Posh - Shalowseas on the Double of Tallisbay

Posh

2000 - 2013

Today 11th November would have been Posh's 13th Birthday

I had to say good-bye to my lovely old Lady Posh, she crossed that old Rainbow Bridge on the evening of September 23rd just a month or so short of her 13th Birthday.

 I first met Posh when I visited Suzanne Archer in early 2007 hoping to be allowed to aquire my first Newfie puppy.  That puppy was of course Angus but what I didn't realise was that 2 years later, just before Christmas 2009, Posh would come to stay with me for a few days.  I was at first a little worried about how Angus would accept her and  how I would manage two Newfs in my tiny house. However it is no surprise really that she fitted in just beautifully and adopted me, I fell in love with her and here she stayed.

During her successful show career Posh was awarded 2 Reserve Challenge Certificates, at Birmingham National Championship Show in 2003 and Three Counties Championship Show in 2006.

Posh was also excellent at water work, she gained the award of Top Working Dog in 2003 and was presented with the Alain Nouvion Trophy by the Newfoundland Club of Great Britain, she achieved passes at level D and gained her multi-test water work certificate at level C.

By the time she came to live with me Posh had already retired from her show and working activities, but she never lost the fascination for water, even though she was extremely well behaved outdoors she would sometimes decide that there was an interesting swamp or muddy creek nearby which required closer inspection.

Posh was extremely well behaved on our walks together, many of my fondest memories are of our evening stroll along the river side in Hersham, it became increasingly difficult to manage long walks with Angus as she aged, so often she came just by herself and enjoyed the extra attention. Posh had many admirers in the village and loved the attention standing while everybody patted her and cuddled her.

 Her 11th Birthday was quite a landmark, a good age for a Newfie, no grey hairs and still very much enjoying life. Posh was 11 years old, on 11/11/2011 a rather neat numerical coincidence which I am sure gave her special powers.

 Posh made my doggy family, I could always trust her to walk close by even in situations where Angus had to put up with being on his leash, having being a bit worried at first about how I would manage two Newfies it actually became easier than having one and I was hugely proud of how well Posh behaved even if I can hardly claim any credit for that, she arrived in my house very well behaved to start with.

When Buster arrived in October 2012, Posh was rather distant with him at first, I am not sure that she appreciated a whirling puppy appearing in her old age but she soon became firm friends with him and for that all too brief time I had a family of three beautiful Newfies.  I think Posh was always the matriarch of the family and kept the boys in order for me.

Posh slowed down a lot in her last months but she was a very fit happy dog and stayed in good health, she did finally have to give up her journey up the stairs to sleep beside my bed but had a distinct, quite musical, bark which meant that she needed help and which became my morning call.

When Posh died I was already anticipating the arrival of a new Pup and I had been hoping that she would live long enough to meet him.  Well she didn't quite make it but Posh was a delight and adding her to my family was one of the best decisions I ever made, she was a special companion and our evening walks beside the River in Hersham some of the happiest doggy memories which I will always treasure. I miss her pretty bark and our gentle expeditions around the village, they became shorter and shorter until all we could manage was to sit on the first bench on the Green, Posh's Bench now and a reminder of where we used to rest for a cuddle and watch the world go by.... 

Sleep safe my lovely little lady Bear.