Pets and Puppies

by Monica Easton

Pets and Puppies is Monica Easton’s personal account of a life devoted to animals, tracking the joys and sorrows of pet ownership. Packed with anecdotes, verse and stories, this book also chronicles Monica’s work with guide dog puppies during the first year of their life and training.

Monica’s household has been home to a mixed bag of creatures providing plenty of stories: some happy, some sad, some very unusual, but all made life very interesting and entertaining. With tales of a fleet-footed hamster who could climb 14 stairs in 9 seconds, a football playing dog who was a wizard on the dribble and a polecat that gave birth to a litter of eights kits the day after she was rescued, Pets and Puppies gives an insight into the life of an animal lover.

After the death of her first pet dog, Monica applied to walk guide dog puppies and was accepted as a volunteer. She spent thirty years walking twenty-seven puppies in preparation for their further training at a year old. In her book, she recounts the different characters she met along the way: puppies who refused to walk, one who was agoraphobic, one who play fought with their bantam cock, another who stole food, shredded clothes and toys, and one who needed hydrotherapy treatment after surgery. The book also tells of dogs that did not qualify to become guide dogs and returned to Monica’s family to enrich their lives, and some who returned to them after retirement and still offered a challenge.

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Book Reviews

For anyone who loves animals, this is a perfect book; full of anecdotes and stories of a family who have shared their lives with a host of different animals, including many Guide Dog puppies. It is written in a very warm, comforting style, interspersed with the occasional poem, with each chapter giving an insight into the individual animal characters.
This is the sort of book you want to read while curled up on the sofa with your own favourite pet sleeping in your lap or by your feet.

by Mrs Heather Rees

What a delightful book!
Monica writes in an easy relaxed style, telling the stories of the animals in her life, including the many Guide Dog puppies she and her husband Chris have puppy walked. Some of the tales are amusing, others sad, but she doesn’t dwell on the latter. Each chapter is a story in its own right, so it is a book you can pick up for a few minutes at a time. It is for those of you who have a soft spot for animals. You will enjoy the fun , embarrassment and determination shown by Moinica and her family.

by Glynis Ormsby

This is a charming book and a great gift for anyone thinking of owning a pet. We only had a dog in childhood and were unable to have any once married as we frequently moved, home and abroad. Now I regret that decision, I`m sure we would have coped!
The above reviews say it all and I strongly recommend it to everyone.

by Liz Diplock

I read this book with great interest and enjoyment DESPITE the fact that I am not really a dog lover! But it is full of lovely anecdotes and also factual information from which I learnt a lot, and I would recommend it to anyone, whether a dog lover or not.
Lorna Minton

by Lorna Minton

I have known Monica for a few years and know her love of puppies and dogs, also how many guide dogs she has trained, but had not realised dogs is only part of her love of animals.
I found this books extremely interesting and it was as if Monica was actually saying the text, I would highly recommend this to anyone, especially people who have a love of animals.

by Aileen Burrows

SIMPLY DELIGHTFUL TO READ

Having owned, when young, several breeds of dogs, from puppies, in each of our Families, with the exception of one retired Guide Dog, this book brings back very many happy memories of times gone by.

With Monica's Family involvement, we sensed her, and their, devotion to all of the animals, with fascinating, interesting and amusing stories. We live locally to Monica and Chris, and only met them in recent years, and had no idea of their earlier captivating past-time.

Thank you Monica for writing Pets and Puppies, giving us so much pleasure.

by Michael & Anne, Twyford

I enjoyed reading this book & was fascinated by the amount of work involved in pre-training guide dogs before they go for official training.
Monica has trained many dogs over many years & she & other trainers deserve thanks for their amazing efforts. Great informative book & read.

by John McEwan

About the Author

Monica Easton

Pets and puppies is my first book.

I was inspired to write "Pets and Puppies" after I went on a speaker training course for " Guide Dogs". I had to prepare and deliver a ten minute presentation and chose to talk about my pets and some of the guide dog puppies that I had walked. I must have caught the imagination of the other members of the course as they enjoyed it and suggested I wrote a book about my experiences....so I have.