The Dog Walker: A Novel

by Leslie Schnur

Part voyeur, part dreamer, Nina Shepard, a Manhattan dog walker, has been around the block, so to speak, a few times and yearns to find that something -- or someone -- she can be passionate about. She may not have a boyfriend or a real purpose in life, but she does have a job that offers her one great the keys to her clients' apartments. And with these keys, Nina has the freedom to cross several foyers -- and a moral boundary -- and gain access to their lives...where she just might find the things that are missing in her own. Enter Daniel, a man she thinks she knows from snooping far past his doorway when she comes to pick up Sid, his Weimaraner. Except for owning a designer dog (rather than a stray from the pound), he seems perfect in every way. Now if only she could meet him. For anyone else that might seem simple, but for Nina life is complicated. Claire, her best friend, is an actress who loses every audition due to nervous sweats. Bono, a sullen and sarcastic eight-year-old, is neglected by his U2 groupie mom, one of Nina's clients. Mrs. Chandler, her eccentric neighbor, would rather discuss Barry Bonds than why the IRS is hounding her. And Isaiah, Nina's ex-con dog-walking colleague, champions the rights of pit bulls. And, of course, there are the dogs Wallis and Edward, the spoiled dachsunds; Che, the stone-deaf beagle; Safire, the bulldog who stares at walls; and Nina's own beloved mutt Sam. But it is Daniel who holds the key to Nina's heart. One moonlit night on a pier overlooking the Hudson River they are pulled into the treacherous waters of love. What she doesn't know is that Daniel is an imposter, pretending to be what he is not. And by the time she learns who he really is, after mishaps and mistaken identities, deception and lost dogs, it's too late. She's fallen for someone she never would have expected. The Dog Walker is the hilarious and heartwarming story about one woman's quest for fulfillment. It is about city life -- any city, all cities -- and the struggle to make real connections. It is about allowing oneself to love fully while being fully oneself. And finally, it is about life unpredictable, joyful, and not to be missed.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Dogs, Animals, Contemporary, New Adult

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[~☆~Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this so much. I feel very sad for dogs that have to live in NYC but Nina tries hard to make it better for them. They can't just walk out the back door to their own back yard. Nina collects glass and found objects to make sculptures which she hangs up. I wish I could see them. I also had to do art with found objects in college and I hated it but but I do find myself picking up small pieces of glass, rocks and shells like Nina does.

She finds the perfect guy who is an identical twin but he does not tell her who he is! This is rather terrible but at least not boring.

I am an outlier on this book as most did not like it but I plan to read it again.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

literally started this book and was like "oh boy. this already sounds bad." from line 2. i hung in there for a good 150 pages or so thinking "maybe at least the romance will be good?" before giving up and skimming the rest (spoiler: the romance is not good). no sense of consistency, pacing, chemistry, or character, and needed a heavy bout of editing (considering main character used to be a Random House flap copyeditor, PERHAPS IRONIC?). also, characters are incredibly judgmental, in that "hip" kind of judgey asshole way.

bye

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried. I really tried to find something positive about this story. I gave up about half way through the book. I simply didn’t find the main character sympathetic in any way. From the opening scene, she was creepy and self-absorbed.

I mean, really? A mid-30’s woman crushes on a guy she doesn’t know to the point she snoops through his personal things and bathes in his tub while he’s at work? She doesn’t need a boyfriend. She needs a psychiatrist. Or boundaries. Or both.

[Jennie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I literally read this book by mistake - I was trying to get Dogwalker by Arthur Bradford from my library, and ended up with The Dog Walker by Leslie Schnur. I decided to read it anyway, thinking maybe it would be a happy accident. It wasn't. This book should have been published as a serial story in the back of Elle or Cosmo. I can't think of enough synonyms for "trite" to properly review this book! The main character, Nina, is a pathetic woman looking for love, who conveniently finds Mr. Perfect right under her nose. And boy, is Mr. Perfect perfect; thanks to Schnur's habit of breaking away from her main character and into the thoughts of Mr. Perfect (Billy), we are given a front seat view of his opinions, plans, hopes, and dreams. Apparently, his dream is to find a neurotic woman, fall madly in love with her, and (dare he imagine it?) have a child or two! Yes, every man's dream..... This book is ridiculous soft-core porn for overly romantic women who still believe there is such a thing as a flawless man. If you like inane conversations, cliches, lots of unnecessary adjectives, references to brand names, and possibly dogs, this book is for you! Run, don't walk!

[Peachy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Deranged protagonist.

[Jessica Clarke · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read one chapter and then threw it in the garbage because the world will be better off without it.

[Mrs Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a great start but it does have a story line somewhat disjointed but .....

[Beatriz Rosales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una deliciosa lectura, entretenida, divertida y con algo de romance, pero sobre todo llena de amor por los perros. La vida de Nina, una editora brillante que al sentirse frustada en su trabajo en renombrada casa editora, decide cambiar de domicilio y de trabajo, y después de rescatar a Sam, con el cual se conecta emocionalmente, decide dedicarse a pasear perros. No es un trabajo mal pagado, claro que no, y sobre todo por que sus clientes son perritos cuyos dueños viven en los alrededores de Central Park. Esto le da la oportunidad de tener en sus manos las llaves de los departamentos de sus clientes y ... porque no, cualquiera lo haría ... fisgonea por esos lugares y logra conocer secretos de cada uno de ellos, algunos obscuros, otros hilarantes y otros de los más comunes. Se por experiencia que una ves que llegas a querer a una mascota de esa forma, pues te malacostumbras para siempre, seras adoradora de perros o gatos. Pero como el que busca una pareja para compartir su vida, debemos tener el mismo cuidado al elegir la mascota ideal para cada quién, o terminará esa relación de forma desastrosa. Cada relación mascota-amigo, debe estar basada en las cualidades de cada parte. Encontrar la mascota ideal no es tarea fácil. Yo lo viví con mi adorado Flaco, lo sigo extrañando muchisimo, y más ahora que las mascotas que me acompañan son cinco gatos. A los cuales adoro, aunque en momentos del día parece que no existo para ellos, luego alguno de ellos me llena de cariño o los veo jugando y me divierten. Alguien me dijó un día:"yo no concibo mi casa con mascotas" y le contesté "Y yo no soportaría la mía sin ellos".

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would not recommend lol. The story itself was fine but the author uses run-on sentences almost exclusively, conversations are difficult to follow, and the main character is kind of unlikable. I finished it but def skimmed some paragraphs and was looking forward to being done with it by the time I reached the halfway mark.

[Amanda]

This was so bad that I could not finish it. I wish negative stars were available. I don't even know where to start to describe everything that I disliked about the 80 pages that I read before I threw this across the room and gave up on this book.

[Rebecca Farley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful awful awful awful book. I finished it only because I’m someone who follows through....and I regret it. It’s got everything - racial stereotypes, animal abuse, sexual assault, and breaking and entering - all veiled under the most tepid humor. Leslie Schnur should be ashamed of this novel.

[Clara Dissanayake · Rating 4 out of 5]

cutesy

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just note that I read an Advanced Reader's copy of this book... and I have a feeling a little more than just the spelling mistakes may have been changed. At least I hope. 'Cause there was a fair amount of typos/spelling/grammar mistakes.

Um... I say, "Um..." too much don't I? Whatever. Yeah. This is chick lit. no doubt about it. I'm not much one for chick lit., but after the last book I read I needed something fluffy and sweet. And this book is fluffy and sweet, and not just because of the dogs in it. The book was surprisingly witty a lot of the times. Very real too, emphasizing that no matter how old you are, what sex you are, matters of the heart tend to always be awkward and embarassing, especially for Nina, who constantly finds herself in those types of situations with her "love" "Daniel."

I don't have much to say about this book, 'cause nothing touched me like some books will touch you. Also, I have a feeling you're not looking for a deep reflection on the book... and if you are... um... maybe you shouldn't be reading my reviews 'cause they're pretty half-assed, which is cool. Overall, the book is cute. It's a nice beach read for the summer and it will make you laugh. Put it on your summer reading list if you're looking for something that is just an easy-read. Y'know what I'm talking about? Yeah... easy read! You're out of school... you don't want to do any heavy thinking. This book won't make you so that.

And if you're so against reading (then I ask, why are you here?) if this book gets enough recognition it will more than likely be turned into a Chick Flick! Yay! *barf*

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, warmhearted tale about Nina, "the dog walker". Nina gave up her job as an editor to become a dog walker in New York City. The money is good, tax free, but it's a lonely world with only her and "the dogs". Nina likes to "snoop" in her clients' apartments and falls in love with one of her clients through his photograph in his apartment when she picks up his dog Siddhartha to walk each day. She even takes a bath in his apartment when he's not home. Now that's nervy!! Nina sets out to "meet" Daniel in person. Hilarious novel!

From back cover:

"Refreshing and insightful, rich with humor and brimming with life, The Dog Walker is the story of Nina Shepherd, Manhattan dog walker extraordinaire. With the keys to her clients' apartment, Nina has the freedom to cross several foyers and a moral boundary, and enter their lives...where she just might find the things that are missing in her own.

And so she falls in love with Daniel, a man she have never met but whom she thinks she knows from snooping around his apartment when she picks up Sid, his Wiemaraner, for walks. But by the time each of them unleashes the truth about who the other really is-after all the mishaps, deception, and lost dogs-it's too late. Nina and Daniel will never be the same again."

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 A fun, light summer read. Nina is fed up in her corporate job. She takes a temporary job helping her friend as a dog walker. The fun starts when Nina crosses the line and snoops in client's homes while picking up the dogs. Friendships are made, careers are defined, and maybe love is brewing in unexpected ways.

[Nicole Denoncourt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun chick flick type of book that is a very easy read...fun to get lost in.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a dog thing. :-D

[Nelleke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Niet uitgelezen.

[Jil · Rating 1 out of 5]

Viel erg tegen, heb doorgelezen omdat ik niet zo snel een boek wil wegleggen en op een gegeven moment werd het gelukkig toch iets beter.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main characters in this book irritated me, and I was not fond of all of the unnecessary political remarks throughout the book.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Warm-hearted rom-com story set in New York about a dog-walker, her friends, mistaken identity and lots of dogs! Fluffy and predictable.

[Kaci read-and-be-merry · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was horrible. I finished it because I felt obligated and thought it might possibly have a redeeming quality, but no. The only characters deserving of any love were the dogs and Bono/Bobby. Isaiah and Claire were actually okay too, but get major demerits for being friends with the main character.

First, the good things- they are few. Very, very few. A couple lines made me smile. Moving on!

I had to read the words “Nina would never call herself a feminist for she hated the label” with my own two eyes. Jfc.

The four page dog-swapping ending was the best part of the book, and only because I felt bad for the dogs and was glad to see them happy. Otherwise it was fucking insane- she literally just STOLE people’s dogs?? And they like...didn’t do anything about it?

And holy shit can we please talk about how she was pretty much raped?? She had a four day depression because of some weird lovesickness, even though the reality was probably that she was feeling gross and violated. But nope, that’s never addressed. Her friend even thinks it’s funny?? She doesn’t even say a thing to the guy, just steals his dog. Who he didn’t even care about anyway sooooo. Not a punishment.

Add to this the fact that, as the owner of a petsitting business, I was really fucking offended with 90% of the things going on and being said in relation to dog walking. For all her defensiveness about dog walking not just being a temporary thing, it WAS. It was treated like a second-class citizen’s job, where people could talk to you like you’re a piece shit but it’s okay because you’re just on hiatus from your TRUE calling. Heyyy, fuck you! It is a BUSINESS, a great one, and people can readily make happy careers out of it. Even people with, say, Master’s degrees in other fields. What!

The main character say things like “a rottweiler would eat (the owners’) child if it could”. What the actual?? What kind of dog lover are you?

Aside from the fact that this book was personally offensive to me, the “love story” was crap. She’s a creepy stalker and he falls in love with her...in spite of it? Because he thinks it’s quirky? I have no damn idea, since they probably spend about 12 hours together in total before the last two pages where they fall into each other’s arms madly in love. Both are annoying and weird, but Billy deserves way better.

Okay, rant over. Sorry if it’s harsh, but. This is the second worst book I’ve read this year. Hate read if you must, or just don’t read it at all.

[Marjo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zelden zo'n dubbel gevoel gehad bij een boek.
Het is vlot geschreven met heel veel humor. Daarom toch 3 sterren.
De hoofdpersoon echter, Nina die honden uitlaat, doet me constant ineen krimpen.
Voel zo veel plaatsvervangende schaamte als ze bij haar opdrachtgevers in alle spullen snuffelt, muziekinstrumenten uitprobeert, persoonlijke documenten leest, in bad gaat liggen.
Dat is iemand waar ik me totaal niet in kan verplaatsen en daarom is het ook moeilijker om sympathie voor haar te voelen. Dat heb ik zelf wel nodig om een boek vol overgave te kunnen lezen; dat je (grotendeels) begrijpt wat de drijfveren zijn ook al is het niet altijd wat je zelf zou doen. Nina lijkt te denken dat ze het mag doen omdat het simpelweg kan. Terwijl de opdrachtgevers in ultiem vertrouwen een huissleutel hebben gegeven. Eigenlijk heb ik gewoon een hekel gekregen aan Nina.

[mollusskka · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a kind of book that only dog lover would love no matter how

Narasi penulis di awal cerita memang agak membingungkan karena dia seperti berceloteh tanpa arah jadi butuh "kemampuan" khusus untuk memahami dan tetap fokus. Romance-nya cukup menarik tapi konfliknya bisa dibilang mirip dengan romance antara Bridget, Daniel dan Mark di Bridget Jones's Diary. Ah, tapi romance memang bukan hal utama yang aku cari dari novel ini, melainkan tentang para anjingnya.

Aku rasa aku sudah mendapatkan gambaran yang jelas mengenai kehidupan seorang dog walker di New York. Jenis pekerjaan yang menarik dan upahnya menggiurkan. Belum lagi akses untuk mengintip isi rumah si pemilik anjing. Tapi tidak lebih dari itu XD

[Bernadette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit boek heb ik jaren geleden al eens gelezen, en als ik me niet had herinnerd hoe leuk ik het toen vond was ik denk ik vrij snel afgehaakt.

Ik zie nog steeds de charme (vakliteratuur, zoals ik het als hondenuitlater grappend noem) maar vooral de schrijfstijl is erg matig.

Daarnaast merk ik dat hoewel ik houd van goede eindes dit einde wel heel erg onrealistisch was. Ik doel dan op

**spoilers!**

De hondenruil, Bono’s/Bob’s moeder die ineens als een blad om de boom omsloeg en de carriereswitch van zowel Nina als Daniel/Billy.

**einde spoilers**

Maar het was wel even precies het boek wat ik nodig had, dus ik klaag niet. 3 sterren want zeker vermakelijk.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly, an obnoxious book. The characters were shallow and annoying, the plot was practically invisible, and there were so many bizarre things going on that were just unbelievable. No one seemed to care that this crazy dog walker was in their apartments doing really inappropriate things. It wasn't considered stalking, it wasn't thought of as a creepy, fireable offense- it was just like, yep, this is what happens. I know if I had things disturbed in my home, that person would be fired and have formal complaints lodged against them immediately. Not a book I would recommended.

[Carmela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sinceramente tenía más expectativas con esté libro, ¿Me hizo reír? Si y en varias ocasiones, pero ciertas acciones de los personajes, ejem espiar, robar, ejem y la escena del sexo entre Daniel y Nina me parecieron repulsivas. Intenté muchas veces dejar el libro pero la historia podríamos decir que si me atrapó, aunque no creo que tenga demaciado tiempo conmigo el libro en físico, seguramente lo vendere.

[Kim Schellin-Rog · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could say something positive about this book so I will. It had dogs in it. But sadly that is all I can say that I liked about it. It was creepy, people going into others apartments snooping around and let me be honest I was set against this book from the beginning when the main character took a bath in one of her clients tubs. Not only that she put her mouth on his trombone mouthpiece, sniffed his clothes, went through his mail no thank you.

[Ren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was still here so I thought I'd give it a try before getting rid of it for good. It was a fun read. Not sure I agree with the swapping in the end since all parties weren't in on the plans but I do agree that not everyone chooses what's best for them or those they've chosen. A good read for dog-lovers.

[Christine Fay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This delightfully humorous and at times serious novel is a delightful read for the canine fan. I definitely needed something a bit lighter after reading some of the more serious books on my shelf, so this was perfect for that. Some of the criticism is a bit harsh, but I would disagree and go ahead and say that this is a great read for a casual reader.