Character Analysis
What perfect little family is complete without a perfect little pet? Though Watch officially belongs to Jessie, he's the loyal canine companion of all the Alden children. His origins are a mystery at first; he just shows up at the boxcar with a big thorn in his paw. It's worth noting that his seeming lack of an owner seems to mirror the children's own situation.
Jessie nurses him back to health, and when Henry says he'll be a good watchdog, Benny decides to name him Watch. (At 5 years old, Benny's not exactly creative.) As it turns out, Watch is indeed a good watchdog: In the middle of the night, he barks at an "intruder." Later, we find out the intruder was just Dr. Moore. We also learn about Watch's backstory: He ran away (or got lost?) when he was sold to a woman—kind of like how the Alden kids ran away when the baker's wife agreed to let them stay the night.