15. Miscellaneous

• 15.1 What is Lord Byron's Poem?

This poem is inscribed on a statue of Boatswain, a Newfoundland dog owned by Lord Byron. Lord Byron was the author.

When some proud son of man returns to earth
Unknown to glory, but upheld by birth,
The sculptur'd art exhausts the art of woe,
And stoned urns record who rest below;
When all is done, upon the tomb is seen,
Not what he was, but what he should have been;
But the poor Dog, in life the firmest friend,
The first to welcome, foremost to defend;
Whose honest heart is still his master's own,
Who labours, fights, lives, breathes, for him alone
Unhonour'd falls, unnoticed all his worth,
Denied in Heaven the soul he held on earth;
While man, vain insect! hopes to be forgiven,
And claims himself sole exclusive of Heaven!
Oh, man! thou feeble tenant of an hour,
Debas'd by slavery, or corrupt by power,
Who knows thee well, must quit thee with disgust,
Degraded mass of animated dust!
By nature vile, ennobled but by name,
Each kindred brute might bid thee blush for shame.
Ye! who, perchance, behold this single Urn
Pass on--it none you wish to mourn:
To mark a Friend's remains these stones arise,
I never knew but one, and here he lies.


Newstead Abbey, November 30,1808


On one side of the pedestal supporting the urn containing Boatswain's remains, he had inscribed:

Near this spot
are deposited the remains of one
who possessed beauty without vanity
strength without insolence
courage without ferocity
and all the virtues of man without his vices
This praise which would be
unmeaning flattery
if inscribed over human ashes is but a just tribute to the memory of
Boatswain, a dog
who was born at Newfoundland, may 1803,
and died at Newstead Abbey,
November 18, 1808.


Return to the top of this document | Return to the master index



• 15.2 What is the Rainbow Bridge?

"The Rainbow Bridge" author unknown.

There is a bridge connecting heaven and earth. It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of it's many colors.

Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass. When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. The old and frail animals are young again. Those who are maimed are made whole again. They play all day with each other. There is only one thing missing. They are not with the special person who loved them on earth. So, each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up. The nose twitches! The ears are up. The eyes are staring. And this one suddenly runs from the group. You have been seen, and when you and your special friend meet, you take him or her into your arms and embrace. Your face is kissed again and again and again, and you look once more into the eyes of your trusting pet. Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated.

Return to the top of this document | Return to the master index



• 15.3 I see CGC, WD, VN, OTCH, TD, TDI etc. a lot. What do they mean?

Here's a partial list:


BOB	best of breed
BOS	best of opposite sex
BIS	best in show
BISS	best in specialty show
Ch	confirmation champion
OTCH	obedience champion
CD	AKC companion dog (obedience) title?
CDX	companion dog excellent
UD	utility dog
UDX	utility dog excellent
WD	NCA water dog title OR winners dog (confirmation)-WB is winners bitch
CGC	AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate
OFEL	OFA cleared elbows
OFCA	OFA cleared cardiac
CERF	canine eye registration foundation- means eyes have been checked and cleared
BOW	best of winners- (winners dog and winner bitch compete for best of winners)
RWD	reserve winners dog and RWB- reserve winners bitch - if winners dog or bitch disqualified, they move up
WRD	NCA water rescue dog title
DD	NCA draft dog
TDD	NCA team draft dog
DDX	Canadian draft dog excellent
TD	AKC tracking dog
TDX	AKC tracking dog excellent
VN	versitile Newf- has a championship (Ch) companion dog (CD) water rescue dog (WRD) and draft dog (DD) titles
TDI	Therapy Dog International
NA	novice agility
OA	open agility
AX	agility excellent
MX	master agility



Return to the top of this document | Return to the master index



• 15.4 What kind of vacuum do Newf owners use and recommend?

I used to recommend the Fantom Thunder, but they have gone out of business. The current favorite among pet owners seems to be the Dyson Animal models. These are great machines, though a bit pricey retailing over $500 for the upright models. http://www.dyson.com/

My wife has opted for a different strategy. We buy a "good" but "inexpensive" vaccuum and run it into the ground. When it fails after a year or two we buy another. We spend a lot of time pulling clogs out of them, so we look for models that come apart easily.

Return to the top of this document | Return to the master index



• 15.5 Wasn't the original Nana in Peter Pan a Newfoundland?

Yes indeed. Kudos for reading the story instead of watching it on TV!

Return to the top of this document | Return to the master index



• 15.6 What are dewclaws and why are they there?

This is a matter of some debate from time to time.

Dewclaws are the 5th claw that some dogs have on their feet. They are typically higher up on the leg, and resemble a toe that doesn't belong there.

The American Heritage Dictionary of Science says:



	dewclaw, n. Zoology. 1 a
	small, useless inner claw or toe in some dogs or other animals,
	not reaching the ground in walking.
	

Someone on the list brought up a good point. Watch a dog chew on a bone (or whatever). They typically lay with the bone on their front paws, manipulating the bone as they chew. Look carefully at where the bone rests. It often sits right where the dewclaw sits. The dog knows full well he has these claws, and he knows how to use them.

Anyway, Some dogs have dewclaws and some don't. Some people have these dewclaws removed, and in fact, the AKC standard allows this in Newfoundlands. If in fact they use them, I think they should not be removed. Of course, that's my opinion.

Return to the top of this document | Return to the master index