#SHARETHEFETCH Is a semi-regular profile series where we interview dogs and their humans about the many different ways we, ahem, N-GAGE (see what we did there).
Interested in being featured? Know someone that would be a good fit?
Tag us @nagegbrand and use #sharethefetch.
Meet Brad and his dog Bear. Bear is a rescue pup from northern Manitoba, Canada. Brad doesn't know what kind of dog Bear is, nor his breed mix, but says that some think of Bear as a Northern Designer Dog and it’s kind of stuck. The Northern Designer can easily grow in excess of +100 lbs., outlined with their unmistakable gold fur around their neck, they are both visually stunning and physically remarkable. To Brad... Bear is just Bear!
Bear was a stray that was abandoned at a very early age and was fortunately rescued by an RCMP detachment in the local area. The team that rescued him nicknamed him “Mr. Snugs”. He is an extremely happy, loving, and gentle companion and has lived up to his original nickname and more!!
The first time Brad met Bear (he was roughly 12 weeks old), Bear ran up to him and laid at his feet. People have said, he chose Brad, but Brad likes to think of it as they chose each other, and both Bear and Brad are extremely blessed to be doing life together every day!
N-Gage: What made you want to adopt a dog?
Brad: We had a Golden Retriever for 14 years that passed away roughly 5 1/2 years ago. Even though the passing of our golden left a huge void, we waited until the Spring of last year to start looking for another dog because we wanted to make sure it was the right time to add a new member to our family. Adopting a dog into a family provides so many benefits, companionship, unconditional love, emotional and physical well-being, and more.
NG: What does the every day routine look like for you and Bear?
B: I typically get Bear up anywhere between 6-7AM and our day starts with a 30-45 minute play session. Most days it’s either fetch with a ball and/or disc. We have another play session at lunch and then depending on the weather, either a long walk in the evening or a 3rd play/training session. This past spring and summer, we’ve also begun to incorporate swimming and bike riding into our daily routine. In addition to a high prey drive, Bear also has a lot of energy! He needs an extremely active lifestyle and as such, it requires me to be active. Whether it’s playing together in the backyard, daily walks, bike rides, him swimming beside me in the kayak and/or paddle board, I am far more active today, daily, than I would be if we hadn’t adopted Bear.
NG: What is your favorite thing to do with Bear? What do you think Bears favorite thing to do with you is?
B: My favourite thing to do with Bear is playing fetch whether it be with a ball, a disc, or any other related toy. Bear has an extremely high prey drive and absolutely loves to play fetch whether it’s in a field, on the beach, in the water or during winter, in the snow. Overall, our favourite thing to do is to spend time together. Whether it’s playing together, training together, or just being with each other, these activities provide both physical and mental stimulation for us both and at the end of the day, it’s all about having fun, making memories and spending quality time together.
NG: I see you take some amazing pictures of Bear. Are you a photographer? How did you learn to take such beautiful pictures?
B: I have been a passionate amateur photographer for many years. I started with film and was an early adopter of digital photography. I’ve continued to upgrade both my equipment and skills over the years and the learnings have come purely from experience and trial and error. Over the years, I focused my efforts mainly on landscape and wildlife photography. I lost (for lack of a better term) that passion a few years ago but adopting Bear has reignited my love for photography.
NG: What made you want to start an instagram account for Bear?
B: I started an Instagram account for Bear so that I/we could engage with other dog owners both locally and globally with similar interests. To us, an Instagram account is far more than just likes and followers. It’s about building a community of support that we can engage with, learn from, collaborate with, and most importantly, be inspired by.
NG: What is Bears favorite n-gage toy?
B: Bear’s favourite n-gage toy is without a doubt, the Bungee Handler. It’s great for both fetch and tug (two of Bear’s favourite activities), and we have been incredibly impressed with how durable the toy is! Bear absolutely loves it.
Be sure to keep in touch with @resqbear on instagram, and #sharethefetch
Featured Products:
Bumper Regular
Flyer
Bungee Handler
Propeller