Jake and Monty

How did you choose Monty?

There had always been dogs in my family and knew that when the chance came I would want a dog of my own. I decided on a Labradoodle as it seemed the perfect fit for my then partner and I as we’d never had a pet before. When we went to pick a puppy from a litter, the first puppy to leave the crate, boldly marched over to my bemused girlfriend. The puppy promptly sat at her feet, and looked straight up her skirt; this was Monty. He used to spend every waking hour together from walking in the countryside and swimming and once even been skiing together.

Why did you want to take part in the contest?

Monty was nine years old and I wanted to create some more amazing memories with Monty.

What made your bond so special?

Monty was very clever, and picked things up quickly, but I also worked really hard on his training. His breed is renowned for having the potential for being over excitable and difficult to manage and I was determined to make sure that he wasn't a "difficult dog".

Monty did many things in his life. He made many, many friends - one special friend in particular when he escaped one morning before I woke up, at the festival we were at. I put a call out with security and ten minutes later I received notification from the security team that Monty had indeed been found at the coffee shop, so I asked them to grab him for me. They had a good laugh over the radio and informed me that he was going nowhere as while people were enjoying their coffee and donuts, he was locked in with a black Labrador - they informed me that he did not look happy!