Adventures with Ollie

Adrian Chamberlain is an award-winning arts writer for the Victoria Times Colonist, the daily newspaper in Victoria, B.C.. Raised on Gabriola Island, he has a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Victoria and a master of arts degree in journalism from the University of Victoria. He has won three B.C. Newspaper Awards for arts writing. In 2005 his short story, Temple Baptist, 1973, was a winner in Monday Magazine? summer fiction contest.

Vancouver Islander Adrian Chamberlain always wanted a Porsche. When that turned out to be too expensive, he got a pug puppy instead. Adventures with Ollie is a collection of vignettes describing his family? exploits with a headstrong, playful pug named Ollie. Adrian describes the delights of housetraining, teaching a dog new tricks, smuggling Ollie into summer cabins and trying to dissuade him from rolling on dead sea creatures. Adventures with Ollie provides a insider? view into dog culture that all pet owners will recognize. Readers will sympathize with Adrian? efforts to compete with macho types who fling logs into the ocean to be retrieved by their enormous Labrador Retrievers. They will be amused by his embarrassment over his wife? habit of dressing Ollie in peculiar costumes. And they may share his bewilderment when, after warding off a pug-chasing rat, he is reprimanded by a fervent animal rights activist. A funny, warm-hearted read that will amuse dog lovers?and anyone who takes delight in human/animal antics.