Walking Ollie: Or Winning the Love of a Difficult Dog

by Stephen Foster

Britain's answer to Marley and Me -the hilarious and heartwarming international bestseller about learning to live with a troublesome dog.

Like many first-time pet owners, London-based novelist Stephen Foster was upbeat as he began his search for a puppy to adopt. How hard can it be to take care of a dog, he thought-read a guidebook or two, buy a few supplies, and get on with it. But all the books and supplies in the world couldn't have prepared him for life with Ollie, a willful and moody adopted dog who quickly demonstrated his displeasure at the notion of being told what to do.

Walking Ollie tells the funny and charming story of how a growling, skittish man and his equally growling, skittish dog broke each other in, came to see eye to eye, and decided to become best friends.

Genres: Dogs, Nonfiction, Animals, Audiobook, Memoir, Biography

189 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This promised to be a nice read: the story of man who rescues a dog from an animal shelter and the subsequent bonding and working through of the dog's issues. Unfortunately, it wasn't. There were so many moments in this book where I smacked my head (figuratively speaking) and wanted to scream at the guy. The problems I had with the book are as follows:

1. He barely knows this dog and the first thing he does is let it off leash. A surefire way to watch your dog either disappear into the sunset or get killed. Amazingly he doesn't get killed though he does get a nasty leg break at one point when he, as is no surprise, runs out into traffic and gets hit by a car. Does he learn his lesson? No. After keeping him on leash as he works up the dogs muscle tone and as the bone heals, as soon as the doctor says he's heeled, he lets him off leash again.

2. The dog is a lurcher, which is a dog that is part greyhound (in this case, greyhound and saluki). These are dogs that can see something a mile in the distance and are off like a shot, faster than any human being can run. One thing rescues for greyhounds require is that you never EVER let your dog off leash. It is the ultimate in stupidity to do so.

3. He says, over and over and over again throughout this book that rescue dogs are, basically, bundles of nerves and behavioral problems. He doesn't even mention that not all, that some are well-behaved dogs who just need a second chance. It was no surprise that in the end, he got his next dog (a purebred saluki) from a breeder. I guess he doesn't want one of those horrible rescue dogs.

4. He insults a lot of people in the book. No one specifically, but at varying turns he insults people who walk their dog on leash (because they're not FREEEEE), people who get annoyed when his loose dog rudely barrels into theirs and starts jumping on the dog and biting his neck (but he just wants to play!), people with labradors and border collie mixes (yes...he insulted BC mixes...wtf?) because apparently we're stiffs.

5. His dog is afraid of him. I don't think he started out that way, but he became nervous around him. And instead of trying to bond with him, he just kept carrying on the way he was somehow expecting the dog to change. You know when he did start to bond with him? When he was forced, due to Ollie's being hit, to walk him on leash for 3 months. Gee what a surprise.

So all together, this was NOT an enjoyable book.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh....this man is so self-centered it's scary. Everything this dog does is because of HIM. If the dog doesn't listen, it's not because the dog has something fun to do, it's because the dog hates HIM. If the dog does this, it's because the dog hates HIM. The dog doesn't want to listen to HIM. The dog wants to make HIS life harder. Give me a break. I can't believe this was actually published.
This is the best example right here of people who shouldn't own dogs.

I finished the book and it still sucked. I want it out of my home as soon as humanly possible- it's that bad. I don't know how this guy can even call himself an animal lover to be honest. It's like he's lacking in total common sense. He does these things, puts his dog in danger and then feels as if the dog did it to get back at him. Guess what Foster? HE'S A DOG buddy! A DOG! A FREAKING DOG!
He gets surpised because the dog takes off one night. Why did the dog take off you ask? Well, number one, he had no leash. Number two, because he's A DOG. THAT IS WHAT THEY DO. But- apparently the dog wasn't supposed to take off like that and who wants to know why? Becuase he never had before while walking that route. Yes, I'm serious. I read that in this book. It's in there I swear. I guess he's not aware that dogs do play by humans rules. Did I mention the dog (and Foster) were running through traffic because he decided to walk him, leashless, near the road?
I don't know what to say about this- I have so many pages checked with the most idiotic things he wrote. I just don't have the desire to go through it all again because it's actually quite scary. My three year old knows more about dogs than this guy.
I apologize if this is harsh, I hate to be harsh, but everything I say is the truth and this book bothered me to no end.
Let's not forget this little tidbit either- he loves his rescue dog so much that he went out and bought a purebred from a breeder. You loving animal lover you.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely book about the trials and tribulations of trying to come to terms of living with a dog who is quite psychotic. Don't try and compare this with Marley and Me - very different books.

Back Cover Blurb:
One winter's afternoon, Stephen Foster walked into a dog rehoming centre with the intention of picking up a retired greyhound. Instead, he acquired an abandoned lurcher pup.
Foster's knowledge of dogs was so vague that he had to look up 'lurcher' in key reference work The Giant Book of the Dog, to find out what sort of animal was coming to join the family. His research counted for little: the new arrival did not conform to any known breed standard, or indeed any standard whatsoever that might be considered dog-normal. Walking Ollie is a hilarious - and often heartrending - account of one man's attempt to turn a psychotic wild animal into something resembling a domestic pet.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars ⭐️

[Rachael · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did NOT like the way the author/owner came across in this book. He seemed to have a problem, and was very insulting to every other dog owner/person who was not himself, and I get the feeling that a lot of Ollie's problems were due to his own attitude and lack of patience. Can't say that I though he was a very responsible dog owner...

[Hákon Gunnarsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Walking Ollie isn't a bad book. In fact I think it is in many ways well written. It just feels a bit unfinished, and as it turns out, the story is continued in another book.

It is one of those "naughty dog" books that seem to have become quite popular in the wake of Marley an Me, but the humor isn't as funny. And it doesn't present any solutions to the problems, so it never really captured my interest completely.

Maybe I would have to read that second book to really appreciate this one.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dumb, loveable dog, stupid dog owner, boring book! Don't bother with it - there are too many good stories out there waiting to be read.

[Ollie killeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had this book in my library for a while without reading it, but when I saw it on my shelf, I knew I had to read it ASAP. See, less than a year ago, we adopted our own dog named Ollie, and walking him tends to be an adventure, so I was curious if it was something in the name. Foster's issues with his Ollie are much different than mine, and part of it is cultural, as Foster is in the UK where rules for dogs are far different than ours. His Ollie is a rescue dog who is terrified of Foster and thus doesn't obey or pay the least bit of attention to him. My Ollie loves everything, including saying hello to other dogs and getting us up at all hours of the morning when he decides he is ready for a walk (which combined means there is a big barking dog walking through the neighborhood when everyone is trying to sleep...).
In Britain, there are no leash laws, and since Foster's Ollie is a lurcher, a classification I'd not heard of before this book but it apparently classifies mixed breeds of greyhounds, salukis, and other thin dogs bred to run, Foster lets him run freely in the fields near his home. Other dog owners do the same, and Ollie has fun, but when it's time to come home, Ollie pulls out all the stops to stretch out the walk as long as possible. At home, Ollie hides in a basket, releasing a flood of urine if Foster so much as approaches him, but acts a little more friendly towards Foster's female partner. Foster consults many professionals, but no one can figure out how to make Ollie truly 'man's best friend'.
If my Ollie were allowed to run freely like the British dog, I'm sure he would be happy, as evidenced by his behavior at the dog park. Other dogs seeing 60+ pounds of Lab/Boxer mix running towards them with no restraint might be less than thrilled, but it would certainly save wear and tear on my hands and shoulders as he lunges towards any dog he sees on our walk. We haven't had many opportunities to assess his 'come back' skills, but I taught him to 'shake' and 'leave it', so I would hope he could learn that trick too.
In contrast, I don't see how coming to the U.S. would help Foster and his Ollie, especially given Foster's stated opinion that when he sees a dog on a leash, it means either the dog or the human (or both) has something psychologically wrong. Also, I live in a city, definitely not somewhere you want a running dog roaming free. Plus, no matter where they live, the relationship between man and dog has to be developed and grown at its own pace. Overall, I found the book OK, but not great, as to me it felt like a story of a guy who didn't properly do his research on what kind of dog to acquire and then when he chose his type, didn't assess the actual dog he'd be getting, and regretted his decision at every turn. It's a short, quick read, but not as good as I had hoped for.

[Viviana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Questo è il libro che tutte le persone che desiderano un cane - qualunque cane - dovrebbero leggere e se rispecchiano, anche solo in minima parte, la personalità dell'autore traggano lezione e rinuncino.

"Quando si prende un cane, si può anche rischiare di impazzire...", chiosa la quarta di copertina di questo libro, lasciando intendere che l'elemento "sbagliato" nella relazione uomo-cane sia proprio quest'ultimo e, rincara subito la dose, "Ollie è un cane salvato. Peggio, è un lurcher salvato, e peggio ancora un lurcher salvato che ha in sé qualce goccia di sangue saluki". Se a questo punto vi state domandando cosa diamine siano un lurcher ed un saluki siete esattamente nelle mie stesse condizioni quando ho preso in mano quest'opera per la prima volta.
Stephen è uno scrittore - ovvio, è l'autore di questo libro - che lavora a casa e che, più per lenire la sofferenza della sua compagna che non per reale convincimento, decide di prendere un cane. Il tutto con esaltanti premesse, la più importante delle quali è che non è assolutamente un amante dell'aria aperta né men che meno dell'attività fisica; lo sa, viene da chiedersi, che i cani hanno bisogno non soltanto di svuotarsi periodicamente le viscere ma anche di sgranchirsi le zampe? Certo che lo sa, ma la cosa non lo impensierisce più di tanto.
[...]
La recensione completa qui.

[Nicole Hughes-Chen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a fairly well written story that seemed rather short compared to my usual reads; I had completely read the book in about a weekend.

It is fairly well written and flows pretty well, although there are a couple of grammatical errors here and there.

I felt like the book contained less of a novel and more of a therapy session for Foster; it was like reading an extended version of his diary, and although the book does take the reader on a brief journey, I was left wondering 'is this it?'.

There are a few swear words which I don't generally like when I am reading; there is enough bad language in the world without having it in books as well.

The book follows the journey of a man who purchases a rescue dog and builds a relationship with said pooch. I was hoping to relate to this story as I have a dog and from the front cover there is no suggestion the cute puppy is actually a rescue, and I incorrectly assumed it would be a nice stroy about the man and his best friend. I should know by now not to judge a book by its front cover.

I would probably shy away from reading a Stephen Foster book again, and would likely only recommend it to anyone who has a rescue dog or is considering getting one. Likewise, if I saw him walking his dogs in Norwich, I would likely be one of those stiffs mentioned who quickly puts their dog on the lead and gets away from him and his uncontrollable pooch!

Afraid I can only warrant giving this book a 2 out of 5, and most of that rating is for the flowing dialogue.

[jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this at the Pittsburgh Airport, which actually has a semi-decent bookstore in its AIRMALL, on my last trip to Olympia. I am currently facing a life with 2 difficult cats and 2 difficult dogs, so I thought an uplifting story of man's best friend could bring some peace and hope. Dude is overtly British and makes too many references to his Choice to Be A Writer, but he paints his ladyfriend in a darling light - I like people who are able to communicate how much they love someone without endlessly professing their adoration and devotion. He provides the same charming perspective on his relationship with Ollie, the rescued lurcher -- there were moments where his frustration and defeat dripped from the page, and my own patience wore thin with their struggles. The book was a quick and easy read. I laughed when his lurcher humiliated him again and again at the park. I felt like the climatic "bonding" moments were splayed out in a way that was realistic and endearing. Difficult rescue dogs don't "normalize" overnight -- oftentimes it happens when you aren't even looking. I felt like this story captured that process realistically. I never need to read this book again, but it was a pleasant enough way to pass the plane ride.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't read this book unless you have a greyhound-type or shelter-rescued dog. Though some of the stories are funny, and the eventual detente the author and his wife reach with their dog is a satisfying end to the book, it isn't brilliant writing. However, if you're an owner of a greyhound or grehound cross, or a shelter dog, the events related in Walking Ollie will either have you laughing (because you already dealt with them) or crying (because you're dealing with them right now).

I loved this book because I, of course, am a greyhound owner. In fact, I own two second-hand dogs, both of which could benefit from prescriptions for psychoactive chemicals. I understand the explosive effects of cheddar cheese on greyhound innards, as well as the tendency for shelter dogs to leap out from behind the upstairs bannister and bite you on the hamstring as you descend the stairs. Why? More the fool you for asking. Wondering about these activities only leads to despair. As I chased my greyhound down a local beach yesterday, wondering whether to go get the car or just give up and leave him there, I reflected upon Foster's assertion that it was only stubbornness that got him through the rough times with Ollie. It's a good thing I have German blood...

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this book was bought on a whim (from an indie bookseller, no less!)because I have a dog named Ollie, also. My Ollie is a cairn terrier and therefore can be quite difficult at times. I loved the title.
If someone is a dog lover and especially has had a rescue dog, this book will hit many notes of remembrance. Mr. Foster had been exposed only to well-trained dogs and assumed training and loving a dog would be simple - read a book or two, get supplies and presto - instant "good dog." But what is really best about this book is the humor and honesty. I haven't laughed out loud like this in a while from reading. Mr. Foster's comments on dog farts and "dumps" are dead right on. Funny, poignant, honest. I enjoyed this immensely.

[LIndsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I once had a dog that was very stand offish and really couldn't cope with being stroked. She had been rescued by me as a pup in Hong Kong and I think she must gave been feral. I brought her back to the UK and we had her for nearly 15 years. I don't think the 6 months in quarantine (at aged 9 months) can have helped the poor love. She broke my heart as I never got a cuddle from her and was never able to give her a cuddle. I think she loved us and she knew she was loved by us but she just couldn't meake the leap of faith required to trust in us completely. She broke my heart and this book took me right back to that place. I loved it.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read pretty much any book that's about living with dogs (and many about living with cats). I thought this one was pretty interesting-I learned about lurchers, a type of dog I previously knew nothing about. Quick read. I liked it.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the author was a bit stuffy and really did expect a lot of the dog. The dog is only 2 when the book ends and all is well. I listened to the audio book and the narrator didn't help any. It seemed to end kind of suddenly. I may try the sequel, but only if I can get it at the library.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart warming tale of one man and his dog and the changes having a lifelong pet has on your lifestyle

[John Mosley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Lydia Kass · Rating 2 out of 5]

Acerbic and snarky but quite humorous. At times it seemed that the author brought on the dog's bad behavior all by himself.

[Lizzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

liked the descriptions of Ollie running. not impressed with owner.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read or listen to for all dog lovers, especially ones with those anxiety ridden rescue dogs!

[Moira Sammut · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book especially for dog owners and rescuers.

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pointless pointless pointless. How do these terrible books get published

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book. All lurcher and greyhound lovers should read it.

[Deb Lancaster · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not like this guy. To adopt a rescue dog with no research, no understanding and no empathy really grinds my gears.

I get that it's supposed to be funny, but almost every comment he made came across as arrogant, know-it-all and rude. He put Ollie through a lot of unnecessary stress through his arrogance and insistence that he knows better than anyone else. Ollie should never have been able to access roads and nearly get himself killed. It's not funny. It's not cute. And it's not necessary.

I've rescued two dogs from Romania and they have had fucked up backgrounds. The road to rehabilitation and happiness is about what's best for THEM, not what you think they should do. For Ollie to have developed such a fear of this guy is disturbing to me.

I'm glad at least that by the end of the book it was somewhat better, but he still only seemed to just be understanding WHY Ollie struggled with stuff. It seems obvious to me.

And his comments about other dog owners. Jesus christ. Some people keep their dogs on leads because it's BEST FOR THEM. It doesn't make them idiots or uptight or cruel. Really judgemental guy.

Also beta blockers do not 'cause heart attacks' you utter dingus. 15/5 for Ollie as a being. 2/5 for this book. 0.5/5 for the guy who wrote it.

[Em's Adventures · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I'm even giving this book one star when it is going straight into the bin. After reading the reviews I realize that this book was supposed to be funny, but it wasn't funny to me at all. The author comes across a someone who thinks very highly of himself and is very judgemental of others. He blames everyone besides himself, including the dog, over everything that goes wrong.

He treats his dog terribly-smaking, hitting and yelling at him and then spends time justifying his actions and fully expecting the dog to "move on." His dog never seems to come back on the leash without a huge fight and then he still lets him OFF THE LEASH anyway and blames everything on the dog. So instead of training him and slowly building up a relationship he abandons him, which, conveniently, is when Ollie decides to trust him and follow him back.
This guy's personality was almost scary, the constant hate towards people, the swearing and language, the way he talks about rescue dogs you'd think they were all mindless deamons! To be honest, it upset me a little. I wouldn't recommend this book and I wouldn't inflict it on anyone else so I'm throwing it out.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways I loved this book and others I hated it! For the second time this year I am finding myself going through the puppy phase, the first time was an emotional rollercoaster with a rather aloof lab puppy who had a rather quirky personality, loved being outside especially if It involved water or mud, hated her collar or harness but would do anything for something remotely edible and she taught me so much about life with a dog (Not the first time I've owned a dog but I don't remember it being anything like this the first time!) We lost that girl suddenly at 9 months old, So all those bits of getting used to life with a dog and their strange little quirks struck a sentimental chord with me but the owner bothered me just a bit.
No one else has to put up with your dog, let their dog play with your dog or even talk to you for that matter, they may have their reasons stop being so judgemental and recomending letting your dog off into a wooded area so you don't have to pick up its crap!?

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting read. I would have given it a 3 1/2 ⭐️ rating if I could but it shows as a 4.
To be honest it was incredibly annoying and frustrating for the first half, I nearly binned it and even popped into Goodreads to read reviews (something I very rarely do) and found much negative feedback, but, it had been recommended by a great reading friend so I pushed on.
And I am glad I did. At some stage the writing changed from annoying, irritating, arrogantly conceited self involvement to gaining a glimpse of the person under the passive aggressive dog owner to seeing that the dog owner was as deeply damaged as the dog and somehow each was healing the other. Once I understood the neurodivergent human who was writing I can you find some compassion as a reader.
A reminder to me and hopefully to other readers who persist to not be quite so quick to judge another.
Brave dog. Brave human.

[Buoyant Armiger · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you ever needed an argument for requiring dog licences, this is it. Guy lies to dog breeders and refuses to pick up dog poop. He ends up with a Saluki cross puppy from a shelter and expects it to act like a trained adult Labrador. He doesn’t know how to housetrain or socialise it (I think by the end of the book it’s still not housetrained). When the puppy doesn’t heel and recall with no training, he smacks it in the face until it urinates in fear whenever it sees him, which makes him angrier because the dog should “get over it”. He says all of these problems must be because the dog is mentally damaged from the shelter. What. The dog doesn’t do anything strange in this book; it does completely normal dog things. It’s the owner who is a “psychotic wild animal”.