Dogs have a strange way of weaving themselves into your hearts. As it is with Doodle and our family, so it was with Duchess and my mother-in-law Teena. Duchess passed away last week, a few short days after our visit to the sun-kissed corner of Idaho that Teena calls home. My daughter grew up knowing Duchess as her first big dog that she wasn’t afraid of. In her prayers, she would often include Duchess and Butter (their cat) in prayers for Teena. On top of all that, Duchess was Teena’s child. The dog that cuddled with her in bed for so many years.

The dog that always won the most-favored-position in the den against all the competition.

The dog that always brought a smile to everyone she touched.

Mother to Solo Mia.

And to top it all off, she was a champion, including best of breed at the 2007 Westminster dog show.

She’ll be missed by many, including this hard-hearted blogger.