Loyal to all, but listens to only one

by Jamie
(Sultan, WA)

Our Newfie, Dozer, is the sweetest, gentalist, most loyal dog, but his pure size (150 lbs. not nuetered) makes him hard. We have had Dozer for almost 5 yrs. We got him at 10 wks. We got him for my oldest who was 2 1/2 at the time and my youngest was 6 mos. (I know I'm slightly masachistic.) I am personaly not an "animal person," but my husband and daughter are. Well my husband left to work out of town for 18 mos. (comming home on weekends.) It was Dec. '06 and we were snowed in for a good 6 weeks. I house trained this dog in 2 weeks and he was never jumpy, or hyperactive. His "chewing phase" was a millasecond when compared to my Golden Retriever. We gave him a pen on the side of our house, bigger then RV parking, and a doggie door into an enclosed pen in the garage where he has an indoor dog house. He slept there for two years mainly because he was hot in the house. After 2 yrs. he was mature and calmer and the kids were older he started spending the night inside. He sleeps outside our girls room and is so protective he has even groweled at my hubby when playing rough with the girls. He is truly loyal to my husband and has accompanied him an many backpacking and day hikes. Dozer has even positioned himself between my hubby and a black bear. He always wanted a dog who could "pack his own food." Now Dozer being middle aged, gients age twice as fast as smaller breeds, he is on more meds., vitamines, & supplements then my parents. He can not keep up with my young family anymore. My husband has gone out of state for a job and though we walk him and feed him he really is missing his master. He does not want to sleep inside and he barks and crys like he hasn't done before. He comes in everyday just to make sure he is not here. We have a golden retriever pup who he loves. From the moment she came into our house he has been nothing, but gentle and loving. She jumps and climbs, hangs from his jowels and he is so good. When he's had enough he just takes a paw and pins her down till she calms down. Her head is always wet from his kisses. He has been a little territorial with "marking" Lola has taken much longer to house break and Dozer has taken to marking our house, expecially by her food and the girls room. We have had to put up gates to keep him out of the rooms with carpet. That I never had to do even when he was a puppy. It could be it's worse because he is not neutered. The reality of having a "gient" has never been so real as it has this year. He has knee problems and digenerative disk disease in his back. He has lost 40 lbs. and has become more fearfull. He ate my sliding glass door handle and cut himself deeply trying to get into my house durring a thunderstorm this spring when we were away. He has also began to bark at the door, when you let him in he walks around then barks to go out. The kids have a hard time with him because of his size he just knocks them over all the time. He doesn't fetch or play typical dog games. All their friends are scared of him because he is big black and always drooly. He gets shut out of the yard when other kids are over and it makes me sad. Perception is reality and he is percieved as scary even if we take him to classrooms every year and introduce him to many people it is still hard. I am all of 130lbs and if he sees another dog or friend on a walk it is all I can do to hold onto him it's because of his bad hips and knees that I can pull him. I love my big Newfie and he loves us, but if you are contemplating this breed you need to take the rose colored glasses off and know that they are BIG, drooly, smelly, and sweet giving affection to a dog that is like this no matter how deserving of love they are makes you think twice. My house always has black hair on the floor and drool on the walls from when he shakes. Our climate is wet always and we can smell him for at least and hour afer his inside visits. Just being honest. We love him, but if we had it to do over again we would have waited for our kids to have grown so we could have more time to train and be home and not so busy.