11-year-old Noah Ferris is struggling with a social anxiety disorder that can make the simplest everyday activities feel like he's drowning in quicksand. But after years of homeschooling, Noah bravely decides that he wants to give middle school a chance and perhaps even make some friends he's not related to. To help him navigate his new environment, his parents get Noah a scruffy, high-energy emotional support dog called Dude. While Dude's a novice with a short attention span and a distracting obsession with treats, what he lacks in experience, he makes up for in charm, spunk and wanting the best for Noah. If this unlikely pair can find a way to overcome their differences and work together, they may just survive everything from wisecracking pre-teens to a cat-obsessed school principal and make it through the school year.