All of you are tremendous! Thank you so very much! I will certainly join newpendel and start attending their get togethers! I am overwhelmed with gratitude to all of you and to this site!:icon_knuddel: really.
Melissa
That's great!!!! I look forward to meeting you (and maybe your new boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NPD holds 7 major events per year:
2 Day NCA Draft test weekend - people, both experienced and
those with ZERO experience, are always welcome at the tests and encouraged to participate as stewards, etc. even if they can come only one of the two days. Its great to help Newfs earn their titles - and
everyone who shows up to steward plays a vital part in helping the Newfs earn their titles. ALSO -
just because your Newf comes from rescue and just because he is 8 does not mean he can't maybe also earn a Draft Title himself if you want to try something like that.. Our "old lady" Pico earned her Rally & Draft Titles after she became a "veteran".
2 Day Water Test weekend - Stewards are always needed here also, but twice as many people (or more) usually show up just to watch, to bring a lawn chair or blanket, sit and watch and clap and cheer loudly for each dog. Each year the number of spectators grows, and we all enjoy just "hanging out" together, biting our nails as we watch the various elements of the test ("will he jump off the boat? Come on, Buddy.. please jump off the boat!" - and then a big cheer from the spectators as the dog leaps into the air and retrieves the oar!) You don't have to come both days to enjoy this one also.
Fall Fun Fest - usually CGC testing and sometimes Therapy Dog testing, always lots of Fun Games & Contests for people and their Newfs, sometimes decorative carting demonstrations, a great lunch, ALWAYS a lot of great people and enjoyment for dogs of all ages
Regional Specialty Weekend - (this occurs next weekend in Harrisburg, PA) Huge dog show - this year has
101 Newf entries! Its where we showcase our breed in the rings - both conformation and obedience.
Ramapo Supported Entry weekend - again, its a dog show - but we have a huge tailgate party afterwards this is another get-together that grows each year - I think more people come for the tailgate party now than they do for the dog show!) where everyone brings a dish and we all sit and eat and talk and laugh and visit together....
you don't have to have a dog entered to attend and join in! We welcome all members to come, take a seat, and enjoy things like Nancy Weaver's famous pasta salad.
Paws & Claws - Our MOST POPULAR event. We have had some difficulty finding a site and last year we were unable to hold the event. We are feverishly working this year to find one. The "Paws" are the Newfs - who get to play in the Water, everyone from puppies to senior citizens, show dogs and rescue dogs and everyone in between (I am very proud of our "Guppy" titles earned at past Paws & Claws). The "Claws" are the lobster tails we eat at dinner. Its a totally Fun Day from start to finish.
Annual Spring Luncheon - our only "non-dog" event, but one of our MOST IMPORTANT events, and its one I try to encourage
every member to attend. Its where we gather as a community in beautiful surroundings, talk for a few hours over gourmet food, cheer for our members & Newfs who earned titles during the previous year, applaud the Living Legends, meet new people (maybe the person sitting at the next table will be someone to train with next year, or someone at your table is someone you stewarded for at a Draft Test and helped their dog get his title, or vice versa!).
It is NOT just an event for the people getting awards...that is just one part of the day.
There are also numerous smaller events throughout the year - people bring their dogs to Education events where the public gets to Meet The Breed, we have two areas of Water Training Sessions this year (both are in PA, but we hope to someday have two more groups training - one in northern NJ and another in southern NJ), DNA cinics to gather blood samples for research, and our Rescue Reunions and Hikes, held multiple times throughout the year.
I tell new people to try to attend each event at least once just so you can see what they are all about.
(except the Spring Luncheon which I tell everyone to attend every year!!!)
The Newfs are the "glue" that holds us all together - our love for these dogs is the common bond that helps us to form a community. But its really also about the PEOPLE. Sadly, the dogs come and someday they go. The puppies we will cheer for next weekend will someday be the Living Legends, and then someday they will be gone from us and we'll be hugging eah other and wiping tears away and sharing fond memories. The PEOPLE are there for decades. Friendships made in the club have lasted 20 or 30+ years. We laugh together, we admire each other's dogs, we cheer for them, and some days we cry for them.
Being a part of Newf-Net or Newf-l or any other cyber-group is fantastic. But attending just a few events and getting to meet the "faces" that go along with the names, both human and Newf, really enhances things....
we really get to share the journey of our dog's lives together...
So I encourage everyone to join their regional club, no matter where they live!
Patti
