Big Paws Only Dog Forums

I'll send you some today.  We took Drake to a carting seminar in Antioch and he had a blast.  It is kinda funny, people looked at us and our dogs and laughed.  I have heard of people freaking out and saying it's animal cruelty, but they obviously don't know a thing about working dogs.  It's what they were bred for you idiots!  I can't wait to get a cart for Drake.

Ah, Puppy Breath.  My wife misses that part of Drake when he was a puppy the most.

How about Agnes, or Bessie?  If she is a big oafy dog, those names seem to come to mind for me, kinda like a cow I guess.  Although, the Brindle coloring gives her sort of an exotic look.  Maybe you could research foreign names for females.  Lilu, Bwana, Helga, Sasha, Inga, Tess, etc.etc.etc.  Good luck, I think it's a good idea to pick a monosyllabic name.  I think people sound kinda silly when they are calling their dog and it's got a long name.  "Penelope!  Come here!"

Beautiful Rottie, I love those dogs.  The problem is that so many "tough guys" feel they have to buy a Pit Bull or a Rottweiler and have aligned these breeds with Gang culture.  So many of these idiots have no ability to take care of these dogs.  All they want is something cool on the end of a leash when they're in public and the rest of the time the dog is locked up in the back yard.  These same idiots have overbred these breeds and now there are so many retarded messed up dogs.  Match that up with abuse and neglect and you've got a timebomb waiting to explode.  I've witnessed several times these breeds running around and mauling other dogs and attacking people.  I have had to literally kick a Pit Bull off an elderly lady and gotten bitten in the process.  I have also come across dog fights in the street where one Rottie was laying dead in the street in a pool of blood.  Stupid people who have no regard for life are responsible for for the stereotype of Rotties and Pits.  It is too bad because I have been around both breeds many times and they were for the most part, sweet and loving dogs.  It must be very frustrating being an owner of them and dealing with that stereotype.

Jen, I don't know the setup of your garden but the best thing to do is limit your dogs access to it, if you can.  We walk Drake every morning and evening and try to get him to do all of his "business" then.  We discourage him from relieving himself in the garden.  He still leaves the the occasional pile here and there, but that's how it goes.  The most damage he does is when he is playing with another dog or chasing raccoons and he flies through the bushes.  He can get really destructive.  If you go to: 

http://bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,359.0.html

You will see that we can have a beautiful garden and a Newfoundland at the same time.  You just need to be vigilant, that's all I can say.  Work with your dog, they will eventually learn.

Our backyard is exploding with the onset of Spring.  This makes for great photo ops of Drake.  Here he is waiting for me to finish so he can go play.

My Stepdad passed away the other night at home and we came to see him before he was taken away.  Our Newf Drake was there and he just knew something was up.  It is so amazing how sensitive these dogs are, they just know how people are feeling and what's going on, even without obvious signs.  He just sat by the door as if he were guarding my dad, and even barked at the funeral home people when they came as if to say, be careful with this one guys.  He knows when I'm sick, he hides when we argue and he's suddenly extra gentle around little kids and the elderly.  My wife and I are constantly looking at each other and saying, "our dog is too f**king smart!"  My wife and I grew up with several different dogs and none compared in intuitiveness like our Newfie.  It is scary sometimes, it's like he's human.  I know a lot of dogs are like this, but does anybody else feel this way about their Newf?