Newfoundland Photo Collage

Evidently the recent lack of news about The Baroness von Roughenhausen has come to the attention of some loyal readers. Here's an update.

Katy now weighs about 80 pounds at seven months old and is still up to her old ankle shark tricks. She has what we've affectionately started calling 'nonregulation Newfy ears.' They're really long and her adult coat hasn't fully grown in yet, so she's got a bit of a mad bomber hat look about her which is made ever so endearing when she just wakes up and strolls in to say hello, face pointed at the floor, ear flaps flopping.

Besides being the Baroness von Roughenhausen, she's also known around here as the Mad Bomber.

She still likes to pounce on Max, intimidate him into dropping his bone, and run him off the road so to speak. She likes him though and when she lingers around outside longer than I'd like to, all it takes to get her excited about going back inside is a quick "Wanna go find Max?"

She invites him to play constantly but he always turns her down. She has to settle for his snarling versions of play.

She loves to lick the inside of his ears. Ewww gross. At least someone else is cleaning them these days! It's as affectionate as they get... except for the times we come home and find them sleeping on the couch together.

We take her down to campus to let her run off some steam off the leash on Ankeny Field. She loves to play chase and fake-tackle. She still gets really hyper at least once everyday at home. She tears ass around the house, running a circuit from the front to back as fast as she can go, sometimes running a figure eight around some barrier. When she's done I have to go around and straighten out the rugs. We can always tell if she's had one of these hyper fits while we've been gone because the rugs are out of whack.

She is fascinated by the shower. Whenever I get one started she pokes her head in to take a drink. Sometimes I form a little cup with my hands to assist her gulping. She comes in to visit every so often during my showers too. To rewet her head? Check on my progress? See if I need a rescue? Newfoundlands were bred to be water rescue dogs afterall. One time while I was shaving my legs she poked her head in and licked my butt. I had no idea that was coming, but now I know not to turn my back on the curtain! There could be a Newfy tongue waiting to ambush me. I think she just likes to get her head wet. Once her ears dry out she looks like she's just visited the bedroom beauty salon of a thirteen year old girl in the 80s, major crimping action!

I'd love to see her swim with Alasdair. That would be an absolute riot.

This morning she had a decidedly non-Newfy day. She refused to go out in the rain. WTF? It was really bizarre. I expect that from Max but not her. Maybe she's feeling a little off given her bladder infection. We noticed her 'urinary incontinence' problem over the weekend. She got to spend a night at the vet and came home with not one but two bottles of Cephalexin because of her S.I.Z.E. I guess she really is big. She's still very much a puppy though.

She learns quickly and has mastered SIT, LIE DOWN, COME, GIVE and all of the accompanying had signals. We need to work on stay. I suppose she could learn a few more tricks too. She knows shake. We haven't taught her roll over or circling yet. They seem kind of boring because Max does them with such gusto. Any ideas for cool tricks to teach a smart dog? I suppose we could teach her to speak on command. Max doesn't vocalize enough for us to have taught him that, but Katy has a whole range of things she 'says.' Her bark is serious and sounds like something a bloodhound or basset would produce. She also gives a hilarious yowl-moan when she flops down.

She's a wonderful dog. We've had yet another Hug Your Newfy Day today.

And, she is much prettier than the Newfoundlands featured in the calendar that arrived today courtesy of my dad.