Real Love

I love big dogs: big, loud deep bark, big bite out of your butt--and what were you doing in my backyard/house anyway?--big love puppies, big appetites and yes, big poop machines. I miss my Bouvier des Flandres; Mu was his name--long dead, but not forgotten. He was a big hairy beast—like these, his brethren…

…with all of the above-mentioned attributes. This Newfoundland winner of the Westminster Kennel Club's Best in Show (registration required) reminds me of my old friend.

In 1989, just weeks before I was about to come home from my first tour in Germany, my parents gave me a call. Twelve-year-old Mu had cancer and my mom was torn between waiting until I came home three weeks later (to say goodbye) and putting Mu out of his misery as soon as possible. I told her to go ahead and get it done.

I still remember sitting on the floor in front of the couch. Mu would lay on the floor perpendicular to me, put his front paws under my legs and put his head in my lap.

Love ya, buddy. Dogs pack a lot of that into a short lifetime.

(Bouvier portrait property of Robin Renton)

Comments

[Ginny]

awww...I love big dogs too. There is just something about a nice big dog to cuddle with.

[Paul Jané]

Newfies kick arse. :-)

I definitely need a bigger dog, my German Shepherd is too twitchy and needy for my taste; I'll get it right the second time around.

[sharona]

I really do think all dogs are wonderful; the big ones are oftentimes gentle giants and the small ones are much heartier than we give them credit for. Cats are wonderful, too. It's so important to give and receive unconditional affection and love. Our pets really do make us better people.

A friend of mine has a plaque that says it all:
"I want to become the person my dog thinks I am."

[Francis W. Porretto]

My Newf, Bruno, is approaching his tenth birthday. Newfs usually don't live much beyond that. But Bruno has been the best companion any man could want: affectionate, loyal, undemanding, and very, very drooly.

Lord Byron said it best about his Newf, Boatswain:

Near this spot
Are deposited the Remains of one
Who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferocity,
And all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.

[fanatic]

Thanks for this post. You dredged up a lot of good memories and some bad ones too, of a good canine friend that I lost a few years ago. Left a little hole in my heart that won't ever heal but she was a real joy while she lived.

Ok, so I'm a small dog person - my terriers hunt underground for fox, 'possum, racoon and groundhog, so they're not USELESS little drop-kick dogs. But my smallest, 10lb fuzzy killer used to LOVE big dogs. We'd be at a pet expo and she'd gravitate to the Rotties and Swissies. She looked up at a Swissie once and gave him her cutest playful bark, at which the Swissie, with a head twice the size of her whole body lay down and let her use him for a mat. I fell in love with BIG dogs on the spot. Thanks for sharing and letting me share.

[Mike O]

Newfoundland named Seaman accompainied Lewis & Clark expedition. Was a hunter, retriever, and camp guard dog. I love big dogs too.