Peter Maniate
New member
Surprised to not see this book in this forum. Have attached my review which was published in Dogs in Canada magazine in the September, 2006 issue:
The Noble Newfoundland Dog,
A History in Stories, Legends and the Occasional Tall Tale
by Bruce Hynes
Nimbus Publishing, 2005
ISBN 1-55109-544-0
220 pages
Presented with a non-fiction book about Newfoundland dogs authored by someone not generally
known in the fancy had me somewhat skeptical. Not a renown breeder and not even owning Newfs
until after his retirement from a military career, this gentleman from Newfoundland certainly did not
fit the usual pattern.
After reading the unimpressive bio (except for the fact that he is a native of Newfoundland) I turned
to the Preface. This finished with the clarification of an old bug bear of mine that the dogs are
Newfoundlands and people like him are Newfoundlanders. Now I was starting to warm to Mr.
Hynes.
Then I went to the last chapter (no one has ever accused me of being normal) to see where he ended
up. This chapter deals with the need for rescuing our beloved Newfs from abusive situations ending
with a plea for potential adopters to consider such a rescue. Included were due plaudits to the Who’s
Who of Newfoundland dog rescue. At this point, Bruce had my full attention.
If you are not already addicted to Newfoundlands, the stories in this book may convert you and if you
are so obsessed then your addiction will be fueled. The accounts will leave you crying one moment
and laughing the next. Everything great about the Newfoundland dog is covered: changing human
history, sea rescues, sea dog, sensing danger, nanny and care giver, therapy, working, protecting,
warrior, hero, retriever, fisherman, toller and comedian.
Unless you are an old salt from Newfoundland, you should have a bookmark in the Glossary.
Throughout the text you find asterisked words indicating that the translation will be found in the
Glossary. Here you will learn the meaning of terms like bedlamer, bogey, figgy-dowdy, flake, jigger,
landwash, livyer, polyna, sunker, tickle, touten, and whalpit.
Two prominent members of the Newfoundland Fancy for whom I have the highest admiration are
heavily cited in this book.. One is the late Margaret Booth Chern of Little Bear Kennels fame and
author of The New Complete Newfoundland; the other is the renown breeder/judge from
Newfoundland, Megan Nutbeem.
One of my favourite stories concerns Megan and her daughter, Robin. Megan had rejected
grandparents’ advice to rock their new born baby when she fussed. A year late, she was bragging to
friends how her training methods worked better and her daughter seldom cried. Then they looked out
the window to see one of the Newfs rocking the carriage. The friends had known about this all along.
If stories like this don’t touch you, then you should buy a heat lamp to thaw out your heart and then
get the book.
- Peter Maniate
The Noble Newfoundland Dog,
A History in Stories, Legends and the Occasional Tall Tale
by Bruce Hynes
Nimbus Publishing, 2005
ISBN 1-55109-544-0
220 pages
Presented with a non-fiction book about Newfoundland dogs authored by someone not generally
known in the fancy had me somewhat skeptical. Not a renown breeder and not even owning Newfs
until after his retirement from a military career, this gentleman from Newfoundland certainly did not
fit the usual pattern.
After reading the unimpressive bio (except for the fact that he is a native of Newfoundland) I turned
to the Preface. This finished with the clarification of an old bug bear of mine that the dogs are
Newfoundlands and people like him are Newfoundlanders. Now I was starting to warm to Mr.
Hynes.
Then I went to the last chapter (no one has ever accused me of being normal) to see where he ended
up. This chapter deals with the need for rescuing our beloved Newfs from abusive situations ending
with a plea for potential adopters to consider such a rescue. Included were due plaudits to the Who’s
Who of Newfoundland dog rescue. At this point, Bruce had my full attention.
If you are not already addicted to Newfoundlands, the stories in this book may convert you and if you
are so obsessed then your addiction will be fueled. The accounts will leave you crying one moment
and laughing the next. Everything great about the Newfoundland dog is covered: changing human
history, sea rescues, sea dog, sensing danger, nanny and care giver, therapy, working, protecting,
warrior, hero, retriever, fisherman, toller and comedian.
Unless you are an old salt from Newfoundland, you should have a bookmark in the Glossary.
Throughout the text you find asterisked words indicating that the translation will be found in the
Glossary. Here you will learn the meaning of terms like bedlamer, bogey, figgy-dowdy, flake, jigger,
landwash, livyer, polyna, sunker, tickle, touten, and whalpit.
Two prominent members of the Newfoundland Fancy for whom I have the highest admiration are
heavily cited in this book.. One is the late Margaret Booth Chern of Little Bear Kennels fame and
author of The New Complete Newfoundland; the other is the renown breeder/judge from
Newfoundland, Megan Nutbeem.
One of my favourite stories concerns Megan and her daughter, Robin. Megan had rejected
grandparents’ advice to rock their new born baby when she fussed. A year late, she was bragging to
friends how her training methods worked better and her daughter seldom cried. Then they looked out
the window to see one of the Newfs rocking the carriage. The friends had known about this all along.
If stories like this don’t touch you, then you should buy a heat lamp to thaw out your heart and then
get the book.
- Peter Maniate
