Olive, Mabel & Me: Life and Adventures with Two Very Good Dogs

by Andrew Cotter

Overview

The story of Olive and Mabel, Labrador retrievers who rose to internet fame as the subjects of Andrew Cotter's BBC sports parodies.

When sporting events were put on hold in March 2020, commentator Andrew Cotter shifted to working from home. The one-on-one competitors? His two Labrador retrievers, Olive and Mabel. In the hilarious videos that ensued, the dogs engage in various contests, from bone-snatching and breakfast-eating to crushing it on the dog walk, while Cotter narrates to hilarious effect. The scene of Mabel, simply standing still in a fetid pond was one of the most popular. Why? Because this is how dogs live, and Cotter captured it with humor and joy. It’s why the series has been viewed more than 50 million times, entertaining dog owners, sports fans and celebrities around the world. Olive and Mabel are more than online celebrities, however, as revealed in this charming narrative. Filled with stories about how Cotter fell in love with his dogs, his passion for hiking with them through the glens and over the peaks of his native Scotland, and the ongoing relationship between Olive and Mabel (particularly the “competitive fire” lit during these days of quarantine), the memoir is by turns side-splittingly funny and thoughtfully tender. It’s sure to resonate with all dog lovers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682686645
Publisher:	Countryman Press, The
Publication date:	12/01/2020
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	173,024
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 8.70(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Andrew Cotter is one of the leading commentators on the BBC’s golf, rugby, tennis, and athletics coverage. He has also worked for Sky, BT Sport, ITV, Channel 4, ESPN and Eurosport. When not covering some of the world’s great sporting events, he’s usually up a mountain with his dogs.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Prologue xiii

Introduction xvii

1 The Dogs That Came Before 1

2 Dogless Days 7

3 Escape to the Country 13

4 Decisions 19

5 Puppy Love 25

6 Educating Olive 31

7 First Dog Climb 37

8 Mabel 49

9 Different Strokes 55

10 Changed Times 63

11 Food, Glorious Food 69

12 The Life Aquatic (Origins of Labradors) 75

13 Born to Swim 81

14 Irrational Beasts (and Where to Find Them) 89

15 The Place That Shall Not Be Named 99

16 The Pack and the Pack Horse 103

17 Mabel, Munros, and Memories 111

18 Dogs Welcome 121

19 Run With Us 127

20 The Incredible Journey 131

21 Don't Leave Me This Way 143

22 The Tale of the Lonesome Pine 149

23 The Wise Man of Fuji 155

24 Where You Go, We Will Follow 167

25 Climb While We Can 177

26 Altered Reality 185

27 The Power of the Dog 191

Epilogue 199

Acknowledgments 207

Editorial Reviews

"Just what we are needing now, Olive, Mabel & Me: Life and Adventures with Two Very Good Dogs is a rare treat of a book that will make you laugh aloud and perhaps expand your understanding of your dogs too."

The Bark

"Beautifully written . . . As funny as you would hope"

The Times[UK]