Arthur the aardvark goes into the pet business to prove he is responsible enough to own a dog. Although his first customer is a spoiled dog named Perky who ''hasn't been herself lately,'' the ending is satisfying, as Perky's strange behavior is explained by the appearance of a litter of puppies, one of which Arthur gets to keep for his very own.

K-Gr 3-- Arthur seeks a job taking care of pets to prove he is responsible enough to have a puppy of his own. He is glad that his first job is to mind a dog for a week, even a temperamental one, and he lets Perky sleep in his room. An ant farm and a canary follow--but when sister D. W. finds frogs in the bathtub and a boa in the livingroom, Mother banishes these ``pets'' to the basement. The reason for some of Perky's fussiness is revealed when, on the day she is to go home, she disappears--and is discovered in Arthur's closet with her new litter of pups. The pleased owner gives one to Arthur in addition to his fee--most of which pesky D. W. claims for a back debt. Arthur, whose appearance continues to evolve from his first aardvark appearance in Arthur's Nose (Joy Street, 1976), is a bit rounder and pinker, and the story a bit thinner, but his many fans will cheer this fourteenth adventure in a popular series. --Ruth M. McConnell, San Antonio Pub . Lib .