What’s the challenge of owning, not one but two dogs, that weigh up to 150 pounds each, love eating, and when they shed leave “tumble weeds” of black hair throughout the house?

David Rardin of New Hampshire, who was seated Monday under a tent with his two Newfoundlands at the entrance to a Crowne Plaza parking lot in Warwick, barely paused to answer.

“Grooming,” he said describing a three-hour long process of combing out tangles, washing and using an industrial blow drier to finish the job. And an hour later they could be rolling in the rain.

No matter, he loves his dogs, Barnabas and Eliza, who lay at his feet in the cool mulch. The dogs welcomed visitors petting them but stuck to the shade. Rardin said the dogs love swimming – they are used as water rescue dogs and some Newfie shows feature that skill, but not this one – and they love cold weather. His dogs roll in the snow even when the temperature drops to minus 25.

Rardin won’t be entering Barnabas and Eliza in any events. He came to assist with the show and reconnect with all the friends he has made over the years.   

Donna Thibault nodded her head in agreement grooming is a significant challenge when owning a Newfie. The dogs have been a part of her family since she was eight years old and that was 55 years ago. Both her daughters, Joanne and Jessica, have successful businesses based on the dogs raised as working companions by Newfoundland fishermen. Jessica won best of breed at the 2025 show in Duluth, Minnesota with a young dog that she was the breeder.

Thibault had a lot on her mind as the co-chair of the Newfoundland Club of America National Specialty show that bring together 300 of the gentle giants and more than 400 people for a series of events that started Monday with “drafting.” Dogs are harnessed to a cart weighted by 25 pounds and follow a course up to a mile long. The show runs this Saturday afternoon (May 3) and is open at no charge to all those who love the breed or are simply just interested in dogs and meeting people from across the country.

According to the Specialty Show website, this is the sixth time they have traveled to the Crowne since 1992.

This is the first dog show at the Crowne since the hotel ceased hosting the events nine years ago. In its heyday of dog shows the Crowne, and its sister the Warwick Holiday Inn, was ground zero for scores of shows featuring different breeds.

Thibault is excited to come back to Warwick and Ashley Mizer who is coordinator at the Crowne is excited to have the dogs back. Other than rooms reserved for flight crews and a few walk-in guests more than 240 rooms at the Crowne and more at the Holiday Inn have been booked by the show. Up to three dogs are allowed in each of the rooms. Mizer said the Crowne booked 1,000 room nights for the show.

Planning the event started more than three years ago, said Thibault. It’s understandable as evidenced by the ambitious agenda spelled out in the thick program book

Thibault knows the ropes having worked on Newfie shows, including the five hosted by the Newfoundland Club of New England at the Crowne. The tents for the show came from a company based in Michigan. Then there are the golf carts the club rents to get volunteers around the Crowne campus and the company that trucked in a giant generator to power the largest of all the tents. Electricians were making the final touches on electrifying the tent Monday where owners will be able to blow-dry their Newfies after washing them at stations set up by the hotel and before coming under the scrutiny of judges who have traveled as far away as Oregon and California to be here.

“Of course we have some [judges] from New England, too,” Thibault said.

Thibault and Mizer have already started planning for next year, as the Newfies will make their return in 2026.

While seemingly every conceivable issue is planned for, oversights happen.

Thibault laughs relating how a volunteer had to drive back to Connecticut.

She had left the 3,000 poop bags at home.