Hi there!
My name is Jennifer Costello, most people call me Jen.
I live in Strongsville, Ohio which is a suburb about 20 minutes outside of Cleveland.
I’m a mom to two wonderful children, wife to my best friend, dog mom to two dogs, and a former veterinary technician of 10 years.
I’ve had Newfies for the past 15 years. I started this blog to share stories of life with my two brown Newfies, Sherman and Leroy, and I quickly became in love with writing and photography.
From there I made several instant friendships with an amazing group of pet enthusiasts and pet bloggers and now I can proudly call myself an author of a popular and fun dog blog. While this blog focuses mainly on Newfoundlands and giant breeds, I’m a lover of all dogs big and small.
My Brown Newfies is a personal pet/lifestyle blog where I write about dogs; specifically Newfoundland dogs and bigs, pet health, pet products, family, and totally crazy stories that only seem to ever happen to me and my dogs.
I love to experiment with new foods, holistic medicine, and try new activities so that Sherman and Leroy can live the healthiest lifestyle that I can provide.
I have a goofy sense of humor and I prefer to live life laughing.
I loved my job as a vet tech but after 10 years in the field, I decided to take a break. I still enjoy sharing tips with pet owners on how to make a visit to the vet a little more enjoyable for them and for their pet. Right now I’m concentrating on senior dog health.Blogging has brought so many awesome opportunities the way that I otherwise would not have had such as being a VIP blogger the AKC/Eukanuba National Championships, attending the Behind The Paw Influencer Summit.
We’ve been featured on SheKnows.com, mentioned on VetStreet and won Best Photo On A Blog in 2012 for the BlogPaws Nose to Nose Awards and was a finalist in the same category for 2013! I’m also a finalist in the 2015 BlogPaws Nose to Nose Awards for BEST DOG BLOG and BEST PET HUMOR BLOG.
I’m a proud member of the BlogPaws community where I get wonderful opportunities to work with a large number of other pet enthusiasts.
When I’m not here on the blog or working at the vet clinic I’m grooming the dogs, hanging with the kids, practicing my photography, taking care of my garden or out getting therapy. Dog therapy. It’s the best kind of therapy there is.
Need to know more about me? Contact me at mybrownnewfies@aol.com.
Need more? You got it! You can also find me writing some important and fun articles over at Pets Adviser and SheKnows. I also recently had an article published in The Dog Show Journal.
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Jacqueline
Thursday 15th of September 2022
Hi Jen! Just want to let you know that we love your blog!!! Our sweet Harriet passed away 2 years ago. She was almost 12 and she lived in the US, England, and Japan. She was 140 lbs of muscle and pure love. After a while we got Rosie. She is almost 2 years old now. We followed your advice and my husband built a dog grooming station!! We bought the eqine dog shampoo and the K9 III dog dryer!! Thank you soooooo much!!! Last Sunday we groomed her ourselves!! I need to work on my scissor skills but we are so excited to be able to do this ourselves. Rosie did awesome!! We love your blog and have learned so much, even as experienced Newfie people. Have a wonderful day. Thanks for everything!!! Jackie, John, and Rosie
Faviola
Sunday 6th of February 2022
Hi Jen! Your blog saved me and Khoa, my 1 year old goofy, sweet and adorable Newfie... who can also sometimes be an emotional terrorist :) Khoa was an impulse, I wanted a giant dog a year after I lost my beloved Bassett Hound Chilli. In hindsight, I should have done my research because I now know understand that giant breeds are different; however, with your help and lots of patience and love - on both ends - we are doing much better!! Khoa is a fast learner and she has warmed up my heart. She is slowly warming up my 12yr old Schnauzer's heart (Kika) and my two kitties as well. Our home is a little but crazy these days and the logistics around all my furry kids is a lot... however, nothing brings more but joy into my life than their unconditional love. Thanks again for all your tips and advice. Thank you!!! :)
Jen
Wednesday 9th of February 2022
Thank you so much for the kind message! I'm so happy that Khoa is doing much better! They are the best dogs and also sometimes a challenge:)
Lorraine Marsala
Saturday 7th of August 2021
Hi Jen, my name is Lorraine Marsala and I live with my husband on the East end of Long Island NY. We're a big Italian family, with 5 grandchildren and lots of friends and family. We also live with a beautiful 5 year old Newfie named Joey. He's truly the sweetest big boy and everybody loves him and he loves them right back! Joey is our second Newfie. Before Joey there was Benny who weighed in at 207 lbs. We were blessed to have him in our lives for 10 years. We thought we were getting older and should'nt get another dog, but after 1 year without hugging our beautiful Benny we realized what was missing in our lives.Joey was the best decision we ever made, and after 5 years he is 150 lbs and truly is the sweetest boy. I found your sight while I was looking for info about possibly having Joey neutered because he recently seemed very interested in female dogs. I was happy to hear that you did not neuter your boys . I never neutered Benny, but I never really saw him act as interested as Joey did recently. For the most part Joey is always with us at home, and our family members have male dogs so that seems to work out okay.I felt better about hearing your decision not to neuter, and followed up reading about other medical issues that neutering could bring on. Thanks for popping up on my computer screen just as I was looking for the right decision for Joey. Lorraine Marsala
Jen
Thursday 12th of August 2021
Thanks for the kind words Lorraine!
Libby
Saturday 3rd of April 2021
Your blog has saved me. We rescued an adolescent male newfie this past year after our previous newf passed. Our new boy is a sweet and rowdy goofball and is going to be a great dog for us, but because his personality is the absolute opposite of our previous newf and because he came to us with some challenging medical issues, adolescence is tough. Your blog really helps me put things in perspective, gives me practical tips, and reminds me what will be on the other end of this once he reaches maturity. Thank you!
Jen
Monday 5th of April 2021
Hi Libby, thanks so much for the kind and thoughtful words! I'm so glad that the blog has been helpful! I've had 2 goofy Newfies and 3 calm Newfies so far and they all have been the best! Some days were definitely more trying than others but always well worth it:)
4 incredibly adorable and hilarious blogs about dogs to check out | Daycare for the dog
Sunday 30th of September 2018
[…] love My brown newfies. Jennifer, the writer of this blog, has two giant breeds, Sherman and Leroy. Head over to the blog and take a look at those beauties. And while you’re there, read their daily stories and feel […]