The Hound That Thought He Was a Raccoon

During a catastrophic flood, Mala's tree home collapses. Mala manages to save only one cub, Weecha, and the other cub is lost. Nubbin, the pup from Jeff's litter, is found later by Mala, dizzy from the churn, and is brought to her hollow tree where she nurses him along with Weecha.

Two weeks pass after the rescue, and Nubbin encounters Old Grouch, Weecha's father, while exploring near the farm. A fight ensues and Mala steps in to defend her cubs, ultimately driving Old Grouch away. The encounter establishes Mala as a protective matriarch in the area.

As summer arrives, Nubbin and Weecha become firm friends and embark on a series of adventures around the farm and woods. They explore together and rely on each other for safety, despite coming from different homes. Their bond grows amid play and shared scavenging.

While chasing a rabbit, Nubbin is threatened by a bobcat. Mala risks her life to distract the bobcat, luring it away from Nubbin and sacrificing herself to save him. Nubbin and Weecha watch as she diverts danger, paying the ultimate price.

After searching for food, Nubbin and Weecha come upon Jeff fishing and steal his catch. Jeff realizes Nubbin is Lulubelle's missing pup and captures both cubs, placing Weecha in an unused rabbit hutch. Nubbin stays with Weecha, and their bond endures under Jeff's wary gaze.

Weecha learns to manipulate the latch and escapes his rabbit hutch at night, reuniting with Nubbin for a nocturnal romp. They wreck Jeff's workshop, drawing attention to their mischief and the growing tension between humans and wildlife.

An iron rod falls onto a grinding wheel and starts a fire in Jeff's workshop, which Weecha had accidentally started. Jeff wakes to the commotion, extinguishes the blaze, and discovers Weecha and Nubbin sleeping innocently beside a calm, hidden mischief. The incident forces Jeff to confront the unusual alliance of the two raccoons.

Three weeks pass as Jeff trains Nubbin and his fellow hounds to track raccoons by scent. Nubbin initially resists using Weecha as bait and fights off the other dogs when Weecha is preferred. The tension tests their friendship and Jeff's loyalty to both animals.

Months pass and Nubbin and Weecha are grown, but Weecha remains partly captive in a rabbit hutch. The hound Rounder helps Nubbin escape and Weecha learns to manipulate hutches, releasing rabbits and triggering chaos that draws the hounds away. Weecha hides in a barrel as the dogs roll it, nearly getting caught.

Weecha fights Rounder in a pond, grabbing Rounder by the neck and nearly drowning him before escaping. The confrontation sharpens Weecha's wild survival instincts and deepens the rift between the two companions.

By autumn, Weecha has fully reverted to the wild, surviving by stealing duck eggs and foraging for nuts and berries. Nubbin continues to roam, and the two lead parallel lives in the same landscape, each adapted to the wild.

In the spring that follows, Weecha finds a mate, Waheena, and the two court. When the hounds approach, Weecha uses a decoy trick learned from his father to draw the pack away. Nubbin, now the lead dog, corners Weecha and recognizes his old friend, sparking a tense standoff. Jeff intervenes, asks the hunters to call off the dogs, and Weecha and Nubbin part ways with a vow never to hunt the other again.