Lillie Bell, Stella and Matilda may not look like your typical sled dogs, but they are certainly strong enough to do the job. Bonus: They love it! The three “gentle giants” belong to the Eshelman family of Plow Farms in Plowville, Pennsylvania. Last year, they hosted a Newfoundland Meet-Up Day where the pups pulled Christmas tree-laden sleighs for customers. The event was such a hit, they decided to make it an annual occurrence!
Newfies were bred to pull fishing nets and haul wood so tugging a Christmas tree is a breeze for these burly pups.
This year’s celebration took place on December 9 and featured more than 35 Newfies, including some certified therapy dogs. Visitors to Plow Farm were invited to choose and cut their own Christmas tree, then stroll back to their car alongside their own personal Newfoundland delivery pup.
Lindsey Eshelman assured TODAY.com that all of the dogs involved in pulling have been specially trained in “draft work“.
“Dogs must have a draft certificate to pull, meaning they have been through multiple classes and training, so they know all of the commands and how to properly execute the exercise,” she said. “Outside of being in the fields, our dogs live in luxury, and we can assure if they didn’t want to work, we would gladly let them lay around the fire.”
American Veterinary Medical Association spokesperson Michael San Filippo agreed that “the dogs seem to be appropriate for the task and don’t appear to be struggling or stressed or unhappy.”
“In this case,” he added, “nothing appears problematic. It’s pretty cute!”
If you missed this year’s Newfoundland Meet-Up Day, never fear – the pups will be back next holiday season. Meanwhile, you can visit Lillie Bell, Stella and Matilda at Plow Farms or follow their adventures on Facebook!
H/T to Today.com
Featured Image via Facebook/Plow Farms
