Walking Ollie

You lose your marbles when you’ve got a dog; that’s what happens…

One winter’s afternoon, Stephen Foster walks into a dog re-homing centre with the intention of picking up a retired greyhound. Instead, he acquires an abandoned lurcher pup.

Foster’s knowledge of dogs is so vague that he has to look up ‘lurcher’ in key reference work The Giant Book of the Dog, to find out what sort of animal is coming to join the family. His research counts for little: the new arrival does not conform to any known breed standard, or indeed any standard whatsoever that might be considered dog-normal.

Walking Ollie is for anyone who has ever loved a dog – a hilarious and touching account of one man’s struggle to turn a decidedly difficult animal into something resembling a domestic pet.

“Ollie is trouble. But he is also a joy. So is reading about him. ”
Roy Hattersley, <em>The Guardian</em>

“An intriguing meditation on fame and posterity. A thoughtful novel that stands out in a world of identikit publishing.”
<em>New Statesman</em>

“Foster's wryly perceptive book perfectly illustrates the truism that the only thing wrong with dogs is their owners.”
<em>TLS</em>

About Stephen Foster

Stephen Foster was the author of six books including the bestselling Walking Ollie (Short 2007) which has sold more than 100,000 copies.