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Nani the Newfoundland
[Part 1: Subtitle]


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How did you acquire your dog? I got her from an outstanding Newfoundland breeder up in Silver Springs, Nevada. She has 11 dogs but only breeds 6 together...the others she just enjoys as companions. Why did you choose him/her, if you chose him/her? Well I was lucky since I got first (female) pick of the litter. Leann (her breeder) described to me everyone's personalities as well as sent a ton of pictures and videos and I chose my baby girl because she seemed to be a "leader". By this, I mean she was first in line when mama was ready to nurse and would push others out of her way if she had to. *grins* She's driven, which is what I wanted in a Newfie because I am currently training her for Water Rescue and Drafting. She likes the activity and work and will need that drive to succeed. :) Why did you decide to have a purebred dog? Three reasons. 1.) With a purebred, you have a good idea of what kind of temperament you're going to get. There are unlimited online resources about behavior types with purebreds. 2.) Conditions and ailments prevalent of that particular breed are narrowed down because you are familiar with your dog's background and family ancestry - you have a better understanding of what your dog may be susceptible to by studying his/her pedigreed lines. 3.) You know almost exactly what your dog is going to look like when it is born, with the exception of coat color and eye color. No one can predict genetics but you know you're not going to end up with something completely different than what you imagined. Were you looking for any specific qualities? If so, what were/are they? Newfoundlands are famous for their sweet temperaments, tremendous strength, superb swimming abilities and natural tendencies to "rescue" things - whether it's you or a lawn chair that fell in the pool! *laughs* They are also big, floppy couch potatoes and for a mellow family like I have, I just felt this was the dog for us. I was not wrong. :) Where is the best place to find a purebred dog? Research, research, research! First and foremost, read all you can about the particular purebred you're interested in...you may be surprised to find out it isn't the dog you wanted after all. After you research the breed and decide that's the right one for you, now it's time to find not just a good breeder...but an exceptional one. Ask questions. If possible, go visit their kennel. Does it look clean? How do the dogs react to you? Are the parents on the premises? A lot of breeders hire a stud dog so papa may not always be around so if this is the case, does the breeder have contact info so you can get in touch with THAT dog's breeder? Are their dogs health checked and PennHipped? Pennhip is a 3-position x-ray that screens for dysplasia. Are they members of any breed clubs? Showing and champion dogs are not necessarily a seal of approval - I have known a few Newfy breeders who line their walls with ribbons and trophies...yet their dogs are sub-standard with poor temperaments. Please keep in mind that a lot of Dog Shows and Confirmation Shows are highly political and clique-ish so don't be fooled by the CH title behind a dog's name. Look at the dog as a whole, not just it's performance in the ring. One need only remember the Schnauzer (winner of the 2003 Crufts Dog Show...the biggest in the world) and how he bit one of the judges at the afterparty! What is special about your dog? (Unique features, personalities, anything at all) Oh man, where do I start? *laughs* First, I'd like to say her registered name is "Posterpup Mighty Aphrodite" and her call name is "Nani" (meaning "beautiful" or "lovely one" in Hawaiian...which is my husband's heritage). She's all black but with a white blaze on her chest and white tips on both of her hind toes. She will be 1 year and 6 months on May 10th and she currently weighs a healthy and trim 130 lbs. Her mama is 165 and papa is 180 so we figure when she reaches full maturity, she'll be between these weights. She LOVES peanut butter. If you go swimming with Nani, be prepared to get rescued. Especially if you go out in the deep end. If you're in a pool, she'll loap right over to where you are and dive right in (on top of you if you don't get out of the way!) and immediately grab your arm with her mouth and haul you back to the shallow end. This is not something we trained her to do - it is completely instinctive. It comes from hundreds of years of breeding these dogs specifically for work on fishing boats and swimming in turbulent oceans. If you happen to be swimming in a lake, forget it. Bribe her with treats to leave you alone because you will NOT get in water past your shoulders. She will be convinced you need saving and will either grab your arm and haul you back or she will "herd" you by getting behind you and shoving you with the top of her head! Tell me about your dog please. Get as detailed and long-winded as you like. She's a bed hog and likes to sprawl all 5"8 of herself until her head hangs down one end and her back legs hang down the other. Hubby and I are lucky if we get the space between the mattress and the wall. *laughs* My beautiful girl is loving, very smart, is a problem solver (we have a video of her breaking out of her dogrun in the backyard!), full of boisterous fun and is a DRAMA QUEEN! If she feels you aren't paying quite enough attention to her, she'll flop down on her stomach with a big "oomph!" and will fidget and sigh and do the "Newfie moan" until it's impossible for you to ignore her any longer and give her a belly rub. She has a million stuffy toys and she collects them all and piles them into her crate when it's bedtime. They're her baby dollies and I think they remind her of her littermates which she missed dreadfully when she first came to our home at 10 weeks old. My Nani is rambunctious, innocent, shy, bonny, engaging, singular, vexing, untroubled, hushful, goofy, loving and invaluable. The love of my life.

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