This week Anna is chuffed to have chatted to Journalist and Author, Sophia Money-Coutts, about her new book - The Year of the Dog.

It’s the funniest, most heart warming ‘memoir’ of bringing ‘Dennis’ - the Parsons Russell Terrier pup into her life just over a year ago. Approaching a landmark birthday, it’s the roller coaster journey of how he has changed Sophia’s life for the better!

We discuss how the thought is that raising a puppy is simple: feed them, walk them, love them. Right? Wrong!!

Sophia was armed with Pinterest-perfect plans and firm ideas about training, but just as the puppy pads hit the floor, the rest of her world falls apart.

Suddenly single and quietly unravelling, Sophia finds herself solo parenting a tiny, gleeful agent of chaos who devours foam earplugs, destroys her shoes, and has an alarming taste for spiders. He’s also the only thing keeping her afloat.

As the months roll by in a haze of dodgy first dates, sleepless nights and meltdowns in the park, Sophia begins to make sense of it all: the grief of a life that didn’t go to plan, the weirdness of being single in your late thirties, and the surprising ways love shows up when you least expect it.

By the end of their first year together, Dennis hasn’t just wrecked the furniture: he’s quietly rebuilt Sophia’s life!

Without doubt this true account of the ups and downs of puppy ownership is one of the funniest and heart warming books I’ve read for ages .

It’s a pawfect stocking filler this Christmas especially for someone thinking about bringing a puppy into their life!

Order your copy here. And follow Sophia on @sophiamcoutts.

Thank you to the good people at Antinol. We're super proud to be collaborating with them and you can enjoy at 10% discount on your purchase by using our promocode ANNAWEBB. Remember - you're supporting A Dog's Life by supporting our proud sponsor!

If you want to switch to a raw diet for your dog, you can't do better than Paleo Ridge. Find out more here and follow them on @paleoridge

Instagram: @Paleoridge

For more about Anna go to annawebb.co.uk

Music and production by Mike Hanson for Pod People Productions

Cover art by Jaijo

Cover photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd at Gruff Pawtraits