I don't often read non-fiction, but as it happens this week I have read two books in this category. This particular book is a delight for both dog owners and non dog owners who yearn to be able to have a dog, but due to circumstances can't (me included). This is Kate's of how and why she built up her dog walking business in London at a time when it wasn't really a thing in the UK. It's told in the form of chapters about the particular dogs and their owners. Some are completely normal people who just need help with their dogs due to their circumstances changing, but some are completely bonkers complete with strange demands and foibles. It is very entertaining and is laugh out loud funny, but be warned I did shed a tear or two.

When I first started reading the book I really enjoyed it. The pace, writing style and little dog anecdotes make it a fun and easy read however I found the book a bit one dimensional and repetitive, but enjoyable none the less.

A good read for any dog lovers out there and I’m sure there will be a few new dog walking businesses popping up as a result.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kate MacDougall and Bonnier Books UK for this ARC of London's No.1 Dog Walking Agency

If you are a dog lover, familiar with their characteristics, traits and behaviours of our four legged friends, then this book will be right up your street. Some lighthearted escapism and the perfect mx of laugh out loud moments, heart warming tales and at times incredibly emotional mini stories around the memoirs of Kate, who set up a Dog Walking Agency back in 2006.

In this story, we meet not learn about the highs and lows of running a dog walking business (through recessions, personal relationships and starting a family) but also the dogs themselves and their owners.

Getting to know the characters (and some dogs who make a reapperance throughout) really bought a smile to my face at a difficult time.

3/5

I’m not a massive dog fan but I do love people and the interactions and relationships they have with others. Therefore this book was brilliant, from odd requests, the mundane and the out there stories. Such a fun book to read as the chapters are broken down into small segments and centre around the dog who is being walked.

This is a charming book that not only offers a glimpse into what it takes to be a dog walker, but also captures really well the highs and lows of setting up a business and figuring out how to be an adult.

We meet Kate in 2006, living in a basement flat with her boyfriend Finlay, dreaming of a career outside of arts administration. At a barbecue, she meets someone being paid to walk a beautiful dog and Kate sees – and seizes – an opportunity. With detractors in the form of Finlay and her mother – the former inexplicably disliking dogs and the latter thinking the whole idea a GHASTLY mistake – Kate sets out on her quest to become London’s No 1 Dog-Walking Agency.

As a dog lover myself, I was really keen to hear all about the different dogs and the book does not disappoint on this front. There are some that make just the one appearance but also ‘regulars’ and by the end of the book I was surprised at how attached I had got to them considering they were just pooches on a page. A testament to Kate’s writing. The book has some laugh-out-loud moments as well as some very touching ones and I did find myself needing a hankie at one point. The owners are as equally fascinating as their pets, as are the dog walkers that Kate employs, and her family. Her mum is close to being the star of the book, after the dogs of course, and pops up with some great comments which are sure to resonate with many readers, particularly those with parents entirely nonplussed by their children’s life choices!

I feel I should highlight a ‘trigger warning’ – there is an instance of a dog being treated badly (not by Kate or her dog walkers) and a couple dying as the result of car accidents (again, unconnected to the dog walking). These are only mentioned briefly and not in any detail.

In summary, an enjoyable book which delivers so much more than just a series of anecdotes about dog walking. The interweaving of Kate and Finlay’s journey into adulthood, navigating house moves, a global financial crash, marriage and starting a family is well done and adds interest in between all the amazing, characterful dogs and their owners.

Thank you to Bonnier Books and to NetGalley for sharing this as an eARC in return for this review.

London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency is a beautifully-written memoir, equal parts poignant, reflective, and laugh-out-loud funny.

It details the author's experiences of setting up and running a successful dog walking business in London. From the ups and downs of life, the recession, starting a family, and expanding the business, Kate chronicles it all in this charming memoir. Some clients are demanding and some dogs are tricky and disobedient, while others are wonderful characters bringing joy to their owners' lives. However, they are all great to read about and you definitely get to know a wide range of canines in the pages of this book!

Although many great dogs are mentioned in the book, my personal favourite was Stanley. Stable and unpretentious, Stanley's presence throughout the book was solid and enduring. He must have been such a character, and the relationship he forged with Tom, his walker, was extra special.

The book perfectly combines dog walking anecdotes with Kate's own life as she strives to carve out a career and start a family. Learning how to become a proper adult is a struggle many people face, and Kate's approach to life is surely familiar to many of us reading the book.

Kate writes in a frank and honest style which makes the book approachable and easy-to-read. She is open with her thoughts and experiences, to the extent that reading this book feels like chatting with an old friend. It is familiar, welcoming and comforting; the perfect tonic to the sadness and loneliness of lockdown life.

This book is a real gem - bound to make you fall in love with dogs all over again!

Oh my goodness... This book! It made me laugh, it made me cry and more often than not, it made me absolutely furious. We don’t deserve dogs...

Knowing this book is based on the real life experiences of the author hit me really hard.

I was enraged with some of the owners, who think they know what’s best for their dogs, when in reality, it’s the opposite.

The favourite quote from the book (and probably one of my favourite book quotes ever):

‘Dogs don’t really dwell on their physical ailments like humans do. They don’t feel sorry for themselves or try to apportion blame. They take what they have in the moment and just get on with it, eking out every last bit of enjoyment and taking every new day as it comes.’

I’ve been thinking about leaving my job & starting a dog walking company for a while now.

As soon as I’ve seen this book, I knew I have to read it, hoping it might help to make up my mind...

It did.

I always thought that working with dogs would be an ideal job for me... I forgot about the owners! The book manages to pass on this message so well:

‘’How are you with people?’ I would ask in return, because that was really what it was all about. The dogs were just an accessory, the garnish on a huge, messy plate of human stew.’

So yes, I think I’m sticking to my accountancy job where the contact with people is minimal!

Kate MacDougall always knew her heart wasn't really in her job at Sotheby's. All around her, her friends were finding their dream jobs and whooshing up career ladders, fulfilled and glowing with success, flush with easy credit. After yet another breakage, this time of two precious porcelain pigeons, she had enough and walked out of her comfortable, snoozy, back-office existence into the unknown world of the then-nascent gig economy. London's No 1 Dog-Walking Agency is the story of her next 5 years and the dogs (and people) she meets along the way.

The book shows the ups and downs of sharing your life with a dog and the insight of losing one will always be painful. The book is heartwarming, touching and a really enjoyable reads. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Really enjoyed London's No1 Dog Walking Agency. It is an interesting idea. Simply the title had me intrigued and hit my radar. The world of London dog walking had to have some interesting anecdotes and stories behind it. Which are present in droves. Ranging from the strange to the really quite endearing. It explores the modern version of city dwellers' love for man's best friend. All of them are well recalled and told.

It also explores Kates journey from working in Sotherby in a job she hated into a new business and becoming a settle "Adult". Living together with Finlay, getting Married, finally getting their own dog and children. It is really great to follow. I add an extra dimension to Dog Walking story. It grounds it and makes it so real. The interactions with the employee's is great especially the wonderful Tom and Stanley relationship. It brought tears to my eyes but also made he rejoice that they found each other and had such a journey together.

I did struggle a little at first in the early stages but i pressed on and was rewarded by a great read, that I would not have missed for the word. This is a good 4.5 Stars out of 5. For me, it is highly recommended. Loved it.

I am a dog owner and a volunteer dog trainer so this book really appealed to me. I was howling with laughter from the very first page. This is a lovely engaging read. It is the author’s story of setting up her own dog walking agency in London; the dogs and owners she meets; and a personal journey from being a single woman to becoming a mother, dog owner and business woman. Do you need to like dogs to read this? - yes probably! But this is really very much about humans first: how they own their dogs and how they fit those dogs into their world. This is a really entertaining and insightful read. I have to say that it filled me with fear at the seemingly casual approach of the dog walking industry - do I need insurance?! There are some wonderful dog stories that thread their way through the book and along with their walker capture our heart. You will laugh, shed a tear and learn a lot about humanity along the way. A gorgeous read. With thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for a digital copy of this lovely book.

A heartwarming read!
I love dogs so I was naturally drawn to this book. The writing makes it an easy , lighthearted read. I enjoyed getting to know the different dogs and their idiosyncrasies. Some of the owners also displaying certain peculiarities., which could be seen to be worse than their pets.

The book shows the ups and downs of sharing your life with a dog and the insight of losing one is always painful, and it was handled delicately., and in a moving way and I must admit I shed a tear or two.

A great read , highly recommended!
Thanks to NetGalley And Bonnier Books UK for this arc copy.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. As the owner of 2 dogs I obviously loved this book, loved all the characters and most of all the style of writing. Great read

My thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books. What a fabulous read, warm and cosy. I love the insite into the way people interact with their dogs. Be they a pedigree possession or a Heinz furbaby.
Lots of humour and the occasional heart wrench. I can highly recommend this book especially if you’re a doggy person.

A well balanced read featuring Kate's life in setting up, running and eventually taking a back seat in the running of a Dog Walking Agency in London. An intriguing mix of anecdotes about dogs and their owners with some lovable characters on both sides plus some absolute horrors especially amongst the more monied clientele. An eye-opener in the world of walking dogs in London, and a book for dog lovers everywhere.

It's hard to decide whether this is a memoir about dogs, their owners or starting a business. At the end of this heartwarming book I decided that the owners were the subject, many rich, demanding or clearly eccentric.
Each chapter starts with the progress of the Agency with the number of dogs walked and features its latest canine customer. But it's the owners with their unreasonable demands and very curious ways that dominate, ultimately their pooches just want love and exercise. Running through the humerous narrative is the story of one woman's journey: leaving a job she hates, finding love, starting a family, at the same time running a naicent business. One of my favourite reads this year. Anyone contemplating starting a business would be advised to read this before confronting potential customers.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A series of mini stories about dogs who were walked by the agency, laced together with the tale of how the agency arose and the personal life of the owner. Very entertaining.

I chose to read this book as one of my closest friends runs a dog walking business and I’ve helped out on many occasions. There were certainly a number of similarities and scenarios I recognised as well as plenty I am grateful I have never encountered.
It is a jovial, enjoyable read with something for everyone who has ever owned a dog, thought about starting a business or is simply just going through life developing relationships and getting along – perhaps not always to their parents taste!
There are also some truly poignant moments as man’s best friend and people struggling in their own lives come together and excel as a team.
A light hearted, easy to read book. A good one for a lazy holiday someone.

A delightful, heartwarming book. I loved that it centered around the dogs and their often strange owners, with an insight into both. Katie has great style and the book is both insightful and honest. It gave me many a smile, especially about her philosophical musings along the way. If you love dogs, this is for you, but it’s a great read anyway and I recommend it to anyone.

As a dog owner myself the blurb of this book drew me in instantly.
An easy read which follows Kate over her years of dog walking in London. I loved getting to hear a bit more about the dogs she encountered and loved Tom as a character - his relationship with Stanley mirrors how I feel about my dog. He is my best friend.
This made me want to pack in my dayjob and become a dog walker!

A great read and would be a great gift for your dog loving friends.

Thank you for the chance to read this book prior to publication!

A brilliant book. I loved learning about all the different dogs and their owners . Kate 's mum was a great character . she was bossy at times and always right!!!!!My dog owning friends will love it as I did. I loved how the family slowly grew out of London. Also good how Kate listed how many dogs she walked or the agency . . One to buy and dip in and out