Dog Days

A Year with Olive & Mabel

By: Andrew Cotter

Narrated by: Andrew Cotter

Are you sitting nicely? Good. Let's discover exactly what happened after two superstar Labradors chewed up the lockdown internet and found it really quite tasty.

He's not kept a diary for decades, but here, in Dog Days, Andrew Cotter draws inspiration from the great Samuel Pepys; like him, he bears witness to the extraordinary everyday as the world tilts on its axis in our own unsettling era.

And so, with Olive and Mabel at his side - actually, dawdling in the long grass or sleeping upside down - Andrew takes a clear-eyed, often hilarious walk through a year that encompasses all of life from the crushingly mundane to the decidedly odd.

Followed by whispers of 'Is that really Olive and Mabel?' - not to mention the occasional Hollywood approach - the three of them pad around literary festivals, breakfast TV, live radio and even an appearance on Good Morning America. Slightly bemused by their fame, Andrew not only pitches up in the iconic Mastermind chair, but makes a return to sports broadcasting to find that it has become rather strange as well.

But, always, his pair of utterly endearing, endlessly optimistic and eternally hungry canine companions show just how precious our time is. Especially our time spent in the devoted company of dogs. For fans new and old, this witty, insightful account of a year like no other is an unmissable treat.

©2021 Andrew Cotter (P)2021 Black & White Publishing

Andrew Cotter does it again!

I wondered if this book could make me as happy and bring big smiles to my face as Olive, Mabel and Me did. Definitely! In addition to the smiles, the author also wrote about poignant or difficult moments we could all relate to while in quarantine. I feel like this might be the last book, and that makes me sad. Following the lives of these three has definitely enriched mine. Even if you aren’t a dog lover, listen to this book! You won’t be sorry!

Lessons from the lockdown

I loved this book. It was an honest, open, and hopeful account of life in lockdown. Reading it, I felt as if I were back in 2020 and 2021. That was a time of uncertainty and fear, and Andrew Cotter, with Olive and Mabel, did the best he could. His wrote about his observations maintaining a normal routine because the dogs needed warmth, food, and safety; how people lived life online and how they reacted to these strange times; how life changes even in lockdown (moving to a new house), taking on new hobbies (gardening), and how to some of the videos were made.

I could relate to this with my own experiences. As the world began to open, I could also relate to how he felt about the strangeness of a post-lockdown world and the new ways to do things. This was a very satisfying book to read. I will be returning to this when I need to recall why I need to be present here and now and soak in life in front of me.

I listened to the audible version of the book, which enhanced the experience, because it was read by the author. The wry, self-deprecating way he described life during 2020 to 2021 was perfect and reminded me of when I first watched the Olive and Mabel videos in 2020 – I loved his narration of the dogs being dogs.

Excellent

Poignant, funny, behind the scenes with Andrew Cotter and his now famous dogs.
In my opinion, he navigates Olive and Mabel’s fame perfectly. No bazaar spin offs or merch, just sharing pure enjoyment of his dogs. His understanding of what their videos, subsequent books, and live appearances have meant to so many people just trying to get through a surreal and often stressful and lonely time is what has made them all so successful and the world so appreciative.

Loved!

Loved everything about this and found myself sad when it ended.

As a fellow labrador owner, so much of the descriptions of the dogs, their behaviors, and the deep and profound love their families have for them struck a chord with me, but I also found myself really appreciating of the authors insightful observations about humans and the challenges which came with the pandemic and just life in general.

I appreciated Mr Cotter's open and forthright sharing his family's perspective of their lives as well as his many hilarious comments, asides, or humorous yet keen observations-none mean-spirited, but all funny enough to leave me smiling and many times just laughing out loud.

So happy this was read by Mr Cotter as his voice is synonymous with the videos and is so closely associated it with the dog's stories, it wouldn't have felt right to have anyone else narrate it. Plus, as an American, I find his accent just exotic enough that it's delightful but not hard to understand (read his other book in print, but may go listen to it now, just to hear him narrate more! )

His love for his dogs shines through and gave voice to my feelings for ours, leaving me moist-eyed in the few passages where he addresses this.

An extremely pleasant read and would highly recommend to all, but especially dog lovers, and/or Olive and Mabel fans!

Dog lovers perfect listen!

I loved this book, Andrew Cotter’s joy with his two Labradors is very uplifting. His narration was spot on and the diary format took us through a very difficult time with reflection and humor.

A “tail” worth remembering

I loved the original Olive and Mabel book and added this to my library when i saw it available. Strangely, i had not listened to it until now(2024).
A wonderful aspect of the human psyche is that we have very short memories for painful things. I really appreciate Andrew having documented these difficult times while reminding us that life goes on, and a dog still needs his kibble. We discussed and reminisced as a family those days “long ago” and hope they are truly behind us. Having a black Lab named Mabel myself, (same age and appearance as Olive, actually) made this even more enjoyable. Thanks, Andrew!

Calming voice in a crazy world

I’m appreciative of the reminder to pay attention to the world around me - especially where my loved ones are concerned including the cold- and wet-nosed ones. My thanks go out to the author for yet another peek into his lovely world.

About Dog Days....

Loved it. Very much on point about living through the pandemic - one dog day at a time

Loved it

I love the author’s humor on any topic. And, of course, I especially loved the dog stories.

Warm, joyous, thoughtful. A poignant and funny look at a pandemic year

Mr. Cotter has a lovely, soothing voice, and a charming, heartfelt approach to life in a strange, scary and sometimes bizarre year with his famous, beloved and, most importantly, ordinary dogs. Go (re)watch the videos on YouTube and read along. Olive and Mabel are the stars, but the power behind the throne is a man with a marvelous wit and gentle understanding of his dogs and what it means to be human in this frightening and disruptive time. This book is as comforting as the videos, but in a completely different way. Thank you, Andrew Cotter.