The Dogs We Love: 2018 Adventure Dog Contest

FACE SHOTS

Sometimes a dog will give you a look so intense you know he’s having more fun than you are. That’s the case with all the finalists in our Face Shots category this year.

(1) Winner and Reader’s Choice WINNER: Shadow, Ludlow 

Shadow belongs to Marleigh and Matthew Rutman but his dog walkers Lynn Obernier and Jim Malley couldn’t resist submitting a photo of this Wheaton terrier who just loves snow. The two partners in Ludlow Dog Walker often take care of dogs while their owners are on the slopes. It seems Shadow loves snow just as much as skiers do: the couple also submitted a video that shows Shadow tunneling through mounds of snow.

Watch Shadow in the snow:

(2) Runner up: Juno, Putney

Juno is a year-old Northern Inuit from Putney, Vermont who loves to hike with owner Patrick Noyes. Chief among Juno’s many endearing traits, says Noyes, is that he is a keen observer of nature. He also has a propensity to sleep in bathtubs, a love/hate relationship with snowmen, and an ability to play throw and catch by himself.

(3) Runner up: Miller, Stratton

Shop dogs have to be some of the best loved dogs. Miller goes to work with his owner Matthew Henshaw at Equipe Sport at Stratton Mountain Resort Village. “He works five days a week and he’s a local celeb,” says Henshaw. Born in Weathersfield, Miller is now 4. “He loves the water and is absolutely crazy about snow,” says Henshaw.

(4) Runner up: River,  South Burlington

River is a one year and nine month old “Beaglebull” mix that Aiden Gilbert and his girlfriend adopted when he was 12 weeks old. “Ever since he has come on rock climbing, mountain biking, splitboarding and camping adventures,” says Gilbert. “Last winter we did some backcountry touring on Camels Hump and the snow was so deep we lost River in the powder but luckily his giant ears and blue jacket made it easy to quickly find him and carry him for part of the ride down.”

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