Hello friends. This is the most difficult post I have ever written. My beloved Newfoundland dog, Timber, is dead. When this post is published, she will have arrived at the Rainbow Bridge. She has been my constant companion for over eleven years. I have treasured every moment with her.
Timber’s health began to suffer when we learned that she had an irregular heartbeat. She began to have less control over her bowels as well. More recently, she started not eating. Any food she did eat, she would throw back up. We contacted the veterinarian, but unfortunately, the vet’s advice was not effective. Together with my parents (who helped care for her), we decided to put her down before she starved.
Timber brought so much joy into our lives. This week’s post will be a tribute to her.
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Coming Home
Timber joined the McNally family on October 23rd, 2013, one of the happiest days of my life. She was a 10-week-old puppy weighing 18 lbs, and full of the dickens. She came home at a time when things in my life were uncertain, but I knew that I would give Timber the best life that I could.
That year, Timber experienced her first leaf piles, and dove right into them. She continued to wander into leaf piles every autumn for the rest of her life, the big goofball. She loved being outdoors.
Her first snowfall was a big day. We played outside as I shoveled the walkway and tossed snowballs at her fluffy head. She would lie down in the snow during winter, even if the snow was falling, letting it accumulate on her until it was time to come into the house.
Growing Up
Right away, we knew that Timber needed training. It’s tough to control a 100-lb pooch on a leash when it’s untrained, and we knew that she needed to be well-behaved both in the house and in public. We contacted Canine Cadre in our hometown of Wallingford.
We had quite a few meetings with Lenny, the business owner and animal behaviorist. Timber took to training very well, earning a few titles in the process. Lenny adored Timber as much as our family did. So did his wife, Mary Ellen, who remarked how gorgeous she was many times.
Following Christmas 2013, all six of us, plus Timber traveled to Virginia to visit my Uncle Bob and Aunt Ginny. Timber was learning to walk on a leash at that point. During our walk one morning, she sat down in the middle of the trail, refusing to go any further. But as soon as we turned around, she got up and continued walking with us. What a goof!
Being a Newf
Newfoundlands were originally bred for heavy work, such as pulling carts, but especially for swimming, where they truly shine. Timber first swam in the summer of 2014. She loved the water right away. From that point on, if Timber came near a body of water, she would find her way in.
One Easter, we had a family gathering at a relative’s house. The backyard of their house included a fish pond. To me and my relatives’ amusement – and my mother’s horror – Timber jumped into the fish pond. While she didn’t catch any fish, she sure loved the water!
As Timber grew, she began to tower over most other dogs that she met. When fully grown at two years old, she weighed 100 lbs. She was a little small for her breed. Sugar, her mother, weighed 120 lbs, and her father Gus tipped the scale at 150 lbs. Still, she was a big girl and a magnet for dog lovers.
Gentle Giant at the Ren Faire
In 2017, the Connecticut Renaissance Faire began allowing pets every weekend, provided they were well-trained and leashed. Knowing how much Timber loved people and being outdoors, she would love this event. So we went together.
Timber proved a huge hit at the ren faire. She met other dogs (including another Timber!), smelled all the food, got pet by patrons and cast members, and just loved all the attention. She was quite curious about the jousting team’s horses, who she walked right up to and sniffed. I’ll never forget Timber and one of the horses being nose-to-nose as I and the rider looked on. Our hearts melted!
Just for fun, I entered Timber into the pet costume contest, even though she was wearing only her fur coat. When the host asked me what she was dressed as, I said she was dressed as a bear. That got big laughs from the audience. Timber placed third in the contest, losing to another dog dressed as a dragon, and a goat dressed as the “Fairy Goatmother.”
My friend Christine performs a fire and danger show. That year she was performing at CTRF for a few weekends. Timber and I watched one of her shows. At one point during her show, Christine dropped an apple onto one of the machetes in her ladder of blades to prove they were sharp. One-half of the apple landed next to my boot, so I offered it to Timber. As Timber was sniffing the apple, Christine looked at us and called out “Oh my gosh, that’s so cute! I’m so distracted right now!”
Nautical Dog
When Timber came home, I was a professional mariner, working on various kinds of vessels around the country. Once she came home, going away to sea for long periods proved difficult, leading me to give up that kind of work. I haven’t done any deep-sea shipping since the spring of 2014.
We were curious to see how Timber would handle being on our 22-foot center console boat. When she came aboard, she frequently paced around the deck, possibly unnerved by the motion. When the boat was going at speed, she would lie down under the operator’s seat, which also happened to be where I was most of the time.
When Timber was smaller, she would go swimming off the stern, but as she grew, getting her out of the water proved challenging. From then on, she would only swim from the beach. Once we even jumped off the pier together. Classic memory!
Good With Kids
One thing that I will truly treasure about Timber is how good she was with children. When my cousins’ kids first met her at our Christmas gathering, Timber was extremely tolerant of them, letting the kids pet her. While she may have invaded their space more than a few times (silly dog!) the kids all adored her.
Timber was also loving towards babies. In February of 2024, my niece Shivani entered the world. Just a couple weeks later, she would meet Timber, who was now an old lady of ten and a half years. Timber sniffed Shivani at their first meeting, a little bit curious. Later, as Timber was laying on the floor, I lay Shivani next to Timber, in the fluff of her coat. Ever the careful one, Timber did not budge, which resulted in a beautiful moment.
Saying Goodbye For Now
Timber went to the Rainbow Bridge on the evening of December 2nd, 2024. We lay her to rest in a homemade box (built lovingly by my father) in the backyard of the McNally family home. I intend to mark her resting place in a special way, either with a headstone and/or an evergreen tree native to Maine, where she came from.
Timber will be in good company in the afterlife. My late relative Mike McNally adored her, so he will gladly walk her around until I join them someday. Timber will also get to meet my childhood dog, a Chocolate Lab female named Sweetwater. Sweetie passed in 2011, just over two years before Timber came home. They will no doubt be best buds at the Rainbow Bridge.
Timber Girl, I love you forever and always. Though our time on Earth together was brief, we will make up for that in the afterlife, where we will sail the waters, walk the trails, go to ren fest, and ride the rails for all eternity.
As always, thanks for reading.
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