RESCUE DOGS SHOW OFF SKILLS; NEWFOUNDLANDS BORN TO SWIM.Byline: Jesse Hiestand Daily News Staff Writer Mozart, a 7-year-old Newfoundland, bounded into Channel Islands Harbor Sunday to retrieve a floatation device, tug a small boat and drag his owner to safety in a mock rescue. ``Good boy, all right, keep going Mo,'' said Pam Rubio, clenching clenching (klen´ching), n the nonfunctional, forceful intermittent application of the mandibular teeth against the maxillary teeth. It can become habitual and cause damage to the periodontium. the dog's fur for the 40-foot ride to shore. Rubio, 51, an elementary school elementary school: see school. teacher from Gilroy, emerged from the water cheering, ``Yahoo. Water dog. I knew he had it in him. He didn't hesitate at all.'' The annual Pull and Paddle Weekend sponsored by the Newfoundland Club of Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, gave ``Newfies'' like Mozart a chance to earn the official title of water dog or the more coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. water-rescue dog. But history and lore will attest that these dogs, known as the ``gentle giant,'' need no title or certificate to manifest their prowess in the water. A Newfoundland instinctively saved a drowning gold miner on the Yuba River The Yuba River is an important river in California and a major tributary of the Feather River, which is a tributary of the Sacramento River. The river begins as three separate forks, the north, south and middle, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. in Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern two years ago, said Peggy Lange of Los Alamitos Los Alamitos (lôs ăləmē`təs, lŏs), city (1990 pop. 11,676), Orange co., NE of Long Beach, S Calif., in a suburban area; inc. 1960. Los Alamitos Racetrack and U.S. military installations are nearby. . ``The gold miner, a deaf mute, had floated down the river for miles,'' she said. ``An elderly lady with an 11-month-old puppy was walking by and the dog, without any training whatsoever, pulled this man out of the river.'' Lange said her Newfoundland was used in a television re-enactment of the rescue. ``(The victim) had no ability to yell for help but the dog could sense something was wrong. The Newfoundland has been known for centuries for heroic action,'' she said. The English have erected a statue in honor of a Newfoundland that helped save more than 100 people in the early 1900s by dragging a line to a sinking ship sinking ship A mutual fund that has a substantial outflow of funds because of its weak investment performance. , she said. Sailors in the north Atlantic have used these dogs to pull in fishing nets or fetch someone who fell overboard. ``In Italy, they're used as lifeguards on the beach, taking life preservers or lines out to drowning persons,'' she said. ``They will even drop the dog out of a helicopter behind the surf to grasp a person by the clothes or arm and pull them in.'' There was no such drama Sunday for the 14 Newfoundlands entered in this contest. But those dogs seeking water-rescue status still had to save simulated drowning victims This is a list of drowning victims, either real or fictional characters in chronological order. The reasons for drowning are diverse and range from suicide, to accidents or murders. , including their owners. Newfoundlands are the only breed known for water rescues, Lange said. They are big - males can weight up to 150 pounds - love the water, have webbed-feet and two coats that help them withstand bitter cold in and out of the water. Modern rescue equipment and techniques have rendered unnecessary the use of Newfoundlands in most of America today, though they are occasionally deployed in ice rescues on the East Coast, she said. Owners say Newfoundlands were also prized for their hard work on land, especially around the farms of Europe where they were bred extensively. Mike Reyer, 55, who came from San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden for the contest Sunday, said he has found a modern-day way to harness the strength of his Newfoundland, Uors, which is Romansch for ``Bear.'' ``I take him to a school for the deaf and blind in the Bar Area and the kids go on a little wagon ride with him,'' Reyer said. ``(Newfoundlands) are great with kids. You don't have to worry about him snapping at a kid. They just have an enormous amount of patience with children.'' San Jose San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. police Officer Joyce Taylor brought two of her five Newfoundlands to the contest Sunday - Boomer and Katie, both 4 years old. While Taylor also praises the Newfoundland's calm temperament, she cautions that these big, affable dogs needs a good deal of attention and care. ``Newfoundlands need to interact with a family,'' she said as Boomer licked her cheek. ``You can't just put them in the backyard. Their coats need a lot of care. And you also have to be able to put up with a lot of drool.'' CAPTION(S): 5 Photos PHOTO (1--color) Oberon the Newfoundland shakes off after his rescue test. (2--color) Owner Mark McKeel instructs his dog Oberon in making a simulated water rescue of swimmer Scot Rosen at the Pull and Paddle Weekend water dog certification for Newfoundlands held Sunday at Channel Islands Harbor. (3--color) Pam Rubio hugs her dog Mozart after he pulled her to shore from 40 feet out at sea. (4) Harry the Newfoundland pounces into the ocean to demonstrate his swimming and retrieving prowess for owner Gabrielle Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. . (5) Mark McKeel holds onto his pal Oberon as the big dog paddles to shore during Newfoundland water rescue certification testing Sunday at Channel Islands Harbor. Hans Gutknecht/Daily News |
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