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'Newfies' are a wonder dog

Photo

Photo by Bill Olmsted

Mercury, a Newfoundland, demonstrates water rescue skills by dragging Roger Danielson out of the frigid waters of Spaulding's Pond at Camp Rotamer.

Photo

Photo by Bill Olmsted

Towing a lifering, Mercury swims towards Roger Danielson in a demonstration of the Newfoundland breeds rescue skills. The demonstration took place in the frigid waters of Spaulding's Pond at Camp Rotamer.

JANESVILLE — Look by the water!

It's a boat!

It's a tow truck!

No, it's Super Dog!

The Newfoundland breed has great strength, an instinct to save and a heart of gold.

Several local Newfie owners are trying to raise awareness about the breed and increase membership in the Newfoundland club. They're raising donations to rehabilitate injured dogs, for example, by having their dogs pull evergreens at a cut-your-own Christmas tree farm in Brodhead.

A Newfie weighs about 150 pounds, stands 2 feet at the shoulders and carries a regal bearing.

Despite their might, Newfies have agreeable dispositions. Their massive heads could be intimidating if not for the sweet eyes. The nanny dog in Peter Pan was a Newfoundland.

Newfies are working dogs known for their water rescue and pulling skills, said Nancy Long, owner of the Dawg Zone and Dunkin Dawgs.

Cherry Buckley of Janesville said her Newfie once pulled her step-dad's car from a snowdrift.

The dogs' water-rescue abilities come naturally. Their webbed feet and water-repellent coats make them buoyant and excellent swimmers. They will jump off boats to save those who fall overboard. A Newfoundland on the Titanic swam in the icy water for three hours until barking to alert a rescue ship.

Newfoundlands are used by the Navy SEALs and the Coast Guard. They jump from helicopters to rescue people in the water, and they patrol the beaches in Europe, said Mike Truesdill, Buckley's husband. The dogs swim strongly enough to tow a boat carrying 30 people.

They also make good therapy dogs for nursing homes, hospitals and children. The local group is hoping to get a therapy dog program started in Janesville, Long said.

Truesdill and Buckley said the dogs aren't a popular breed because of their size.

"People think they take up a lot of room in the house," she said.

"We don't have any problems," Truesdill said.

They should know: They have a 715-square-foot house.

Granted, they don't put anything on their coffee table because their dog's 2-foot wagging tail will knock it clean.

The dogs are mellow, so that helps, Long said.

Long's dog, Mercury, likes to crawl up on her couch, but he's so big he falls of.

Newfoundlands have a drooling problem, but the owners affectionately take that in stride.

"We don't mind," Long said. "We think it's kind of cute."

"Everyone carries a rag around," Truesdill said.

Sometimes at meetings, they'll have contests to see which dog produces the longest drool.

"One shook his head and wrapped it around his nose," Long said. "It was hilarious."

The dogs have a double coat of hair, including a wooly undercoat. The hair comes out in bunches when they shed twice a year.

"We call it 'blowing coat,'" Buckley said.

She has filled two paper shopping bags with fur.

Mercury takes up lots of space in Long's bed, but he quickly gets hot and doesn't stick around, Long said.

Bath time isn't a hassle because the dogs love the water. But blowing them dry can take more than an hour, Buckley said.

Group members train their dogs for water rescue competitions sanctioned by the American Kennel Club.

In September, Mercury won his junior title in water rescue. The certificate is the first of three levels.

It was an amazing feat, considering Mercury was paralyzed from the neck down in spring 2008 after a rare reaction from a vaccine.

Long worked in the water with Mercury for three hours a day every day for months. He was paralyzed for two months. Mercury's a fighter, and at the September competition there wasn't a dry eye on the beach, Long said.

"Everyone knew his story," she added. "I was very proud of him."

Dogs who compete must demonstrate their pulling and rescue skills, including retrieving boats, oars and life jackets and swimming under capsized boats to bring out victims. They must be able to tow a life ring to a floundering swimmer and be able to circle around the victim so he or she can grab hold of their fur.

"When they hear a person yelling for help, the dogs want to go in," Long said.

One man had to teach his Newfie to quite "saving" his children when they were playing in the pool, Long said.

"They have an instinct to save," Truesdill said.