Email me your story and I will post it here so everyone can read it! Email your story
Scroll down to read the sweetest Newfie stories from people around the world.
Scroll down to read the sweetest Newfie stories from people around the world.
My Newfoundland Dog Story
by Christine Owner of Newfie Love
We never had a dog growing up and I never really had friends who did either. I really didn’t know much about them–until the day my oldest daughter brought a Newfoundland puppy named Lizzie into her life. I fell in love with the little puppy right away; what I didn't know yet was my life was changed from that moment on. She asked me to babysit for a week and this gigantic dog stole my heart. I knew I had to have one of my own and became obsessed.
I begin researching and finding out everything I could about them and looking for breeders in my area, unable to find a single one. I spent Friday nights looking at YouTube videos of Newfies and their owners and my passion for them increased by the day. I learned of their immense strength and carting abilities, how they got the name "Nanny Dog," what outstanding Therapy Dogs they are–especially with sick children, and how their unique physical characteristics combine together to make them some of the very best natural born swimmers on this planet. Out of the blue a story came to me in the middle of the night about a Newfoundland dog with magical powers and I wrote it down in one sitting. I called it Lizzie the Magical Dog. I received wonderful feedback on my little story, and was so happy to give it to my granddaughter as a way to remember Lizzie.
When I visited my daughter in Vermont I could hardly wait to see Lizzie and I would take her out for walks and run with her and pet her and love her; I could barely stand to leave her. Still I couldn’t find a breeder nearby.
Finally, after three years, I found somebody that had puppies a few hours away! We went down to check out the litter. The puppies were 10 weeks old. The father was magnificent and the mother was the sweetest dog in the world. They lived in a beautiful setting in the country and had two young girls who helped take care of them all. The puppies all scrambled out of the house and down the two wooden steps. They were playing, rolling, tugging–doing all the things puppies do. The last little black fluffy sweetheart came out, slowly making his way down the steps, and ambled over to some nearby flowers, sniffing them so sweetly. We knew this was the dog for us. They called him "Black Jack" and we named him Samson. Sometimes I whisper Black Jack in his ear and I swear he remembers ...
From day one he became one of the most precious things in my life. I started to change my life just because of him. I could hardly stand going to work, having to leave him alone during the day. We paid $10,000 for ceramic tile floors and got rid of all our carpet. (Yes, they shed big time!) I got a big old van to transport him around. I cleaned slobber off my walls and thought it was funny. I watched him grow from a 27 pound roly-poly puppy to a 140 pound gigantic animal who people mistook for a bear.
Sam is now ten years old and when I look back on the past decade it is one filled with wonder. Every single day seemed exciting and new–mostly because whatever you do is somehow more exciting with a Newfie by your side. He makes me laugh all day long and makes my heart overflow with his sweet smile and winsome ways. Sometimes I feel like a celebrity walking around with him as people stop their cars to roll down the windows and say "I love your dog!", or busloads of children spot him coming and literally scream "Look at that DOG! He's so FLUFFY!! I WANT him!" with their little arms outstretched. Once I took him to a very fancy hotel in downtown San Jose and literally barely made it to the elevator because all the guests ran over to greet him.
My very favorite times are being out alone in nature with Sam. As a woman, I feel very safe being alone because trust me, no one will mess with you if you have a Newfoundland dog at your side. We live near the Mendocino coast and I take him there often. Sometimes we get the beach to ourselves and just sit on the sand together and watch the waves. It is as if we are one with the entire Universe.
I started looking for T-shirts and hats and tote bags to show my Newfie pride, but had a hard time finding what I wanted. Because I was a graphic designer I thought wow, I could make my own! So I did.
After a time people were interested and I created my website called Newfie Love and started putting my designs up and posting them on Instagram. The minute I put a picture of Sam up, I got all these followers! I discovered all these wonderful people all over the world who loved Newfoundland dogs just as much as me. It was an entire community of people who understood how special and wonderful this breed is and I became part of it. It’s the most wonderful community I have ever belonged to.
Now I stay home with Sam and work on NewfieLove and other design projects. I’ve made other books about Newfies, I’ve written poetry about them, I send gifts and cards to my friends and receive gifts and cards from other Newfie lovers all over the world–especially at Christmas, when my walls are covered with the most adorable Christmas cards in the world.
I've had ten cats, several guinea pigs, and a rabbit in my life, and loved them all deeply. But the love for this dog is unlike anything I've ever experienced, or knew existed. I now know what people mean when they say he is my Heart Dog.
My life is so much richer after discovering the Newfoundland dog. My only regret is that I didn’t discover them earlier, and now I cannot imagine a life without one of these magnificent creatures in it.
This is my story of the Newfoundland dog and friends, I would love to hear yours!
Email me your story and I will post it here so everyone can read it! Email your story
COMMENTS
Denise Mengerink
Christine, your story gave me goosebumps. Love your Newfie story. Thanks for sharing.
I begin researching and finding out everything I could about them and looking for breeders in my area, unable to find a single one. I spent Friday nights looking at YouTube videos of Newfies and their owners and my passion for them increased by the day. I learned of their immense strength and carting abilities, how they got the name "Nanny Dog," what outstanding Therapy Dogs they are–especially with sick children, and how their unique physical characteristics combine together to make them some of the very best natural born swimmers on this planet. Out of the blue a story came to me in the middle of the night about a Newfoundland dog with magical powers and I wrote it down in one sitting. I called it Lizzie the Magical Dog. I received wonderful feedback on my little story, and was so happy to give it to my granddaughter as a way to remember Lizzie.
When I visited my daughter in Vermont I could hardly wait to see Lizzie and I would take her out for walks and run with her and pet her and love her; I could barely stand to leave her. Still I couldn’t find a breeder nearby.
Finally, after three years, I found somebody that had puppies a few hours away! We went down to check out the litter. The puppies were 10 weeks old. The father was magnificent and the mother was the sweetest dog in the world. They lived in a beautiful setting in the country and had two young girls who helped take care of them all. The puppies all scrambled out of the house and down the two wooden steps. They were playing, rolling, tugging–doing all the things puppies do. The last little black fluffy sweetheart came out, slowly making his way down the steps, and ambled over to some nearby flowers, sniffing them so sweetly. We knew this was the dog for us. They called him "Black Jack" and we named him Samson. Sometimes I whisper Black Jack in his ear and I swear he remembers ...
From day one he became one of the most precious things in my life. I started to change my life just because of him. I could hardly stand going to work, having to leave him alone during the day. We paid $10,000 for ceramic tile floors and got rid of all our carpet. (Yes, they shed big time!) I got a big old van to transport him around. I cleaned slobber off my walls and thought it was funny. I watched him grow from a 27 pound roly-poly puppy to a 140 pound gigantic animal who people mistook for a bear.
Sam is now ten years old and when I look back on the past decade it is one filled with wonder. Every single day seemed exciting and new–mostly because whatever you do is somehow more exciting with a Newfie by your side. He makes me laugh all day long and makes my heart overflow with his sweet smile and winsome ways. Sometimes I feel like a celebrity walking around with him as people stop their cars to roll down the windows and say "I love your dog!", or busloads of children spot him coming and literally scream "Look at that DOG! He's so FLUFFY!! I WANT him!" with their little arms outstretched. Once I took him to a very fancy hotel in downtown San Jose and literally barely made it to the elevator because all the guests ran over to greet him.
My very favorite times are being out alone in nature with Sam. As a woman, I feel very safe being alone because trust me, no one will mess with you if you have a Newfoundland dog at your side. We live near the Mendocino coast and I take him there often. Sometimes we get the beach to ourselves and just sit on the sand together and watch the waves. It is as if we are one with the entire Universe.
I started looking for T-shirts and hats and tote bags to show my Newfie pride, but had a hard time finding what I wanted. Because I was a graphic designer I thought wow, I could make my own! So I did.
After a time people were interested and I created my website called Newfie Love and started putting my designs up and posting them on Instagram. The minute I put a picture of Sam up, I got all these followers! I discovered all these wonderful people all over the world who loved Newfoundland dogs just as much as me. It was an entire community of people who understood how special and wonderful this breed is and I became part of it. It’s the most wonderful community I have ever belonged to.
Now I stay home with Sam and work on NewfieLove and other design projects. I’ve made other books about Newfies, I’ve written poetry about them, I send gifts and cards to my friends and receive gifts and cards from other Newfie lovers all over the world–especially at Christmas, when my walls are covered with the most adorable Christmas cards in the world.
I've had ten cats, several guinea pigs, and a rabbit in my life, and loved them all deeply. But the love for this dog is unlike anything I've ever experienced, or knew existed. I now know what people mean when they say he is my Heart Dog.
My life is so much richer after discovering the Newfoundland dog. My only regret is that I didn’t discover them earlier, and now I cannot imagine a life without one of these magnificent creatures in it.
This is my story of the Newfoundland dog and friends, I would love to hear yours!
Email me your story and I will post it here so everyone can read it! Email your story
COMMENTS
Denise Mengerink
Christine, your story gave me goosebumps. Love your Newfie story. Thanks for sharing.
My Newfoundland Dog Story
By Denise Mengerink
I wasn’t properly introduced to Newfies until I joined Instagram. I had heard of them. I don’t remember who's account it is, but, someone had just rescued a Newf named Annie. They were my first Newf account followed. From there, I followed more and more. I researched and read everything I could on the Newfoundland. Looked at many pictures. And fell in love. We rescued Isabelle Jane in September of 2018. Our first Newf. She was from a rural puppy mill. She had had so many babies, her teets practically dragged on the ground. Her teeth were worn to the gums from chewing on her cage. Her ears were full of infection and thickened due to it. But, she was amazing! I was hers and she was mine. We, unfortunately, only had her for a year and a half due to a mass on her heart But, I know she knew love like no other. The anniversary of her death is coming up April 1.
Only a week after Isabelle passed, I had my first knee replacement surgery. That was such a rough period. My husband knew he had to cheer me up. He surprised me and we went to Frankenmuth, Michigan for the NCA show. I was in heaven!
About a month after that, a Facebook post on a Newfoundland group caught my eye. A Newf needed rescued from a puppy mill close to us. I remember we pulled up to where we met his rescuer. We were both amazed at this huge dog! He was so tall. He was scared. I brought hot dogs and slices of cheese to help bond. His name was Bruiser. And he looked like one too. He had lived in a farm; chained up to a tree. He stunk bad. He was matted something awful. We decided to rename him Theodore Duncan. (Duncan was the name of his dad). Theo is the most amazing Newf! He loves all humans! Especially, the little ones. And loves little dogs. The affection is usually not returned. He was so gentle. My husband and I talked about him becoming a therapy dog. Low and behold, Theo the therapy dog was born. He has made many people so happy. He’s a celebrity wherever we go and get asked the typical questions. We don’t mind the questions and love educating people on the Newfoundland. I am currently working on a book about Theo becoming a therapy dog. Stay tuned! 😉.
My next goal is to get a Newf and raise it from puppyhood.
Only a week after Isabelle passed, I had my first knee replacement surgery. That was such a rough period. My husband knew he had to cheer me up. He surprised me and we went to Frankenmuth, Michigan for the NCA show. I was in heaven!
About a month after that, a Facebook post on a Newfoundland group caught my eye. A Newf needed rescued from a puppy mill close to us. I remember we pulled up to where we met his rescuer. We were both amazed at this huge dog! He was so tall. He was scared. I brought hot dogs and slices of cheese to help bond. His name was Bruiser. And he looked like one too. He had lived in a farm; chained up to a tree. He stunk bad. He was matted something awful. We decided to rename him Theodore Duncan. (Duncan was the name of his dad). Theo is the most amazing Newf! He loves all humans! Especially, the little ones. And loves little dogs. The affection is usually not returned. He was so gentle. My husband and I talked about him becoming a therapy dog. Low and behold, Theo the therapy dog was born. He has made many people so happy. He’s a celebrity wherever we go and get asked the typical questions. We don’t mind the questions and love educating people on the Newfoundland. I am currently working on a book about Theo becoming a therapy dog. Stay tuned! 😉.
My next goal is to get a Newf and raise it from puppyhood.
My Newfoundland Dog Story
By Eric Vernold
Our first Newfie was Gaspar, named after one of the Three Wisemen. We originally wanted a Bernese Mountain dog, were advised against that so we thought why not a St. Bernard. No puppies of that breed, so someone said what about a Newfoundland. We had never even heard of that breed before …well it was LOVE at first site! When he crossed the rainbow bridge we got our precious Annabelle and when she passed we got the lovable and goofy Melvin Doo aka Mister Handsome ❤️. In my humble opinion this is the best breed of dog and we have been lucky to have three of them in our lives 🐾🐾🐾🐾
My Newfoundland Dog Story
Eileen Pendagram
What a beautiful blog about your love of newfs! My husband brought newfies into to my life. When I met him I absolutely thought he was nuts with these two huge dogs until I got to know them. Now we are on our third newfie who was a rescue. Newfies are so special. At times when I have struggled in life and maybe would be crying, at different points all three newfs have come over to snuggle with me and comfort me. It is unbelievable how intuitive these dogs are. I'm not sure I would be able to live without a newfie!!!!
My Newfoundland Dog Story
by Anna
We rescued our first Newfie from a non dog lover that thought a Newfie puppy was cute until he grew to 150 pounds. He lived in a garage alone. Lord Byron became part our lives for 10 +(2) wonderful years. And now we have Maggie, our threeyear old Newfie. I’m just crying as I type. Happy Newfoundland dog day !
My Newfoundland Dog Story
by Liliane & Jan from the Netherlands
First I want to say what a great initiative this is. It's nice to read everyone's Newfie story.
My story goes back a long way and will be long. I live in the Netherlands I was a 10 year old girl when I saw a man walking with a big black dog. I was drawn to the dog and had to pet it. The man told me that it was a Newfoundland and what a beautiful and special breed this is. More often I came across this man and always had to pet the dog.
I told my mother at home about the special dog. And I told her I'd like a dog like that too. But we already had a small poodle. And my mother told me to wait until I grew up myself. Then I was allowed a newfie puppy. My thoughts remained with a Newfoundland all this time. At school I gave a talk about this beautiful breed. I also made a lowering with drawings and photos about the Newfoundland.
I was completely sold...
I finished school and met my husband. I told him about the Newfoundland. And took him to dog shows to see this special dog. He too was immediately turned on. If we moved in together we would look for a Newfoundland for ourselves.
We found a great breeder. Our first puppy was born there it was January 1995. We called him Bo Gyi. Having Bo Gyi, we knew we needed another Newfoundland. Elkjar came, also as a puppy. We were too rich for the world.
Meanwhile we knew more and more Newfie people. Bo Gyi did not have a stronger health and became poor from the age of 8 years. Then we got a call from a Newfie breeder. She got a rescue dog back from 3 years. Her question was whether we might be interested in Bronco. Of course we said YES. And Bronco came into our lives. In the end we had to let Bo Gyi go. He was just under 10 years old. Our hearts were broken.
After a few years we had contact with another breeder. He also got a rescue dog back. That's how Byron came into our lives. Elkjar grew old and stiff. When he was twelve years old, we had to say goodbye. Our first generation of Newfoundlanders was over. But we were so happy with our 2 rescue dogs. After a few years we wanted another puppy. That's how Dodge came into our lives. And we had to let go of another dog, Bronco.
Very suddenly then Bill came by. He too was a rescue dog. After he had a different boss 3 times, he came to live with us. We were the fourth owners. He had to get his forever home with us. This dog needed rest. And we wanted to give that to him. We have had the pleasure of enjoying 3 Newfoundlanders for many years. Byron was almost 13 years old. Then there were 2. Dodge and Bill. In the meantime, they also became a day older. And we decided to give these two a quiet old age. Bill was allowed to live to be more than 12 years old. And six months later we had to let Dodge go. He was over 11 (on December 2021). Now after 27 years there is no Newfoundlanddog in our lives. And we think that is a great loss.
We got to know a beautiful Newfie Insta Family all over the world through Instagram. What a beautiful family. They are friends for life. We have even been to America and were able to meet an Insta Family friend in real life. We hope to see more distant friends in the future. Because there are many Insta friends who are close to my heart and mean a lot to me.
For now we are on a waiting list to hopefully have another puppy at the end of this year. We can not wait...
After so many years of Newfoundland love, I always say that I now have a Newfoundland heart myself. So I can't wait for my heart to be filled with this...
With lots of Newfie love...
Lilianne and Jan
My story goes back a long way and will be long. I live in the Netherlands I was a 10 year old girl when I saw a man walking with a big black dog. I was drawn to the dog and had to pet it. The man told me that it was a Newfoundland and what a beautiful and special breed this is. More often I came across this man and always had to pet the dog.
I told my mother at home about the special dog. And I told her I'd like a dog like that too. But we already had a small poodle. And my mother told me to wait until I grew up myself. Then I was allowed a newfie puppy. My thoughts remained with a Newfoundland all this time. At school I gave a talk about this beautiful breed. I also made a lowering with drawings and photos about the Newfoundland.
I was completely sold...
I finished school and met my husband. I told him about the Newfoundland. And took him to dog shows to see this special dog. He too was immediately turned on. If we moved in together we would look for a Newfoundland for ourselves.
We found a great breeder. Our first puppy was born there it was January 1995. We called him Bo Gyi. Having Bo Gyi, we knew we needed another Newfoundland. Elkjar came, also as a puppy. We were too rich for the world.
Meanwhile we knew more and more Newfie people. Bo Gyi did not have a stronger health and became poor from the age of 8 years. Then we got a call from a Newfie breeder. She got a rescue dog back from 3 years. Her question was whether we might be interested in Bronco. Of course we said YES. And Bronco came into our lives. In the end we had to let Bo Gyi go. He was just under 10 years old. Our hearts were broken.
After a few years we had contact with another breeder. He also got a rescue dog back. That's how Byron came into our lives. Elkjar grew old and stiff. When he was twelve years old, we had to say goodbye. Our first generation of Newfoundlanders was over. But we were so happy with our 2 rescue dogs. After a few years we wanted another puppy. That's how Dodge came into our lives. And we had to let go of another dog, Bronco.
Very suddenly then Bill came by. He too was a rescue dog. After he had a different boss 3 times, he came to live with us. We were the fourth owners. He had to get his forever home with us. This dog needed rest. And we wanted to give that to him. We have had the pleasure of enjoying 3 Newfoundlanders for many years. Byron was almost 13 years old. Then there were 2. Dodge and Bill. In the meantime, they also became a day older. And we decided to give these two a quiet old age. Bill was allowed to live to be more than 12 years old. And six months later we had to let Dodge go. He was over 11 (on December 2021). Now after 27 years there is no Newfoundlanddog in our lives. And we think that is a great loss.
We got to know a beautiful Newfie Insta Family all over the world through Instagram. What a beautiful family. They are friends for life. We have even been to America and were able to meet an Insta Family friend in real life. We hope to see more distant friends in the future. Because there are many Insta friends who are close to my heart and mean a lot to me.
For now we are on a waiting list to hopefully have another puppy at the end of this year. We can not wait...
After so many years of Newfoundland love, I always say that I now have a Newfoundland heart myself. So I can't wait for my heart to be filled with this...
With lots of Newfie love...
Lilianne and Jan
My Newfoundland Dog Story
By Angie Edwards
I love this idea and would love to share my Newfie story with you!!!
Our youngest (of two) daughter had gone off to college in the fall of 2006. Both she and our oldest were at out of state schools. I was lost. The first holiday season without them around was awful. I was so sad all of the time. They both played college basketball so their time home during fall and winter was slim.
That November…. Our garage door broke so my husband called a repair guy to come fix it. I was in the house doing dishes and my husband, Dennis, came inside and said I had to come see the repairmen’s dogs. I walked outside to be greeted by a 3 year old black Newfoundland and a 7 month old brown one. Never had I laid eyes on this breed before!!!! I dropped to my knees and received the best puppy kisses ever. Dennis gave me “ that look”….I said…. Oh hell no. Haha. They are cute. But no. Too big. Too hairy. We had promised each other that we would be empty nesters for a year before we committed to a dog. Long story short….. that following February we brought our Chloe girl home. A beautiful, black Newfie with a sweet little white spot on her chest. She was the light of our lives. She went everywhere with us and people fell in love!!!! 2 years later… Miss Lucy, a landseer, joined our family. So much happiness!!!! They both lived long lives…. Each reaching their 12th birthday!!!! We brought Bruno , our brown boy, into our home about 6 months after Chloe crossed the rainbow bridge. He suffered his first seizure 3 days after we brought him home. 18 months later, we lost him. We gave him all our love and energy but his struggles ran too deep.
Our sweet Lucy become our lone pup. We loved on her til the very end but lost her almost a year ago. She was my best friend.
I cherish every fun, hard, expensive! Memory I had with my three beautiful Newfoundlands. I will forever be thankful our garage broke that day back in November 2006!
Angie Edwards
Our youngest (of two) daughter had gone off to college in the fall of 2006. Both she and our oldest were at out of state schools. I was lost. The first holiday season without them around was awful. I was so sad all of the time. They both played college basketball so their time home during fall and winter was slim.
That November…. Our garage door broke so my husband called a repair guy to come fix it. I was in the house doing dishes and my husband, Dennis, came inside and said I had to come see the repairmen’s dogs. I walked outside to be greeted by a 3 year old black Newfoundland and a 7 month old brown one. Never had I laid eyes on this breed before!!!! I dropped to my knees and received the best puppy kisses ever. Dennis gave me “ that look”….I said…. Oh hell no. Haha. They are cute. But no. Too big. Too hairy. We had promised each other that we would be empty nesters for a year before we committed to a dog. Long story short….. that following February we brought our Chloe girl home. A beautiful, black Newfie with a sweet little white spot on her chest. She was the light of our lives. She went everywhere with us and people fell in love!!!! 2 years later… Miss Lucy, a landseer, joined our family. So much happiness!!!! They both lived long lives…. Each reaching their 12th birthday!!!! We brought Bruno , our brown boy, into our home about 6 months after Chloe crossed the rainbow bridge. He suffered his first seizure 3 days after we brought him home. 18 months later, we lost him. We gave him all our love and energy but his struggles ran too deep.
Our sweet Lucy become our lone pup. We loved on her til the very end but lost her almost a year ago. She was my best friend.
I cherish every fun, hard, expensive! Memory I had with my three beautiful Newfoundlands. I will forever be thankful our garage broke that day back in November 2006!
Angie Edwards
My Newfoundland Dog Story
by Maggie
Each and everyday is Newfie day for me❣️ My husband and I had two dogs over a 30 year period. He loved them, yes, …but then we adopted Bodie, three months after our sweet Buddy crossed the Rainbow Bridge. The transformation my husband made to loving adoration was because of the special Newfie characteristics that weave a charm around one’s heart. We’ve had Bodie for three years and I pray each day for his good health to continue. We love him so❤️
My Newfoundland Dog Story
by John Paszak
The first time I ever saw a Newfoundland was up here in Northern Wisconsin. I fell in Love with her. I started to do research and visited breeders. I got to go to a Newfoundland Championship show, and met some of the most prolific Newfoundland breeders in the USA.
I decided to start to see if there were any Newfoundland rescues in our area, about a month after that we ended up rescuing our first Newfoundland Apollo, who was 3 months old at a time. He was an absolute dream, a little naughty, but he would forever be in my heart! Newfoundland’s are such a special breed, they are such wonderful true stories about all the people they have rescued, plus being great with kids and easy to train and they can do so many things to help people!
So after Apollo, Cinderella, Finn, Kudemo, we are on our 5th Newfoundland rescue now, Mojo and he has had some terrible Heath problems, but through a wonderful holistic veterinarian, he is now healing.
I feel so honored and lucky to have owned these precious beautiful doggies!
I decided to start to see if there were any Newfoundland rescues in our area, about a month after that we ended up rescuing our first Newfoundland Apollo, who was 3 months old at a time. He was an absolute dream, a little naughty, but he would forever be in my heart! Newfoundland’s are such a special breed, they are such wonderful true stories about all the people they have rescued, plus being great with kids and easy to train and they can do so many things to help people!
So after Apollo, Cinderella, Finn, Kudemo, we are on our 5th Newfoundland rescue now, Mojo and he has had some terrible Heath problems, but through a wonderful holistic veterinarian, he is now healing.
I feel so honored and lucky to have owned these precious beautiful doggies!
