Link Farris found Chum in a ditch by his farm with a badly broken leg. Link nursed the dog back to health and Chum became his inseparable companion, even to protecting him from robbers and helping him herd the farm animals. When Link realized how beautiful Chum was, he decided to show him in a dog show, and the mystery of Chum's real ownership came to light and the battle for him began.

Albert Payson Terhune (1872 – 1942) was born in Newark, New Jersey, the son of two writers, his Father also a prominent minister. Terhune had great success in two endeavors, writing and dog breeding.

Originally a journalist, Terhune turned his family's summer home into a successful Collie breeding Kennel and devoted himself to writing fiction, mostly dog-themed.