Megan RixBesprekingen

7/10, a good start to a promising mystery series for younger readers.

This is the first book by Megan Rix I have read, and so I cannot compare to her other titles.

Bomber Dog is a story based loosely on a paratrooper and his dog back in the first world war, only the events are changed.
When Nathan finds his soon to be inseparable companion loyaly by the side of another injured dog who is taken away, Nathan takes in the Alsatian and together they become part of the Para regiment.

This was a super fast read that came across somewhat rushed by Rix. It was brief in its information about training and....well pretty much everything.
Keeping in mind this book is for children I let it's lack of depth slip.

Glad I read it. However now I wish I had my own dog to throw a ball for and feed my scraps to hehe

Senza lode, senza infamia.

Megan and Ian became puppy foster parents, training Helper Dogs puppies. But after fostering two dogs, they decided they wanted their own for keeps, and along came Taffy.

Set during World War I (1914-1918). Sammy is an abandoned dog and Mouser a cat with attitude who has been stolen from his loving home by two boys. The two animals end up together in the trenches of the Western Front. Sammy starts as a regimental mascot. Mouser helps to keep the rats under control whilst making friends with soldiers from all sides, including the Germans. Easy to read, a nice story.½

http://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/the-puppy-that-came-for-christmas-...

Writer Meg Rix has a lot of love in her heart, these days. With an adoring husband and an adventurous pup, her life has never been better.

Of course, to get to such a point, she had to go through some darker years. Most of her sadness stemmed from her home remaining childless despite everyone’s best efforts. Even if we haven’t personally gone through the traumas of infertility, we all know someone how has. Meg’s story instantly tugs on the reader’s heartstrings as it taps into the unwillingness so many of us have to accept defeat on the conception front. These days, we rely so heavily on the success of science and forget that chance factors in so often.

It was chance that brought Meg’s heart the opportunity to heal, though, albeit in a less human form. On a whim, she and her husband, Ian, signed up to parent a puppy through a group with a specialty in training companions and helpers for people with limited senses, limited mobility and many other challenges. Though they would only be parents for six months before the puppy passed on to the next stage of training, the two decided that it might give them a rather cute distraction from their trials in the doctor’s office.

For a pair of would-be parents, it might have seemed ill-advised to take on such a thing as it would ultimately constitute yet another loss at the end of the half year. When their first puppy, Emma, moved on, they chose to live for the good times they did have and though it was indeed hard to part the first time, they put their names in the hat for another puppy when they found their nest empty once again, this time opening their hearts to Freddy. Through the year that they were actively, parentally involved with Helper Dogs, the Rix family continued to seek out ways to expand their family on the human side. In the end, as the title tells, it was a puppy, not a person, who was able to warm their hearts and fill their home.

Though Meg and Ian would probably not consider themselves to be in the numbers that Helper Dogs and other like organizations serve, it is safe to say that their canine companions, however fleeting, did them both a world of good.

As I said above, the heartbreak and sadness caused by infertility is not something that each person must go through physically in order to understand just how devastating it is. I can tell you, first hand, that though we did not go through troubles conceiving, I felt Meg and Ian’s story deeply. Now, maybe that’s because I’m just a sucker for a dog book but I’m also a sucker for a good story. Meg’s writing is simple and to the point but it carries the emotional weight of someone who writes for a living and who writes from the heart. Though the ending is pretty much plastered on the cover, leaving very little suspense or guesswork, the book is not really about getting from Point A to Point B. It’s much more focused on the journey which is ultimately, what Meg and Ian learn to focus on as well.

I know I’ve mentioned this in other dog book reviews but I have this funny quibble with the category. Because they are most often memoirs and very rarely written by “real” writers, I often find them cut and dry, a little lacking, if you will. This often fit into that boat, but, as with others, a bit of choppy writing doesn’t totally discount a puppy story for an avid reader and dog lover. This is ultimately, a feel good story and will definitely delight around the holidays.

Like another reviewer pointed out, it's easy to read memoirs, not so easy to critique, especially when it involves a sensitive subject like infertility. For Megan to be able to discuss it in such a public way is pretty brave, on her part. Unlike some folks that choose to dwell on this though, Megan and Ian were able to channel their heartache into something else.

It's a sweet, easy read. Nothing overly dramatic or intense. They recount their joys and trials and furry heartaches as they help raise and train puppies to be service dogs. I can't imagine how hard it would have been if I had to give up my dogs after only a few months. In the end, they were able to bring home their forever puppy, and the book ends on a happy note.

It's a good book to curl up with one day, and well worth the time. It's well written, and has a good steady flow throughout.

Finding love and having a family was something that Megan Rix had all but given up on, but when she met Ian suddenly one night during her early forties that all changed. When complications arose from the struggles of trying to have children shortly after their quick marriage they found they could never replace their want of a child, but could certainly fill the void by helping others. As Megan and Ian embark on a effort to help train service dogs though they quickly learn that what they’d really love is a dog of their own and then, along comes Traffy.

For one reason or another I find myself reading memoir after memoir after memoir when in reality it’s about my least favorite thing to review. The idea of critiquing someone’s life experiences is not only absurd to me, but very judgmental. So when I began reading The Puppy That Came for Christmas I was weary because of the issues it dealt with, specifically infertility. Having suffered from it myself I can hardly imagine reading someone’s review of my own personal feelings on the subject, so I applaud Megan for having the courage to come forward with her story because it was incredible! Not only did I love her story, but her writing was amazing and perfect for a quick glance into the lives of this not-so-ordinary couple.

Obviously the readers who will be immediately drawn to The Puppy That Came for Christmas will be dog lovers as well as those who may have experiences with infertility, but that doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it. In quite a few books the issues of infertility can sometimes overcome the entire story line. Not to trivialize those experiences, but it’s nice to have a story with a good balance. In The Puppy That Came for Christmas Megan Rix is concise in her writing but also has a depth to it that allow you to share her experiences in such a way that you are able to feel her heartbreak with not only infertility, but in having to give up her trained dogs as well. When Traffy comes along you can’t help but be attached to this wonderful couple and hope they will be able to enjoy a long life with their newly found puppy.

The Puppy That Came for Christmas by Megan Rix is a delightful read and one I’d easily recommend for the holidays. Dog lovers will appreciate the stories of the dogs that come into Megan & Ian’s home with their rambunctious ways, the training that occurs and the heartbreak that follows their moving on. Other readers will also love Megan’s journey to find her happiness with not only Ian but their lovely new puppy Traffy. This was such an enjoyable read for me! As someone who has struggled with my own fertility issues I found it comforting but didn’t find myself feeling like I was dwelling on the subject for the length of the book. Megan Rix knows how to write a compelling memoir, one that will tug at your heartstrings and have you turning the pages to the very end.

Originally reviewed and copyrighted at my site, Chick Lit Reviews and News.½

A sweet, simple story about a couple who find the love they crave in puppy, The Puppy that Came for Christmas is exactly what it seems to be. Don't expect any deep revelations, unexpected twists, or even revolutionary training techniques from this book.

Megan and Ian are the increasingly common, well-off, middle aged couple who can't conceive. Grief stricken they wander miserably from hospital to fertility clinic until they find an organization training service dogs desperately in need of puppy parents. They drown their sorrows in golden retriever puppies until they can't take losing the puppies each time they get old enough to continue with their training and service obligations. Finally they find the puppy that will stay with them forever.

Sweet and sappy, but heartwarming nevertheless. Don't expect too much of this little book and you will find it a pleasant, quick read.

What starts as a heartfelt desire to share their lives with a family turns into a furry affair that would benefit not only themselves but others in need. Megan and Ian were two that wished to be more but fate doesn't always take into account what we want when it weaves its tapestry and as their hopes of adding a little one to their home dwindled with time, so did their aspirations. However, all of that changed one sunny day on the opposite side of the world when a puppy named Goro opened their eyes to a new take on extended family.

Yes, my friends it was the small act of renting a puppy for an afternoon stroll in a foreign country that introduced them to the love a fur baby can really give...and receive. As many of you know, I'm a pet parent myself and my fuzzy wuzzies make an appearance here every so often so I totally get what they were feeling. The love they give freely is amazing and can turn the darkest of days right side up again. This couple wasn't sure if a full fledged commitment was really in the cards from them so they decided to get their feet wet my assisting in the training of a future helper dog. Enter the little ball of yellow fur we shall call Emma.

Emma showed them the ins and outs of puppy parenting as well as the exceptional results that can be achieved when training isn't so much a job but a heart felt team effort. She was a gorgeous golden retriever that grew into so much more in such a short amount of time that when the inevitable day of graduation came... no one was truly prepared.

No worries my friends, all things end well for both parties but it was their first experience with the necessary "good bye" that eventually follows in these types of programs. As much as they weren't certain they were ready for the big plunge initially, eventually they came to see they weren't ready to bid their charges farewell time and time again. It's a big undergoing not only financially to train and grow these fine four legged helpers but there is a toll on the heart that is very hard to justify. Hats off to all those able to perform this routine over and over because without people like you, we'd have a severe shortage of these furry life ablers.

The journey of life is always unexpected no matter how much planning is put into every step and the Rix's allow us to peer into their own adventure with eyes wide open. From their struggles with fertility to considerations of adoption to their eventual acceptance and embracement of the hand life has dealt them...it's emotional and truthful but well worth the tissues that may be needed. Recommended reading for teen through adult readers. It's a wonderful story for the holidays or any day and will certainly give you a new perspective on life as you know it.

Finding love and having a family was something that Megan Rix had all but given up on, but when she met Ian suddenly one night during her early forties that all changed. When complications arose from the struggles of trying to have children shortly after their quick marriage they found they could never replace their want of a child, but could certainly fill the void by helping others. As Megan and Ian embark on a effort to help train service dogs though they quickly learn that what they’d really love is a dog of their own and then, along comes Traffy.

For one reason or another I find myself reading memoir after memoir after memoir when in reality it’s about my least favorite thing to review. The idea of critiquing someone’s life experiences is not only absurd to me, but very judgmental. So when I began reading The Puppy That Came for Christmas I was weary because of the issues it dealt with, specifically infertility. Having suffered from it myself I can hardly imagine reading someone’s review of my own personal feelings on the subject, so I applaud Megan for having the courage to come forward with her story because it was incredible! Not only did I love her story, but her writing was amazing and perfect for a quick glance into the lives of this not-so-ordinary couple.

Obviously the readers who will be immediately drawn to The Puppy That Came for Christmas will be dog lovers as well as those who may have experiences with infertility, but that doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it. In quite a few books the issues of infertility can sometimes overcome the entire story line. Not to trivialize those experiences, but it’s nice to have a story with a good balance. In The Puppy That Came for Christmas Megan Rix is concise in her writing but also has a depth to it that allow you to share her experiences in such a way that you are able to feel her heartbreak with not only infertility, but in having to give up her trained dogs as well. When Traffy comes along you can’t help but be attached to this wonderful couple and hope they will be able to enjoy a long life with their newly found puppy.

The Puppy That Came for Christmas by Megan Rix is a delightful read and one I’d easily recommend for the holidays. Dog lovers will appreciate the stories of the dogs that come into Megan & Ian’s home with their rambunctious ways, the training that occurs and the heartbreak that follows their moving on. Other readers will also love Megan’s journey to find her happiness with not only Ian but their lovely new puppy Traffy. This was such an enjoyable read for me! As someone who has struggled with my own fertility issues I found it comforting but didn’t find myself feeling like I was dwelling on the subject for the length of the book. Megan Rix knows how to write a compelling memoir, one that will tug at your heartstrings and have you turning the pages to the very end.

Originally reviewed and copyrighted at my site, Chick Lit Reviews and News.½

"The Puppy That Came for Christmas" is a heart-touching story that combines infertility, puppies, and love - creating a wonderful book to read at Christmastime. The author's account of the process of raising a "helper dog" for others, and the heartbreak of letting it go, can really tug on your heart. As noble as it is to do, I really wonder if I personally would be able to do what Megan and her husband did.

This is a beautiful story of frustration, loss, love and healing, and one that should be read by anyone that has ever loved or wanted a dog.

As I'm always a sucker for any book with a puppy on the cover, this one is worth the picture. I have a deep respect for those that are involved with organizations such as Helper Dogs as the couple in the book were. I don't think I could be as brave to raise a puppy only to release it to others after a short time, even knowing it is for such a worthy cause. The book did not entirely focus on this and told the story of their personal journey as well and how their own forever puppy helped them through trying times. This is a popular theme of many dog stories but I can't seem to get enough and I completely enjoyed this story as well !!!

Megan Rix and her husband, Ian, were struggling to conceive a baby, when they unexpectedly connected with Helper Dogs – an organization which trains dogs to be placed in homes to assist persons with disability. They never dreamed that deciding to become puppy parents to a Helper Dog puppy in training would change their lives…but it did. Neither Megan nor Ian had much experience with dogs, so when Emma (a sweet golden retriever puppy) arrived at their home, they did not know what to expect. Showering Emma with love and toys, the couple soon fell in love with their new puppy. When the day came to give Emma up so she could continue her advanced training and be placed with a person who needed her, Megan and Ian were devastated. Quickly they accepted a new foster puppy named Freddy, once again putting their hearts at risk. When Freddy also left them to advance in the Helper Dog program, Megan and Ian decided it was time that they found a puppy who would stay with them forever.

In The Puppy That Came For Christmas, Rix relates the joy, the heartbreak, and the rewards of fostering puppies to help those in need. Intertwined in the story of becoming a puppy parent is the grief and frustration of infertility. Rix shares her sustained efforts to become pregnant – the fertility drugs, the pain at seeing those around her conceive while she remains infertile, and the toll that infertility takes on a woman and her partner. In a book about love, loss, and healing, Rix’s memoir reveals the power of a dog’s unconditional love to alleviate even the deepest emotional pain.

My only complaint with the book,which I admit is a personal one, was Rix’s tendency to propagate the stereotype of the German Shepherd breed as aggressive and scary. She mentions the breed several times, always in a negative light. Having owned several German Shepherds in my life, I know they are loyal, intelligent, highly trainable, and very lovable…even with small puppies and children. Any dog, regardless of breed, has the potential for aggression (in fact, my German Shepherd pup experienced an unprovoked attack by a lab mix which left her with a deep puncture wound to the face and nearly cost her the vision in her eye when she was only six months old). In a book which shows just why dogs are so special, I was dismayed that Rix chose to perpetuate a myth about a specific breed.

Rix does tell the reader that she knew little about dogs when she stepped into her role as puppy parent, so I can forgive her gaff when it comes to the German Shepherd breed…especially because the rest of the book is a heartwarming portrayal of the importance of dogs in our lives.

Readers who love dogs or who have ever considering fostering dogs, will find much to enjoy in Rix’s poignant memoir.½

This was a wonderful story. I can only imagine how it would feel to open my heart to a little puppy only to have to give it away. Even if I knew it was to help others. This is a story that will leave you with a warm heart, the urge to help others and respect for the volunteer helper dog trainers who give of themselves to help those in need.

I love good animal stories and this book is no exception. Megan and her husband, Ian were having trouble conceiving. What better way to take your mind off your troubles than bringing a puppy into your life. They decided to train golden retriever puppies to become helper dogs for people with disabilities. I highly recommend reading this heartwarming story for the holidays or anytime you want a feel good animal book to read.

The story of a couple and their acts to help change the world, one puppy at a time. The book tells of a couple who choose to take in puppies and raise them to well adjusted and ready for helper dog training. It is about a 6 month process of house training, manners training and exposing the pup to new environments, knowing that one day all too soon they will have to give the puppy up to go change someones life. Interwoven in the story, is the journey of their struggle with infertility and how being puppy parents helped to fulfill the desire to care for and love another.

OMG! What a quick read and hit home in so many ways! Being a canine foster parent, I found the book very touching! I would recommend to all of my canine foster parent friends. Thank you so much for sending me an advance copy and allowing me to share my review with my friends!

Megan and her husband Ian wanted children. But, it seemed it wasn't to be. In an effort to fill the void, they started as "puppy parents" for Helper Dogs - dogs trained to help people with disabilities. This book relates Megan's experiences with the Helper Dogs and how they lead to Megan and Ian getting a dog of their own.

This is a sweet little book that gives lots of information on what's involved with raising Helper Dogs. It's also a story of how a family comes to accept that their most desired dream isn't going to come true - and what they can replace that dream with. It's a wonderful read; no tissues required!

Megan and Ian Rix wanted a baby so much. Time was running out, Megan was already forty three. She had only met Ian two years before. They had always felt that their family was incomplete. Ian had had an awful childhood being in foster homes on and off because of his parents fighting. It was such a bad experience that he blocked everything about it in his memory. That fact would become important later in the book. Both of them wanted to have a baby to give it a much better childhood than Ian’s and Megan had always wanted a child.

The appointments and consultations for trying to have a child was only one focus for this book. The other was training puppies to be Helper Dogs. She saw an ad requesting volunteers for people to give expert training to the dogs so that they could go to disabled people. So all through the long journey with the fertility clinic, they go through training dogs to be Helper Dogs.

I loved this book, Megan and Ian were a loving couple and she is very honest in this memoir, telling of all her fears, mistakes and love for Ian and the dogs. And of course the dogs were adorable. There are lovely photos of them all through this book. Both Megan and Ian went through a lot of torment and worry with trying to have a baby and both loved the dogs so much!

The first dog she trained was Emma, a sweet, gentle and eager to please golden retriever. She came at Christmas time. The second one was Freddie, a rambunctious, energetic, bouncy, dog who gulped his food down quickly. If you read this book, you will fall for both dogs. In this book, you will learn a lot about training dogs to be Helper Dogs, the anguish of not being able to bear children and most of all you will learn what truly makes a family.

I recommend this book to all dog lovers, people interested in training Helper Dogs and those going through the difficulties of not being able to physically bear children.

I love reading books about dogs, so when this one came in the mail I sat down and read it the same evening. Well it turned out to be much more than just another cutesy dog story. Instead its about the authors journey of longing to have a baby and deciding that while she and her husband Ian deal with the issues of infertility they will volunteer in a charity program called Helper Dogs. We read how the Helper Dog program works and we follow along as Emma, and then Freddy the two helper dogs that Ian and Megan take care of opens their hearts allowing them to ultimately find their forever dog Traffy.
This story was just wonderful. It takes place in England so some of the terms and wording were a bit different but I quickly adjusted. The author easily brought to life the ups and downs of being a volunteer taking care of puppies for Helper Dogs.I could imagine the excitement and pride she felt in Emma and Freddie. I thought it was clever that Emma actually had her own newspaper article, and in a sense became a spokesperson for the program.Freddie was a real character, and I can't help but wonder how the two dogs are faring now. The author also allows us to feel the disappointing struggles she and her husband had with infertility. The message I took away from this story is that family is whatever we choose to make it, and for many of us our beloved pets are often the only family God chooses to bless us with. This book will hold appeal for anyone who enjoys dog stories, but more than that its a story of family and one woman's struggle with infertility. Recommended!
* I won a copy of this book from Librarythings Early Reviewer program.*

A newly married couple, who live near London, cope with infertility issues while also becoming new "Puppy Parents" for a Helper Dogs organization. This book chronicles their experience as "Puppy Parents" and describes their heart breaking attempts to have a child. The author gives honest details about her emotional struggle. In spite of my interest in dogs as well as infertility, I found it difficult to stay interested in this book. I found some of the chronology and event details boring. This book was not engaging to me and I ended up skimming parts of it. Still, the ending is heart warming.½

This book touches on loss in several forms; physical, psychological & emotional. While also touching on love in different forms; human to human & human to animal.
Meg & Ian decide thy want to have a child soon after marrying, but they have more trouble than expected. While working their way down the tortuous road of schedules, temperatures, blood tests and Doctor visits they find a mutual love for dogs. They become involved with a group called Helper Dogs, a group that trains puppies to help people with disabilities and they decide to become puppy parents. Through Helper Dogs they are given a puppy to raise and train for 6 months when it will move on to another home and its second phase of training. They come to find that although the work is rewarding it is also very heartbreaking when you must give up the puppy you have raised for 6 months. During the course of their second 6 month stint as puppy parents they realize that it is too hard to give up another puppy and that the next puppy they take in will be their forever puppy. During this time they are faced with the almost impossibility of becoming natural parents and the hardships that would be faced trying to adopt or become foster parents to a child in need. Through this year they find that a baby can come in human or animal form and the love that is received from either is always good.

When I was chosen to read and review this book I felt I wold probably be a good match. I have also been through the ups and downs of trying to conceive a child and came out on the other end with only animal children. I could clearly identify with Meg and Ian and the heartbreak and hope that is lived with day to day when having trouble conceiving a child. You soon find that if you are not successful you must stop the madness and find something else to focus on. This is for your emotional and mental well being.

I found the book to be uplifting. The story of love, loss, laughter and eventual healing threaded throughout the story caused me to want to keep reading. I recommend it to those on the pregnancy journey, those working in the helper animal community or the ordinary animal lover.½

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Meg and Ian's struggles as they tried to have children and how, as inexperienced dog people got involved in the organization Helper Dogs by raising and training puppies, kept me enthralled to the last page. I learned a lot about this type of organization, but told through the heart. Meg was honest throughout, and in the end could see the bigger picture of all that had been gained even though it hurt while it happened. An absolutely delightful read!!