Oh, the drool

One thing that people who are unfamiliar with Newfies complain about is the drool. There is no denying that they drool. Quite a lot. However, one misconception is that Newfies drool all the time. And this is slightly exaggerated. With Thatcher, we have learned that there are specific times you'll want to stay out of arm's reach of him.

1. After any form of vigorous exercise. Well, really after any type of exercise or physical activity. Walks, playing fetch, etc. This causes him to heat up and pant for about an hour. During this time, long strings of drool can be found covering his jowls, extra neck skin and even his front legs.
2. After he is finished eating or drinking. Anything. One habit we should have never allowed is drinking from the toilet. Yes, many many people find it really disgusting. But to be honest, it's extremely convenient for a dog whose daily intake of water can be equated to that of a small elephant or horse. It's nearly impossible to keep his water dish full, especially when we're gone all day. So Thatcher has always just helped himself to toilet water. I promise, we keep our toilets very clean. The only downside of this is that if we forget to keep the lids up, they will be soaked. Which is really fun when you're not paying attention and run in to use the bathroom. Also, this makes his drool extra gross. It's always right after he's drinking a gallon of toilet water that he'll walk over to you and shake, causing drool to be flung all over us and the walls.
3. When he is begging for human food. Which is pretty much any time any person eats any food item. If you let him, he'll sit about an inch from you and just stare intently with sad eyes. As minutes tick by, the drool increases more and more. So soon he'll have strands of drool hanging down that nearly touch the ground. Therefore, I've trained him to lie down when he begs instead. This at least protects your feet from becoming covered in drool.

In a nutshell, Newfies drool. But it really isn't the worst thing in the world. You just have to learn when to avoid it. I wouldn't say that I don't notice it, but it definitely doesn't gross me out like it used to.