Lincoln the Newfoundlander

Golly, Sawyer is lagging behind in his posts.  Not much has happened....WAIT, something DID happen.  How could I forget?

I have a new little buddy....LINCOLN!  Yup, Lincoln is my new protege - he loves to follow me around, and around and around.  Did I mention that he loves to follow me where ever I go?!!  Lincoln is a handsome, midnight black Newfoundlander puppy, who has a very loving family, like me.  He looked just like a little teddy bear when I first met him (Mellie wanted to take him home but I wouldn't let her...snicker, snicker!).  He's not so little anymore - he's inching close to my size & weight.  We are going to be best buddies.

Thanks for being my friend Lincoln and welcome!

(photo courtesy of  J.Guimond c2013)

Move over Sawyer, heeeeeere's LINCOLN!

HELLO everyone, my name if Lincoln

Yesterday, Mellie and I had the opportunity to meet a new addition to Jaye & Joe's family (and NO, Mel did not give birth to a baby!).

This four-legged not-so-little bundle of joy (8 weeks old and already weighing in at 27 lbs!) arrived on their doorstep on Wednesday.  Lincoln & Johnson were the only twin pups born from this litter and luckily, J&J were granted custody of Lincoln, a fluffy black-haired boy.  Look at that face....awwww

Please welcome him on Sawyer's blog...we'll be seeing much more of Linc!

OMG!  T H E    C U T E S T  puppy E V E R!

Exploring the backyard

Lincoln loves his new honking pink pig....courtesy of Miss Mellie & Sawyer

So photogenic - yes, both of you!

Kiss for Mellie.  Look at the size of those PAWS!

Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy vs. Lemon Video

Found this video of a Berner pup...HAD to post it.  Makes us want another puppy...

Snuggly Sawyer-Doodle-Bug

There's nothing better than hibernating in a warm home on a frigid Canadian winter night.

This past weekend, W and I settled in to watch a little tellie while Sawyer was busy socializing through the fence in the backyard with his canine neighbours: Roxy, Einstein, Carmi and Meggie.  They were happily running back 'n forth along the fence line and having a grand old time.  A half hour later,  Mr. Sawyer-Doodle-Bug had had enough and was ready to settle in with us.  It was W's turn to be the "doorman" while I lounged on the couch.

In comes the boy covered in snow, barreling full speed for his favourite couch .... the one I'm lying on.  No problem he says, two of us can squeeze onto a love seat!  And we did... nothing like a 90+ pound dog sitting on you!   In no time, he settled in and fell fast asleep on my lap.  A precious moment it was...

Hurley

This post is dedicated to Sawyer's best buddy Hurley, a two-year old Berner, and my "goddog".  I've known him for over a year, and have tagged along on a number of pleasant walks with 'SC', albeit at the risk of losing a limb while being dragged down a slippery slope by a 100+ lbs. dog had I not released my hold on his leash...honestly, he IS a gentle giant.  He just, as does this breed, has a strong penchant for pulling, be it a cart or a human.    I  do love you Hurley ;-)

I must say Hurley has been a good trooper, and a good role model  in Sawyer's presence.  These two love a good wrestle in a field, forest, creek, snow, mud,...well just about anywhere!  This video portraits a typical play date.

Leash-free park

(W.A.G. Park, Burlington)

It's a rather stormy night in the greater Toronto area and a good time to catch up on Sawyer's blog.

Sawyer-Doodle-Bug endured his third visit to the vet today.  After a thorough examination and a weigh-in at 79.2 lbs, Dr. Linda gave him a clean bill of health.  Not surprising, as he continues to thrive on his raw diet, loves his exercise and gets more than enough loving. 

Speaking of exercise, we've recently introduced Sawyer to leash-free parks.  We are fortunate to have two in close proximity to our home.  Both parks were fully enclosed, with shelters for the owners to huddle under during inclement weather while sipping their daily dose of "Tim's".

Before entering the park, I chose to walk the boy on the outside perimeter of the park to allow both of us time to acclimatize to our new surroundings and to gauge the chemistry within the park.  All looked civil and friendly.  We entered, with a little trepidation (for me, anyways), but in no time, Sawyer was soon befriended by a lovely pack of dogs.  Thus the beginning of a new love for Sawyer.  He was off like the wind, attempting to keep up to the Weimeraners, Labradors Retrievers and numerous mixed breeds.  We  stayed long enough for Sawyer to socialize, exercise and be a dog.   We'll let the video speak for itself....

Yogurt

Sawyer survived the Holidays with flying colours.  Although we forfeited the natural Christmas tree this year,  the table-top version suited us just fine in light of the addition of a new puppy.  Until Sawyer-Monkey knows not to break off branches and gnaw on the bark, the table-top will remain.   I can just imagine a dissected natural Christmas tree, strewn about the house, broken keepsake ornaments in pieces or better yet, ingested by Sawyer....something out of a horror flick!

Anyways, a few days ago, we treated 'Monkey' (MJ's new nickname) to an empty yogurt container.  Only the best for our boy, as he enjoyed licking the inside of an Organic Meadows No Fat Plain Yogurt  container (no, this is not an infomercial but one of my favorite natural yogurts!)   It was entertaining to watch him get every last drop.  The game ended when 'Monkey' decided to shred the container to bite-size pieces...not a recommended dog treat!

(hope this isn't a permanent fixture)

(Hmm, if only I could reach that last drop on my snout)

(this is exhausting work!)

Memory Lane

It's a quiet evening, Sawyer is fast asleep on the floor, while the rest of the family members are quietly absorbed with their Christmas gifts.  I chose to stroll down memory-lane, viewing photos of Sawyer-Doodle-Bug and post a series of random photos of him.  Sigh...how quickly he has grown.

lounging in the kitchen - Aug/10

my baby... aug/10

playing peek-a-boo in front garden - sept/10

aborted attempt to descend the stairs - Oct/10

with his harem - Nov/10

Lasalle Pk - Nov/10

Sawyer admiring his 'godmother' SC & Hurley - Dec/10

Sawyer & I cuddling in his GIGANTIC crate - Dec/10

Guarding the property

After an arduous walk & training session this morning, Mr. Sawyer chose to sit on the front lawn, to admire the neighbourhood activity....

Sister MJ

Sawyer's #1 fan is his dear "sister" MJ.  From the day she could speak, she begged us for a dog.  Day in & day out....begging, yelling, nagging.  However, being the practical parents that we were, having to raise two young children, her request was continuously turned down.  We always felt as though we were denying her but truth be told, never having had a dog and caring for kids was a daunting idea.  It wasn't until we became empty-nesters (well, almost) that we (rather, I) took the plunge.  Honestly, I regretted that decision for a mere week during the wicked "mouthing" stage (some refer to it as the "Cujo" stage).  Now, I love him to bits...as does his big "sista"... and not to forget his big brother TJ & Papa W.

Let sleeping dogs lie...

We get such pleasure watching Sawyer sleep.   I love that he can park himself just about anywhere, lush grass, dirt, kitchen floor, front porch, under patio furniture, amongst my flowering shrubs.... the list goes on.  Lately his favorite place is in the dirt under the tall evergreen in our backyard, hence the sap adhered to his fine puppy fur!  Here is a sampling of his naps...

Birth of a beautiful boy..

(Sawyer at approx. 9 wks)

May 30, 2010.... the birth of a beautiful male Bernese Mountain Dog.  Born in the Laurentians of Quebec, Canada, Sawyer was one of 10 puppies.  His mom apparently weighed in around 100 lbs, while dad a whopping 130 lbs!

(Sawyers' parents - courtesy of L. Boyer, breeder)

The timing to purchase a puppy was right for us (rather for me, not so much for other family members!).  We found our boy through Kijiji and after much thought and discussion with the breeder, we took the plunge.  Sawyer graced our doorstep on August 6th, 2010, a day before our daughter's birthday.  She couldn't ask for a better gift!

Upon Sawyer's arrival, he was greeted by his current best buddy, Hurley, another BMD (Bernese Mountain Dog).  Hurley showed much restraint and patience with this new puppy and continue a lovely friendship.

(Sawyer & Hurley)

(Sawyer attempting to take Hurley for a walk!)