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I have not posted on NewfNet in quite a while, but I wanted to let folks know that our Mary has passed on at the age of eleven. Perhaps some will remember our "special" girl: Mary was the last survivor of the surprise litter born on in our basement on Thanksgiving Day, 2004. Mary was...

Some of you might remember the story of Mary, our "special" puppy. Mary was the first-born of the surprise litter that our Landseer girl Abbie presented us on Thanksgiving Day, 2004, little more than a month after we brought her home. It didn't take long to notice that Mary's behavior was very...

Got up this morning and first thing, as usual, woke Mary and took her outside, to make sure she didn't forget her manners before she remembered just where she was. As she always does, the perpetual puppy burst out the door, ran down the porch steps, and circled the yard, sniffing and exploring...

Sad news brings me to post my first message in a long while: I got a call today that I've been dreading, telling me that our Abbie's daughter Eleanor had just passed away, a month and a few weeks short of her ninth birthday. She'd been diagnosed with cancer early this summer, but seemed well and...

Another one of the "Thanksgiving Puppies" has died. The litter is just over seven years old, and already six of the nine are dead of natural causes. The only ones left are our two, Mary and Ernestine, and Katy, one of the blacks. For those of you who are unfamilar with the long story, we...

Yeah, hey Nelson. Yeah, hey. Good bear. Good bear. Um, yeah, good morning, dogs. Hey guys. Good guys. I’ll be right there. Of course we’re going outside. I’m changing the drill now? Goofs. Good morning world. Ashland you’re looking good again. Guys shhhhh- it’s not even five. That’s...

To the tune of "O Holy Night," scored for tenor and soprano. (Based on a true story ) Tenor Oh, doggy nose, How sweet it's gently gleaming, It is the nose of my dear Ernestine. Long lay the brown girl, Hogging all the blankets, 'Til I appeared, With the hope of 40 winks. I bend right down...

Today is Abbie's ninth birthday, as best we can figure it, so we want to observe the day in properly festive fashion. Most Newfoundland dogs I know consider a gift of food tasteful and appropriate, but will settle for a nice outing in a pinch. We're faced with a challenge here. Abbie's not...

I just got a call from our veterinarian's office, reporting a black adult male Newf in a shelter about two hours south of us, in Phillips, Wisconsin. According to the report, he has been there since this past Thursday. No information was available as far as markings. He is wearing a...

Well... oh my. Nelson and I just finished our afternoon walk. We're only taking short ones these days, less than a half-mile, and sticking to level ground. This afternoon, though, I let him proceed at his normal brisk strut for the first time since the surgery. Not only did he keep up the pace...

Do you remember the eleven-year-old Newf who survived an episode of gastric torsion one month ago yesterday? This afternoon in the yard he "play bowed" at seven-year-old Ernestine and when she responded likewise, the two of them ran a circle around each other. Then, when he saw me watching...

My creaky old self is on anti-inflammatories these days, just like Abbie. Talk about side effects-- now I know what she's going through! I don't steal food off the counter and I haven't peed on the floor yet, but I'm waking up crazy early and feeling mighty loopy now and then...

It came home to me once again this morning just how well our Mary has learned basic courtesy despite her handicaps. Halfway through breakfast, I took a bit of a risk and stepped into the kitchen to refill my coffee, leaving a plateful of pastry unguarded in the dining room. I returned to find...

Abbie's puppies turn seven today- some in our homes, some in our hearts. Yesterday Kona's family drove four hours to share the holiday with us, and introduce Bear, the two-year-old rescue Newf who has just joined their pack. It's the first time we've all been together since Kona left for the...

Our eleven-year-old Nelson bloated Monday evening. Please keep him in your thoughts. We had to drive him nearly two hours to the nearest emergency vet clinic, where they operated on him at midnight. Fortunately, despite the unavoidable delay, it appears we got him there in time to avoid...

The heartbreaking news arrived this week that another one of Abbie's pups is gone. Tug-- the playful black male we called "Robin" during his first few weeks of life-- passed away less than a month after his brown brother Kona. As in Kona's case, it was sudden and unexpected: seemingly healthy...

Relaxing In The Rain, This Afternoon "How is Mary?" A number of people have asked for updates on Abbie's special-needs daughter, Mary. I guess the best answer I can give you is, "Mary is Mary." She's really doing quite well, overall. Her health is fine, and there is no doubt in my mind...

I have the very sad news to report that our Abbie's son Kona passed away on Thursday of last week. Kona was brother to our Ernestine and Mary, and Rhonda's beloved Sawyer, and would have turned seven years old this Thanksgiving. The cause of death was apparent liver failure, and came on very...

Eleven years ago, on a slightly chilly late summer day, I took a brand-new Newfoundland puppy to my favorite beach for the first time. As the little guy looked at the great big lake, just a bit hesitantly, I was overcome with a sudden determination: I want this dog to love to swim. Grabbing...

We had a rough few days at the beginning of the month. On the Friday of Labor Day weekend, our Abbie suddenly became terribly ill, with violent vomiting and bloody diarrhea. It was one of the most frightening episodes I can recall, even in Abbie's long and difficult history. Fortunately, our...