Ayla’s Awesome Assays Vol. 5

It’s Thursday again and time for more fun searches that led to this blog. We have some interesting one this week and thankfully no searches for the name Ayla…almost hard to believe really!

1. best collars for newfies
   I find this to be a matter of opinion but I will tell you what we have used and what we like the best so far. Ayla usually wears a thick nylon collar. It’s a little bit more than an inch wide – generally going with size large works. We usually have her in nylon because it dries out fairly quickly and can be washed easily (I put her leash and collar in the dishwasher from time to time to clean them – works very well). We also have a leather collar and leash which we use for special occasions like going out to dinner or going somewhere else when we want her to make a good impression.

   Newfies have surprisingly narrow necks compared to their butts. In fact, most of the time when we have Ayla’s collar as small as we think it should be, and then try to slide it over her head (as if she’s planting herself to the ground and not moving – resulting in us trying to tug her a bit and get her started moving again), we often find that it still slips off easily. They say that the right tightness for a collar will still allow you to slide two fingers under the collar while it is on your dog. More than that and it’s two loose, less and it’s probably too tight.

2. the newf and you
   The Newfoundland and You is a publication from the Newfoundland Club of America (NCA) which gives potential buyers a bit of an overview about owning, selecting and potentially breeding Newfies.If you are thinking of buying a Newf there really is A LOT you need to be aware of and think about before you get one. They are a ton of responsibility, much more than a small breed, and it’s very much like having a child at home. They are not dogs which like to be left alone for hours on end and really thrive on love and attention.

   If you are a neat freak, you should not, under any circumstances, think about getting a Newf. In addition to blowing coat twice a year, your Newf will continue to shed the rest of the year as well and fur tumbleweeds are bound to pop up here and there. They also track in an amazing amount of dirt, no matter how clean you think things are outside. We have a courtyard with pavers down and Ayla still finds more dirt than I can even comprehend is out there. I keep thinking she will run out of dirt eventually but somehow it finds her. And we bring home tons of fun things in her fur from time to time, even slugs. Because they love the water, you may also end up with water all over your floors, either because they have been playing in the water bowls or because they just had a drink and drip-dried on their way back outside, leaving a trail of water behind them.

   You also need to keep in mind that your dog will want to go for walks at the very least once a day (aside from having a place to potty during the day) and you will need to figure in time for grooming. I suggest doing it on a daily basis just so it’s easier to keep up with…but it can be done less often.

   I’m only skimming the surface here…but these are a few key points. Want to talk about owning a Newf? I’m happy to share so just contact us.

3. dog peeing more with drops of blood
   The first question that pops into my mind here is whether this is a male or female dog? If it’s a female, was she recently in heat? This could simply be related to her cycle.If you have a male dog or your female isn’t in heat, your puppy may have a urinary tract infection (UTI). The infection could be in the kidneys, bladder or urethra and a UTI is also usually coupled with a slight fever.

   If you have a male dog, blood in the urine may also be a sign of a prostate infection.

   Regardless, the safest bet is to schedule an appointment with your vet and try to get a urine sample to take in as well. They usually prefer that the sample is as fresh as possible so try to get one right before you leave.

   Those with female dogs may find it a bit complicated to catch the urine while your dog is squatting. I have found that using a cooking ladle will really help with this process. When she squats, just stick the ladle into the stream and have a cup nearby to pour it into. You don’t have to worry about getting an entire cup underneath her or ending up with urine on yourself this way.

4. newf dog games
   So I am not really sure about exactly what this person was looking for here but I’m guessing it might have been someone looking for activities to play at a doggie birthday party or at a Newf get together with others. There was a discussion about this a while back on the Newf-L list. Anyone who has a Newf, is thinking about getting a Newf or just loves Newfs will enjoy this mailing list although it is a MASSIVE amount of email to process every day.Here are the suggestions someone had about games:
   • Tic, tac, toe using one team of sitters and one team of downers for x & o. Use pvc pipes for the grid and two teams of 4 or 5 dogs+handlers each.
   • Musical chairs using hula hoops for chairs
   • Hot dog diving (I believe other items could be used for this such as apples, tennis balls, etc. – the dogs just have to be interested to get them out which I guess was why hot dogs were selected)
   • A retrieve game using hula hoops and tennis balls where dog must pick up a ball and release in hoop, then get another ball and repeat. The one with the most balls in his/her hoop wins.
   • A relay race using some extra special treat carried in a spoon while handler holds spoon in one hand and dog on leash in the other.
   • Who-Will-Eat-Anything (Ayla would win a game like this – NO QUESTION! But do make sure that you don’t end up feeding the dogs something toxic by accident!)
   • Fastest/Slowest/Sloppiest Sit
   • Newfoundland Agility Course (high jump is a broomstick on two bricks, tunnel is hula hoops with a tablecloth )
   • musical freestyle
   • hot dog relay
   • costume relay
   • obstacle course
   • Costume Contest
   • Costume Parade
   • Scavenger Hunt – divided by families including dogs

   I also found a few games on Dog Scouts that gave longer explanations of the games. After all these suggestions I’m ready to plan a dog party myself We actually talked about having a party for Ayla and her brothers and sister at their birthday’s next year…but unfortunately it’s in February and having 10 (potentially wet and dirty) Newfs in our house at once is a bit scary. But finding a reason to get together as many Newfs at once still sounds awfully good to us so we’ll have to see what we can come up with for the fall perhaps. We have a great area here to go on a nice long walk and lots of open fields for the dogs to run in. We could even take them swimming in one of the rivers if it’s warm.

5. newf floof
   Putting a definition on the word “floof” is not any easy task. Most Newfie owners refer to the longish hairs on the top of a Newfs head as a floof, especially when it forms an afro and makes them look like Tina Turner or Don King. Ayla doesn’t really have much of a floof. Male dogs seem to generally have bigger floofs than female…from what I’ve seen.Floofs should not be confused with flews. Flews are the droopy upper lips of dogs. Newfs use these to help them breathe while carrying something in their mouth as they swim.