Montana 10/14/90 - 10/11/06

October 11, 2006

Hi all,

Most of you know Montana.

I adopted her from the Ottawa Humane Society at about age 4. She had a rough start to life, tied to a doghouse, kicked by her first owner, causing a poorly healed fractured pelvis. For every one year of her 'first' life, I made up for it with three wonderful years. And boy did she pay me back. And others.

Montana travelled cross country, visiting places such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arkansas, Santa Fe, Phoenix, Denver, and South and North Dakota. She loved to investigate new places, and relished in the excitement of chasing prairie dogs, eating a glacier, sitting on a chairlift, going canoeing, and riding for hour upon hour in the car until we found the next new thing to do.

Here's Montana in Burnham Park on the shores of Lake Michigan near Chicago (seen in the background). This picture was taken on the 2nd leg of our 2005 trip to Bismark ND, Deadwood SD, Fort Collins CO,
and points West.

But she also gave back as much as she received, or perhaps even more. Montana was a therapy dog (TDIAOV)...she did over 150 visits. She was a regular at the Mosser Nursing Home, where she had a few old ladies dote over her each week. She did demos at schools and daycares, she did parades, she was a demo dog during therapy dog tests, but most especially, she visited people in New York City after 9/11. The work she did there is something i'm unable to speak about because I literally can't speak when I think about how magical she was.

She was also my demo dog in my classes for years. I called her 'the equalizer' because she was able to put obnoxious puppies in their place without doing harm. What a diplomat.

Montana was instrumental in changing my entire life. Because I got her, I decided to become a dog trainer. Together, we explored the world of training, and doG bless her, she put up with my antics...choke chains, prong collars, haltis, TTouch, gentle leaders, agility, rally, herding, obedience, you name it. By the time I knew what I was doing, she was elderly, but not too old to try rally. Boy did she love rally. Two titles and placement scores all over the show. She'd do anything for me, even when she could barely walk anymore.

I think montana held on so long because she just wanted to be with me.

But it just became too much. Her hips, teeth, eyes, ears, joints, liver and kidneys were shutting down. It was time for montana to say goodbye.

I know that she's crossed the rainbow bridge. She is happy and spry again.

Her passing was quick and she all but held out her arm for the injection. She passed over while in my car, her absolute favorite place, aside from a pile of snow.

What a magical dog she was. We should all be so lucky to have a dog like her.

Ali

Here's Montana in two of her more Zen moments: laying in a snow bank in a blizzard
and doting over Jamal, a sickly lamb we raised for a few weeks.

Maddy

12/14/91 - 10/5/06

Maddy was my constant companion. In her younger active years she'd go with me on my monring jog near Lake Ontelauntee. Of course she was usually more interested in pheasants and turkeys than following me. Often I'd have to back track to pull her off a bird she'd treed.

Lately she'd been better known as my "office supervisor" now that I've been working out of the house. Although it was often hard to distinguish her from the bed she spent most of her time in, her presence was always a comfort.

Pete

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