My Dog

Published on 7 September 2025 at 12:57

My Dog

🦮🐾🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿❤️‍🩹

by Olivia Wakeford

★★★★-

Things I loved:

🐕‍🦺Worthington, Worthington, Worthington!

🌰His acorn eyes and velvet ears

♥️Rhys’ honesty and bravery

👵🏼👴🏻Nan and Bampy

❤️‍🩹The honest insight into grief and trauma

🌷 Seeing Rhys learn to cope without his mam

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Watching the family change and grow closer

🫶How it broke my heart and made me grateful for my lovely dog

Review

I knew I needed My Dog by Olivia Wakeford from the minute I saw the cover — I’m a total dog lover, and any story that puts pups at the centre immediately grabs my heart. This book exceeded all my expectations and had me openly bawling by the final chapters.

Olivia Wakeford perfectly captures the unique and beautiful relationship between dog and owner. What really makes this book stand out is how honestly and beautifully it explores the role dogs play in the grieving process. The way Olivia shows Worthington’s magical ability to chase away worries and bring light into dark days is just astounding.

What I found so amazing is that this isn’t a story about fantastical beasts, magical powers, or epic battles. It’s a simple, heartfelt tale of friendship, love, and healing — yet I found it just as captivating and moving as any adventure or fantasy novel I’ve read.

I absolutely recommend My Dog to anyone looking for a genuine, warm, and emotional read. It’s perfect for dog lovers, but also a brilliant shared read for families or anyone dealing with loss, grief, or life changes like moving house.

Content warning:

Rhys' mum is dying in hospital and Rhys must move away to live with his Dad

Dive Deeper

At a glance

✍🏼 Author: Olivia Wakeford

🎨 Cover artist: David Litchfield

📅 Release Date: 27th Feb 2025

📚 Book type: Chapter, 288 pages

🌟 Reader level: Confident, 8+ (mature)

Overview

Ten-year-old Rhys really loves dogs. When he finds a lost black Labrador with big conker eyes and ears like soft velvet, he can’t quite believe his luck. Nobody comes forward to claim Worthington, giving Rhys the perfect opportunity to prove he’s a good owner. But when Rhys moves to London to live with his estranged dad who hates dogs, Rhys decides to keep Worthington secret.

Struggling to connect with his dad in a new city, Rhys takes comfort in Worthington. But he soon discovers that looking after a secret dog is anything but easy, and he knows that before long he’ll have to confront his fears and find a way to tell Dad…