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Stubborn Is As Stubborn Does

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I get asked a lot how I get Sherman and Leroy to pose for pictures.

The answer for Sherman is easy:

Sherman is always willing to please.

He might not always want to look directly at the camera but he’s always willing to sit when asked to sit.

He’s a pleaser and always has been.

Leroy is a different story.

Leroy is a stubborn as they come and sometimes it’s like pulling teeth to get him to cooperate.

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Leroy is all about doing what he wants, when he wants, if he wants.

Years ago, heck probably even last year, I never would of trusted Leroy to sit and stay for 30 seconds while I stepped back and took a picture.

There’s good reason for doubting him.

He’s taken off on me quite for a few times over the years and when he takes off, he has no plans of coming back.

It’s not that he’s not trained, he is, he just chooses to be trained when he wants to be trained.

In case no one has told you, Newfies can be a very stubborn breed.

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They are known to be gentle giants but if you look close at the fine print in the books, you’ll see the word stubborn.

It’s often a word that is overlooked and not talked about that much which is where I think some of the confusion comes from when Newfies are being raised.

“I thought they were gentle giants and had a sweet disposition.”

Oh they are and they do but you ignored the stubborn and smart part.

Smart and stubborn can be a tough combination to handle, especially when your dealing with a 150 pound puppy.

Sometimes they refuse to comply. They can be very persistent. They can be resistant to change and if they don’t want to move, they don’t want to move.  They live on their own time too. It’s called Newfie Time.

It can lead to a lot of frustration for new Newfie owners because they were expecting a dog that they thought was always willing to please.  They want to please you,  when they’re good and ready.

A friend once told me that she read the reason why Newfies can be so stubborn is because they are water rescue dogs and in order to be able to jump in some of the roughest waters there is to swim to a drowning victim, you have to be stubborn. You don’t want a dog who sees choppy waves and turns around and thinks, “Nope. Not today. Waves are too high, water is too cold. You’re on your own.” do you?

That makes sense to me!

I’ve been dealing with Leroy’s stubbornness for years and I’ve learned that you can’t take the stubborn out of a Newfie, you just have to learn to deal with and embrace it.

Sometimes I fight stubborn with stubborn and sometimes I just give in. What can I say, he tricks me with those big brown droopy eyes.

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For example, I can ask Leroy 30 times to come back in the house in the morning and he won’t budge.

Gracie can ask him one time to come in the house and in he comes.

It ticks me off every time and I think he knows that it ticks me off.

The thing is, his stubbornness makes me love him more. He wouldn’t be Leroy without it.

Leroy and I have come a long way over the years so if your blessed to have a stubborn Newfie in your life, there’s hope 🙂

p.s. Sherman is stubborn too but he’s more of a closet stubborn. I’ve seen him in action and I just have to laugh when he’s being stubborn because it just doesn’t fit with his adorable sweet face.

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Callie, Shadow, and Ducky's Mom

Sunday 30th of October 2016

OH! EMMM! GEEEE!!! I had to laugh! Ducky is no more of a Newfie than I am, but her stubborn streak? I do believe she could match Leroy ounce for ounce! It's frustrating - especially when she gets on a barking binge - but sometimes it just makes me laugh. This dog is a piece of work! She dances to a different tune! Poor Shadow does her best to be a good influence on her little sister - as Callie taught her to be - but Ducky will have none of it when she doesn't want any of it. And, though it can be challenging for this set-in-her-ways dog mom at times, I really DO love it about her. Ducky is her own dog. And I love her for all that she is.

CATHY BENNETT

Saturday 15th of October 2016

Harley lives for the camera. I realized that years ago. Once I grabbed my camera to move it from off of my desk - he immediately jumped up and struck a pose as if to say "I'm ready!" He cracks me up. Jaxson is almost two and he's finally getting to the point where he's understanding this whole "wait a minute" #itsaprocess

Jen

Tuesday 18th of October 2016

Leroy use to be the same way and then all of a sudden he got annoyed with the camera! Now I have to sneak him!

M. K. Clinton

Friday 14th of October 2016

Have you met Bentley? They start the Basset Hound book with the word STUBBORN written in all caps! Just like Leroy though, he wouldn't be his adorable self if he wasn't. It does make those great photos worth the wait. ☺

Jen

Tuesday 18th of October 2016

I don’t believe it! Are we talking about the same sweet Bentley! Lol! I have heard that bassets can be quite stubborn!

Beth

Friday 14th of October 2016

Smart and stubborn is tough combination. Once, Barley was refusing to walk nicely even though she knows how to heel and how to sit when I stop and how to look at me when there are distractions, so I took her home and then went back out to finish the walk with the rest of the family and when I got home, she was happily munching on a banana she'd stolen off the counter like she hadn't just been punished and sent home early from the walk. She's also determined which adds a whole new level of chaos to the equation ;)

Jen

Tuesday 18th of October 2016

Ha! She sounds like a girl who knows what she wants and doesn't feel bad about it one bit!

Oilslick

Friday 14th of October 2016

Leroy probably does not see you as the alpha dog. This is why he doesn't listen and does his own thing on his own time. Sherman probably sees you as a higher ranking family member than he is. A subordinate dog will always listen to the alpha especially when told something in a strict voice. When my wife gives our Newfie an order to do something like "come" or "go outside" , our Newf sometimes looks at her like "yeah right, when I feel like it". If I give her the same order, she complies much, much faster than if my wife said it. This is because she perceives me as the pack leader/alpha in our family. This also was the case for our past Newfie and dogs too. Try to become more of a pack leader and you'll see better results from him. He'll want to please you.

Jen

Tuesday 18th of October 2016

Thanks for the great advice!

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