Slobber… Appreciation?

Leave it to another owner of two Newfs to morbidly declare November 16 National Slobber Appreciation Day.

It’s weird, but it’s right up our alley!

Moses exhibiting frozen slobber

Moses is a drooly dog. There’s no getting past it.

Alma, while less so with her smaller jowls, still has moments befitting any Newf.

Alma

As a brand-new dog owner when we got Moses, I was really quite… well, prissy, when it came to the drool. Or at least I used to be. We would carry “drool rags” everywhere with us, and we’d wipe him down before meeting new people.

A young Moses and his drool bib, during his brief show dog career

But now? Well, after you experience finding drool on your walls, ceiling, bookshelves, car windows… and get drool flung on your clothes, in your hair, and – the ultimate of grossness – on your face… let’s just say the drool rags are long gone.

It’s now pet-at-your-own-risk if you want to meet the Newfs.

The Splash Zone: Enter at your own risk

It took a while – and a healthy stock of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers – to fully come to terms with the drool, but it’s all about trade-offs.

For example, a little visible slobber means more people leave you alone to enjoy a nice, peaceful dog walk.

And I’d much rather deal with occasional drool than excessive shedding.

Moses taking some tips from Tyra and ‘making it work’

Now, that’s not to say Newfs don’t shed.

Just like “dry-mouth” Newfs are a myth, so are non-shedding or hypo-allergenic dogs – it’s just a matter of how much and what type of coat.

Grooming supplies: dog, brush, wine.

Newfoundlands, with their double coat, shed mostly as the seasons change; it’s particularly bad in the spring as they slim down for summer. But their oily water-dog coat means their fur doesn’t stick to clothes or furniture. Instead, it gathers on the floor and roams around the house like soft, charcoal tumbleweeds.

I compare this to the shedding of labs, retrievers, and shepherds, where you can’t leave the house without a lint roller. To me, a little slobber is easy to handle in comparison.

A pair of slobbery Newfs

So, do I appreciate slobber? I don’t know I’d go that far. But I certainly appreciate Moses and Alma.

For more of Slobber Appreciation Day, go visit My Brown Newfies.

Wordless Wednesday 24: Welcome Winter

As if on cue, we flipped the calendars to November, and the snow promptly arrived.

No complaints from Moses

Moses romped in the snow like a younger dog

The leaves have been gone for a while, so it’s nice to have snow cover up all that’s brown and dead

Mo’s excited face

In the snow with a raw bone – a Newf’s happy place

The last lingering non-residents make haste for warmer climates

To see the rest of Wordless Wednesday, click here.