At the end of the story, Sarah interviewed Dr Scum about being new. Dr Scum ended the interview after the fourth question due to not being new. It went like this:

While Dog Man is struggling with his fear, the flea-sized villains Piggy, Bub, and Crunky are working on plans of their own. Piggy tries to steal the famous Hope Mood Ring while Bub and Crunky hypnotize Big Jim, making him into a new super hero, Commander Cupcake. While Dog Man and the others battle the various villains, Commander Cupcake bumbles onto the various scenes just in time to get credit for solving all the crimes. When Grampa calls Li'l Petey a "jabberjaw", it is a reference to the Hanna-Barbera character of the same name. Big Jim is a cat who currently a prisoner at Cat Jail, along with Petey, Mr. Whiskers, Tippy, Fluffy, and several other unnamed cats. When he got hypnotized by Crunky and Bub, he thought he is a superhero named Commander Cupcake, and therefore started an addiction to cupcakes.Petey is giving a speech about how cats deserve more rights than dogs, while the FLEAS are forming a new plan on Petey's whisker. He is interrupted by the Jail Warden, telling him he got a pardon. He then forgets everything he just talked about and tries to leave Cat Jail. Big Jim then shows up and gives Petey a hug, and the FLEAS end up on Big Jims whisker.

Kid comic creators George Beard and Harold Hutchins (now with added maturity!) are thrilled to present readers with the next installment of their co-written graphic-novel series. He can also be very annoying. Because of that, he is the third most disliked character in Dog Man, behind Li’l Petey and Molly, who are also very annoying especially when they are together because they sing very annoying and unfunny songs in book 10.

When Li'l Petey tells Petey he abandoned him once, this is a reference to Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties. This book draws clear distinction between feelings and action: you need more than good intentions to be a decent person. In an argument between Li'L Petey and his grandfather, the old cat claims he never felt love for Petey a day in his life. "Love isn't just something you feel," Li'L Petey tells him. "Love is something you do!" Powerful words from a perceptive youngster. You can't force yourself to feel affection for someone, but you can dutifully protect and provide for them as though you felt love. In the end, how you treat them is more important than what you felt while doing it. Things might have turned out differently had Petey's father grasped this years ago. Li'L Petey encourages Dog Man in a similar vein when he finds our hero hiding in a trash can, terrified of Dr. Scum's Burgle Balls. Li'L Petey assures Dog Man he's a "good boy," but, "that doesn't mean very much. Look around. This city is filled with good people...but none of them are doing anything! It's not enough to just be good. We gotta do good! Even if things get scary!" Being a hero requires that you stand up to evil when you're afraid, risking your safety to do good, and Dog Man's record of heroism is why we love and admire him.

In Grime and Punishment and Fetch-22, he leaves Cat Jail unnoticed. This also happens in For Whom the Ball Rolls. The relationship between Petey and Lil' Petey continues to evolve during the second novel of this set, titled Dog Man: Fetch-22. Petey is now officially one of the good guys and embraces his role as Lil' Petey's dad. Petey's father, known throughout this guide as Grampa, is in jail as this novel opens, having stolen all the stuff from Petey's Secret Laboratory. Lil' Petey has also made an important discovery. The Supa Brain Dots, which were a main part of the story line of a previous novel of this series, actually cause “supa anger.” That explains why Flippy the fish became a villain in a previous novel. Lil' Petey's research prompts Flippy to be released from jail.

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At long last, Dr. Scum discovers a weakness of Dog Man's to exploit, and tailors his latest criminal invention to do just that. His mechanized "Burgle Balls" terrorize the citizenry, stealing a fortune in jewelry and other expensive wares. Dog Man will have to battle his own canine nature to stop Dr. Scum, but he won't have to go it alone. Li'L Petey (aka Cat Kid) and 80-HD (Lightning Dude) are at his side, warriors for justice to aid the "Bark Knight". The Burgle Balls can't overcome all three, but Dr. Scum has a contingency plan: his Colossal-Bot 2000, a four-armed behemoth that could crush the city beneath its feet. Can the Bark Knight, Cat Kid, and Lightning Dude defeat this new foe? Maybe if Petey joins the fight, affirming his commitment to change his ways for the kid's sake. Whether or not Petey's father can be reformed, Petey has the choice from this day forward to set an example for Li'L Petey by opposing his own darker urges. Has he truly turned good? We'll find out as the series moves forward.

The following versions of the books were used to create this study guide: Pilkey, Dave, Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls and Dog Man: Fetch-22. Scholastic Inc. New York, New York, 2019. Kindle AZW file. Big Jim often will try to make Petey and Grampa laugh, though he is never funny. He appears to not be very bright, doing many things that are annoying. He is also blubbery, and will burst into tears if someone yells at him.Dog Man and Li'l Petey are not looking at them in the original cover, but changed at the last minute. Recasting Dog Man and his feline ward, Li’l Petey, as costumed superheroes, Pilkey looks East of Eden in this follow-up to Tale of Two Kitties (2017).