Callard And Bowser's Abigail (WP 96728301)  

Abby’s little brother didn’t survive – as expected – and we decided to buy another dog, Kayla, to take his place. About six months later, Abby’s family asked us to take her back. Despite the contract specification that they keep her as a house dog, they had kept her in a kennel or crate. There were unable to keep her anymore because she barked incessantly in the kennel, they said. (Of course she barked…she was lonely.) And, because she lonely and bored, she dug huge holes when she was in the kennel rather than the crate; when the holes were sufficiently large, she would periodically ‘escape’ her prison. When asked why they kept her in the kennel, her owners said '... she got big...' (no kidding – the phrase ‘giant breed’ might have been a clue) and because she shed and drooled, they didn’t want their house to get messy (shocking, isn’t it that a Newfoundland would shed and drool?! )

We finally got Abby back when she was almost two years old. But the early neglect had left scars. Abby's sire's temperament is very sensitive, happy and sweet.  Abby inherited that temperament which - in a good environment - would have allowed her to become the dog her dad was.  However, crated and caged all of the time, Abby's genetic predisposition to sensitivity turned to fearfulness.  By the time that we got her back, she would cringe when people came near her and would squeal if you tried to touch her.  We had actually never heard a dog make that sound before or since.  

My vet was worried about whether she would ever return to good emotional health. Bob, rightly invoking his four dog limit, wanted to find another home for Abby but I was concerned about getting her emotionally healthy. We compromised by giving Kayla to family in Wisconsin and keeping Abby until she was emotionally secure enough to be re-homed.

As part of our efforts to increase her confidence, we began to show her. Kathy Kalos did a wonderful job with Abby – not only showing her to multiple wins but also in terms of working hard to give her much needed confidence. In December 2002, Abby went to live with friends in the Midwest and is doing just great! We miss her but, at my vet’s recommendation, feel that she is more appropriately placed where she is an only dog. We never bred her as we were concerned about whether she could function successfully in a maternal role.

Abby’s story will hopefully make potential families think twice about getting a Newfie puppy. Newfies are probably the most adorable puppies in the world. But they get big quickly, they shed and they drool – a lot! They love their people and want to be with them. Newfs kept alone in a kennel all of the time develop significant behavior problems – like digging holes and constant barking. And, because these are big dogs, the barking is LOUD and the holes they dig are BIG!!!

If you can’t commit to keeping your dog in the house as a family member, I suggest getting a different type of pet that doesn’t have such a high need for companionship. Newfs are sentient, social beings - not conspicuous consumption items to heighten the owner’s social status. They are big. They shed in all seasons (enormously)! They drool a lot; if our dogs watch you eating something good, at the end of about a minute, they will have twin puddles on the floor. They need exercise which, while not a problem when they are young (and bounding around the house as though they weighed only 30 lbs) becomes more problematic when they hit three or four and would be content to be couch potatoes unless you take them for walks with you. They cannot be kenneled or kept isolated and alone for any amount of time or they develop behavior problems - just like Abby did.

 Because of their heavy coats, they have difficulty in the heat…many suffer heat stroke in the summer even after only short walks outside. And because of their double coats, you will either need to send them to the groomer frequently or spend some time doing the grooming yourself. Grooming is not just important from an aesthetic perspective but, more importantly, from a health perspective; a dog with mats will tend to have skin problems and hot spots.

Abby's mom and dad:

This is Abby's father, Monty.  You can learn more about him on his own page on this site.

This is Abby's mom, Phoebe.  Once again, Phoebe has her own page on this site and you can learn more about her on that page.

The photos below are photos of Abby's various relatives

This is Abby's sister, Dubh, at her family's vacation home in Poland Maine.  Abby, Dubh and Zookie are several Abby sisters who look a great deal alike.  Dubh was adopted by a family in Westford Massachusetts and has lived their happily her entire life.  You will find additional photos of her on the 'Pups and Offspring Page.  

This is Abby's brother, Oliver, at his (then) home in Duxbury.  Once again, Oliver has his own page on this website and now lives with us.  T

The handsome boy below is Abby's brother, Wunder.  We think that Wunder and Abby look just exactly alike!  Wunder is our Maggie's sire and, when she finished her championship, this fulfilled the last requirement for his ROM .... and gave Monty another ROM point!