Was there a moment when you and Mav first clicked? It’s been such a joy to see you guys together for the past few years, thank you for sharing your adventures with us ❤️

I'm really glad you guys asked this one because it took a really REALLY long time for me and Mav to bond for realsies.

I wanted a stable puppy for sports and I had basically no other criteria for what I wanted in a dog. Mav's breeder assigned homes at 8 weeks old so I went to pick Mav up not knowing which puppy was mine. In my mind I was picturing a little liver male so I wasn't ready when she gave me the tri puppy. I loved him, but I was reserved about it.

Mav was easygoing from day 1, but he was also ferociously independent. He didn't need me and he made that very clear. I experienced a huge learning curve, going from a dog who worshiped me to a dog who didn't care if I lived or died. I thought I wasn't cut out for Mav and I seriously debated bringing him back to his breeder for over a year.

At some point we were living in Yellowknife just the two of us and something shifted. It wasn't all at once, but one day I noticed it was easier. He was offering check ins, I could trust him in more situations, he acted according to his training, and I got better at handling him clearly. I genuinely started liking his company, he slowly turned into a "bring everywhere" dog, and we learned how to be a team. It was really something special to experience, although it was a really trying time for that first little bit.