Halloween Walk

The boys favorite place for evening walks is a nice little street that runs right off of the beach.  There are lots of shops and pubs, a nice sea breeze and we all get to met some very friendly and interesting people who visit the town from all over the world.  The local community doesn't need much of an excuse to host a festival, art walk, parade or any themed event.   There is always something going on and it is a great place to visit.  For Halloween the pubs were hosting a pub crawl an many costumed characters were walking the streets.  Being still so hot here in Florida we don't dress the Newfs in clothing, but we did manage to find some halloween garland for them to wear in celebration of the event.   We walked the area and spent some time hanging out on the benches watching the costumes and of course the Newfies got plenty of the attention that they love!  It is amazing that no matter how scary the costume, the dogs were not effected and all ghosts and goblins were their friends.   We probably spent a couple of hours out for halloween, a good time was had by all!

Water Bowls

Why is it that every once in a while I decide to walk around the house in bare feet?   I know better than to do that!   Even if the coast looks clear, I seem to step in a wet spot somewhere!   When it comes to Newfies, no matter what you try with the water bowl situation, the is no dry solution!  If anyone out there has anything that works, please let me know!  I have tried keeping towels under the bowl, they were constantly soaked and it was quickly quite disgusting.  I bought a mat that was supposedly made to hold water in the grooves, it was also quickly disgusting.  I have talked to other Newf owners who say the only thing they use is "the porcelain bowl", fortunately neither of my boys even try to drink from the porcelain bowl.  One Newf was messy enough, then along came Yogi, who didn't know how to drink from a bowl!!   Evidently he spent most of his first year drinking from a lix-it type water dispenser.   We just laughed watching him bite at the water in the bowl.   He is now better, but still to this day he always tips the bowl sideways and steadies it with his foot so that he can make little bites at the water.   Needles to say I only put about 3 inches of water at a time in their bowls, they definatley are picky and do not like dirty, slimmy water.   As soon as it is slobbered up I pretty much dump it and fix fresh.   They will lay at the bowl and yip to let me know it is too slobbery, and please get fresh!   Back to the mess of it.   The best arrangement I have come up with so far is using a very large rubbermaid or tupperware cake lid, as an outer bowl, placing the stainless water bowl inside.  This allows for the majority of the splash/spill water to land in the tupperware instead of the floor.   Of course there is always drool water on the floor around the water dish area, but it has been a huge improvement using double bowls.  You will find in any Newfoundland household drool and wipe towels placed in every room, probably in more than one place!   Lesson learned, never walk barefoot through the kitchen, or wear good clean socks, they will be soaked!