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

In 2020 when the world went into lockdown, freelance sports commentator Andrew Cotter found himself out of work; after all if there are no sporting events going on, there’s nothing he could commentate on. So, stuck at home and feeling bored he filmed his two Labradors Olive and Mabel eating breakfast, and recorded a sports style commentary about it. When he released it on Twitter, hoping that it might inspire a few laughs, he was stunned by the response he received. So he did another – and another…and a phenomenon was born.

In this book, Cotter talks about how he and his partner Caroline brought Olive and Mabel into their family, and describes life with two beautiful dogs. Very little of the book is about the funny videos; most of show more it discusses life in general with the dogs, and focuses particularly on the Scottish mountain walks/hikes that they do together.

This was my first book of 2023, and it was a cracker! I read well over 200 pages in two sittings, and would have finished it in those two sittings if I didn’t have to go back to work! I have two Labradors myself, so was very able to recognise a lot of the comical situations he describes, and I think any dog lover would feel the same.

What I wasn’t expecting, and came as a pleasant surprise, was quite how funny this book is. I laughed out loud several times during the reading. Andrew Cotter has a very funny turn of phrase and the way that he described the dogs’ expressions and thoughts was genuinely very amusing. Also, his absolute adoration of Olive and Mabel came through very clearly, and I think anyone who has ever loved a dog would be able to relate to this.

Overall, this was a brilliant way to kick off my 2023 reading and I would recommend this book to everyone, but especially dog owners and/or lovers. show less

I really needed this book. It’s a gentle, often humorous and occasionally profound story of a man and his dogs, and a fair bit of mountain walking thrown in. If you were hanging around on Twitter last March, you may have come across a cute little video tweet featuring two dogs having an eating contest, as their sports commentator owner provided the play-by-play commentary, as seen here: I was bored.

It's a clever takeoff on traditional sports commentary but of course what makes it so charming (beyond the very appealing Scottish accent of Mr. Cotter) are those adorable Labradors, Olive (the black one) and Mabel. It went as viral as you'd expect, ricocheting around the Internet at a time when we were all just beginning to come to terms show more with what the pandemic had in store for us. I loved it, promptly began following Cotter (who I confess to never having heard of, not being privy to much in the way of overseas sports broadcasting) and delighted in the occasional videos he has posted since. (If you'd like to catch up, you can find them all on his YouTube channel.)

Really, there’s not much more to say. If you love dogs, I think you’d very much enjoy the book. The canine averse will probably want to give it a pass. It is not a book that will haunt your dreams or cause you to despair of the loss of our common humanity — that's what the news is for. Indeed, it will not teach you much about the world, except that Dogs Are Very Good Boys and Girls. I deducted a half-star only because the author has an unfortunate fondness for sentence fragments that made my left eye twitch just a tiny bit. A few moments’ break to look at pictures of Olive and Mabel and all was well again. show less

Andrew’s commentaries on his labradors were sheer delight during my lockdown. And I read this book with his lovely Scottish voice in my head. Here, he tells exactly what it was like to suddenly lose all his commentary work because of the pandemic, and then to find himself suddenly and somewhat reluctantly famous because of his fantastic humour & lovable dogs.

He could have so easily cashed-in & said yes to every - sometimes dubious - offer, but instead put Olive, Mabel & a few testing hill walks first.

A lovely, funny heart-warming read.

When covid put professional sports on hiatus last spring, BBC sportscaster Cotter turned his commentary to the escapades of his two Labrador Retrievers, Olive and Mabel -- and popular demand brought forth this book, a memoir (with photographs) of the dogs of his life (plus some notables from sports). It’s tender and funny; I laughed out loud at several passages and they held up to being read aloud to make my husband laugh. It’s also great armchair travel to Scotland and some mountain hiking, and inspired me to Google numerous dog breeds and Scottish locations.

What a welcome, happy, and funny approach to a gentle life with two loving dogs.

Andrew Cotter delivers an honest departure from dominating our fellow creatures
to a true and easy enjoyment of the friendship of canine companions.

And, how wonderful to have a book that includes many, many great photographs -
Thank You Olive and Mabel!

Fewer mentions of a future without Olive or Mabel would be welcome,
as well as fewer of the repeating mountain adventures.

 My first book of the year was Olive, Mabel and Me by Andrew Cotter.  Reading wise this was the perfect start of the year as I like books about dogs.  The adventures Mr. Cotter described with his two labradors, especially the mountain climbing, was so well written.   During the pandemic when everyone was on lockdown Mr. Cotter, a sports broadcaster, found himself out of work as all events were cancelled.  So he posted a YouTube video of Olive and Mabel.   The first video had many hits but the second one called Game of Bones was an overwhelming success.  I think I read it is still getting views and is over the 2 million mark on hits now.    There are so many observations about his time with Olive and Mabel and the quirks show more which any dog owner/pet parent can relate.  He delivers with humor and an excellent writing. Very down to earth, relatable narrative.Mr. Cotter lives in Scotland and often takes the dogs on long hikes much to their mutual enjoyment.  There is quite a bit about the mountain climbing and hiking relayed here which I also found interesting.  It was explained in a way anyone could understand.  

There are loads of photos in the book and I sure hope he writes another one. 4.5 stars show less

I'm not really a dog person, but I do like Scotland and witty writers, and this book definitely has those things going for it. If you are a dog person, you'll adore it. But even if not, it's pretty entertaining.
Written during/after COVID lockdown, it feels current and relatable. And, unlike many animal books, it doesn't have a sad ending. Yay!
Good as an audiobook.

Content note: very occasional use of a strong swear word or two.