‘Olive leapt onto one of the luggage trolleys and we were able to wheel her, like a midsized suitcase, to the lifts. What’s more, she seemed to enjoy the process, moving along in a stately fashion past the hotel manager, who forced a tolerant smile.’
And just like that, Cotter, Olive and Mabel have been catapulted from lockdown celebrity status to undisputed national treasures who deserve to be on every red carpet across the land. (You heard it here first).
Here with his (or should I say, their) second book, sports broadcaster Cotter has secured their place in history with this wholesome masterpiece, inspired by his two beautiful, comical, eternally optimistic Labradors who are blissfully unaware of what is taking place in the wider world.
For those unfamiliar with this terrific trio (where have you been?), Cotter posted dog-walking commentary videos on his social media pages to alleviate the tedium of lockdown, immediately winning the hearts of almost 100 million dog lovers across the globe.
Throughout the book, Cotter writes of how life with these pampered pooches has developed over the past two years, detailing the difficulties of touring the country with his four-legged co-stars with short attention spans and insatiable appetites for comestibles of any kind.
Taking the form of a diary starting in October 2020 and ending in September 2021, Cotter tells tales that all dog owners will relate to (wet nose alarm clocks, archaeological digs in the garden, the temptation of eau de fox – sound familiar?) and his dry sense of humour keeps the pages turning at a pace.
If you have a friend or family member that is as obsessed with dogs as Cotter (that means treating them like princes and princesses and pushing them on luggage trolleys so they don’t skid on marble floors like Bambi on ice) then this is a no-brainer.
Dog Days: A Year with Olive & Mabel, by Andrew Cotter, published by Black & White, £20.
[review rating=”4″ align = “left”]
TAGS
FOLLOW US
