Big Old Newfie Dog

by Peter Maniate Posted on Friday, March 15, 2013

We have recently lost a great Canadian icon, Stomping Tom Connors, who certainly earned the moniker, Mr. Canada. I have been one of his greatest fans because of his incredible songs about our country and also because he shared his life with Newfoundland dogs. My biggest disappointment was that Stomping Tom never wrote a song about Newfie dogs.

However back in the 1980’s, another icon, Michael T. Wall, the Singing Newfoundlander, also known as Mr. Newfoundland, did oblige. He wrote and recorded Big Old Newfie Dog. Love the whole recording but my favourite part is the back up vocals by Hannibal’s Christmas Knight, better known as C.K. Michael borrowed C.K. from Bev Baker and her late husband, Ed. Christmas Knight was already a celebrity in Scarborough, participating in many public events, including his role as the mascot of the Variety Village Band which he led on parade.

C.K. & Michael T. Wall
C.K. & Michael T. Wall

When I heard that Michael T. was re-releasing the recording of Big Old Newfie Dog, I jumped at the chance to get a copy. It comes as part of a limited edition two CD set entitled From Newfoundland to Australia. Michael is now in his 70’s but not only is he still active with his music career but commutes to Australia to sing for the folks down under and they love this native Newfoundlander.

To order your copy of the CD set contact Michael at mr.nfld99@gmail.com. Big Old Newfie Dog is number 23 on the first CD; be sure to listen for the back up vocals :)

Here are the lyrics:

He’s black and he’s big
And he sure likes to give
His love to the kids of Newfoundland;
He’s gentle and kind
And he spends his time
With me and the kids of Newfoundland.

So if you’re down my way
And get the urge to play
In the beauty of the ocean and the sand;
Take your children out to play
In the coves of the bay
With this big ole Newfie dog from Newfoundland.

He’s just a big ole Newfie dog from Newfoundland,
And he romps and stomps all day in the sand;
And he plays with the boys and girls of my dear homeland.
He’s just a big ole Newfie dog from Newfoundland.
He’s just a big ole Newfie dog from Newfoundland.

Peter Maniate has been writing a column about Newfoundland dogs since January, 1996, originally for Dogs in Canada magazine and now for Newf News. The preceding column originally appeared in the March/April, 2013 issue of Newf News. Permission is granted for re-publication of the preceding article or excerpts from it as long as the author is credited and the name of the original publication and date of first publication is included.
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Carting Terminology

by Peter Maniate Posted on Friday, March 15, 2013

One of the biggest hurdles for newcomers to carting and other forms of draft work with dogs is the terminology used. For amateur cart builders this is especially so. For example when someone starts to make their own cart for the first time, they see the pivoting bar but not knowing the purpose, may ignore it in their construction. However, if they know it has a name (whiffle tree), they would be more likely to do their research and find out why other cart makers took the trouble to install such a device.

Here are some of the more common terms that we use:

CART – Technically a two wheeled vehicle but the term is also used for three wheeled apparatus. Sometimes four wheeled vehicles are referred to as carts, in particular the SACCO cart.

WAGON – A four wheeled draft apparatus.

SHAFTS – These are the two rods/poles that go on either side of the dog when only one canine is employed. If there are two dogs abreast then there will be one shaft in the centre and optionally two more for the outside. On a cart the shafts are rigid to allow the dog to act as the front wheels whereas on a wagon the shafts flex up and down. The shafts are needed for turning and braking and in the case of a two wheeled cart, to keep the vehicle in proper balance.

WHIFFLE TREE aka whipple tree or single tree – This is the pivoting bar on a cart or wagon or other draft vehicle that double traces are attached to rather than directly to the apparatus. It converts the two point pull of the dog to a single point on the vehicle giving a smoother haul and makes the pulling more comfortable for the animal. Harness systems that employ a single trace do not need such device but may have a spreader bar built into the rear of the body harness.

DOUBLE TREE – A system of three whiffle trees that converts the four point pull in two stages of two dogs abreast to a single pull on the draft apparatus.

TRACE(S) – This is a strap or straps that provide the pulling connection from dog to draft apparatus. Almost all canine hauling vehicles require these. There are two notable exceptions: one is the SACCO cart which is designed to be pulled from the shafts and the other is a cart with a dorsal hitch; in the latter case, the cart is pulled by the single shaft that connects to the harness from the top.

BODY HARNESS – The part of the harnessing system that is fitted directly onto the dog’s body.

SIWASH HARNESS – A sled dog style webbed harness that is meant to allow a even pressure over the dog’s body while hauling but also tightens on the animal as the pulling gets harder.

CHEST HARNESS aka buckle harness – An adjustable harness that concentrates the pulling pressure on the chest of the dog in direct line to the vehicle. Some such harnesses may have a saddle or half saddle that protects from the clips of a shaft holder strap and also enables floating back packs to be attached directly over the shoulders.

SHAFT HOLDER STRAP – A strap that connects the dog to the shafts. It holds the shafts at a constant level to maintain the correct balance.

NEUTRAL BALANCE – Applicable to two wheeled carts. Refers to zero up or down pressure from the shafts. A slight down pressure when harnessing is desirable, much like tongue weight on an automotive trailer; however the cart should be capable of neutral balance both empty and when loaded.

GEE & HAW – The traditional commands for a carting dog to turn right (gee) and left (haw). These have been inherited from other animal drawn activities (e.g. horse & oxen hauling) and of course, from our musher cousins. Right turn and left turn are not used as these are the usual commands for a handler by a judge in a test.

GIDDY UP or WALK ON or LET’S GO – Typical commands to start a dog hauling a cart or wagon. Not used is the mushers’ command of hike as this means to start at a full gallop or the obedience start command of heel which includes an automatic sit upon stopping along with a position requirement vis-à-vis the handler. Forward is not used for the same reason that it is not used in obedience training as this is the usual command by a judge to the handler in a test.

WHOA – The traditional command to stop, also inherited from other animal drawn activities. Halt is not used since that is the typical command of a judge to a handler in a test. Some handlers use stop but whoa has a better intonation to support the gradual stopping that is wanted from the dog of at least two or three steps.

Peter Maniate has been writing a column about Newfoundland dogs since January, 1996, originally for Dogs in Canada magazine and now for Newf News. The preceding column originally appeared in the March/April, 2013 issue of Newf News. Permission is granted for re-publication of the preceding article or excerpts from it as long as the author is credited and the name of the original publication and date of first publication is included.
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Tobogganing With Your Dog

by Peter Maniate Posted on Sunday, February 24, 2013

Winter in Canada can be special for you and your draft dog. Our native people developed vehicles for the winter long before Europeans came to this continent. These vehicles have survived to this day both in their original form and in evolutionary forms.

When one thinks of a fundamental winter vehicle, a sled often comes to mind but this device which is a platform raised on runners is only practical for relatively hard surfaces like permafrost (which covers 40 – 50% of the land area in Canada), packed snow trails and ice surfaces. In sub-arctic areas where powder snow abounds, something else was needed.

Our aboriginal peoples were most ingenious. In the warmer months they invented the travois which consists of two trailing poles which could effectively traverse rough ground with heavy loads. For the winter they were just as resourceful. To transport over deep powder snow they devised the toboggan in a form that still exists today, thousands of years later. The Micmac word “tobakun” is thought to be the original term and the French Canadians then called it “tabaganne”.

Wooden slats, usually birch were joined by cross bars and the curved front was formed by bending the slats while they were still green and lashing them in place until dry. One tribe even steamed the wood to soften it for bending. Typically the width of the toboggan was about a foot wide. This allowed the vehicle to fit in the track formed by a person walking ahead with snowshoes. The toboggan was pulled either by a person or a dog (the only animal domesticated by the first peoples).

One way to study history is to memorize a lot of dates of events but that is boring at best. My preferred way is to “live” our history. So if you hook up your dog to a wooden toboggan and find some fresh powder snow and walk ahead with snowshoes, you’ll be living the history of our founding peoples and their technology.

Thanks to the toboggan invention of Canada’s aboriginals, we not only have recreational sliding for kids but three unique vehicles used in Olympic sports that have evolved from the original sliding machine, the bobsled, the luge and the skeleton.

Of course the basic dog powered toboggan is now available in a more sophisticated mode. One example is this design from Arctic Toboggan:

Artic Toboggan
Artic Toboggan

Here is a photo of the recommended single file harness set up for the sophisticated toboggan musher:

Single file harness set up
Single file harness set up
Peter Maniate has been writing a column about Newfoundland dogs since January, 1996, originally for Dogs in Canada magazine and now for Newf News. The preceding column originally appeared in the January/February, 2013 issue of Newf News. Permission is granted for re-publication of the preceding article or excerpts from it as long as the author is credited and the name of the original publication and date of first publication is included.
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Ambassador Extraordinaire

by Peter Maniate Posted on Sunday, February 24, 2013

Very few humans get a front page obituary coupled with a letter of condolence from the top politician in their jurisdiction. However a very special Newfoundland dog was so honoured.

When Moose died in November, 2007 there was an immediate announcement in The Western Star, the daily newspaper of Corner Brook, Newfoundland, followed by a front page obituary next day. The announcement was titled “Unofficial canine ambassador of Corner Brook dies.”

With the help of Michael T. Wall, the singing Newfoundlander, I was able to get copies of both the obituary and the Premier’s letter as shown below:

Peter Maniate has been writing a column about Newfoundland dogs since January, 1996, originally for Dogs in Canada magazine and now for Newf News. The preceding column originally appeared in the January/February, 2013 issue of Newf News. Permission is granted for re-publication of the preceding article or excerpts from it as long as the author is credited and the name of the original publication and date of first publication is included.
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Wagon Conversion

by Peter Maniate Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2012

A good way to start dog carting is with a wagon rather than a cart. First it is much less expensive to get a wagon and the wagon has other uses as well. For the handler, less knowledge is needed as balance and tipping are not issues with a wagon. It is also easier to start a dog with a wagon as it is less constraining than being hitched to a cart and is a natural progression in draft training a canine.

While some outfitters sell wagons, I don’t suggest getting one from them. It is much less expensive to buy a wagon from a hardware or department store and then purchase a wagon conversion kit from an outfitter. Ideally the wagon will have pneumatic tires and the normal standard is 10 inch wheels; however if you can find them, the 13 inch wheels are superior in terms of rolling resistance.

On the internet there are many sites detailing how to make your own conversion kit, essentially a set of shafts that replaces the wagon handle. Regrettably I have not yet found a single site that I can recommend. They are all inappropriate in design featuring ease of construction over concern for the comfort or the dog.

This means you should purchase the conversion kit from an outfitter. Here the news is not much better. To date I have found only two outfitters that I can recommend. One of these suppliers is my son, Allan, and his equipment can be seen at Dog Training and Equipment Sales. I am not recommending Allan because he is my son but because he learned the basics of draft work and equipment from yours truly before taking over my outfitting business. Allan provides a single dog hitch, a double dog hitch and a team hitch for three or four dogs. With one more component, these hitches can also be used for a toboggan or ice fishing sled.

Here is the single dog hitch:

Single Dog Hitch

Note the design of the shafts, wider at the rear, then narrowing and finally spread out. All of this has a purpose. The rear section widening allows the dog to manoeuvre without pressure on his hind end. The narrowness near the front permits proper harnessing and the spreading of the tips keeps the shafts from poking into the dog. While it is difficult to see in the photo, there is a whiffle tree which is mounted at the rear of the shafts. This is a rotating bar to attach the traces (pulling straps) rather than to the vehicle body. This, along with the shaft design ensures the comfort of the dog while hauling.

The other outfitter that I can recommend for wagon conversion equipment is Dog Works and you can see their products at DogWorks.com. Here is a photo of their single and double shafts. As you will note, the design of the single dog shaft is similar to that made by Allan, complete with whiffle tree.

Dogworks Wagon Conversion Equipment

Dog Works also offers accessories like a trailer and seats.

Dogworks Wagon Trailer
Dogworks Wagon Seats
Peter Maniate has been writing a column about Newfoundland dogs since January, 1996, originally for Dogs in Canada magazine and now for Newf News. The preceding column originally appeared in the November/December, 2012 issue of Newf News. Permission is granted for re-publication of the preceding article or excerpts from it as long as the author is credited and the name of the original publication and date of first publication is included.
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Moral Dilemma For Owners Of Newfy Dogs

by Peter Maniate Posted on Tuesday, October 9, 2012

French Hero

Back in 1998 I wrote about a marvellous Newfoundland or should I say Terre-Neuve that made the front page headlines as a hero in France.

For those of you don’t read French, here is what an English language paper, the International Herald Tribune, wrote:

Tuesday, July 28, 1998, Maui, a courageous and loyal Newfoundland Rescue Dog, became a French national hero after giving his life to save three tourists, two Dutch and one British, from drowning in rough Mediterranean waters off the southern tip of Corsica.

He swam out with a lifeguard’s surfboard and with the exhausted swimmers hanging onto it, he was able to tow them to shore.

Just before reaching the beach at Propriano, crashing waves separated the group. Fireman called to the scene were able to haul the tourists ashore but the exhausted dog went under and drowned.

To make matters more disturbing, the area had been posted as “no swimming” and the tourists ran off as soon as they were rescued. Maui and his master were members of a French canine supported lifesaving society and were in Corsica on vacation but true life savers are never off duty.

This story prompted some heated discussions in the months that followed especially at the National Specialty Show the following Spring. To my surprise and horror, many Newf owners said they would never risk their Newf’s life to save a person. Most adamant on this point was a lady with a water rescue titled Newf who was featured on the front cover of a lifeguard magazine.

Jump forward 14 years to 2012 and the story of Maui is brought up on the internet, both on Facebook and Newf-L. I was astonished to find out that almost no one would subject their Newfoundland to risk to save a human even if their fur baby was trained and/or titled in water rescue. What astounded more than anything else was the revelation that the US water tests, upon which we modelled our Canadian trials, were never intended to certify lifesaving skills. The original introduction to the US test regulations read:

Keeping in tune with the ideals of our beautiful breed, we here present what we feel is the best set of exercises to help our working Newf be a useful animal to its owner, and to depict to the world at large the diversity and unique talents of the Newfoundland dog.

In the early 1980’s I was the secretary of the committee that set up the first water rescue dog tests for Canada and I naively assumed that we were going to certify our Newfs as life guards. In the 1990’s my family ran demonstrations for the public and modified the first two exercises, the simple retrieve and the directed retrieve, by substituting a life size baby doll for the usual retrieval objects of bumper, boat cushion and life jacket. After seeing our demos, no one ever questioned that these were life saving exercises.

In 2010 Rita Lo and I went to Quebec to run a water rescue dog seminar and Rita’s Newf, Remington, came along as the demo dog. A few weeks before the seminar, I asked Rita to practice saving the baby so we could put some realism in the pre-seminar demonstrations. Again there was no doubt that these were life saving exercises.

To me the problem of not considering the water rescue dog tests to be real is that they will merely become another form of obedience trials rather than a working test. A good example of this is the US exercise where a paddle is retrieved. Most handlers use a toy paddle that makes it seem like an irrelevant exercise. If it were me I would use a large oar. Above is a photo taken by Sandra Nicholson of her boy, Neptune, bringing in a full size oar; need we say more!

Peter Maniate has been writing a column about Newfoundland dogs since January, 1996, originally for Dogs in Canada magazine and now for Newf News. The preceding column originally appeared in the September/October, 2012 issue of Newf News. Permission is granted for re-publication of the preceding article or excerpts from it as long as the author is credited and the name of the original publication and date of first publication is included.
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Service Dogs And The Law

by Peter Maniate Posted on Tuesday, October 9, 2012

In the May/June, 2009 issue of Newf News I wrote a column entitled Walker Dog which was about mobility assistance dogs acting as a living cane or walker. Unfortunately I have discovered that my comment about the law regarding such dogs was wrong. It read:

Unfortunately in most jurisdictions, including here in Ontario, there is no legal recognition of mobility assistance dogs as there is for guide dogs for the blind.

It turns out that all such service dogs are indeed recognized in law by both the Province of Ontario and the Canadian Federal Government. While normally quite diligent in my research, I goofed on this one. The statutes and regulations are conveniently available on line and I did what I thought was a thorough search. Problem is I used the wrong search terms. Terms like service dog, assistance dog and mobility assistance dog yielded no hits. Three years later, using more sophisticated search techniques I discovered that I should have used service animal and assistance animal.

So now let me set the record straight. At the Federal Government level the laws are primarily for air travel and read:

Air Transportation Regulations – SOR/88-58 (Section 149)

149. (1) Subject to section 151, an air carrier shall accept a service animal for carriage without charge if the animal is

(a) required by a person for assistance; and

(b) certified, in writing, as having been trained to assist a person by a professional service animal institution.

(2) Where an air carrier accepts a service animal for carriage pursuant to subsection (1), the air carrier shall permit the animal, if the animal is properly harnessed in accordance with standards established by a professional service animal institution, to accompany the person on board the aircraft and to remain on the floor at the person’s passenger seat.

I can’t help but imagine a disabled passenger in a centre seat in economy class with their mobility assistance Newfoundland on the floor at their feet. The poor dog would have to be a foot rest for the disabled person along with the passengers on either side.

Compared to the federal law the Ontario government law is enlightened. The regulations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 give all encompassing access for service animals without them needing to come from a professional service animal institution. This is important as a dog trained for carting or other draft work can easily be taught at home to pull a wheelchair or act as a living cane. Some Newfoundlands even do this instinctively with only some minor practice needed. Here are the Ontario regulations:

Ontario Regulation 429/07 made under the Accessibility For Ontarians With Disabilities Act, 2005

Use of service animals and support persons

(2) If a person with a disability is accompanied by a guide dog or other service animal, the provider of goods or services shall ensure that the person is permitted to enter the premises with the animal and to keep the animal with him or her unless the animal is otherwise excluded by law from the premises.

(9) For the purposes of this section, an animal is a service animal for a person with a disability,

(a) if it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to his or her disability; or

(b) if the person provides a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability.

The only problem with the Ontario law is that almost no one seems to know about it. The disabled are generally unaware that they have these rights and even if they are, the proprietors and managers of businesses sure don’t seem to know the law in this regard. What I recommend for residents of Ontario who are disabled and employing an assistance animal is to carry with them a copy of the regulations. You can copy them from the government website or order a hard copy from the Queen’s Printer for Ontario. Or you can just photocopy this column.

In the 2009 Walker Dog column I wrote about Moe McKinnon from Midland, Ontario using one of her Newfs as a mobility assistance dog. Suffering from multiple sclerosis Moe had a handle added to Polar Bear’s carting harness and employed him as a living cane. Now that I have made her aware of her rights under Ontario law she has bought a mobility dog harness and is using it with her Newf, Turi. The harness has the words “service dog” imprinted on it. It has two handles, one fixed and the other flexible, similar to those on guide dog harnesses. Here are some photos of Moe, Turi and the harness:

Unfortunately I have not found comparable laws in the other jurisdictions in Canada other than in Alberta where a disabled person may apply for an identification card that will allow them to access public facilities with a service dog. Hopefully in time, all jurisdictions will pass appropriate legislation and regulations to further animal assistance for the disabled. In the United States, the federal government has laws regarding service animals similar to those of Ontario; unfortunately these have come into conflict with state laws. Let’s trust that this dilemma will also be worked out in favour of the disabled persons and their wonderful service animals.

Peter Maniate is a Newfoundland dog breeder and a professional trainer specializing in dog carting. Since 1979 he has been writing a bi-monthly column in the Newf News entitled Carting Corner. The preceding column originally appeared in the September/October, 2012 issue. Permission is granted for re-publication of the preceding article or excerpts from it as long as the author is credited and the name of the original publication and date of first publication is included.
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Visiting Newfoundland & Seeing Newfs

by Peter Maniate Posted on Sunday, July 15, 2012

In an earlier column I wrote about how you become an instant celebrity if you travel to the Island of Newfoundland with a Newfoundland dog. But what if you don’t have a Newf with you? Well such travellers who love our breed keep a lookout for any specimens. Regrettably most return complaining that they didn’t see a single Newfoundland dog on their trip. Well I decided to play amateur travel agent for the Newf lover visiting the ancestral Island. Assuming you will start from the south-western tip of the island, I have you getting off the ferry at Port aux Basques. First stop is the Newfoundland Emporium in Corner Brook. This shop features a wide selection of Newfoundland crafts, folk art, antiques, rare Newfoundland books and Flotsam and Jetsam. Best of all however, is the usually present resident Newfy dog, Flossie. She and her predecessor, Moose, have been a hit with tourists, particularly those from the cruise ships. Next issue I hope to have a special feature on Moose who ended his glorious life in 2007 with a front page obituary in the local paper, The Western Star, and a letter of condolence from then Premier, Danny Williams. Next we go to the first of four Bed & Breakfast places that have a resident Newfoundland dog. Folks that I talked to in Newfoundland were surprised that I found that many. While others have advertised a Newf on the premises, when I phoned to verify I sadly discovered that the Newf had passed away and they had no plans for a successor. There seems to be a trend to cater to people who might be allergic to animals and to stress modern conveniences like Wi-Fi. Makes me wonder, who would go to the Island and prefer Wi-Fi to a furry host? Anyway, we should continue west on the Trans Canada Highway and stop at Springdale. There we will find Coffee Cove Seaside Retreat with hosts Nola and Paul and their Newf, Nicky. You can choose from a B & B suite or a cottage but the big draw is Nicky. Here is how their boy is described:

Nicky of Coffee Cove Seaside Retreat
Nicky

Allow us to introduce to you our baby… Nicky the Newfoundland Dog. He is now almost 4 years old and 175 lbs. Nicky has become a permanent fixture on the property and a loving member of our family. Nicky is naturally drawn to the ocean and he insists on his morning dip every day before settling in for a nap. Nicky is also looking forward to welcoming our guests again this summer. He will probably be the first to welcome you and the last to say good-bye, but he insists on having his picture taken with you before you leave.

While in Springdale you should also visit another B & B, Indian River Brook Bed and Breakfast. While they no longer have their resident Newf, the hostess, Doreen is also an author and one of her works is a children’s book entitled The Newfoundland Dog’s Birthday Surprise. While visiting you can purchase a copy or two and have them signed by the author. The next three B & B’s are on the Avalon Peninsula, which is the jut of land at the far east end of the Island. First we come to Blueberry Hill Bed and Breakfast. It is located in Cavendish on the Trinity Bay side the Baccalieu Trail coastline. You will be greeted by hosts Randy and Rose along with Fifi their Newfy girl. This facility is recommended as a paradise getaway for special occasions including honeymoons. From Trinity Bay we proceed to Conception Bay where we find the last two B & B’s. First is the very peaceful sounding Roberts Sleepy Hollows at Clarke’s Beach. If you can’t find the place and you are within a 10 km radius, just phone and host Lewis Roberts will come and get you. Special treats include Lewis’ special creation called “space ship breakfast” as well as his scientific electronic research museum. Of course the biggest treat of all is Lady, the resident Newfoundland dog.

O'Mally of Rothesay House
O’Mally

Your last overnight stay will be in Harbour Grace on the Conception Bay side of the Baccalieu Trail. Harbour Grace is renown in Newfoundland dog circles as the home of the famous Harbour Beem Kennels of the late Megan and Bob Nutbeem. Here you will find Rothesay House Inn Bed & Breakfast. One of your hosts will be O’Mally, a Harbour Beem Newfoundland. While I couldn’t find any resident Newfs in the capital city of St. John’s, it is still worth commuting to this city from one of the B & B’s on the Avalon Penninsula. Cruise ships often stop at the Harbour and are met with special greeters such as traditional dancers and mounted members of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and most especially by a Newfoundland dog. So contact the Port to get a schedule of cruise ship arrivals. While there, check out the War Memorial Park which overlooks the Harbour; there you will find statues of the Newfoundland dog. It is my hope that readers will let me know of other tourist attractions that feature a resident Newfy Dog so that I can do an update on seeing Newfs while travelling in their native land.

Peter Maniate has been writing a column about Newfoundland dogs since January, 1996, originally for Dogs in Canada magazine and now for Newf News. The preceding column originally appeared in the July/August, 2012 issue of Newf News. Permission is granted for re-publication of the preceding article or excerpts from it as long as the author is credited and the name of the original publication and date of first publication is included.
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Carting Demeanour

by Peter Maniate Posted on Thursday, July 5, 2012

When I came across this suicide machine on the net my first reaction was to laugh. Then I read their comment about a squirrel and realized that even the promoters didn’t expect anyone to really try this.

Dog Powered Skateboard
Dog Powered Skateboard

Looking for a really environmentally friendly way to get around? Have you considered dog power?

Dog Powered Scooter has ‘em all sizes for the whole family: scooters, trikes, recumbents, and skate boards too. Its all fun and games till you run across a squirrel.

Obviously I would never suggest that anyone try the contraption above. However the warning about squirrels applies whenever you have your dog hauling.

Squirrels are probably the most common reason for adrenalin fuelled all out chases with no thought or reaction to anything else. However there are many such distractions and they vary from dog to dog; these could be such things as other dogs, bicycles, motorcycles, skateboarders, joggers and cats.

I started dog carting before there were any books or articles on the subject. All I could find was literature on dog sledding, so I had to learn carting from the school of hard knocks. Having made more mistakes in this area than anyone else I quickly became an expert. One of my early “been there, done that” experiences involved a squirrel; this episode ended with a Newfoundland dog half way up a tree with a cart attached. Wish I had taken a photo so that I could have started an album on how not to dog cart. Another thrill was when my carting Newf saw a cat being let out of the front door of a neighbour’s house. The decorative fence around his front lawn was replaced at my expense.

Such screw-ups on my part taught me early on that one shouldn’t cart in public until the dog has established a certain demeanour when harnessed and hitched to a vehicle. Fortunately for me, the dogs involved were not injured and there were no passengers, which could have turned these incidents into terrible tragedies.

Among other things I teach control of a dog through body mechanics. One of the techniques is an emergency stop for situations such as a wild chase after a squirrel or other object. However the technique which involves a 180 degree turn with the leash wrapping it self around you, doesn’t work so well when a cart or wagon is attached to the dog. Such violent turns with a vehicle could cause an upset with harmful consequences. So something more is required for the carting dog.

Demeanour is not a word normally used in dog training but it has a special place in dog carting. By demeanour I am referring to the dog’s outward bearing. It should noticeably change as the dog is harnessed and hitched to an apparatus. The exception would be for canines that are super calm at all times, who would not be incensed at the sight of a squirrel running across their path or throwing broken nut shells down at them.

For the majority of dogs, as you attach them to the cart, they should become visibly aware of a difference in their status and much more alert to their handler. If your dog does not show such a change, then you should concentrate on affecting this. First of all, work with him in a contained area with little or no distraction. Then get your dog’s attention by executing a series of immediate starts, stops and sharp turns. Vary the routine often and quickly. Eventually your canine buddy will take nothing for granted and realize that he has to be alert to your signals at all times. You will know that your dog is ready to cart in public when you can easily see the change in his bearing whenever he is hitched.

Peter Maniate is a Newfoundland dog breeder and a professional trainer specializing in dog carting. Since 1979 he has been writing a bi-monthly column in the Newf News entitled Carting Corner. The preceding column originally appeared in the July/August, 2012 issue. Permission is granted for re-publication of the preceding article or excerpts from it as long as the author is credited and the name of the original publication and date of first publication is included.
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Newfoundland Colour Enshrined in Law

by Peter Maniate Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2012
This column about our beloved breed has been around for decades in Dogs in Canada magazine and since 1996 I have been chair of the committee that authored it on behalf of the Newfoundland Dog Club of Canada. Unfortunately Dogs in Canada published for the last time in December, 2011 leaving this feature as an orphan. However I was subsequently invited to carry on with the production of Breedlines right here in Newf News.

In this inaugural column I am thrilled to welcome Devon Nutbeem as guest columnist. Devon is a Newfoundland breeder in New Brunswick and the daughter of legendary figures in the Newfoundland dog world, Megan and Robert Nutbeem. The Nutbeems bred under the Harbourbeem prefix in Harbour Grace on the Island of Newfoundland. Megan Nutbeem has been an idol of mine since I got my first Newf in the mid 70′s and it has been a major regret for me that I never got the opportunity to pick her brain about Newfoundland dogs in Newfoundland. Fortunately Devon has memories and documents of her parents to share with us and this article is hopefully the first of many.

Ollie & Belle
Ollie & Belle

The article below came from a response by Devon on a thread on Newf-L where colours of Newfs were being discussed including the fact that the Canadian breed standard does not allow colours like brown (permitted everywhere else in the world) and grey (only in the US standard). In previous Breedlines it has been mentioned that the Canadian standard only recognizes black and Landseer (white & black) and that this is based on an Order-in-Council passed by the Government of Newfoundland. Devon now gives us the “why”.

I wonder if anyone might be interested in understanding why the colour component of the Canadian breed standard for the Newfoundland…. which originated in Newfoundland…. is enshrined in law… in Newfoundland?

Historically, and I am speaking of the past 1000 years… certainly the past 300 or so…. not merely the past 80 some odd…. in Newfoundland, the dog considered to be a pure Newfoundland (known formerly as the Greater Newfoundland) was black. In our history, other colours were suspect. Granted much of our history was handed down by word of mouth but there is enough actually written to understand the beliefs of the time. A great many dogs were exported to Britain from the late 1600′s onward… they were considered quite a prize and became quite popular there. So much so, that crosses with various other dogs took place, the most notable being that of the Newfoundland with the British White Estate dog (long since extinct) which was a forbear of the present day Landseer. It became very popular because of its striking markings and was further popularized by the famous paintings of Sir Edwin Landseer from whom its name was taken.

The St. John’s dog, or Lesser Newfoundland, had as one of it’s forbears, the Greater Newfoundland… but was itself more of a retriever type and was found in colours other than black. It was from this that the Labrador retriever was developed…. in England.

The Honourable Harold MacPherson delved into the matter both in Newfoundland and Britain over the course of his lifetime and 50 or so years involvement with the breed from the early 1900′s onward. He gathered a good deal of what was believed to be the historical aspect of the breed and it is from this as well as some other sources that the Newfoundland position with respect to its indigenous breed, evolved. I remember Mum and Dad going through material and discussing that which had been handed to them. I have now boxes of Mum’s things and am hoping to unearth a lot as I get to go through it. However, we did have two incidents at Harbour Beem during the 52 years that my parents lived in Harbour Grace, when pipes burst, flooding the basement where so much was stored in boxes and steamer trunks. A lot got thrown out and I am very worried that much may now be missing… we’ll see….

Now, I don’t doubt at all that the Newfoundland dog interbred with ships’ dogs and others that came ashore over the course of our history… they are Newfoundland “ers” after all so would hardly pass up an “opportunity”!! However, we believe that the type and purpose of the dog was so well ingrained by that time, that it didn’t affect the breed too significantly.

Therefore, notwithstanding the fact that colours can be produced from purebred Newfoundlands… I don’t think anyone is arguing the fact that such genes exist… we just aren’t necessarily too clear on how they got there.

The point of a standard is to consciously SELECT for those attributes felt to be truest to the breed while selecting against those genes responsible for health issues, as we come to understand their nature..

No doubt, various colours and combinations have popped up over the years… but the history of this breed was not made in the last 80 or so years…. it has been centuries. Contrary to a statement made in an article in the last Newftide, there WERE dog skeletons unearthed at the Viking diggings in L’Anse Aux Meadows in Northern Newfoundland… The Vikings were in Newfoundland in 1000 AD… my parents donated the bodies of 4 of our elderly Newfoundlands when they had passed away from old age in the 1960′s so that their skeletons could be compared with those unearthed at the Viking site. I don’t think that citing that Newfoundlands of colours other than black existed in the past 80 or so years is indicative of the “history” of the breed… it is too recent.

And after all that… let me say that which other countries wish to accept in terms of inclusion in their Standard is entirely up to them. That is their prerogative and certainly a case can be made that at some point in the breed’s evolution, genes became added to the pool which resulted in such things as colour expression which some may wish to embrace. Canada, through Newfoundland, wishes to select for that which it believes constitutes the original colour as well as the White and Black for its historical aspect with respect to Britain’s role in that development and the fact that the black dog does carry an expression of white factor on chest, tips of toes and tip of tail. SO… no… just because the genes exist, is NO reason to allow their expression in the standard. Just because they exist… does not mean they are correct….

Peter Maniate has been writing a column about Newfoundland dogs since January, 1996, originally for Dogs in Canada magazine and now for Newf News. The preceding column originally appeared in the May/June, 2012 issue of Newf News. Permission is granted for re-publication of the preceding article or excerpts from it as long as the author is credited and the name of the original publication and date of first publication is included.
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