2023-11-04 20:28:03
Par Maria da Silva
Published on 4 Nov 23 at 9:28 p.m. See my news Follow Les Informations Dieppoises
What is certain is that when you enter the house of Rhapsody, Rurik, O’Nora, Triumph and Ulysses, you are very impressed. It must be said that they are giants.
Very hairy giants, with big mouths! And not content with imposing with their size, they are also stars. Movie stars!
All five are starring in DogMan, the latest feature film from French director Luc Besson.
To find them, production went to the Dieppe region, near Tôtes (Seine-Maritime). This is in fact where these five heroes of the 7th art live… Irish wolfhounds!
“A favorite” for Irish wolfhounds
So there is Rhapsody, 89 cm at the withers, the male. Rurik, the 3 year old breeder. O’Nora, the retiree. Triumph, the young one. And Ulysses, the five-month-old baby. Purebred dogs raised by Estelle and José Monfort.
Originally, however, they were not intended to act as actors. No. Their role ? Simply make the Monfort family happy.
José Monfort actually fell in love with the Irish wolfhound. It was in 1996, at a dog show that he and his wife were attending with their Korthal griffon.
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“This greyhound was made for me”
“During this exhibition, I saw a 6 or 7 year old girl arrive with this dog. He was as tall as her. I didn’t know this breed, but I saw its look. He caught my attention, I knew that the Irish wolfhound was made for me,” smiles the father.
Made for him, because “he’s a magnificent dog, with a magnificent story. A dog that dates from the Middle Ages. However, in addition to loving canines, José Monfort is also passionate regarding the medieval era.
Immediately, he begins research, reads articles, reads books. He even travels dozens of kilometers to meet Irish wolfhound owners.
In the Middle Ages, these dogs were intended for the high nobility. We offered them to each other between kings. They are full of history, myths and legends.
José Monfort, breeder
Among the Monforts, there is no longer any doubt: an Irish wolfhound will join the family. But to grant their wish, they will have to wait… ten years!
The time needed to resell their house, which was too small, in Déville-lès-Rouen.
The time needed to acquire a larger one with a garden near Tôtes. And even to change professional activity for José Monfort!
Change of house, city and profession
“You don’t adopt an Irish wolfhound without having thought it through carefully,” explains Estelle Monfort. He is a very close dog with his master, he needs human presence.”
He also needs space. Hence the move to the countryside. “We were city dwellers. And I mightn’t imagine a day without going to Rouen, laughs Estelle Monfort. However, we have been here for 17 years. »
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Regrets ? “None” assure the spouses with one voice. Today, they even find that they “are not isolated enough,” they laugh.
And then with the arrival of their first Irish wolfhound, there were some great encounters at dog shows. Friendships have even been made with other enthusiasts. One of them asked Estelle and José Monfort to start breeding.
“It was in 2007. We questioned ourselves a lot before accepting. But it is not our primary activity and we do not want it to become so. The Irish wolfhound is a confidential breed in France with an average of 120 births per year. We want it to stay that way,” explains Estelle Monfort.
Holidays to take care of puppies
Getting started in breeding also involves a lot of constraints: finding the perfect male, sometimes traveling hundreds of kilometers with the female for the mating; and when the latter has given birth, be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for three weeks.
“There is care to be provided, bottles sometimes to be given. At the beginning, it’s every hour,” confide the breeders.
But like the Monfort couple, we love without counting: every year, they take their summer vacation to give all their attention to the newborns. Before entrusting them to their new family, not without a little feeling in the stomach…
Already three films for the 7th art
The cinema adventure for the Irish greyhounds of Estelle and José Monfort began during the health crisis with Arthur, curse, a feature film by Barthélémy Grossmann released in June 2022. “I received a call from a dog trainer. He had been recruited by the production to find dogs for the needs of the film. I was surprised,” remembers Estelle Monfort.
Initially, the proposal left the Monfort couple perplexed: “They have neither the listening skills nor the flexibility of a German shepherd, for example. We wondered if they were going to do the job,” smiles José Monfort. But tempted by the original adventure, the couple accepts: “There was a day of filming in Normandy. The scene was ultimately simple: they had to come out of a house and walk around it.”
Then in the same period of time, breeders were contacted once more for John Wick, chapter 4, an American production with Keanu Reeves in the lead released last March. Difficult for the Monfort family to refuse. Estelle has one week to train two of her dogs. Before they left for Versailles for two scenes: “They had a dog trainer, I was not allowed to attend the filming. I mightn’t even walk them. There was no leak.”
And then some time later, do it once more. This time, it is for DogMan, the latest Besson currently on display, that they are in demand. For this film, seven shots are to be taken with the dogs. And to achieve the desired result, the team must use subterfuge. “There was a lot of baiting with the food,” remembers Estelle Monfort. Moreover, one of her dogs had a small attack of indigestion “because he ate too much chicken,” laughs the breeder.
But filming will remain a great experience. Firstly because the team adapted to the rhythm of the dogs. Then, because “we were able to see Luc Besson and even chat with him. He is a very pleasant and kind person,” adds José. The Monfort couple also say they are very moved to know that their dogs have been immortalized: “And seeing them on the big screen in the cinema is discovering another of their facets. That’s what we liked.”
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