Ah MAcy Moo was beautiful! Sadly they sometimes don't live so long, I don't really know why. Seems the bigger the dog the shorter the lifespan :-\
Still, your new pup is gorgeous! How do you cope with a dog that size! Our neighbour in Oz had one (on 5 acres!) and hhe was barmy. He was very affectionate which meant being knocked to the ground on a regular basis.
I am not surprised about the burglars though, they are really not agressive and seem to be used to be shoved about a lot, probably because of their cumbersome nature. He could have barked at least!