ONE LAST BANNER STORY

originally published 4/15/24

There was a list member who had a Newf named Piper, one she was especially close to.  She said that if this Newf had wings, she could fly, so she named her Piper.  Banner was one of those too.  I built a confinement like a large pen inside the van behind the driver and passenger seats, and I had a small gate installed so she would have to come out slowly.  Because:  without it, she would launch like a rocket.  Landings were, of course, hard, and there was no safety net (not that she thought she needed one).

Long ago, Greg said that when one of the Newfs passed, they passed the baton to the next.  When we lost Holly, there was no other Newf at the time.  Banker arrived several months later.  He was the first one that I described as walking in and turning all the lights on.  Holly’s loss was a very dark one, and it was an uplift to have a personality arrive who carried that much Light.

We lost Banker almost 7 years later.  At the time, there were four Newfs, including his son, Parker.  I sat on the sofa with Parker next to me going through photos and videos.  When I opened a video that included Banker barking, my big, soft 3-year old bud began trembling.  Sometimes when you are in grief, it is hard to realize that others are also experiencing grief, including non-human residents.  This morning, the mixed breed terrier is subdued.  This is the one who fiercely defends us from every leaf or snowflake that strikes the window and every delivery driver who brings good things to our doorstep.  But today, she is quiet.

So, my lovely Banner, who always met life head-on, is now on the other side or in transition.  She has certainly earned her wings.  And I hope that there is someone there to catch her if she doesn’t actually have wings, someone who passed the baton and is now receiving the pass.  But perhaps these are angels, whether they have wings or not, who have done their tour among humans, gifted and contributed toward their lives and left them as better humans, who are now being assigned to another post.  They have taken the training wheels off, and hopefully they will be present in spirit helping us to be aware and keep moving in the right direction.  Maybe it is better not to speculate at all, and just to appreciate the time we had together, but she was my charge as much as I was hers, and letting go is a hard hill to climb.

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YOU KNOW HOW

originally published 2/12/24

Someone who loves you wants you to share in their experiences of joy?  From our perspective:  You find a good restaurant, you want to take a friend.  You read a good book or see a good movie, you want to tell people you care about.  You find a good xxx, you tell your friends.  Etc.  So when you live with a Newf, and they want you to experience something that gives them special joy?  They go outside and come back in, check on you, go outside and come back in, go outside and bark for you to come outside too, come back in, get a drink, look directly into your eyes and eye-point to the door, go back out, come back in, repeat, repeat, repeat.  “Is it wonderful outside?”  “OK.  I’ll join you, but just for a moment.”  “I need to make my coffee first.”  “OK, I’ll start the water, then come out with you.”

Brrr.  Banner:  “Humans are perplexing.”  “Pfssssh!  I’ll lie down and keep my eye on her until she gets it.”

Happy Snow Monday.  It looks short-lived, back to 55 tomorrow & 60s Wed.  Better not let this moment pass.

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DOGS, HEALTH AND VELOCIRAPTORS

originally published 11/21/23

It’s almost Thanksgiving, and I expect that most of us will be counting the blessings we have experienced from Newf companionship.  Banner’s menu will include everything but turkey and dressing, as none of my Newfs have tolerated turkey well and dressing has onions.  The apples are ready for either pie or candied apples, most likely candied sweet potatoes and apple pie.  I love the food but dread the eating holidays.  Banner doesn’t dread the eating holidays.

I ran across an article this morning with some good points, most that we are already aware of, and some excellent descriptors:

https://www.axios.com/2023/11/21/dog-research-mental-health-stress

The author has Golden Retrievers.  In the section on Christmas puppies:

“. . . many dogs given as gifts for Christmas are returned by the next holiday season because “nobody trained them, [so] they’re super cute for three months, and then they turn into velociraptors for about three years, . . .”

That is a great nutshell!  My skeptical side says that she forgot to include “. . . rinse, repeat. . .” as I know that many are serial puppy buyers.  This makes me appreciate those breeders who carefully qualify and screen the prospective homes for their puppy buyers.  I think I’ll add that to the list of things to be Thankful for.

The thoughts outlined in the “Thought bubble” ending are some of the most significant, in my opinion.  Banner plays the role of chief priorities monitor, exercise program director, social engagement assistant and supervisor of groundedness, in addition to her other duties.  So, living with Newfs becomes a sort of value-added lifestyle.  These are roles that have been fulfilled by many Newfs over the years, including one who also stopped to smell the jasmine (or whatever that waxy yellow flower on a vine was).  When it comes to the Newfs, I still feel a lot like that toddler many decades ago whose dog took her hand in its mouth to show her the wonders of nature.

Many Thanks for all of you who share your stories and questions with other owners, and to your Newfs, who make a dimension of learning accessible to all of us.

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FESTIVITIES

originally published 10/21/23

In our area, the fall festive season begins in October with the Maple Leaf Festival.  There have been food events in the park, twice unplanned during walks this week, and a Friday night pre-parade celebration on the square.  Banner enjoys this.  She loves a busy, happy social ambience.  And she wants to go today, but I’m in bed with a cold (Covid neg.)  I told her maybe later.  There are car shows, tractor pulls and food vendors.

She had an especially good time last night.  She’s not up to dancing these days, but she does sparkle when she gaits.  We sat on the concrete border of the courthouse yard while we enjoyed some barbecue, and she gave and received a lot of smiles.  There were a couple of instances though, where I was about to interrupt the fun.  Twice over the past few years, she has had an odd ear infection.  I culture for identity, so it isn’t a guess.  I had wondered about the source after the first one, and I nearly put the kibosh on head petting.  After the last one, that is a new rule.  This isn’t easily explained, but most people are at least cooperative.  I tell them they can pet from the shoulders back.  Most people ask first.  But in a crowded area with loud music, the people magnet draws a lot of human hands.  I try to direct her head toward me by placing my hand over her nose and guiding it toward me, and I smile and politely say that it is OK to pet from the shoulders back.  One guy who saw her and smiled and automatically reached for her head responded to this.  His SO came next and started touching her head.  I moved Banner’s head to the side and said that it is OK to pet from the shoulders back.  She looked at me like she thought I must be confused and continued to pet her head.  I caught her hand and repeated the statement.  They moved on.  That was the only negative occurrence.  Most people are polite, and sometimes I explain that she had an unusual ear infection and that I am concerned was transferred by people petting her head.  Other dog owners take interest.

Usually it is a throng of kids who approach in a group.  Most of the kids know that they should ask first, or at least one of the group will and others follow, or an adult reminds them.  It’s the adults who more often don’t ask!

Banner can’t take antibiotics.  It results in GI bleeding, a lot of effort to resolve the GI issues and impact on her kidneys from eliminating the waste metabolites.  So I’m turning into the “mama bear” who would interface with a grizzly by punching it in the nose.  But I would try to do that politely.  : )

I love to give her opportunities to enjoy what she enjoys when I can, particularly now that she is over 10.

But given the experience of ear infections (and I suspect this was an issue for Parker once also), I wanted to share this with other Newf owners and suggest that you may not want to let people got up close and personal with their faces and ears.

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