Artemis was such a wonderful dog: she was so big and strong, she was by nature very dominant and confident, but she was also completely without aggression. Gentle, but protective, great with kids and animals, she was also very bright and had a great sense of humour. She loved everyone she met and the feeling was almost always mutual. She converted many people who said they didn't like dogs, or big dogs, or poodles, usually in just minutes. I loved that we could give commands in a conversational tone, rather than having to bark them at her. When she wanted out she very clearly said, "out", she was always up for a walk and knew all the customers on our son's paper route.

Artemis was very much a part of our family and we took her out with us whenever we could. She loved hiking, the farmers' market, going to the park and the hockey rink. She was happy in the car and didn't mind long trips. It is possible that she was maybe a little bit spoilt. We'd put the fire on for her when she wanted, she often had the best seat in the room and each of us woke up sore every now and then because the dog had hogged the bed all night. But we wouldn't have had it any other way.