I don’t know how many of you know that the real BooMan was my Newfoundland dog named Buster, may he rest in peace. BusterBoo morphed into The BooMan, and I almost always called him Boo or BooMan. ‘Get the bone, Boo.’ ‘Hey BooMan, ya wanna go for a walk?’ The answer to that was always yes, unless it was really raining hard. Newfs are very large dogs and they do have a reverse gear and also a parking brake. If he didn’t want to go for a walk, he wasn’t going for a walk. Three years a go a distant cousin of The BooMan won the whole enchilada: Best in Show in the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden. It was very exciting. The BooMan was an avid watcher of the Westminster Dog Show but it stressed him out and always disappointed him. Except that year. That year the BooMan got justice.
Well, the Westminster Dog Show is here today and tomorrow, even if poor Buster no longer is. And another cousin of Buster’s has won best Newf. That means he will be competing for best in working class, and if he wins that, best in show. If there is any justice in the world, Buster’s cousin will take it all. Because anyone with any sense who has ever met a Pouch Cove kennel Newf knows that Pouch Cove kennel Newfs are the very best dogs.
What kind of dogs do you have? Are you going to watch the show tonight? Who will you be rooting for?
It is good, albeit, bittersweet to see Buster again.
I have a rescued greyhound who loves to watch the show!
I’ll be rooting for the mighty Basset Hound –
Originally bred to protect household inhabitants from marauding rolls of toilet paper, they are also prized for their ability to sniff other dog’s butts without having to lower their heads, and also to sniff out the one pair of soiled underwear from the bottom of the hamper.
Hit 175 pounds, 90 pounds at six months. A ninety pound puppy (shakes head). Ours was named Beowulf and he lives on in my company’s name. Unfortunately I don’t have any digital images of him. Need to rectify that.
We have an Aussy who was great friends with Wulf. He lacks a tail and would use Wulf’s instead for games of chase and catch and tug of war. No matter how hard he tugged and pulled Wulf would just stand there or lay there till he felt like doing something else. Then he’d push little Oreo out of the way and commence with his business.
We were looking at Pouch Cove Newfs as a companion for Beowulf until we found Oreo at a horseshow, the last of the litter and looking for a home. One of the best decisions ever made.
I always root for the Newfs.
that’s a big Newf. Boo topped out at about 140, which is a little small. But we intentionally picked the smallest male pup out of concern for hip dysplasia, diabetes, and heart disease. He never got those things. A damned tumor on his heart got him and there was nothing we could do.
Ouch. The thing about Newfs is that they are prone to so many ailments. A digestive ailment got Wulf a couple years after his rear knees went out.
We have a Bichon Frise (translation: curly lapdog). Kind of the opposite of a Newf. 🙂 One of those won a best in show in a dog show a few years ago, and suddenly everybody knew what breed our dog was. Now that you told me about this dog show, I may well watch it, especially since DH is out of town.
I should have known you’d have a Newf. My newfie is named Satchmo, he too is a distant cousin of the New West winner from Pouch Cove. He was just over a year when we watched the show – he already stretched over the bed happily drooling on the pillows. In my family we call it the “Newfie Stop” when the brakes are applied. Over the years I’ve grown accustomed to wearing only black and carrying a drool hanky, little to sacrifice considering the wonderful companionship.
In my family we took to using ‘Newf’ as a verb, noun, adjective.
Getting slobbered on was ‘getting Newfed’, going for a walk was ‘going for a Newf’, George Stephanopoulus was ‘George Steponewfpoulus’. Yes, we were crazy about our dog, and just plain crazy.
I’m with ya on that.
Current front-runners…
These two mutts.
Actually…I LIKE mutts. These two are more like sick puppies all growed up. Nasty. The Giuliani creature is the only animal in the current show that actually has less class then Butch. So I guess he’s got a legit chance to win, given the history of the past 70 years or so.
Scared yet?
I am.
AG
Aw c’mon Arthur – post a cute puppy picture. Don’t rain on the parade.
My beloved Welsh Corgi, Monty.
I had to give him to a friend in the country because the cultural climate represented by those two dogs above made it too difficult for me to make a decent living purveying American art music in the U.S. without extensive travel and I flat out REFUSED to cop out and go play Andrew Lloyd Webber-like bullshit (The music of those Ratpub dogs’ people. Bet on it.) on Broadway.
That’s about as un-rainy as I am going to get on the subject.
Sorry.
I will stop feeling angry when things change.
IF things change.
Until then…enjoy your dogs.
But remember to stock a couple of years’ worth of dog food in your fallout shelters.
Woof.
You may need it y’own se’f!!!
Have fun…
Later…
AG
Nice photo (you are a man of may talents, AG), and a handsome dog, to boot.
Hard to take a bad picture of that dog.
All attention, all the time.
He was my teacher.
AG
Thanks AG, Corgis are great – little dogs with big dog hearts. It is impossible ( and should be illegal) to keep a dog when you travel a lot.
No fallout shelters for me ever, I had to spend two years in school studying that bs. Bob said it for me: “Let me die in my footsteps before I go down under the ground.”
I’m sorry Boo, but Norwegian Elkhounds are by far the best dogs. I am now living with my third Elkhound – one from a breeder, one from a shelter, this one an angel dropped from the sky last year.
I’ve always been lucky – my husband insisted we’d never have another dog, but while walking our Louisiana Catahoula hound he happened upon an elkhound wandering loose without any tags. And miracle of miracles – no advertisements, no microchip and already spayed.
Once a Newf vaulted my fence and trapped himself in my yard, but unfortunately he was tagged. My neghbors were so happy to have him back, I felt better about giving him up.
Naturally we’ll be rooting for the Booman’s cousin. Because there must be justice.
One of these?
Thanks ask, who could resist that?
Note to mainsailset – the main selling point for Elkhounds is “no doggy odor” and it’s true until they roll in something dead.
As Satchmo just reminded me, there is also Newfie aroma. He’s a bit of a monster and at 182# getting him to voluntarily climb into the tub is a story left best to the imagination.
I recall when you wrote about the passing of your one and only Booman.
Our Schindler is a ‘tweeny dachshund and our Nicholas, rescued last year, is an athletic terrier (Jack Russell? & dachshund) mix. They’ll both be under the covers, so they won’t notice if I cheer for a Scottie.
Well, we’ve had quite a few great dogs over at La famiglia brendan, although I currently own none.
I think the best was an Aussie Shepherd mix named Bo: that dog was incredibly smart, loyal, and protective. He had this weird behavior in which he’d go into my parents’ closet, put his front feet in their shoes, and while he curled his tail straight up in the air, he’d whimper quietly while “marching” in the shoes. he would also do this on the sofa.
For awhile my mom had four dogs, and of the four, Bo was the only one who could be let off the leash and who could be trusted to stay in the yard even without a fence.
I think the Aussie shepherd in general is one of the best dogs. Certainly on par with the noble, brave, loyal, smart, and unfairly maligned pit bull.
Ahh, the pit bull: a dog I could praise for hours without end. How I love the pit bull (my folks have two).
Sam (aka “Sam the wonder dog”) had exploratory surgery today. He’s been vomiting for no apparent reason and changing foods and various medications only partially helped. Dr. Mrs. K.P. and the other vet at the practice did exploratory surgery and took some biopsies (to be tested at UT for cancer). Just talked to her and Sam is recovering uneventfully. They didn’t really see anything notable (which is what I expected, but hey, I’m not the vet…).
we send our best thoughts to your sam and our wishes for sams speedy recovery.
The Diva Dogs and I are sending warm thoughts of Love & Healing.
My mom’s pit bulls raised two kittens and it looked a lot like this.
to the ridiculous — my favorite breeds are Samoyeds and Chihuahuas.
My aunt had a beautiful Samoyed, Misty, that she bought from her neighbors (who bred/raised them). Misty was one of the happiest dogs I’d ever seen — she’d always run up and greet me with a tail wag and a face lick or several.
And my best friend’s mom had a smooth coat Chihuahua, Minx…when she had her litter, my best friend kept one of the pups, Pleshette (named for the actress Suzanne Pleshette) for herself. Minx was a bit meatier, but Pleshette was always a little lady.
So, I guess I’ll be rooting for those tonight and tomorrow…
May cats get a meow in here? I’ve two male Siamese cats – blue point and seal – original pedigree apple heads. They own the house. the land. and everything that goes with the neighborhood.
You can set your watch by their stomachs.
We’re just staff around here and they’re smart enough to know, good help is hard to find. Truth is they have us wrapped around their paws – all 8 – and we hop to whatever the command. Pronto Ma and Pa.
its an old story but maybe you havent heard it:
the diff between cats and dogs
dogs look at their owners and think
they feed me, they house me, they pet me, they must be Gods
cats look at THEIR owners and think
they feed me, they house me, they pet me I must be God
yea, everyday we remind ourselves to be filled with gratitude…that they allow us to live with them.
My ultra cute Wheaten Terrier named Sandi, who gives me all of my great ideas that you read here…..
Her name was Turkey (aka Lady Betsy), and she died a few years ago at the ripe age of 14. She was a terrific dog who loved to jump up and curl up on your lap – more like an agreeable cat in many ways.
But she was also a great outdoor dog who aggressively chased squirrels and loved to swim.
We’ve got a 15-year old cat at the moment, but when she’s gone we may very well try to find another Cavalier.
The Bu girl full name mabuka, 7 yrs old this feb 28…[flat-coated retriever…the second ret I’ve had, the other was a golden from a field trial line, absolutely best dog I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.
march on the pentagon: 3.17.07
Draft Al Gore: 2008
She’s beautiful.
The handsomest dog dogs there are. Had a gentleman flatcoat named Ubu, the best-mannered animal it’s ever been my pleasure to know. In his case, truly a dog with character.
Yours looks quite the speciman.
she is very pleasant to be around, and Bu never met a stranger…the epitome of the breed’s personality:
I didn’t gun train Bu and have not used her for hunting, but she is not only a family dog, she’s the office dog…and quite the ambassador at that.
I have a chihuahua (mix).
Not the one pictured here:
http://missdevore.wordpress.com/2007/02/12/your-dog-in-the-hunt-2008-presidential-open-leash/
dog & blog.
I forgot to take notice of the Do Not Disturb sign
Bud has never been one to watch tv, though he did enjoy Christina Aguilera’s performance at the Grammy’s last night. Thx for sharing Buster with us again, BooMan. We’ll have to tune in to the show later.
I am owned by the Diva Dogs. Bette and Reba. Reba is a lab husky mix and Reba is a beagle dachshund mix. They are the light of my world and keep me sane or as sane as I can be. LOL They are both rescue dogs. Before them I had a chocolate lab called Peko and Billy the beagle. So I will be rooting for the labs or beagles in the show which I doubt I will watch. LOL
“Sir” Franklin Roosevelt Compton
Roosevelt and his Eleanor:
I’ll still go with a dog that has character in his face.
awww boo-dog looks like a great dogly dog. we had a dogly dog who was a shepard black lab mix, there is a name for that mixed breed because it is so common but I forget what it is. She was my dog for 17.5 years and then I had to let her go on to the great dogrun in the whereever <sigh>
She was an honest to goodness ART dog and she had a wicked crush on william wegmans Man Ray…she even took racy pictures of herself and sent them to Mr Man.
but she wasnt only an art dog, she was an activist dog also and attended many appropriate march’s and loved to carry signs, dress up and especially wear hats…i have no idea why she loved hats but she did…I guess, at heart she was really just a nyc fashionista dog.
in answer to your question YES, we always try to catch part of the dog show…dogs are great, they will lay down their lives for you and all they ask in return is a bone to chew on, a warm place to sleep, food and water and a scratch behind their ears….would that my hubby was that easy to please 🙂
we will, of course, be rootin for either a shepard or a black lab to win….
as the dogs in our lives have “had” us.
Living on a farm in rural SoFla, we’ ve been the recipient of “pets” folks have historically dumped out here. We live on a dirt road, only house in sight. And on our roof, in letters only visible to birds flying overhead, must be the words, “Suckers Live Here.”
Because we’ve had nearly 100 strays adopt us over the decades we’ve lived here. Ask our vet — he broke the shocking news to us. As a result, we’re known as the ASPCA of the Everglades.
Currently, our owner is a male Rottie/Lab mix about 4, who is the sweetest, gentlest, most compassionate canine we’ve ever housed. He carries a furry stuffed gopher toy around in his mouth all day, licks it gently like it’s a baby pup, and sleeps with it between his paws. He nests in rugs when he sleeps, pawing them into a pile under his chin, and he “talks” in his sleep every night, “Oomph, uhff.” When we go outside, he greets us by wrapping his paws around our legs to give us a hug (while we’re trying to walk — AHWHWHWH!) His facial expression is literally smiling all the time. And to cap it off he’s got the soft silky coat of a newborn puppy. His name is Ringo.
It’s the first time in 25 years that we’ve only had one dog on the place.
AKA Galumphing Galoot.
We don’t have a tv, or we’d be watching (not sure if it gets shown Downunder anyway).
He was 6-9 months old and at the shelter, and they had deemed him unadoptable because of food aggression. This was their test: they put down a bowl of food in front of him and then picked it up and left the room. When he followed the food, they labeled him food aggressive. His only remaining hope at that point was that Dalmatian Rescue would take him. They did, and the rest is history.
Here he is enjoying the winter sun at a south-facing glass door. All of our pets try to lay claim to that spot this time of year.
I have five dogs – three mixes (a bloodhound/Golden mix, Doggo), a Spitz mix (Doodle, the Alpha Bitch), and Dudley – the Louisiana Gumbo Dog (a Katrina rescue who has all breeds mixed together with okra); the “pure breeds” are Mr. Drum, the bi-black Sheltie and Demon, the Australian Cattle Dog. Here is the Demon..
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I work with several local “mutt” rescues and the mixes were fosters I could not part with; I found the Sheltie (who is really Nathan Lane in a dog suit) in a parking lot, covered with stickers and ticks, and the Cattle Dog was also dumped out in the country.
Never a dull moment at my house!
Cute pooches all. Unfortunately, I have no dog and absolutely refuse to post a photo of my goldfish.
oh come on. show some pride in your goldfish.
if you post yours, I’ll post mine … 😉
Witfish protection program?
The wife and I are both “dog people”. We had three in our earlier years, two mutts we adopted after they were given up on by previous owners; the last was a purebred Brittney Spaniel that we got from a litter at eight weeks. We proudly named him “Champ” after his father who had good blood lines and was a show dog. His mom was big for the breed and he took after her, so we did not have the opportunity to show him. He lived the better part of fifteen years. In that time he trained the two of us very well. Our house was organized and run to his liking by the time he was four or five. We had to put him down due to cancer. That was ten years ago. We both still miss him.
This is Stumpy Jake, our three-legged senior rescued from the local humane society. Now that his fur is growing out, we’ve discovered he’s a Cairn. This picture was taken at the dog park where he found himself overcome with happy exhaustion.
Most of the time he has a very un-terrier like gravitas about him, so he surprised us with this sudden outpouring of pure joy at being able to race around the park, outrunning most of his new found four-legged buddies.
He looks so happy … 🙂
Way to go Stumpy Jake.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the vid of his acrobatic peeing.
Well, we watched it with Goldie our camera-shy co-dependent rescue dog (Golden, natch’). She was found about 4 years ago, then age 4, in a Westside San Antonio drainage ditch on Christmas Eve with 12 puppies. They were all infected with heartworm, her nearly fatally. The treatment turned her muzzle completely white within a month after getting it. The folks that found them were going to have her put down, but we took her. She has a bed in 4 rooms in the house so she can be with us no matter where we happen to be – 5 beds if you count the bathmat by the tub. She was evidently completely unsocialized to people, and preferred stale fast food to anything we had to offer her for a long time. While she was recovering, I cooked for her every day and Mr. dks hand fed her two times a day. Now after some sad looks, she gets primarily Iams for Old Broads and a few hunks of cheese a day. She is spooked to the point of vomiting by storms; it breaks Mr. dks’ heart.
She did not watch the show with us; she was too busy being petted and scratched.
Congrats to Boo’s cousin. He certainly is a beautiful Newfie. I was rooting for him, actually – even before I knew he was related to you.
Basenjis.
Have had a bunch of different dogs over the years (Weimaraners, German Shepherds, mutts, Borzois, a Husky…), and we’re addicted to Basenjis, the little devils….