The beginning of our 2008 WATER TRAINING!

Woo Hoo! Here we go folks. It is time to start water training. Really it is the wet part that is starting, because everything we've been doing all year is going to be a great foundation for the work.

We are planning on getting together this Saturday. Cheryl is checking on the campsite in Dunstable. If, for some reason, that doesn't work out, we will find somewhere else. We'll have a boat available for our practices when we want it, so we'll get a lot earlier start on the exercises that need one than we did last year.

For the week leading up to our first step into the water, may I suggest that everyone do some initial land exercises to remind the dogs what we want from them? Let us all know how it is going with getting your dog to pick up their bumper. Even when dogs are great on the retrieve, sometimes it is hard to get them to pick it up at your feet once they've dropped it. So let's start there (and you know how frustrating that is when they've dropped it out of the water rather than delivered it to hand).

If they've got that down solid, send them farther to get it and then mix it up with the cushion, the life vest, and the rope. Whatever you drop that is safe for them to pick up, ask them to do it. Keep treats in your pockets all week so that you can reward them when they do it right.

Report back!

I have been looking forward to this all winter!

Kathy

Certified Lifeguard Wanted

MidMassNewfers is looking for a certified lifeguard to be present while we train our dogs for water rescue at Camp Massapoag in Dunstable, MA. Compensation and scheduling is flexible but we are thinking of offering about $50 for a 2-3 hour session on the weekends. Since the lifeguard is only for insurance and liability requirements of the camp, this would be a great opportunity for someone who would be interested in training their own dog for water rescue with our group.

For more information email MidMassNewfers@gmail.com

Junior Division Water Rescue Exercises

The Junior Division of the Newfoundland Club of America Water Test

The Junior Division involves the following 6 exercises

1. BASIC CONTROL
2. SINGLE RETRIEVE
3. DROP RETRIEVE
4. TAKE A LINE
5. TOW A BOAT
6. SWIM WITH HANDLER

Many of these exercises can be at least partially trained in "ground school". Keep in mind that our puppies are very very "contextual" in their understanding of the world. There is no substitute for being in the water with the excitement and lovely "wet" etc. You really can't know how well they will do in the water until you see them perform in the water. Even then, different lakes, ponds, beaches may be very different to your dog. But a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. That first step can be on dry land.

In future postings, we'll open up discussion about each of these areas.

How To Download a Picture from MMN Photo Album

This description is correct for my PC, and the logic should work on yours as well, but some details may vary. Here's the way I download pictures from our album.

1. Open the photo album at: http://picasaweb.google.com/stoneridgefarm/MemorialDay2008

2. When the album opens, you’ll see Steve in a blue shirt with some great looking dog. You’ll also see all the other pics. Select one that you want (in this example, I’ll pick the 6th one (close up of two puppies working tandem) and click on it once.

3. That opens a new window with a much larger image of the puppies. At the right hand side are several windows. The second one has a link “download photo”. Click on that link

4. A “file download” window will open asking whether you want to open, save or cancel. In this example, I’ll select “Save”

5. That opens a Windows “save as” where I can select where I want the picture to be saved on my PC. This is where most people become uncertain. The pic is named “MemorialDay2008-06.jpg”

6. Save it where you want, perhaps to your “media” like a pen drive or the directory where you keep your pictures, or your desktop. It doesn't much matter where, but be sure you write down where you put it so that you can find it later. Then repeat for the other pics you want. I recommend you save them all in the same place.

If that doesn’t seem right, just let me know which ones you want (when you open a picture, Picassa refers to it as “Photo 6 of 17”). If you just call it #6, I’ll know what you mean. I’ll email those directly to you.

Bob

Memorial Day 2008

We all thank both Kathy and Mike for a great time. Weather, food, company, and surrounded by Newfs. What could be better than that? Sophie had the time of her life. Hannah, who is typically quite shy, reached out to other dogs and people today in a way we've been hoping to see for a long time. Molly noted a similar change in her dog and suggested aloud that it was because they began to think of all the other dogs and people as "family". Well said Molly.



And while we don't usually see many two-legged little ones around. We let one in this time and no one was sorry. What a cutie. Great with the dogs.

Sad and Disturbing

Extracted from a recent Newfer email. Quote without comment (there's really no words that seem to fit).

Cleo saw a human hitting its dog with a leash, today. Whipping, actually. She was horrified. I told the guy he didn't have to do that and he responded that was how the dog was going to learn.

Unbelievable.

Water Demonstration at Cape Cod Maritime Museum

This past Sunday a group of us helped celebrate the Cape's Nautical Heritage at the Cape Cod Maritime Museum in Hyannis. There was live music, demonstrations, artists, crafters, food and loads of kids activities! The biggest hit of the day was the 11 Newfoundland that participated in a water demonstration.

MacArthur, Roxie, Cleo and Jersey took turns retrieving articles, towing a small inflatable boat while John Adams narrated each exercise. Amos, Chauncey, Fiona, Abby, Nimbus, Lani and Bear moved in and out of the crowd greeting all. The crowd and Newfies loved it.




I want to thank everyone who came and helped with the demo. Lori and Terry drove all the way from New Hampshire, Barbara, Pam, Liddy, Roseann, Judy, Andy, Steve, Everett, Jim, and John, if it weren't for you the water demo would never have happened it was fun fun day.

Many Thanks

Pictures posted at: http://picasaweb.google.com/stoneridgefarm/MollyDemo

Molly

Out of Context?

So Tuesday night, at Rally training, we decided to try something new. Instead of working our way through an entire course as we had been doing for several weeks, we decided to work one station at a time. Be sure we got it right, and then move on. Sounded like a fine idea.

So we do some easy right turn, about turn, 270 turn and all is good. One sign at a time.
Then we approach a simple station where we start at heel, stop, and sit. We’ve done it 50 times. Heel is fine, “Livvy Ho”, no problem, she comes to an immediate full stop.

“Livvy … sit”. She stands there looking right at me with not a single move toward sit. I repeat, the command, she stands and looks. I turn around to face her and ask for a sit. She stares at me. I take a step toward her …. She goes into a “back”. How many times have I read that the day will come when your dog will just stand there as if she had never heard the command before. Is she being willfully stubborn or is it something else?

Out of context, right?

Is she thinking, “Rally is a course with lots of signs and that other dog goes round and make turns and does lots of different and interesting stuff. Then we do the same thing. One sign in the middle of an empty ring isn’t Rally. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s not Rally. Maybe it’s carting. Oh, he wants a back.” Every other night we got to watch Cosmo the Bloodhound go through his paces first; he's good, he sets the stage for us. Tonight he didn't come. Context was different.

My trainer, from the corner of the ring, said "Livvy sit" and she promptly sat. I think we have some work to do on my communication signals. We're going to work on "Front" for a while until we get back in the groove.

Review: "On the Right Track"

ON THE RIGHT TRACK; GETTING STARTED IN THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF TRACKING
by Joyce Arivella,

Have you read this article in the current issue of NewfTide? I was interested to read it for two reason, first, Joyce wrote it and secondly, Sophie seems to like tracking and I'm trying to figure out how to start.

It’s a really nice introduction stating concisely in one place everything you need to get started. Having recently purchased and started reading Judi Adler’s book and sketched out my first training day, I have to say I would have started out the same way from reading Joyce's article alone.

Included references are familiar; sources I have learned to respect.

Joyce doesn't overwhelm for a first read, but gives enough detail that one should probably print it out and highlight a few sections. Very nice job, Joyce. Thanks for sharing.

Bob

Day Dream Believer and a Home Coming Queen

On Friday May 2, Livvy had the great joy of participating in the Veterans 9 and over confirmation class at the Nationals in Warwick RI. Watching these seniors trot around to scattered applause was, in its own way, the most awesome part of the week for us. All the Newfs had tails gently swishing from side to side as they trotted around. They looked good; age be damned.

Livvy, I noticed kept her tail going between runs. She was clearly having a great deal of fun. We got lucky, she picked up a cute little blue stuffed bear and a check that we used to buy her a burger at Micky D’s. We were even a little let down when we finally got home and all the excitement had finally ended.

But Livvy didn’t see it that way. Later that evening she suddenly jumped to her feet, picked up the blue bear and trotted around the family room with her head held high. She never trots around the family room because trotting might press the “puppy play” button and Sophie plays too rough. So why did she take that risk? Why hold her head high and trot in a circle. What was she thinking ??

[That’s a rhetorical question don’t you think?]

Livvy’s biographer

A Brief History of Oquaga Kennel

We thought you would like to take a few minutes to reflect on the 39 year history of Oquaga Kennel. The article referenced below is about Fred’s Aunt Theodora and Uncle Clifford Hartz. It has been reprinted from a 1976 Newftide.

http://www.ncanewfs.org/hof/dogs/oquaga.html

Fred actually remembers some of the dogs mentioned in this article. He still recalls some of the dogs - especially King and then Bess wining the National Specialty in 1950 when he was 8. He reflects further:

Didn't remember that "Topsail's Captain Bob Bartlett" was from Oquaga stock - but not surprised

Captain Bob Bartlett was the captain of Effie M. Morrissey - now Ernestina. He was certainly the most famous Newfoundland explorer - and owned Effie from 1925 until his death just after WW2. She was used for Arctic exploration until the war - then she served as a supply ship to Greenland and helped with charting the water up north for the war effort. Although Bartlett was the captain, the military attache was Commander Alexander Forbes. His family owns 3 islands (Elizabeth islands) near Woods Hole between the mainland and Martha's vineyard. They are kept very private. One of the family was a recent captain of Ernestina - so we had a few crew parties there.

And as if that weren't enough the Effie M. Morrissey/Ernestina is Massachusetts Official Tall Ship and is owned by the Commonwealth.

Fred, Mary Anne & Effie

NCA Nationals Results are in

Sammy and I are back home. What an exhausting week - but what fun. There is much good news:

• Maxine earned her Rally Novice B title, and in case anyone is keeping score, a 93 on both Sunday and Tuesday and a 94 on Wednesday
  
• Molly and Jersey got their Rally Novice Title


• Mary Alice and Fiona qualified in Specialty Carting


• Ida and Magic cleaned up. . . First place in their second leg Rally Adanced, First place in their second leg of a CD on Tuesday followed by a second place in the third leg on Wednesday completing the CD title, and a new Draft Dog title as well. Woo Hoo!!
  


• And the Mid Mass Newfers took first place in the Decorative Carting event, with Pam and Nimbus receiving the award for best individual cart. John did a great job as Narrator. I can't wait to see the photos.
  

But wait. . . There's more. . .

• The Mid Mass Newfers Team Obedience entry also took first place (Sue with Nemo, Molly with Jersey, Kiko with Louis, and Joyce with Splash).


• Livvy took 4th place in Veterans Sweeps 9+ in the breed ring and 3rd place in Veterans 9+


• Not to be outdone by the 9-o'genarian, Sophie took Second in Puppy Sweeps 12-15 months and is shopping for a new tiara with liver jewelery

Kathy

P.S. There could easily be more. If so, please send details and I'll get them added in right away. A growing collection of pics are in our album.
Bob

http://picasaweb.google.com/MidMassNewfers/NationalsWarwickRIApril2008

FYI everyone, Todd Bennett has been updating the website every day, lots of pictures
See: http://www.ncanationalspecialty.org/ "catch of the day" newsletter gives daily news, but also lots of candids
Mary Anne

And yet some more
http://picasaweb.google.com/Richard.Vernon8/NewfNational2008DecorativeCarting