Shuswap dog fetches beer from the fridge, vacuums and can even push a snow blower

Morgan, a six-year-old Newfie, helps with the snow blowing. Image Credit: Contributed/ Grace Edwards

February 07, 2018 - 7:00 PM

SHUSWAP - A 130-pound dog from the Shuswap has become a local celebrity after learning how to operate a snow blower.

Morgan, a massive, six-year-old Newfoundland dog loves learning new tricks, but her latest achievement is perhaps her most popular yet: standing on her hind legs to push a mechanical snowblower.

Owners Dean and Grace Edwards say she’s always been a fast-learner, usually picking up tricks on the first or second try. Lately, Dean has been getting creative to see just how far Morgan can go.

“He taught her how to get a beer out of the fridge just for fun,” Grace says. “Then people said ‘what about shutting the door after? Or getting pretzels? Or vacuuming?’ Then he just handed the snow shovel over to see what she’d do with it, and off she went.”

After that success, Dean figured he’d see how Morgan, or 'Miss Goo' as she's fondly called for her abundance of drool, did with a snowblower.

“It took her about a month to learn,” Grace says. “She wasn’t scared of it at all, nothing seems to faze her.”

Aside from helping out around the house, Morgan keeps busy with water rescue, rally obedience and draft dog training (pulling a cart through an obstacle course). She also cheers people up at seniors homes as a registered St. John’s Ambulance therapy dog. What can’t she do?

“Dean does have to start the (snowblower) for her and put the lever forward,” Grace admits.

She’s not sure what Morgan’s next big trick will be, but they’re accepting recommendations.

“It tends to be people suggesting things and Dean saying ‘let’s try it,’” Grace says.

Since posting a video of their dog pushing the snowblower and being interviewed by a local newspaper, Grace says Morgan’s fan club has definitely grown.

“Dean is thinking he should teach her to give some autographs, or ‘paw-tographs’ since she’s so popular now,” Grace says.

In fact, Morgan spent Wednesday afternoon napping after “doing an interview” that morning, Grace says.

“She was snow blowing so they could get video and doing her other tricks inside,” Grace says. “She’s a big ham — she has no problem posing and loves having her picture taken.”

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