In the Little House book series, Jack was the Ingalls family dog, both a loyal playmate and companion, but also who offered protection to the Ingalls family both while they travelled and while living in their houses.
Jack appeared in four books of the series:
- Little House in the Big Woods
- Little House on the Prairie
- On the Banks of Plum Creek
- By the Shores of Silver Lake
Jack’s death preceeded the family’s move to Dakota Territory in the books. However, in reality, Jack ended up being traded by Charles Ingalls along with their ponies, Pet and Patty, for a pair of horses. So while Jack’s appearance in Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie were accurate, Jack was no longer with the family when they went to Walnut Grove nor De Smet.
Jack was such a beloved character in the original books that Laura continued to include him, rather that tell about Jack being traded away, until she had Jack pass away from old age at the beginning of By the Shores of Silver Lake.