You might think that dogs need very little encouragement to join a walk in the countryside, but perhaps their owners do.

Dog owner Helen Peacocke, food writer for The Oxford Times, has found a new selection of pubs to feature in the third in her Paws series. Paws Along the Way (Wychwood Press, £9.99) lists 35 different pubs which welcome dogs, and Helen describes a walk from each pub.

This time she has used the routes of “Ways”— either sections of long-distance footpaths such as the Cotswold Way (and lesser-known ones such as the Donnington Way), or paths that follow ancient tracks such as the Salt Way or Akeman Street.

Each walk description has a section purporting to be written by Helen’s dog Pythius, whose personality is becoming clearer with each book. He doesn’t like too much gossip, especially when his owner is so deep in conversation that she misses the clearly-marked signposts. Oxford artist Sue Mynall brings extra life to the book with her sketches. The official launch is in August, but dog lovers can get a preview, and buy copies, at the Witney Book Festival on Friday, June 17, and on Sunday, June 19.

The festival runs for three days, with events in several venues including the Corn Exchange, Langdale Hall, Witney Library, The Fleece, Hacketts, The Plough and Costa Coffee. For details, see www.witneybookfestival.wordpress.com