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Story time.

In December of 2021, our family of 5 sat around a table and debated getting a dog.

We were prepping to live off grid in Montana at the time, and we wanted a dog that would warn us of danger, help keep wild animals away, and be confident in the forest.

We passed around pictures and read about 5 different breeds.

Should we get a Boxer?

How about a Heeler?

Maybe a Labrador would be best?

What about a Doberman?

Perhaps a German Shorthaired Pointer?

At that moment, we looked up to see an 8-week-old GSP come walking in the room with her new owners.

Sometimes the answers come quick when you are clear on what you want.

We all looked around the table at each other, and smiles began to appear. We immediately crumpled up the pro-con list we had written, and we found Aspen Grove Kennels that day with a potential litter of puppies due in February.

Maggie was the first puppy born in a litter of 9.

From the moment she opened her eyes, we knew she was the one.

And she is the one.

Our Maggie.

She has become my favorite dog of all time. She has opened Michael’s I-grew-up-on-a-farm-and-animals-are-for-work-only heart. She gives the girls all the love and snuggles they have ever wanted from a dog.

She blossomed in Montana. She can scale the side of a mountain in seconds. She instinctively knew how to herd cows. When we tell her to “go to work,” she does. She doesn’t flinch when we practice shooting. She brings us the spoils of her hunting adventures (🫠). She keeps the perimeter of our property safe every morning, afternoon, and evening. She sleeps in the afternoon sun and in the bed with the kids at night. She comes when we call her and she follows the girls wherever they go. She brings anything we can throw for her and lays them at our feet all day (balls, rocks, toys, she doesn’t care, she just wants to run). She could be an excellent dock jumper if only she enjoyed cold water.

Maggie turned one this month.

I never knew I could connect with a dog like I have with Mags Wags.

Love showed up for me in a mysterious way this year just like I asked for.

“Bring me the feeling of love in a way I least expect it,” was the prayer.

And Maggie was the answer.