The Dogs We Love: 2018 Adventure Dog Contest

BEST LOOKING

Everybody thinks their dog is the best looking. Of course they do. But, as is true with people,  not every dog can look great after a long hike up a trail to a mountain top. These dogs did.

(1) Winner: Cali, Burlington

Cali is a 10.5-year-old Golden Retriever who takes on big hikes with her owner Emily Sanders DeMott. Here she is hiking Mount Mansfield. “The best time we’ve had was making it up Mt. Mansfield. As a 10-year-old dog, I was concerned about the difficulty of it. She made it up and down like a champ!” says DeMott.

(2) Overall Reader’s Choice Winner: Dolomite, Huntington

Dolomite won the hearts of our Facebook friends, racking up close to 200 votes to win the Readers’ Choice overall contest. The year-old Australian Cattle Dog “leaves no stoke left unturned” says his owner, Joshua Burns. You can find him trail running with Burns and he seems to make it to just about every mountain around, from Mad River Glen (shown here) to Madonna, near Smugglers’ Notch. “The highlight to Dolomite’s year was pow hounding his way through February’s Nor’easter down the Teardrop Trail in Underhill State Park,” says Burns.  “[In winter, Dolomite’s] motto is always to keep one paw in front of the other. He just puppy post holes the skin track.” When the snow subsides, Dolo can be frequently found running miles of trail from Appalachian Gap to Smugglers’ Notch with a treat-filled smile.

(3) Runner up: Theda, Moretown

Theda is a five-year-old English Setter who lives in Moretown in the shadow of Camel’s Hump, which she loves to climb with her human, Heidi Higgins-Cutler. Theda is a bird dog by breeding but loves to run. “She can run 15 miles easily with her humans, “ says Higgins-Culter, “but this summer has been no fun for running dogs, too hot!

(4)  Runner up: Achilles, Castleton

Born in Fairfax, Vt., and raised in Castleton, Achilles is a true Vermont dog, notes his owner, Eric Jakubowski. The three-year-old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog loves to hike and snowshoe, as well as swim, kayak, hike and  bike. “He especially loves when we go snowshoeing together,” says Jakubowski. His favorite hikes are Killington and Pico. and he always carries his own water and snacks in his orange pack.” Says Jakubowski “It’s the same Ruffwear pack he’s used since he was a puppy.”

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