A PRE-CHRISTMAS STORY

Posted on December 13, 2011 by BigFootClub

Our Newfs love Christmas.  Well, if you were here on Christmas morning, you might understand why.  They open their presents with the most genuine form of delight, enjoying the treats first, then the packaging, then the toys.  It transforms that day like a trip to Disneyland used to for a kid.  So, it follows that they count the days until Christmas like any other kid.  Actually, I think they “just know” without counting.  They can read when it is getting close.  Parker is wearing his warm smile this morning that signals his level of comfort and joy.

Both Newfs are napping now, snoring lightly with a peaceful rythm, dreaming of the Newfoundland equivalent of sugar plums and exciting things to come.  Music is flowing in the background, with Bing the Newf crooning about a White Christmas, and trees decorated with Milkbones, and pulling kids around in the snow on sleds.

“B” names are very important to the local Newf community.  There is Boa, the lovely girl with the elegant coat, a socialite like other members of her family, and Boy Wonder, her younger brother.  They live with their mother, Bea, in a big, beautiful home, with plenty of air conditioning for the days when the outside weather is above 40.  Bea’s cousin, Belinda, is coming over on Christmas Eve with her son and daughter, Briar (pronounced Bree-air) and Butch.  These two are known for getting into the punch bowl with all four feet.

This year, they have all been practicing their Christmas hymns, so they can go caroling together.  When Belinda and her family arrive with their dad Beau, the families exchange greetings in the parlor, then gather ‘round the large heirloom silver bowl to share a bottle of Dom Pérignon.  Boa comes from the kitchen carrying appetizers from the Three Dog Bakery for all.  After listening to Uncle Bacchus entertain the group with some wild party stories, they gather their scarves and hats and proceed toward the town square, caroling as they go:  Twelve Days of Christmas, Winter Wonderland, O Little Town of Bethlehem, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.  As they passed through the streets lined with luminarias, they gathered with other members of the Newf community for O Holy Night, with Butch and Briar stirring up some frolic among the younger Newfs.  On the way home, they sang several repetitions of “Let It Snow!” with great joy and camaraderie.

With all of the exercise and good food, you would think that a good Newf would be able to go to sleep easily that night, but with the enthusiasm for the celebrations, it took a lot of stuffed toys and belly rubs to get the young ones to sleep.  Belinda read the full version of the Night Before Christmas as they drifted off, wondering why the Newfs pulling Santa’s sleigh didn’t have B names.  Meanwhile, Bea was wondering whether she would be able to stay awake to help Santa fill stockings and set out Christmas presents.  All preparation was completed, though, and the adults went to sleep as well, only to be awakened a few hours later by nose-bumps.  “Mom!”  “Wake up!”  “Did you know it’s Christmas!?”  “Come see what Santa brought!”  Being very good and polite Newfoundlands, they didn’t want to indulge before everyone was awake to share the joy.

With everyone awake in a short time, the young ones raced into the family room and gathered around the tree looking for their presents.  Heads disappeared into gift bags, bits of boxes were torn off until toys inside were found, cookie crumbs and empty treat packages lined the floor.  Then began the Toy Parade, beautiful soft stuffies, dangly toys, noise-makers, tug-of-war toys, Kongs and, did I mention Noise-Makers?  The fun went on for hours.  When it was time for Christmas dinner, all Newfs were worn out, the adults who cleaned the house and prepared the meal and the young ones who played with the toys.  They all said thanks and wished blessings for all of God’s creatures, then curled up for an after-dinner nap before the long trip home.

May Christmas Bring You Happiness

Watching for Santa?

OpeningPresents_2005_2010
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OH YEAH!

Posted on December 2, 2011 by BigFootClub

Written 5/29/09

Today, in addition to being Friday (Celebration of the start of the weekend,) was Take Your Dog to Work Day, per the Office Manager, sometimes known as Big, Black & Fuzzy.  So, I packed the items necessary for all three of us and put on leashes and collars.  I laid the leashes across their backs to collect the bag and keys, then reached for – where was Parker?  Have I ever mentioned that Jade has a bit of an oral fixation.  For those of you who have seen her at shows, this doesn’t bear explanation, but for the rest of you, Jade thinks of life as a full-mouth-contact sport.  She hasn’t yet learned the fine art of nose-bumping, she puts her whole mouth on you, fully open, when she wants to get your attention.  Most Newf puppies have some form of this – they experience the world through their mouth.  Parker likes to taste things, and clean things with his tongue (why did I ever think I needed a housekeeper? <g>)  He loves to carry, so when he was young, he often had a toy in his mouth, and outside he had a stick (cats usually move too fast.)  Banker was a big-time groomer, of everyone, including cats.  Other Newfs have done this too, which of course, made it a little less pleasant to pet a cat at our house at those times.  Tongue sensation may be second only to olfactory senses in terms of Newfoundland fascination.  I think we need to clarify this to novices.  It’s not just that they slobber, but this is the particular part of their body with which they want to make contact with you.  <g>  As they grow up, they learn to be a little more reserved about this.  It seems to subside at about the same rate that chewing does.  But when the puppy in them, or when a humorous streak or the loving or nurturing side of an adult comes out, so does the tongue.

Jade is growing up, as this is unavoidable with all puppies.  She has begun to demonstrate nurturing instincts on Parker, who is fully relieved that when her face comes toward him it is less often that his ears are her tug-of-war targets.

I looked around for a moment, puzzled, and found Parker in the living room with a quizzical look on his face.  It was odd that he had walked away while I was collecting things to walk out the back door, but I realized quickly that Jade had taken Parker by the leash into the living room.  Jade isn’t much of a carrier, but she loves to play tug-of-war, and when she wants to do this on the spur of a moment, and the leash is on with me at the other end, it is a good substitute, in her opinion.  I know better than to encourage this, so have not done that; this is her own drive, and it has been hard to curb.  She is a Newf, and of course, life is supposed to be about having fun.  It is one of the qualities that we enjoy about them.

I collected the dogs and off we went, door locked behind me.  Oh, wait, I forgot a laptop.  This is like practicing for showing in Brace.  We circled, went back in and picked up the laptop, THEN proceeded to work.  On the way, I decided to post a story to the Newf discussion list, but First Things come First, and the Master Office Manager and his Apprentice needed fresh water, and I needed a Dr. Pepper.  After arrangements were made, the thermostat was lowered and all were settled in, I went to my desk to discover that my docking station was empty.  Oh, yeah, I took that one home last night too.

After another trip back to the house, I thought I was ready to begin.  But the Apprentice gave me that look, you know, the one that says “Aren’t you forgetting something?”  (Who, me!?)  <g>  Oh, Cookies!  Cookies are for good puppies, and good puppies get cookies after breakfast, after dinner and at various spontaneous moments throughout the day, for good behavior, a presentation of a stack (in hopes I would notice,) when someone is in a dull mood, or for most any other decent reason or just because.  But, the ones that come after breakfast and after dinner are routinely timed (expected.)  A good Newf is there to make sure that we don’t forget, and they can communicate this in one of several ways.  Parker will spin around and place himself outside the kitchen doorway (he used to cheat and put his toes on the threshold when he was young) because this is the line drawn in the sand for when he is underfoot in the kitchen while we are trying to cook (and it is a small kitchen.)  Jade will look at me mystified, with disbelief, at how I could forget such an important thing.  Either of them may stand and point at the Cookie Cupboard, or collapse into bag of bones with a heavy sigh, as if someone had suddenly let all the air out.  If you notice a more subtle sign and ask them what they want, they WILL tell you.  Jade may shake her head and dance backward a few steps.  Parker will give you the sudden full-eye-contact inquiry to see if you really got it, then blast if you don’t get up and move fast enough.  (He’s otherwise a very polite fellow.  <g>)  Either one of them may go to the Cookie Cupboard and bark loudly.

So, as you can see, Cookies are very important to a good Newf.

As I hung the leashes on the coat rack, I noticed Jade looking at me with a curious fear of disappointment.  (and the thought of disappointing a good Newf is pretty painful)  Oh, yeah!  Cookies!  I packed bananas, but forgot to take cookies!  Forgetting the laptop, or two, is one thing, but HOW could I forget the cookies?!  (I’ve seen that look on a Newf face before when after going out to take care of business and coming back too quickly, I asked if he forgot to poop.  He gave the “Oh, yeah!” expression, then ran back out to the potty yard.)

Fortunately, I keep cookies packed in the dog bag, and occasionally have them in Ziplocs in the van, and I usually keep them in that nice new bag that I got from Target (one that is made for baby stuff that hangs over the back of a headrest or folds into a tote) and, to be sure that I have bait for class, I keep a box of small Milkbones near where the leashes hang.  So, I was pretty sure I could remedy the situation quickly.  However, we’ve been doing a lot of traveling with Newfs in the past couple of months.  My stores were empty except for the box of small Milkbones, but that took care of the issue.

Now I can write my story!  Oh, yeah, I had better use that laptop for it’s intended purposes too.  <g>

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TELEPATHY & OBSERVATION

Posted on December 2, 2011 by BigFootClub

Written Jan. 2, 2009

Human language has its benefits and detriments.  On one hand, it is more sophisticated and can convey information that cannot be conveyed through body language.  On the other hand, it can leave open to misinterpretation what the communicator intends to convey.  Communication with a human often takes great patience on the part of a Newfoundland.  The signal is sent by the Newf, but the human fails to respond.  Clearly, in the eyes of our Newfoundlands, we are not the smartest creatures on the planet.  What we perceive as a subtle, almost indistinguishable change, they perceive with complete clarity.

Jade is a quick learner.  Using treats at this point only led to errors in results, but she is attentive and learns very well with praise.  She has been very “tuned-in,” and she even watches my reaction at times to discern which choice to make.  I try to oblige and encourage her attentiveness, and consider us fortunate.  When I used treats to reward her for going outside when she needed to, it took only two times for her to figure out that going outside meant getting a cookie and had nothing to do with why she was outside.  (And yes, the timing of the marker sound was good.  Treats worked well for this for Parker, but will serve their purpose better at a later point for Jade.)

Jade arrived here as a quiet girl, but Parker taught her from the beginning about vocalizations.  This is a specialty of Parker’s.  Now we have another baby wuki.  Perhaps she was only being quiet initially because of new surroundings, or maybe she learned this from Parker.  I have watched her observe him and mimic, and suspect the latter.  She learned how to make those unusual sounds that Parker enjoys, and she learned how to have a bark conversation and a bark argument.  She learned to bark when she wanted to go outside, or when she wanted anything.  Once again, language was impairing communication.  <g>

Then one night, I caught her trying to telepath the back door.  That was a clear communication.  She wanted it to open.  Good!  I took her outside quickly.  This was working pretty well, but you had to observe closely to make sure that her effort was reinforced.  Then I remembered something that Banker had taught me and jingled the flat chimes that hang over the back door knob.  Ever since then, over 10 years ago, the chimes have stayed on the back door knob.  Once maturity arrives, the chimes are no longer used.  The sound is noticeable but friendly and interesting.  Being a human with lapses in memory, I failed to do this the next couple of times, but remembered again in another day or two.  She has picked up on this and used the chimes twice now.  I hope it sticks – nice to have an audible communication when you are a human.

Since I learned well when she telepathed the back door, she has applied this technique to the “cookie pantry.”  She must think I’m getting better at this by now.  <g>

She has also learned that humans require a lot of patience.  I recognize this when I hear a certain sigh.  I hear that sigh from Parker when I have misplaced something again, or when he wants a cookie or wants to go outside, and I start his direction, but tell him “Just a minute – I need to do xxx first,” then start his direction again and think of one more thing . . .  Jade has learned that sigh, too.  Humans require a lot of patience from a good Newfoundland.

Whenever you bring a new puppy or adult into your home, the process of learning how to communicate begins.  Our communication methods will be in the process of refinement for a long time, part of the joy of the adventure, and each new relationship, of any kind, is a new adventure.  This adventure promises to be fun too.

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EVERY 7 DAYS

Posted on December 2, 2011 by BigFootClub

Written 7/9/10 with the title of 7-Day Schedules

Parker is a lot like his dad in this respect, and well, in a lot of ways.  I haven’t quite figured out how a Newf can keep track of a 7-day schedule when I can’t!

It has been another busy week, more from mental traffic than other demands, with objectives to complete and timelines approaching.  So, I was up late on Wed. to finish some work for an early call the next day.  Not as much sleep as I would like.  Then last night, the little girl dog decided at about 10:30 p.m. that we needed to party.  Geesh!  And I was hoping to be in bed early.  Greg had his time conflicts, and missed the Fedex timeline for Joplin, so he had to take his package to Springfield for shipment.  He got back close to when I wanted to go to bed, tired too.  We finally had to put a baby gate between Parker and Jade, because as soon as you got them to settle down and be quiet, and once again reminded Jade that it was time for all good puppies and peoples to go to bed, she would begin wiggling and stretching, working toward and working on Parker to get a party started.  (Girl talk, argument & sass, The Paw, “I’ll get you” with her neck arched and her mouth like a dragon, that sort of tactic)  And, of course, like Banker, Parker has a weak spot for play enticement.   It had been a long short week with the 4th of July falling on a Monday, and yesterday felt like Wednesday to me, but to a couple of Newfs whose exercise had been neglected for a few days, well, you may know what that penalty is like for a human!

When I finally woke up this morning (late), it didn’t seem like Friday.  I noticed that Parker was unusually happy and glowing.  I love it when he feels like that.  It is contagious and lifts your spirits.  He even shows it in his gait.  It’s like the world is full of joy, and with each step, butterflies are released and flowers sway and colors abound.  I love that about him, and loved that about his dad.

It took me quite a bit longer to realize that it was Friday.  (with pre-celebration beginning on Thursday evenings)  Maybe Jade is catching on too.

So, Happy Friday!  (pass it on)

Shouldn’t Fridays be declared a National or International Holiday?

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