The book "Our Dog Mandy" is loosely based on the author, Suzanne Derrick's two sons in their early years. The puppy Mandy, instills responsibility in the characters Ethan and Clayton. The book also touches on having faith in what a person believes. It emphasizes not giving up on what a person truly desires and believes.

The characters Ethan and Clayton start out wanting a pet. They didn't know what kind of pet they wanted. They walked around the neighborhood and saw a few different animals that could possibly be their pet, but those animals didn't work out.

Clayton told Ethan he didn't believe they would ever find a pet. Ethan told Clayton to have faith and believe. Eventually they found the right pet, a puppy named Mandy. They found Mandy through their neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Lee.