Deerskin by Robin McKinley

I am rereading this fantasy for a book discussion. I LOVE this book. It is loosely based on a little-known Charles Perrault fairy tale called Donkeyskin. In it, Lissla Lissar is a princess, and when her mother dies, a neighboring prince gives her the gift of a fleethound puppy, called Ash. The dog is so well written, and really is a major character in this dark fairy tale of a daughter put upon by an insanely grieving father. It is extremely well-written and is about Lissar coming into her own. (Of course, I may very well be prejudiced, since I love books about dogs!)