Tag Archives: Newfoundland Dog

dogs

Maisie’s birthday week!

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On Saturday, May 14th, Maisie turned 9! I don’t really know how that is possible, the years have passed so quickly.

Since the day we brought Maisie home, she has been an absolute joy. Her greatest desire is to please those around her and she is the most perceptive dog I’ve ever known. She is so tuned in to human emotions, she can sense things before they become apparent to others. That quality is what makes her an outstanding reading assistance dog in Chicago Public Schools.

This year, Maisie’s birthday coincided with the Newfoundland National Specialty in Frankenmuth, MI. I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate her birthday than to travel up there and experience the week with Maisie!

In previous years, 2018 and 2019, Winn and I went to National and Maisie stayed home. I had never trained her in dog sports, and it didn’t occur to me that she would like them. The National Specialty in 2020 and 2021 were both cancelled due to the pandemic, so this year the organizers blended all three years into one amazing show. That set the theme of The Greatest Show on Earth celebrating 2020. 2021 and 2022.

We drove up on Mother’s Day so that Maisie and I would be ready to compete Monday morning. We started the day in a grand way by placing 3rd in Novice Obedience and her earning her Companion Dog title! I’m especiallly proud of this because we only started training about four months ago and I took her to her very first obedience trial the weekend before where she successfully completed the first two legs for her title.

On Tuesday, she earned her Rally Novice title with another high score and later that afternoon we gathered with all of the other regional clubs and participated in the Opening Ceremony. Each club interpreted the circus theme with costumes and floats. The local marching band was on hand and each club got to strut their stuff across the ring and then we all followed the band to the river front for a champaigne toast to kick off the week.

Wednesday was another successful day and the final day of our obedience events. Maisie and I bumped up to Rally Intermediate where she earned a perfect score of 100 and first place. I decided to move her into the Veteran’s Obedience class which is more of an exhibition class. Somehow she knew it was her last event and she showed off. She was her abolute best and most joyful, rolling over for a belly rub after her recall. She knew she was doing a good job and couldn’t contain herself! The judge was charmed and chuckled as she pointed us to our final exercise. She earned first place in that event as well and I was so proud of all she accomplished.

At this point in the show, the conformation judging begins and the building with the obedience rings turns into grooming central. Everywhere you turn, there are Newfies and their owners prepping for their time in the big ring. It is really a sight to behold! Maisie handled all the extra noise like a pro and seemed to genuinely enjoy being around all of the excitement.

Thursday afternoon, after the judging of the boy dogs concluded, there was an honors ceremony for dogs that have earned titles. I signed Winn and Maisie up for this and we stood ring side waiting for their names to be called. The dogs are called out by birth year so Maisie was first then we waited a bit for Winn. This is special to me since neither of them are conformation dogs and we get to parade across the big ring and celebrate their accomplishments.

Friday was our last day at the show. The female dogs are in the conformation ring and during the lunch break is my favorite event of the week, the Rescue Parade!

The Rescue Parade is something I wanted to do with Annie, but the timing wasn’t right for her, so I make a point of attending every year in her honor. I had three friends participating this year with their Newfs and it was emotional for all of them. Each Newf is called out with their owner and their story is read over the microphone. They receive a medal and have the option of running around the ring. To hear each of their stories, all so different, many heart breaking but also heart warming is incredible. They have all found their forever homes and are treasured and loved as they should be. The first dog called out was in memoriam, and his owner carried a stuffed newf in his honor. The remaining all took their turns and there were tears and smiles all around!

After a little more shopping, we packed up and headed home. This week was so memorable. I was happy to get back up there and participate in this big event after two year pause. I am also a lot more confident in my handling skills and to have Maisie by my side was so very special. The week flew by and as always, I can’t wait to go again next year!

Happy birthday Maisie, you are such a special girl!

Dog training, dogs

Newfoundland National 2019 part 1

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Last week, approximately 400 Newfoundland Dogs descended upon the town of Frankenmuth, MI for the annual big show. It is a week packed with events to showcase all of the wonderful traits of my favorite breed. There is so much to see and do and I’d like to highlight some of the special and unique events that occur in addition to the conformation ring packed with beautiful Newfoundlands.

The beginning of the week is dedicated to the working events which include the Draft Test as well as Competition Obedience and Rally Obedience. Winn and I participated in all three this year so we were very busy!

The first event of the week is the Draft Test. We were up bright and early Monday morning. I packed the wagon with her crate, a chair, weights for her cart and miscellaneous other things I thought we would need. Winn pulled her cart and I pulled the wagon down to the test area to join the other teams checking in and lining up their gear.

We started training about two months ago. I didn’t expect to pass (we didn’t), but with every test or trial we enter, I always learn new things for the next time. This was the first test for me and I did learn a lot. In training, I focused primarily on maneuvering, which we did really well, but there are a lot of details that are included in a passing score that we learned while we worked our way through the exercises. The judges were very supportive and gave me lots of feedback. Hopefully with our next test we will be closer to getting that Draft Dog title!

The fun part of entering these events is the camaraderie we develop with the other people that are also there. I had just as much fun (maybe more because it was less stressful) cheering for their success as I did participating. One of our friends entered with a team (two Newfies harnessed together). She didn’t pass either, but she gave it a valiant effort and of course I loved seeing another brown team. She was first and we were last, creating brown newfie book ends for this test.

The very first group to hit the conformation ring are beginner puppies. Puppies 4-6 months old bounding around the ring with pure puppy glee are my favorite. I don’t think there is much else to say except PUPPIES!

The final event in the obedience ring is Team Obedience. Take it from me, trying to get through the Obedience exercises with one dog is very challenging, Team Obedience includes four dogs and their handlers. Completing all of the exercises perfectly with all of teams takes a special kind of training. I love watching this and everyone gave it their very best effort. You never know what will happen, even with the very best trained dog and we’ve all learned to go out there and have fun. What will be, will be.

Junior handlers have their own competition within the show. Juniors are the future of all sports, and they participate in many events throughout the week side by side with all of the other handlers and their dogs. I saw them in the obedience ring and the conformation ring as well as lending a helping hand to other handlers as they were preparing for their own events. There was a pool party, a scavenger hunt and other fun activities for them during their downtime. I enjoyed seeing them coming and going and was especially excited to see them all in the big ring for their Junior Handler event.

As you can see, there is lot going on throughout the week. I need several posts to cover it all, so you can look forward to reading about the Rescue Parade, the Living Legends celebration, Brace class, Stud class and so much more!

dogs, traveling with dogs

Gettin’ ready for the big show!

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Next week, April 29th-May 4th is the Newfoundland National Specialty in Frankenmuth, MI. Newfoundland Dogs (and their owners and/or handlers) from across the country and even from other parts of the world, gather for a week filled with activities and events of all things Newfoundland Dog.

https://www.ncanationalspecialty.org

I went last year for the very first time and Winn and I participated in two events. We were there for three days, Winn earned her Rally Intermediate title and I did my very best to remain calm and not get overwhelmed by the magnitude of the show. My daughter joined me which was a huge confidence boost while I mingled around other Newfoundland owners that seemed to have so much more experience with this incredible breed that I love so much.

This year I decided to go for the full experience and will be up there all week. Once again, I am bringing my steady partner Winn and we are entered in 10 events (yikes!). The first one is the Draft Test on Monday morning for which we have been focusing our training over the last several weeks. Currently we are on the alternate list, we started as the 4th alternate and recently jumped to 1st alternate so there is still hope that we will make it into the test. (The test is limited to 15 dogs, so we are waiting for just one more person to drop from the test. ) If we don’t make it in, that’s OK, we will watch our friends participate and we have 9 other events to keep us plenty busy.

This show is the Granddaddy of all shows. I’ve been looking forward to it since last years’ show ended. I have focused on being even more prepared for the many aspects of the event. It seemed so far away for so long, but now it is next week and I’ve got a lot to do! I’ve had a running list in my head for the last few weeks that include: training, a very lengthy packing list, Winn will need a bath and fresh trim to look her very best and I need to gather my support materials for our agenda.

Training:

Most of our training has been in Rally and Obedience. For the health of her joints, I needed to wait until Winn turned two, her birthday is March 6th, before we started focusing on jumping and pulling the cart. After earning her Rally Intermediate title last year, she can compete in Rally Advanced but that level includes jumps so we had to hold off on entering that level until very recently. Shortly after Christmas, I purchased a carting starter kit and slowly introduced the harness, the feeling of pulling something and then finally hooked her up to the cart about six weeks ago. She’s very good with all of the maneuvering, I think because it’s so much like rally, she just needs to pay attention to me and my commands. She doesn’t love putting the harness over her head, so we continue to work on that with lots of praise and rewards. Harness and Hitch are the first two elements of the course and she has to be willing to do that before we can even begin.

Packing list: this list seems to grow every day, but so far, this is what I’ve decided I need to bring.

For Winn:

  • Crates-2 soft sided 1 wire (large for room, lightweight to bring to sites, wire to set up for longer stay in grooming building as a back up), crate pads
  • chairs-2 one for show, one lightweight for sites
  • treats: training and reward
  • food: dry and fresh, supplements
  • food and water bowls/ extra water bowl and water bottle to bring to event sites
  • blanket/sheet for bed, toys
  • portable fan, charger and extra batteries
  • draft cart (disassemble Sat), weights, harness
  • draft cart repair kit: extra clips, nuts, allen wrench, large screwdriver
  • leashes: slip and leather
  • clean up kit: rags, wipes, poop bags
  • first aid kit, embrace ins. form and immunization record, copy of registration for eye clinic
  • bibs
  • brush, grooming spray, scissors
  • Winn’s robe/towels
  • training bag
  • cross bars for roof rack

For Me:

  • clothes for a week
  • outfit and hat for Derby Day party !!??!!
  • bathing suit
  • toiletries, brushes, hair dryer, curling iron, plenty of hair ties, ball cap
  • cooler with grab and go foods: deli meat, yogurt, soda, bread, snacks
  • camera, charger, lens cleaner
  • pillow
  • raincoat and rain boots
  • sunscreen
  • disposable cups, plates, paper towel
  • wine, wine opener
  • small scissors
  • laptop, iPad, chargers for all electronics, camera cord

How on earth is all of this going to fit into the car?!

Winn needs a bath and trim Tuesday/Wednesday

Misc.:

  • Take screen photos of all entry numbers and judging form for each day. Create a phone note for each day with the schedule of events and entry numbers as well as meals and downtime.

I’ve learned from being at different events that internet access can be spotty and slow. When checking in at past events, I’ve had to scramble a few times to find my entry number because reception has been bad. This time around, I want to have stored notes for each day with my numbers and the schedule for quick and easy reference. I don’t need to add to my stress level and I like to be prepared when I approach the stewards to pick up my numbers.

I’ll be taking lots of pictures and posting daily on Instagram and FaceBook. There is so much that we are going to be doing that I’m sure I’ll have enough material for several posts, so stay tuned, and wish us luck!

You can read about our experience at last years’ Newfoundland National here.

dogs

10 things we love about Sit Stay Read

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About a year ago, I got the chance to sit down with a woman who was the director of a small dog therapy organization on the east coast. She had observed Maisie and I from afar, and when we met she confirmed that Maisie had the temperament for therapy work. She was especially impressed when she saw Maisie’s non-reaction to three small French Bulldogs that lunged at both of us while barking like maniacs. We were both startled, but Maisie stayed right by my side and kept walking as I guided the two of us around them.

She encouraged me to look into smaller groups in addition to the well known large groups. I was interested in working with children. When my kids were in grade school, I enjoyed volunteering in their classrooms. I also used to teach swimming lessons to 3 to 6 year olds at our local YMCA, and I missed being around kids that age. I found a list of therapy dog organizations on the AKC website and noticed Sit Stay Read located in Chicago. After reading about their goal to improve reading and literacy skills for Chicago Public School students, it appeared to be the perfect match for Maisie and me.

I attended two different training sessions to learn more about what we would be doing. When I felt like Maisie was ready, I scheduled her temperament test with their evaluator and was thrilled when she passed. I was required to do three different observations and then I brought Maisie to a school session for our final step. We entered the classroom as one of the dog teams and were observed by the dog team evaluator. She watched us both as we interacted with the students and advised us when we needed it. At the end of the hour, she happily welcomed us to the program!

We just finished our first six week session in one classroom and are in the middle of a session in another classroom. Each week, Maisie is more and more comfortable with the routine and she continues to impress me with her ability to bond with the kids. We will be in new classrooms after spring break and I’m so excited to get to know a new group of kids!

  1. A specific curriculum has been developed for each grade by a Program Advisory Committee that utilizes dog themed books and materials. You can read more about each grade level here.
  2. The first day of each session is dedicated to dog safety. The children learn about how to approach a dog, ask permission, let the dog sniff their hand and where the best place is to pet a dog. They also learn about the signals a dog may send to them. Student volunteers act out dog body language in different situations which is a lot more memorable than simply being told what to watch for.
  3. A program leader is always present to manage the classroom and introduce all of the volunteers. We have a pre-program meeting to go over the readings of the day and also the dog team question. We answer a new question each week that relates to the readings. For example, it might be describing a certain characteristic using rhyming, similes or alliteration. The program leader makes sure everything is running smoothly and jumps in wherever needed. They also read a few of the students’ stories or poems out loud and lead the Sit Stay Read keep reading cheer before we leave.
  4. At the end of each session, each student receives a bound collection of their stories or poems that they can keep as a souvenir.
  5. At the end of the school year, each participating school has a Keep Reading Celebration. The kids get to visit with a dog team one more time and they each receive a Summer Reading Fun Pack. The packs include pencils, erasers, crayons, a design-it-yourself notebook and an assortment of books. In 2017-2018 each student received SIX brand new books for all age groups for themselves and to read to their siblings!
  1. Belly rubs and treats!
  2. The smiles on all of the kids faces when Maisie and I walk in the room and spread out her blanket.
  3. When the kids settle in and relax next to her while they are reading the books and their poems.
  4. She loves wearing her bandana, it means she’s going to see the kids.
  5. She knows when to give a little extra loving to the kids that are completely at ease with her.

If you live in the Chicago area and would like to learn more about volunteering with Sit Stay Read as a dog team or a reading buddy click here.

dogs, Family life

The case of the missing dryer balls

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I feel like I’ve been living in an episode of Scooby Doo.

Recently I started using wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. I’ve been trying to reduce the chemicals in my house and after researching laundry products, dryer balls were mentioned several times as a good alternative. They are also supposed to conserve energy by absorbing some of the moisture and reducing drying time.

I like using my supply of different essential oils to scent the balls before I throw them in with the load. They add a light fragrance and I can change them up depending on my mood.

The annoying part is that they fly around the room when I am pulling items out of the dryer and I have to chase them down to gather them up.

I’m still not sure if I like using them better than dryer sheets, but I’m trying to give them a fair trial.

When my son came home for Christmas break, I mentioned to him that I had made the switch. I asked him to please watch out for them and put them back in the glass storage jar after he had folded the load of towels that had been freshly washed for his bathroom.

That’s the last time I used all six dryer balls.

The next time I went into the laundry room, there were only three dryer balls to be found.

I knew they would disappear when the house filled up with holiday visitors! That’s why I mentioned them to my son before he went upstairs. I was also not surprised when he gave me his very best blank stare (that usually means he thinks my voice sounds like the teacher from Charley Brown) as he patiently waited for me to stop talking.

When I asked him about it, he said he didn’t touch them. He pulled out one towel and the blanket for his bed and left the rest in the dryer. What am I supposed to think? I used to have six balls and now I have three and I am really annoyed.

One ball was wedged between the washer and the wall, so now I have four. I searched around the room, looking through other piles of laundry. I even climbed on top of the washer and dryer to peek behind them and checked under the radiator.

They had vanished into thin air!

I glanced around the room across the hall, thinking maybe they had rolled away. Then I looked in my sons room, not trusting that they weren’t in there somewhere.

Several days later, when they still hadn’t shown up (and somehow I’m back down to three), I gave my best “Mom rant” about how things just seem to disappear when the kids come home and how I know they think I’m a crazy lady harping about dryer balls. I’m sure anyone reading this can just picture the blank expressions that I received along with very subtle mouth twitches as they made every attempt to not laugh in my face.

The only response I got was from my son who said, “Mom, I don’t have them. Ask Winn.”

  • ruh-roh

Ask Winn? What the hell? Aside from the fact that Winn is like Mary Poppins in that she is practically perfect in every way, I couldn’t see how she could have anything to do with the missing balls. Did he think she ate them? (That’s actually not a crazy thought.)

Two weeks later, I was folding a load of laundry and now there are only two balls in the dryer. OMG WHAT IS GOING ON!!!

I can’t blame the children because they’ve both returned to their respective homes and I’m completely frustrated. Once again, I scrambled around the laundry room looking under, over and behind every nook and cranny. I searched every room in the house, under beds, couches, radiators. Then I went into my own room and looked under my bed.

Holy s**t!

There was a sea of balls of all sizes under there!

I grabbed the vacuum wand, sprawled out on the floor on my stomach and started sweeping my arm back and forth. Balls went shooting out from under the bed in all directions.

In addition to a vast assortment of balls of all sizes, there were three dryer balls!

Apparently, I’m the only one who puts the balls back in the glass jar after I’ve used them. Other people (ahem) in my house just leave them in the dryer, with the door open, until a new load is thrown in.

It appears that Winn has discovered this seemingly endless supply of soft, cushy balls. She has a had a grand time flinging them around, mostly in my room. (I guess she’s not as much like Mary Poppins as I would like to think.)

So……I owe my children an apology. (What better way than putting it into a blog post.) I also need to keep the dryer balls out of Winn’s reach.

I’m still looking for one more dryer ball but five balls work way better than just two so I’m happy for the time being.