Speak of dogs with style and you have to include Lucy Maloney, whose miniature designer dogs are truly something special. For this canine lover one dog is not enough.

"I have four dogs. Two Cairn terriers, one Mini Pin toy fox terrier and a German Shepherd."

With all of these dogs Lucy finds much to inspire and infuse her sculptures with a realism that makes each piece come to life.

"They inspire me each day with the many poses they get into, so I can copy something unique for my work."

Being very well behaved is a blessing for any dog, and I imagine that it is particularly helpful for any artist who paints or sculpts. So how well do Lucy's Fab Four behave?

"They do tricks like lay, sit, shake, speak and stay. You know, the basic dog obedience behaviors."

For their efforts in decorum, the four dogs do get some pretty special attention when it comes to treats.

"I cook my dogs food so I have many recipes. I make them many varieties of dinners and a venison liver treat that gets baked until crunchy. I also bake a sweet potato until it gets crispy and give them pieces of that for a treat, which they gobble down with great delight. Sadly though, there will be no costumes for the dogs this Halloween. I imagine that having to dress up all four doggies would be an exercise in futility anyway. But there is a glimmer of hope that the Min Pin's future may include some 'special attire.' "The Mini pin may need a sweater this winter here in Minnesota. The temperatures really drop down and it gets pretty cold for this breed."

It should be a sweater that proclaims: My Mommy Loves Me!