Final answer:
Mr. Newberry appears to be pleased with the approaching storm due to the positive changes and the sense of natural beauty it signifies, rather than specific reasons such as gardening or pet behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
The excerpts provided from the text "Hound Dog" suggest that Mr. Newberry is pleased with the approaching storm. This can be inferred from the characters' interactions with the environment and their anticipation or enjoyment of the storms. Venters and Bess, characters from the story, express a sense of gladness as the thunder sounds, which indicates they may welcome the rain for various reasons such as relief from the heat, the beauty it brings to their surroundings, or the benefits it provides to nature.
The details provided from the character's reactions illustrate that they appreciate the changes the storm brings, such as the cooling effect after intense heat, the growth it brings to flora, and the dramatic auditory and visual experiences of lightning and thunder. When characters in literature look forward to or express contentment about a storm, it is often because they see it as a form of natural renewal, cleansing, and transformation.
Given these insights into the text and the characters' perspectives, it seems most likely that Mr. Newberry is pleased with the approaching storm because it brings about positive change, symbolizes natural beauty and power, or may afford them relief from external conditions, rather than more specific reasons like gardening or the behavior of pets.