A fun read for dog lovers. A charming collection of stories from the author's time as a dog walker. It was nice Kate's life evolve as the book went on.

I read this off and on for quite some time. I finally decided I had too many things that I cared more about and wasn't able to get to and gave up. It was fine. Just not my cup of tea at the moment. Maybe another day.

This is a very late review but I successfully moved this title from DNF to read category! This is a sweet book and easy to dip in and out of. Would recommend.

This book would appeal to anyone who loves their pets, and especially their dog(s). The book unfolds through stories of Kate's dog-walking business and the clients she encounters. It would be even more enjoyable to someone who knows London well. I found it heartwarming and sweet, with funny and relatable stories. There is also some more serious discussion of failed relationships (and the effect on a shared pet) and celebrity pets with their unique issues. Kate's personal life evolves through the book as well when she marries and her family grows. Told in straightforward language and full of humor and heart, this is a gem for all animal lovers out there.

When Kate MacDougall decided to quit her dull job at Sotheby’s in London she didn’t really have an alternative in mind. She just knew that her current job wasn’t enjoyable and, truth be told, she wasn’t all that good at it either. It was 2006 and, after some debate, Kate decided to start a dog walking business. It was a fairly new concept in the UK, but it seemed like it could be quite successful - even though Kate knew next to nothing about running a business and very little about dogs.

London’s Number One Dog-Walking Agency is a delightful memoir that is told with humor and grace. Meeting the many dogs and their owners that inhabit the pages of this book was a delight. Ms MacDougall’s observations about London, people, dogs, and life in general are thoughtful and descriptive. Even though memoirs are not a typical read for me, I couldn’t resist a book about dogs. I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed and I recommend this enjoyable book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

While the title, London’s Number One Dog-Walking Agency might sound like a romantic comedy, it’s actually Kate MacDougall’s memoir. At times, it reads like a romcom, but it isn’t.

In October 2006, Kate once again broke something at her job at Sotheby’s. She did it often enough that they called her “clumsy” Kate. The fact is, she was bored and hated her job. She had gone through four years of accidents. She had all the right qualifications for the job. She just didn’t enjoy it. But, her mother was appalled when Kate said she thought she’d start walking dogs. It was a spontaneous decision. She likes dogs, and likes being outside, not stuck in an office.

Spontaneous and unpredictable fits Kate MacDougall. Dog-walking in London was a novelty. Although Americans hired dog-walkers, it was fairly new to London. She put together a website, and started with one client, a female Jack Russell named Frank.

MacDougall’s book is broken down by years of her business, and by dogs. The reader gets to know the demanding clients, the needy dogs. And, one dog, Stanley, frames the entire book. He was a happy rescue mutt when she first met him. Because Kate’s mother was divorced, and she and her brother seldom saw their father, Stanley’s household seemed to be just what she had always wanted. The dog was happy with his loving family, a little disorganization and three kids.

Kate’s boyfriend, Finlay, is always there, too. He’s patient with her when she panics, thinking she knows nothing about running a business. Finlay is patient with her talk of dogs, although he doesn’t like dogs. And, he’s a rock for her as their relationship matures, as they move into their thirties, and as they move on through their lives together. He’s even patient when they adopt a Jack Russell terrier, a puppy named Mabel.

I’ll admit, I somehow missed the words “A Memoir” when I picked this up on NetGalley. But, I enjoyed Kate MacDougall’s coming-of-age memoir, her stories of the dogs, her business, and her life. She may have been spontaneous and even scattershot at times, but it works out for the best in the end.

An enjoyable, lighthearted memoir. This will be great to recommend to readers who are looking for a quick, light read.

I love stories where people unhappy with the "norm" take their future in hand and make changes! To his was one of those stories.

I love dogs and London so I really enjoyed the stories about both intertwined with Kate's years of growth and reaching for her dreams!

London's Number One Dog Walking Agency is a light hearted, fun, summertime read that delves into the high stress, customer focused world of dog walkers! The shenanigans and issues that come up are hilarious, real world concerns that border on ridiculous. I recommend that you enjoy this read at the beach, on the couch, or on the bus!

**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

Happy publishing week to this new memoir that just came out last Tuesday! Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In 2006, Kate MacDougall was bored at her job and ready for something new, so she started her own dog walking company. Due to her hard work and dedication, she grew her business over the years and this memoir tells the stories about Kate getting more clients and hiring many other dog walkers. The story takes place in London and is laugh out loud funny as Kate recalls some of her eccentric clients and their dogs, tells stories about some of her employees and goes over the highs and lows of being the CEO of your own small business. The story of Kate’s life is told parallel to the journey of her growing her company, which is just as heartwarming as her stories about dogs.

This is definitely a must read for any dog lovers, anyone interested in London (and learning more about all the parks in London that Kate’s business populated) and anyone interested in a light and sweet coming of age story.

London’s Number One Dog-Walking Agency was a fun look at the ins and outs of a dog walking business. Kate tells her story of starting the agency (against her mother’s wishes) when she could no longer handle having an inside desk job. She tells many interesting stories of dogs, walkers, and clients - some hilarious and others cringe-worthy. Also woven through the stories are Kate’s own stories of family, growing up, and her fears as the business and her family grow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This is a memoir you can share with the dog-lovers in your life. Kate is suddenly without a job in 2006 and decides to start walking dogs. How hard could it be? Get some clients, put the dogs on the leash to the park and back home and Bob's your uncle, you are making a living. Chapter by chapter we see the business evolve. What I loved was the focus on one dog per chapter with amusing anecdotes and dry humor sprinkled throughout. Kate is not afraid to poke fun at her own naive assumptions or give us the straight scoop on an embarrassing situation or two. I especially enjoyed the bits of a "where they are now" as a part of the Afterword. This might make you appreciate the dog in your life more.

Thank you to William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Just couldn't keep my interest. I needed something warm and fuzzy with that title. I'm sure everyone else will love it.

London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency
A Memoir
by Kate MacDougall
William Morrow and Custom House
You Are Auto-Approved
William Morrow
Biographies & Memoirs | Nonfiction (Adult)
Pub Date 06 Jul 2021 | Archive Date 31 Aug 2021

I loved this book! I found it very enjoyable and appreciated that it was based on a true person. Thanks to William Morrow and Custom House as well as NetGalley for the ARC.
4stars

When you love dogs, you probably love dog books. Mix that dog book with a dog lover’s dream business and you have a winner. London’s Number One Dog Walking Agency by Kate Macdougal chronicles a crazy idea for a dog walking business, thought up by someone who is new to the canine world. She tells the tale of her business through all of the quirkiness and complaints. Another bonus is the detail on London’s neighborhoods and parks, as well as the attitude of those there who could afford such a service. I enjoyed her use of each chapter as a chronological update and a spotlight on a dog she was walking. I could have read twice as many chapters on this author’s clients and their dogs. At the same time, she paralleled her business success with the maturity in her life. Toward the end of the book, she realizes of the changes within herself and added motherhood since her entrepreneurship began- “Focusing yourself entirely on another human being means that there simply isn’t space for the superfluous anymore.” Her conclusions on the changes in her life were so well put and hit home for me. I absolutely loved this memoir and would suggest it to fans of All Creatures Great and Small, however more brief, urban and modern. Highly recommend. I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.

With a title like this I was expecting an Alexander McCall Smith type of story and in a way it was, but it just wasn’t as interesting and I couldn’t connect with the characters. The stories about the dog-walking agency are amusing. Its an easy and quick book to read for dog-lovers.

Pros :: What fun! So thoroughly enjoyed the writing, the lighthearted stories, the living in London, the dogs. Although there were the joys of walking the dogs, there were the reflections of the not so great part of owning a business, customers pushing boundaries (or being jerks), awful (ie drunk) employees, soggy weather, picky and weird customers and the essence of how wonderful dogs are. "The intoxicating gidiness of owning your first puppy was as potent and fervid as any narcotic, and just as addictive." (43%) Kate MacDougall seems like she'd be a fun friend to have.

Cons :: Nothing.

Cover art :: 5 out of 5 Good use of images, colour and London as a background.

Charming and delightful! A recommended purcahse for collections where contemporary romance and lighter WF is popular.

A pleasure read for dog lovers! The surprise: instead of only being treated to funny anecdotes about walking various dogs, you grow through different phases of life with the author and also with some of the dogs.

Kate begins in the early 2000s as a disgruntled young worker, too clumsy for the Sotheby's auction house and dreaming of turning her love for dogs into a job. She takes a chance on starting a small business, and walks her way to success. Every charming, delightful chapter is centered around a particular dog, but you also get into what Kate learned from that dog. She hires other dog walkers, and their relationships with various dogs also teach Kate important lessons about life, love, and what is really important.

The business takes a hard hit during the recession, but Kate perseveres.

Because those who can afford a dog walker (and afford to live in London) tend to be wealthier than average, the memoir is reminiscent of The Nanny Diaries in terms of what wealthy people do with their dogs, spend on their dogs, and expect of their dogs and their dogs' caregivers.

I found this to read like a diary, a devotional, or a set of short stories: you could enjoy one chapter, savor it a while, put the book down and come back to learn about another dog and another phase of life. Amazingly deep and, you know this already but. . .prepare to cry.

"The irresistibly charming memoir of a young woman who started her own business as a dog walker for London’s busy, well-heeled dog lovers. A true love letter to London, dogs, and growing up."

Charming is right, this book is absolutely lovely! Normally when I choose a memoir it's to get more info on some major thing that has happened in the world, usually terrible I guess, but the description on this book sounded cute, so I took a chance. What followed was such a great mix of coming-of-age-in-your-twenties as you navigate love and work and family all intertwined with the quirkiest dogs and dog-walkers that you'll ever meet. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have already recommended it to everyone I know looking for a good summer book, so the library hold list is growing by the day even though they have to wait a bit longer!