Meet the Quartet

Lord Patriot is the distinguished elder of the Manor, a gentle dog with a deep devotion to the Butler and a natural preference for peace.

He moves through life without urgency. His solo neighborhood walks are taken slowly, with plenty of time to inspect every tree, review the latest messages left by scent and make sure nothing important has changed since the previous day.

Meals receive the same attention. Patriot eats slowly and methodically, savoring each bite before conducting a final inspection of the bowl.

At home, he enjoys soft music, long naps and sleeping later than everyone else. As the oldest member of the Quartet, he has also become an important part of the Butler's growing interest in healthy aging and canine longevity.

Patriot is the quiet anchor of the household, the Butler's most loyal companion and the dog most likely to remind everyone that not everything needs to happen immediately.

Lady Petunia is the original ruler of the household, and she has never had much doubt about her authority.

She determines when the Manor wakes up, when walks should happen and when meals ought to be served. Breakfast has an official time, although Petunia generally begins negotiations well before it arrives.

Her approach is subtle. A tilt of the head, a long look or a slow blink is often enough to convince a human that the schedule should be reconsidered.

She has also perfected an expression of complete innocence that makes it difficult to believe she could ever be planning anything, even when she clearly is.

Petunia's maternal side is largely reserved for squeaky plush toys, which she carries carefully and guards with more patience than she typically extends to her siblings.

She is affectionate, theatrical and remarkably persuasive, with a personality much larger than her size would suggest.

Duke Paddington approaches the world as though almost everyone is a potential friend and almost everything might be food.

He greets dogs enthusiastically, investigates strangers and considers the neighborhood one enormous source of interesting smells. On walks, his nose is always working ahead of everyone else.

If there is a crumb, a suspicious leaf or something vaguely edible near a tree, Duke Paddington will almost certainly find it.

The Butler suspects that in another life Duke Paddington may have been a perfumer in Grasse, although a professionally trained truffle pig remains another reasonable possibility.

He is permanently interested in food and has mastered the technique of taking a treat and moving away quickly before his siblings can investigate what he received.

Duke Paddington is social, curious and endlessly entertaining, with a talent for turning an ordinary walk into a small adventure.

Miss Patsy is the youngest member of the Quartet, although she behaves as though age has very little to do with authority.

She likes to lead group walks and regularly looks behind her to make sure everyone is following correctly.

Petunia receives particularly close supervision. Patsy studies her older sister carefully, watches which techniques work on humans and often finds a way to improve them.

She also enjoys provoking Petunia just enough to keep household life interesting.

Patsy generally prefers humans to dogs and can be extraordinarily affectionate when she chooses. She is also observant enough to notice patterns that the rest of the household would rather she missed.

Sweet, spirited and slightly calculating, Patsy has developed a reputation as the quiet strategist of the Manor.