Sirrah, a Shepherd Dog

Dog Stories was a collection of classic canine chronicles adapted and condensed for children by author Frances Cavanah. While it was published at least 4 times (once as part of the book Big Big Favorite Stories, as well part of Annual Whopper Book), the back cover image presented here is from the Whitman Publishing Company 1944 edition. It's possible that it was published with a painted cover of a boy hugging his collie (also rendered by Vallely) to capitalize on the success of the first Lassie movie, Lassie Come Home. This particular dog in Frances Cavanah's book is a shepherd named Sirrah whose owner was James Hogg, the shepherd-poet of Scotland.