik). Yup’ik is a handful—stubborn, erratic, and short-fused. Fred’s concerns soon come true. Still tackling withdrawal, Matt isn’t equipped to take care of Yup’ik, but his attempts to get rid of him prove futile. Soon, Yup’ik endears himself to Matt, and focusing on Yup’ik is actually helping Matt to live ‘day by day.’

Matt meets JULIE (30s), a delivery woman and ex dogsledder, who recognizes that Yup’ik is a ‘pull dog.’ Initially skeptical, Matt harnesses him and discovers this runt can pull—A LOT! Julie suggests competing in a local pull. Yup’ik is indeed a rare talent who could go far—maybe far enough to beat the strongest dog in the state, SAMPSON. Sheer natural ability isn’t enough; to pull dogs, you don’t just need to harness your dog but your own emotions. You must deeply and emotionally connect with your dog, build trust, and not fly off the handle. There’s a big hill ahead if Matt’s going to learn how to gain the skills to win. Matt’s got to enlist help, specifically from Julie, who can’t quite get out of her famous dogsledding mother’s shadow, and of GREG (50s, indigenous), a renowned dog trainer. Matt must train Yup’ik, but really, Matt’s got to train himself. Meanwhile, his self-destructive demons are chasing at his heels. The Year of the Dog is a story about finding connections in unusual places and what it takes to pull through to the finish line.