Nutmeg and Becky

Everybody always wants to know which of my two dogs inspired the character of Down Girl. The original answer was "Nutmeg" — the most rambunctious, and ridiculous, dog you could ever meet. Nutmeg was a red setter who spent a lot of time standing up on her hind legs or springing into the air for no apparent reason. I spent a lot of time yelling, "Down, girl!"

By the time I finished writing the first Down Girl and Sit book, Becky the English setter had come to live with us. Becky is the sweetest dog I've ever known, but she has the knack of getting into some very odd predicaments. Between the two of them, Down Girl's personality really started taking shape.

So, you see, when Down Girl is hatching a clever plot, she's Nutmeg. When she's getting her head stuck in the car window, she's Becky.

Nutmeg lived a full and bouncy life until she passed away in 2008 at the age of 14. Becky is still an important, and much loved, part of the family.