I have a really awesome dog. Simple as that. Her name is Eloise, and she's a water loving Newfoundland. Bringing Eloise home opened a whole new world to me when I joined my local newfoundland club.
Newfoundlands are a working breed. They were bred to help fishermen in Canada drag in the nets of fish. They hauled carts full of fish to the markets nearby, and if their beloved owners accidentally fell into the water, newfoundlands were bred to save them. They'd jump from the boats and pull their owners to shore or back to the boat. Eloise is a born water rescue dog, she truly seems as if she was put on this earth to be in the water. If she lived closer, she'd always be wet. She loves to swim, and pull boats, retrieve her bumpers and did most of these things without much instruction. Unfortunately it's not as instinctual for me. I need some training to figure out, as her handler, where I'm suppose to be and how I'm suppose to react to her life-saving amazingness! So in my quest to become the handler that Eloise deserves, which is a constant work in progress, the following are some places that helped me get started.
New Penn Del Newfoundland Club- The local newfoundland club for New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Newf.net- The best newfoundland forum on the web. These people are just really passionate about this breed and have helped countless pet owners and experienced owners, through all aspects of being a newfie owner.
Bear Mountain Newfoundland Club- The local newfoundland club just north of me in Southern New York State.
Colonial Newfoundland Club- The local club just south of me in Virginia and Maryland. They host the newfie contingency at the wonderful holiday parade in Williamsburg, VA every year.
Newfoundland Club of America- The national breed club. These are the folks that determine the standard for the breed (These are the personality and physical attributes of the breed that make the newfie different from other breeds). They also oversee the local clubs, determine the rules for the working event testing, and put on the national specialty show. They do a bunch of other stuff too.
Ottawa Newfoundlands- Eloise's breeder who is also a wonderful author and illustrator of several children's books. Also an amazing artist and her husband is a zoologist!
Dog Works- Where I bought Eloise's draft cart as well as her equipment for the water testing.
Katie's Bumpers- The best bumpers hands down for water retrieving. My dog is OBSESSED with this thing! She knows the word bumper like other dogs know the word cookie! (Well she knows cookie also...lol)
