12 years ago, almost to the day, Monty picked me. I went to the breeder and had pick of the litter. This didn't matter. As I reached down to pick up one of the pups that seemed to like me, Monty ran over, hip-checked his brother out of the way, and jumped into my arms. You can see the joy in his eyes that I called his bluff..
He was always one to find comfort in some of the strangest positions:
But man, was he as cute as a button:
Which was a good thing, as he could be a little punk as a pup (as some of the old-timers may remember!). Someone along the way suggested a spray bottle with some vinegar in it to discourage nipping. This was a terrible suggestion, as we ended up with a soaked vinegar smelly dog, who was still nipping (sorry about spraying you with vinegar buddy..):
Did I mention he was a cute as a button?
He spent his early years, as king of Princeton NJ. Exploring everywhere he could:
At a local field he mastered his "Thousand yard stare":
And became quite the watchdog at the door:
And even learned how to use his ears for lift:
Deep snow was always fun:
And he even trained for 2 marathons, and countless half marathons with Jen. His longest training run? 22 miles:
A new addition to the family arrived in the form of Gabe, and Mont had a new buddy:
Soon we left our life in Princeton, and moved to MN. Lots more snow, and living on acreage, plenty of wildlife to watch:
Lots of hugs from Gabe during our move and renovation:
And fun picnics in the woods at the back of the property:
After a summer of Suzy, and Roscoe eventually joining the 4-legged crew, Quinn came along:
As energy levels subsided, and his body grew tired, he still always had a comfy place:
And one glorious last trip to the lake...
I still can't believe you are gone buddy. I know in my heart you are finally at peace, and I hope I see you again some day. You were more than I could have ever hoped for. Sleep well Monty..
