An Ode to Briggs!

I'm telling you--Briggs is seriously the BEST dog out there! Before having children we researched (well, honestly Kyle did the researching) dog breeds to see which kind was the best fit for us. After looking at several breeds, Kyle decided that a Newfoundland would be great for us. I was on board until I saw a picture of what a Newfoundland looked like. Once I saw it I said a definite NO! They were HUGE, hairy, and had enormous heads. Not to mention I was never a big dog lover, especially ones that looked like miniature BEARS. However, after reading all about them I became open to learning more and even taking a look at a few. In mid 2002 we went and visited a breeder up in Surprise, AZ. We were informed that they were NOT called "pets", rather "companions". Then came the time to actually meet one up close. He opened the door to let "grandma" (a big brown 150 pound newfie) come out to see us. This HUGE brown bear of a thing came out and right up to me and I fell in love instantly! For the most part, newfies are gentle giants. They are lifeguards by nature and wonderful with children. Briggs is all that and a whole lot more. He has NEVER shown any signs of aggression and is just in love with our boys. He will let them do whatever they want to him and he watches over them, especially in the pool. He had never been a "licker" except when it comes to babies and then he just can't help himself--he will lick away! He is also nice to have around for protection. I say this lightly because anyone who knows Briggs, knows that he just barks and nothing else. But, his bark is pretty scary sounding! We love our Briggs!