So it's been a little less than 2 months since Dipper's passing. I think of him often. I still get really excited when I see other people walking around their shibas. If I really immerse myself into memories of Dipper, it REALLY hurts. It's like a void that can't be filled again because I know I won't see him anytime soon. Or anytime in this lifetime, anyway.
As a way to help me grieve, and with some advice from other dog owners who have dealt with loss, we adopted a 1.5 year-old doggy. While this new dog will never replace Dipper, he is really helping me through my grieving process. It's also a good distraction! He's a Newfoundland (the only dog who's a popular Newfie is Na-Na from Peter Pan!) We found him online and the family who lived with him said they couldn't keep him anymore. We didn't want to introduce a newborn puppy into our house (That is too much work! I already have a baby I take care of all day!) so we thought that right under 2 years-old was perfect. It actually took us a few days before we renamed him. His old family called him Rocky. Kevin and I decided that since he looks like a bear, we would name him something that would remind people of one. It was between Grizzly and Smokey. The latter won.
The first thing you'll notice is Smokey's size. Smokey is big. Like, REALLY big. He's bigger than me. And taller. In fact, his size isn't even large! It's technically JUMBO! Apparently the largest Newfoundland in the world weighed about the size of a baby elephant! Second thing you'll notice is his color. He's also super black, like the color of midnight. Newfies come in different colors but black is the most common. His eyes are a light brown, which reminded me of Dipper. Dipper's eyes were lighter than any other shiba that I had ever seen. Dipper was quite the character bc he always had this "I'm better than you, and I'm beautiful. Serve me..." kind of attitude. But Smokey's eyes seem to be saying, "Hi, I like you. Will you be my friend?" Such different demeanors! It sometimes looks like there is a person hiding underneathe all that fur.
There are some qualities that we wish were different about our new dog. He's a bit of a ham, and can be annoying when he isn't getting the attention he wants. And his slobber! You can bathe in it! The thing that's unfortunate is his old family didn't train him at all. He isn't leash-trained, and that's a hassle since he's so big and can technically drag me along when he's excited. Also, he's stubborn at times and if he doesn't want to do something, he will just sit or lie down. That leads to more than one person having to push or carrying him to wherever he needs to be (usually outside, or into the groomers!) He isn't socialized well, even though he's quite friendly with other dogs, but when he doesn't get the attention he wants from dogs (which happens often, because they're all scared of his size), he keeps barking at them. And his bark is NOT quiet. It's deep and can scare you if you're not used to it. He also likes to jump, which can harm a person or knock them down accidentally. Last but not least, he is not neutered. We plan on neutering him pretty soon, for many reasons...since he is as big as a human, seeing his manly parts just isn't very pleasing to the eye, if you catch my drift. Also, he still has a lot of puppy energy and his size can cause all of us to stay away when he's excited, so once he is neutered he can finally become the lazy couch potato he is meant to be!
Now that we got that out of the way, I'll talk about Smokey's good qualities! Smokey is exactly what a dog should be! He's loyal, sweet, and his size intimidates people so we know no one in their right mind will ever try to break into our home. Did I mention Kevin and I prefer big dogs? Small dogs? Bleh! Useless! I might sound too harsh, but seriously, a dog not only adds fulfillment to one's life, but also security. A dog SHOULD make you feel safe against invaders! Kevin and I are actually annoyed at our sheltie Estee bc she's supposed to be bigger but managed to stay tiny all her life! Who would ever be scared of a tiny dog who likes to bark a lot but you can step on? Let's be real! Kevin and I really, really like big dogs...Also, Smokey's breed is the number one dog for families with small children! Newfoundlands are also called "Nature's Nanny" because of their gentle and caring demeanors over children. The old owners said he has never been angry or aggressive. And to this day, I have never seen him snap or get angry. And that is why they are great with children. Children can poke and prod but Newfies are super gentle and patient. Our other dog Estee sometimes snaps at him and gets angry, but he will just laugh at her and be gentle back toward her. I sometimes put my hand in his mouth and his grip is so gentle. Newfies are actually great for saving people who are drowning (they are water dogs) so they grip people with their gentle mouths. If Kevin and I had done more research before we had gotten our first two dogs, we would've most likely gotten a Newfie first. In fact, the biggest thing I wish was different was that I would've wanted to raise him from puppyhood, because I know we would've developed a deeper bond, like I did with Dipper. It took a few weeks for us to get used to each other. He had his habits, I had mine. But now he sees this as his home and he knows I feed him, so he's happy when I'm around haha!
So, let me introduce you to the newest member of our family: our Newfoundland, Smokey...
As a way to help me grieve, and with some advice from other dog owners who have dealt with loss, we adopted a 1.5 year-old doggy. While this new dog will never replace Dipper, he is really helping me through my grieving process. It's also a good distraction! He's a Newfoundland (the only dog who's a popular Newfie is Na-Na from Peter Pan!) We found him online and the family who lived with him said they couldn't keep him anymore. We didn't want to introduce a newborn puppy into our house (That is too much work! I already have a baby I take care of all day!) so we thought that right under 2 years-old was perfect. It actually took us a few days before we renamed him. His old family called him Rocky. Kevin and I decided that since he looks like a bear, we would name him something that would remind people of one. It was between Grizzly and Smokey. The latter won.
Look at this family loving on their Newfie...
and is it just me, or does that boy look like a younger Kevin?
The first thing you'll notice is Smokey's size. Smokey is big. Like, REALLY big. He's bigger than me. And taller. In fact, his size isn't even large! It's technically JUMBO! Apparently the largest Newfoundland in the world weighed about the size of a baby elephant! Second thing you'll notice is his color. He's also super black, like the color of midnight. Newfies come in different colors but black is the most common. His eyes are a light brown, which reminded me of Dipper. Dipper's eyes were lighter than any other shiba that I had ever seen. Dipper was quite the character bc he always had this "I'm better than you, and I'm beautiful. Serve me..." kind of attitude. But Smokey's eyes seem to be saying, "Hi, I like you. Will you be my friend?" Such different demeanors! It sometimes looks like there is a person hiding underneathe all that fur.
There are some qualities that we wish were different about our new dog. He's a bit of a ham, and can be annoying when he isn't getting the attention he wants. And his slobber! You can bathe in it! The thing that's unfortunate is his old family didn't train him at all. He isn't leash-trained, and that's a hassle since he's so big and can technically drag me along when he's excited. Also, he's stubborn at times and if he doesn't want to do something, he will just sit or lie down. That leads to more than one person having to push or carrying him to wherever he needs to be (usually outside, or into the groomers!) He isn't socialized well, even though he's quite friendly with other dogs, but when he doesn't get the attention he wants from dogs (which happens often, because they're all scared of his size), he keeps barking at them. And his bark is NOT quiet. It's deep and can scare you if you're not used to it. He also likes to jump, which can harm a person or knock them down accidentally. Last but not least, he is not neutered. We plan on neutering him pretty soon, for many reasons...since he is as big as a human, seeing his manly parts just isn't very pleasing to the eye, if you catch my drift. Also, he still has a lot of puppy energy and his size can cause all of us to stay away when he's excited, so once he is neutered he can finally become the lazy couch potato he is meant to be!
Now that we got that out of the way, I'll talk about Smokey's good qualities! Smokey is exactly what a dog should be! He's loyal, sweet, and his size intimidates people so we know no one in their right mind will ever try to break into our home. Did I mention Kevin and I prefer big dogs? Small dogs? Bleh! Useless! I might sound too harsh, but seriously, a dog not only adds fulfillment to one's life, but also security. A dog SHOULD make you feel safe against invaders! Kevin and I are actually annoyed at our sheltie Estee bc she's supposed to be bigger but managed to stay tiny all her life! Who would ever be scared of a tiny dog who likes to bark a lot but you can step on? Let's be real! Kevin and I really, really like big dogs...Also, Smokey's breed is the number one dog for families with small children! Newfoundlands are also called "Nature's Nanny" because of their gentle and caring demeanors over children. The old owners said he has never been angry or aggressive. And to this day, I have never seen him snap or get angry. And that is why they are great with children. Children can poke and prod but Newfies are super gentle and patient. Our other dog Estee sometimes snaps at him and gets angry, but he will just laugh at her and be gentle back toward her. I sometimes put my hand in his mouth and his grip is so gentle. Newfies are actually great for saving people who are drowning (they are water dogs) so they grip people with their gentle mouths. If Kevin and I had done more research before we had gotten our first two dogs, we would've most likely gotten a Newfie first. In fact, the biggest thing I wish was different was that I would've wanted to raise him from puppyhood, because I know we would've developed a deeper bond, like I did with Dipper. It took a few weeks for us to get used to each other. He had his habits, I had mine. But now he sees this as his home and he knows I feed him, so he's happy when I'm around haha!
So, let me introduce you to the newest member of our family: our Newfoundland, Smokey...
Welcome to the family,
Smokey Bear!
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