More: Aspen is the most gentle dog I have ever encountered. She was rescued from a rough life as a feral dog in the Mojave Desert, but has since travelled all over the United States and lived on both sides of the country. She's been on the peaks of mountains and swum in lakes in the Midwest, and she's fished with me on the banks of the Madison, Frying Pan, and Roaring Fork Rivers. She has been my constant companion for almost 8 years.