Thank You so much Chuck for this beautiful tribute. We miss him so much



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBUKuzMXFQw

MBIS/BISS GCHEX/AM CH You Make My Dreams Del Basaburua RN CGN "Rico"

Rico has been having a very busy year, with multiple group placings and multiple Best in Shows.  He is the Number One Newfoundland in Canada.  He managed to get his Rally Novice Title this summer as well as a Carting Title in between dog shows.

He is expertly handled by Guillermo Fano.  They both have so much fun together.  Thank you Fano for looking after our boy so well.

Rico's BIS under South African Judge Elrena Stadler August 2013

Rico's BIS under Judge Andy Hsieh from Taiwan China

Rico's BISS at the Newfoundland Dog Club of Canada Regional Specialty under Judge Lesley Hitlz

Rico's first BIS under Australian Judge Lyn Norman March 2013

An Article from our Kennel Club's News letter

Rest in Peace Gizmo, we miss you so much, Thank you for all that you have brought us

We said good bye to our heart, our soul, our everything. BISS Ch Mainsail's Blackbeary Express DD WRD TD LD CGN the best newf in the whole wide world...Gizmo.. Rest in Peace my sweet boy, you have left us with so much....run free, I know you will be watching over us... Mar18, 2004 - Aug 7, 2013... I love you buddy....

Gizzy gets a Group 4

I took dad for a run around the ring at the Tyee Kennel Club dog show, and we won!!!...So then we got to go back in the ring with all the other winners of the working group. It was very exciting, I had to work very hard at looking good and at the end of it all I was one of 4 selected!!!
It was a lot of fun, and I met a lot of people. One couple asked if I was the Gizzy from You Tube. They watch all my videos, so I gave them my pawtograph.

2010 Canadian National

What a very exciting time we had at the Newfoundland Dog Club of Canada National in Chilliwack. I knew I was in for a bit of a trip when mom & dad loaded just about everything I own into the truck, including my bed and my stuffie!!!.... After a 2 hour ferry ride and a 2 hour drive we finally arrived at our hotel which was going to be our home for the next 5 nights.

We settled in for the night and first thing Thursday morning, before breakfast even, we were at the site for the Biggest Draft Test in Canadian History, over 35 dogs entered all working hard to get the prestigious title of Draft Dog or DD. We were number 10, I like that number!...we settled down for a bit and watched all the other amazing dogs before us, Berners and Newfies in our group.

Then it was my turn....the 1rst leg of 3 which was the obedience part. This test is done all off leash, so it was very important that I listened to dad and stay by his side, well for most of it anyway. We did our left turns, right turns, about turns, fast walking, slow walking, normal walking, we stopped at the same time, and then it was time for the 1 minute stand stay. I'm not supposed to move at all just stand and face my dad who is 6 ft away from me for 1 minute. Then he comes back and the judge says "exercise complete". We had 12 dogs in our group and once all 12 were finished the last 6 entered the course for the 3 minute down stay. This is my favorite, we just lay down and dad walks to the other side and faces me for 3 minutes. Then he comes back, and again the judge says "exercise complete." Now it's rest time while the 9 before me do their controlled cart exercises.

So one at a time the carts get moved up to position for the next dog, and when my cart moves I know it's my turn. So off dad and I go. We enter the course and dad puts my harness on and hooks me up to my cart. The judge then goes over everything to make sure dad had done it right. The 2nd part of the test has begun. Off we go forward, left turns right turns, slow walking normal, stops, we go around some trees, but on the way I see my mom and want to go say hi!...I just about left the test area and dad tells me "Gizmo NO!!" oh oh....so I stop and he backs me up but then I see her again and want to go and the same thing happens....why can't I just go see my mom for a sec?
then we do some figure 8's around some barrels, dad has to back me up for me to make the tight turns, but I did it. Then we back up 4ft, piece of cake, I like my back ups!
Once we do that, the judge says exercise complete and we are done!!...well stage 2 anyway, now we wait for the last and final part of the test, which is the field work.
We split into groups for this part of the test, and there was only me and 1 other dog in my group. I never did see mom at all during this part of the test, I think dad told her to hide or something...VBG!!
So we do some field work then the 40lbs of weight gets put into my cart, and off the 4 of us go, but just a little ways into it the cart behind me, his wheel falls off...something about it breaking, so they can't finish the test, but I have to wait for someone else to join me so that I don't complete it alone. Once that is all done, we have to wait for the next set of 12 to complete their test before we find out if I pass or not.

Mom thinks that because I tried to leave the course I'm going to have to take the test again at another time. So it was a big big surprise to us when they called my name at the award presentation and I got 3 Red Ribbons and a trophy!....I got pictures with my cart and the judges and a big celebration happened, but I really was too tired to enjoy it and just wanted to go back to my hotel.

My next blog entry will be about the Dog show itself. My secretary needs a break.
Oh so now I have more letters at the end of my name, I'm now:
Can CH. Mainsail's Blackbeary Express CGN TD DD
whew...that's a mouthful!!!!
I like Gizzy better!!!

And Then I Turned 6

So mom woke up singing this song..."Today is your birthday!...we're gonna have a good time!"

And followed that by saying "It's a Gizzy Day!"...I thought every day was a Gizzy day!....but hey I'll take it. And so it began...the best day I've had in a long time....
In the truck and to the dog park we went....this was quite early and there was no one there, so I had the whole park to myself. Lots of sniffs and I ran from tree to tree with mom pulling up the rear.

Then mom had to go shopping, but she pops the back of the truck open so I can watch everyone come and go.
Home we went and we weren't there for long before we headed to the beach, and I just knew that I was going swimming, it was so much fun.

Ok so now this is where it goes a little sideways. But it always happens after swimming and that is a bath, but this just wasn't a bath it was washing and conditioning, then to the blower we went. Ah mom I'm getting a little tired here....it's past my nap time.
Finally I cut loose and grabed my stuffie and ran...I plopped myself down on my pillow. Yipee she's going to leave me alone now.

But not for long...here she comes with keys and leash in hand and says..."let's go for a truck ride...it's time to see Dr. Hayward"..hey wait a minute, you said this was going to be a Gizzy day...whats with the Doc's visit?
Oh it's to look at my paw, I have a small cut on my pad, and mom just wanted to make sure it was ok...and yup Dr. Hayward said we just have to wash it with some special soap and it should be good in a few days. But mom can't leave without me being weighed....and it was 180lbs. I'm really liking the homemade kibble and food my mom has been making me, and I guess I've put a little weight on.....mom said something about more exercise....oh boy!
When we got home, dad was already there, so I got a big birthday rub down from him and a nice long chin scratch....but I was tired and just wanted to eat dinner and rest...after all I'm a senior now right?
So yes I did have a Gizzy day, it was a lot of fun.
I hope your birthday is as exciting as mine was.
Gizzy

Mr. Big Stuff

Thanks to Lori, Gizzy got a new bib!...You can order these at www.otiswear.com

Gizmo on Canvas

Paintings by Cindy Williams "Pipeline Newfoundlands"

Look what Cindy did!! She painted me...not once but twice...you should have seen mom and dad when they got these paintings of moi in the mail. They now sit proudly on our mantel for all to see.

Gizzy's Magazine Debut

Gizzy's 2009 Christmas Activities

Oh I have had such a busy time over Christmas. Not only the parade, but I got to visit some seniors at the Nanaimo Seniors Village. It was me and Santa...aka dad...yup he tried to fool me by putting on this Santa suit, but I could smell him a mile away.

It was fun going around and getting hugs from the grandma's and grandpa's and in return I gave them all Candy Canes.
We made one very special visit to a gentleman's suite. His name is Jack and he is 94 years old...geeze...how old would I have to be in dog years to be 94?

Anyway he was very sad this year as he had just lost his wife a month or so ago. She is at the Rainbow Bridge awaiting his arrival. Santa decorated Jack's suite up with Christmas lights and gave him a present to open Christmas day... The whole time Jack was trying to figure out who Santa was...I knew but I wasn't telling.


Then the next day I got to visit Santa the the pet store. I liked him a lot and told him all the neat stuff I wanted for Christmas. He wasn't sure if he could bring me a girl or not, but he did say that he could probably pull through with the new bed.


and den.............

I finally did it!.. I carted my first live load.... It was a lot of fun. I took mom and dad's nieces and nephews for cart rides up and down our road.
They really enjoyed themselves and they would have liked to have done more, but my dad was looking after me and said I had had enough. It's tuff work pulling those kids all over.


One thing it did for me tho was worked up my appetite. Dad fed me my biggest dinner yet and I even licked the plate clean!
Oh and then I needed cookies...lots of them...mom makes the best cookies!
Now I'm going for my last swim of 2009, in the dog pool. Mom has my boat cushion packed and my bright orange buoy. I think I'm in for a load of fun.
I'll get my mom to post some pictures.
TTYL
Gizzy

Everybody Loves a Parade

Well it finally happened...mom and dad entered moi in the Santa Parade. So on goes the hat and the jingle bells.
Before we got started I met my first horse. Ok so it was a miniature horse, and maybe I was just a wee bit bigger than him, it was still a horse! I so wanted to sniff his butt, but dad wouldn't let me, he said something about me getting kicked.

Mom decorated my cart all up...I'm not sure what she was thinking, I have never pulled a cart very far before, but once it was all hooked up to me, I just followed around behind everyone. I put a lot of smiles on peoples faces, and they even clapped for me.


At the end of the parade I was so pooped I just laid down, while dad unhitched me from my cart.

Then these guys from the hockey team came by, I really liked them, we got our picture taken together, I was part of the team!
Everywhere I looked there was a crowd of people around me. It was very tiring. But I had a lot of fun. And mom and dad said they were so impressed that I pulled my cart the whole way. I even got on T.V.!!!
From all of us we would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. My goals this coming year are to enter the National Specialty in April where I hope to meet a lot of friends and try to get my Drafting Title. I'm going to practice again all summer and hopefully work on getting my Water Dog Title. And mom and dad keep mentioning something about a new brother or sister for me.....the first two I'm ok with, but having to share everything with a new puppy, I'm really not to keen about.
All the best to you and your families.
Thanks for reading,
Love Gizmo

I do like ice cream...yes I do!

What I did over the summer by Gizmo Savory

I finally convinced my mom to update my blog. With the help of my dad here is the story of what I did this summer. I was a very busy boy, but I had alot of fun!

Well it all started in around May when my mom and dad said I was going to get re-tired (I never did see any tires and couldn't quite figure out how you get them on something that has no rims, but I didn't think I really wanted to find out so I kinda left it alone.) Anyway shortly after that me and a bunch of my friends and their mom's and dad's started meeting at Shawnigan Lake for a swim on Saturdays. It started out just being for a fun get together but as the summer progressed our parents started to get us more focused on certain exercises. It was still a lot of fun and sometimes if I was really good I would get part of a bran muffin or something. Now you know that I don't usually eat any kind of food let alone human food but after I have been swimming for a while I could eat just about anything. Soon we were pulling in boats and adding in some handling to the mix. I like the boat pulling the best!

oh alright then, I like riding in the boat the best but if someone needed saving I could if I wanted to pull the boat to shore!

On the last weekend in August we all went up to Hornby Island for a few days and stayed at my property up there. You already know that Hornby is one of my most favorite places in the whole world. The beaches are just awesome and on some days we go to four or more beaches in one day! I love it!!! We all practiced everyday and had a great time!

Once we came back from Hornby we practiced more but at our beach near our house in the ocean. My mom and dad were getting me all ready for my water test. I was working all summer towards my Water Dog Title, and now I was going to get tested.

But that is when I pointed out my injury on my paw. I had an infection and it required an operation and stitches and meds and everything. I wasn't allowed to get it wet for weeks....so guess out...I missed my test.

But I sure had a lot of fun learning and the swimming was such a relief from the warm summer we had!

Now the staff have got me this new body harness and the wheeled thing they want to attach me and the new harness to. I really like the new harness (it has my name on it too) but I don’t know about the wheeled thing . It looks like a lot of work top me (I think I can feel my foot getting sore again). They tell me it’s what we are going to be doing until the national so I guess I should make the best of it besides it seems to humour the staff.

By for now Gizmo

PS I will let you know how the wheeled thing goes.

I thought that bears hibernated in the winter...................

I Rescued My Mom Today!

Well this isn't really me, but I can dream big, can't I...

We are progressing quite well with our Water Training. It's one of my most favourite things to do. Today we were only allowed into the water one at a time, and we went through the steps to the test. Once the on land obedience is done, which is basically showing some control, which I have to tell you, beleive it or not, I'm exhibiting a wee bit of control these days. Mom says it's because I'm older and wiser and by now I should know what is expected of me. Yeah OK mom..whatever!! So after the heeling, recall and the one minute down it's into the water we go, again exhibiting control the whole time of course. There are five exercises that I must complete in order to pass my water test. Which takes place in September. The first one is "Simple Retrieve" Dad throws my favourite bumper into the water and when dad tells me to go get it I must swim directly to it and return it to dads hand. Just like the exercise says "Simple" right? Exercise 2 is the "Marked Retrieve" This is when an item gets dropped in the water about 50 feet from the shore, I'm not supposed to see it drop. The item could be a boat cushion or a life jacket. Dad will point it out to me and when he says "GO" I am released to get the item and return it again to dad's hand. A little more difficult but I think I can do it. Exercise 3 oh I like exercise 3 its "Tow the Boat" I sit at he shore with dad and 75 feet from shore is a boat. The person in the boat attracts my attention by calling and tossing a bumper that is attached to the boat into the water. When dad tells me I swim out and grab the bumper and return to shore. Again I must give the rope to dad's hand. Exercise 4 is the hardest one for me and I'm still trying to get this one down. It's "Take a Line" naturally I like to bring things in from the water, it's really hard for me to grasp the concept of taking something out to the water, but mom is hoping with lots of practice that I will figure this one out. I have to take a 75 foot floating line out to someone in the water that is 50 feet away from me. The person that I take the line to has to be a stranger, and I'm not real keen about going to strangers. Something that I was told when I was younger, never talk to strangers. The exercise is complete when the stranger has hold of the line. And finally exercise 5 is "Swim with Handler" I love swimming with my dad so I think I can nail this one too. Dad and I will wait at the shore until instucted to wade into the water for a swim. We will swim out about 20 feet and then turn to the shore at which time dad hitches a ride and I tow him into shore. Once I am able to walk dad will stand up and we walk to the shore together. And thats it, once I complete all 5 exercises I pass the test and am awarded the title of "WD" Water Dog. So what do you think, can I do it? You bet! I just need alot of practice and I'm going to ace this test! Wish be luck! I'll keep you posted on my progress until then. Gizzy