2006
Newfoundland
National



Melanie and Zoë’s words of the week:

“Where did I put the _____? I just had it in my hands.”

First, let it be said that none of the River Bear Newfoundland staff are EVER going to travel to an overnight show with mixed sexes when a bitch is in heat. Best described by Zoë, “Sex on the road.” Enough said on THAT subject.

Second, Maryland is very far away even if Mapquest says it’s only eight hours, they aren’t counting dog breaks. We not only have to get the dogs out for a bit of exercise and bathroom breaks, we have to clean out the crate that Bess has been in because she doesn’t just drink her water she dumps it in the bottom of the crate. As we are finagling dogs around, people come up to talk to us. Everyone wants to see the dogs that look like bears. And our dogs want to meet them. They are proud to drool on anyone they can reach.



This is how we look traveling.

When they got to the hotel, the dog show grounds were a bit of a distance. Melanie would zoom back and forth to the hotel on a golf cart. Occasionally giving lifts to people with blown out knees or over burdened with dog equipment.

Zoë drove the van to the grounds. Because they kept one or two dogs in crates in the van during the show, they had to keep the van cool. Melanie reached back 40 years to Dan’s lessons on shade control at the beach and came up with this.



Ugly to look at but they wetted down the sheets and kept the inside very cool.

Thursday was River Bear Franklin’s big day. Wednesday Joanne Brainard and her faithful crew bathed and trimmed him. He had to be up and at the grounds by 6 am. He looked beautiful! He was two days over the 12 to 18 month puppy class, so he was with Novice dogs. Even though he is not full grown, he took THIRD PLACE!!!!



What a beauty.



Zoë and Melanie didn’t see much of Joanne. She was constantly on the move. Bathing dogs, showing dogs, running here and there.

Now Franklin also helped in his own imaginative way. Melanie was walking Franklin and he found the golf cart she had parked on a slope. He could tell it was their golf cart because Patsy had been on it and needless to say he was VERY interested in Patsy. He climbed into the golf cart, taking the parking brake off and started rolling down the hill. YIKES. Melanie ran around to the front and stopped it.

This brings up the golf cart. Franklin and Patsy are both trained to run beside Melanie’s scooter. Bess is not. Melanie could exercise Franklin and Patsy with no trouble. Then there was Bess. Bess has to be alpha dog. So if Patsy was on one side trotting along, Bess had to be in front of her. Then she would decide she wanted to be in the cart, then she would decide (as the cart was moving) she wanted to be out of the cart. Zoë and Melanie discovered that Bess needed to be on her own with the golf cart.

Patsy will sit and be carted around. She sits on the floor and everyone loves to look at her and thinks she cute. FRANKLIN, on the other hand, sits on the seat. Melanie drives slowly with Franklin beside her and holds him close. Many people took pictures of that.

Franklin also got to go swimming on Saturday. Melanie took him on a long lead and out he went. He remembered there should be a stick involved. Melanie threw one just beyond him. He missed the stick because the bottom of the lake left and he went under. The dog paddle is not his thing. Melanie dragged him to shore. He looked confused.

Wednesday was the big day for Patsy and Guinna.



River Bear Guinna of Dingle was shown by Kathy Luce. Kathy co-owns her with Cathy Derench.

She did very well for her first National. She made the cut!!!!



She loves meeting people.

Then it was River Bear Patsy Ketchum’s turn. Patsy did not look like any of the other bitches out there. Patsy has a full head and lots of bone. She is not particularly “feminine” looking. She is of the ‘old lines’ type. She came in SECOND in her class!!!



We just love this nut.



She moves well.

Two years ago at the National, she made the cut. This time she took second. We are very proud.

Patsy enjoyed her National. She tried to meet every male there. She loves riding in golf carts. She also loves being in the crate at the van because she knows she won’t be left.

Saturday was Bess’s day. Ch. River Bear Elizabeth T was in Best of Breed.

There were 100 dogs and bitches entered.



Melanie took a panoramic view of all the dogs.

Kathy Kalos, Bess’s handler, did an unreal job on her.



She was perfect.



Her movement was fantastic.

She didn’t even make the cut.

Now Bess made two cuts at Westminster. We were expecting the same here. But you can never tell about judges. Bess was in good company. The 2006 and 2005 top winning dogs didn’t make the cut, neither did some past winners of the Nationals. All we know is that Kathy Kalos and Bess were beautiful together.

Bess was also helpful at other times. Not only was she confused about the cart, she was confused about letting Melanie and Zoë into their room. She was in the room alone as Melanie and Zoë were running errands and bringing stuff to the room. There had already been one problem with the room. The lock didn’t work the first night. The hotel got that fixed. This time Zoë did the key and Bess jumped up on the door as she was opening it. Bess hit the chain lock that was actually a V type lock, flipping it closed on the door. Bess is inside the door. We are outside the door. Bess is barking her head off. We have stuff all over the floor to take in. Zoë starts going to the front desk.

Melanie tries the door. She looks at the situation, grabs a dog comb, and slips it in undoing the supposedly fool proof lock. Grabs all the stuff, carts it in, pets Bess and calls the front desk.

What’s really scary is that was the lock they had used thinking they were safe.

Rob’s Work

Robert Carpenter (paintings can be seen on The Art Work page of this web site) gave a painting for an auction.




Called “In the River” it is a mixed media on board. It was bought be someone with a large art collection who really liked Rob’s work.

Rob also allowed River Bear to give to honors for Best Bred By Exhibitor Dog and Bitch. They were Artists Proofs of unpublished print called “Snow Dogs.”



Everyone loved his work and sales of his prints went well at the The Newfemporium booth. Thanks Ted and Melanie!


Here are some of our friends and their dogs.



Betty McDonald and Kilyka’s Firefly and Kilyka’s Bear River



Left: This is Patsy’s father Ch Pouch Cove’s Spins A Dream (Spencer)
Right: Kathy Luce with Quinn, Dingle’s Luck of the Irish



Left: Kathy Kalos and Colby,Council Cup’s Catch Me If You Can
Right: Joanne and Tipper, Tempest Toes the Line.



Right: Betty McDonnell and Ch Kilyka’s Mary Elizabeth CD
Right: Joanne and Scout, Ch Nashau-Auke’s Partial Eclipse CD


Melanie and Zoë gave Dan a big vote of THANKS for keeping the home fires under control.

Random Pictures



A beautiful brown Newfoundland


Have to make sure those puppies don’t go anywhere.


Yes, some people love their Newfs this much.



View from across the lake.

That’s all, Take care.