DeMontigny 1995-2009

A cherished member of our small family went up to that big doggy kennel in the sky yesterday. For 14 years deMontigny was an integral part of our lives. He moved in with Jim and I when he was a tiny, (well not so tiny, since he was a standard poodle) black, curly fur ball of 9 weeks. He grew quickly, ate ravenously and had a mind of his own, which required 2 years of dog obedience training to master. Although we never really did master him. It was more like he mastered us.

He loved his walks. He spent many hours with Jim and I tramping the many trails through the forests surrounding our cottage. And in the winter he would race behind us as we skied. In fact sometimes he was so close to my skis, I could feel his furry snout between my knees.

He grew to be a magnificent standard poodle, with those long, long legs for which they are known. His movements were poetry in motion. I used to call him the Wayne Gretsky of dogs. He had the high-stepping, prancing gait of a horse and probably would have done very well in agility training, except I never exposed him to it.

And he was smart, like poodles are. I figured he had a vocabulary of at least a few hundred words. When he wanted something he would dig his snout into my thigh. I would then go through a series of questions, Do you want a walk, food, water, etc.? When I hit the right one, he would do a little hoppy skip and toss his head.

When people ask if any characters in my Meg Harris series are based on real characters, I always say only one, Meg's black standard poodle, Sergei. In fact there is a scene in 'Death's Golden Whisper' that is pure Monts. I'll let you guess which one.

DeMontigny was a great dog. Jim and I will miss him.