Big Paws Only Dog Forums
Newfoundlands => Newfoundland Discussions => : Newly Newfed June 19, 2007, 11:56:52 PM
-
I took Sierra to puppy kindergarten class last night and the trainers said something that has been bugging me. theywere playing with her and noticed that she is starting to get her adult teeth in. They said that's usually when a dog stops growing and that I'll be lucky if she grows another inch or so and that she will be tiny for a Newf. She is just about as tall as our Black Lab right now. And all of the research I've done says that Newfs grow in height for the first year and muscle up the second year. Now if that's true, then she's got 7 more months of growing left. And I know it may have nothing to do with it, but her parents were massive dogs...
Anyway I was hoping that since she is my first Newf and most of you have had more experience with this, can you tell me if the trainers are right? Or his her growth rate normal? Here are her stats:
She is 20 inches at the shoulder, 49 pounds and she is just about 5 months old.
These trainers have been training dogs for 34 years, are reputable and they breed Belgian Turverns (I know I spelled it wrong!). I trust what they say about training dogs and caring for dogs, but hope they are mistaken because they don't deal with Newfs. One of the major factors in my decision to get a Newf is because they are such large dogs. I love my girl no matter what, but I will be sorely disappointed if she is going to stay this small.
-
Were they specifically talking about Newfs?? I thought all dogs typically lost their baby teeth around the same time. If that statement is true, then most dogs wouldn't go past their size at 5-7months!! My GSD is losing/getting teeth now and she's 4months and only weighs 23lbs!! I really hope that the trainer just mis-spoke, if not I think I'd be looking for a different trainer!
-
I didn't think that sounded right either. But I worry, it's what I do best... LOL! I didn't see Sierra's siblings, so she could have been the runt for all I know, but I still can't imagine that she would only be as tall as a Labrador Retriever. Especially when she's still so young. That's why I decided to ask everyone here. Like I said, the trainers have limited experience with Newfs...only the ones they train. They don't have breeding experience with them. Thank you all for putting my mind at ease and pointing out things that my worrisome self didn't think about in my panic. LOL!
-
Most puppies start losing baby teeth at or around 6 mos- the loss of the teeth does not mean that they are no longer growing. My vet says that usually what the puppy weighs at about 6 mos, you can double that, and that will be around the size when they are full grown. Bailey was the exception to this- she grew very fast and at 6 months weighed 60 pounds, she leveled off at about 80, which was fine. She is 1/2 Newf and 1/2 Golden Retriever and is the size of a really large Golden. Jake the Dane continued to grow until he was 2 and I am thinking that he is now full grown- so maybe the trainer just isnt familiar with the extra large dogs.
-
My vet says that usually what the puppy weighs at about 6 mos, you can double that, and that will be around the size when they are full grown.
I hope that's the case because I guess-timate that she will be around 55 lbs at 6 months...
I feel so much better. I'm glad I posted this on BPO. You have to admit though...in the picture below she DOES look a bit stubby! LOL!
-
I highly doubt the applicability of what your trainer said to your Newf. I've never heard such a thing actually.
-
Well now you are just going to have to post more pics- she is just way too cute. Bailey is still stubby, she has that big barrel body of a Newf on the Golden Retriever legs.
-
I did post more pics in a different thread... The topic is that she graduated...
-
I know that my girl, Lucy, at 1 year is not "that" much taller some of the labs at the dog park (maybe 2 or 3 inches) but she is way bigger than them in terms of bone structure and stuff like that. She's about 100 pounds now. So weight wise she's not too tiny. And she looked pretty much like your girl when she was 5 months.
-
Storm's just got most of her "big teeth" and she's still growing daily me tinx LOL
never heard that one before, your vet sounds more on the ball!!
she sooo cute give her hugs for me!!
-
I wouldn't worry, she sounds alot like how Kali was. She probably won't be bhuge but she isn't gonna be a Little Paw. Kali's parents were big also and she has topped out at around 105#s.
-
Never heard that one! Rudder lost his baby teeth by 6 months...he STILL continues to grow and he is 14 months now he is weighing in at 160 pounds and he is about He stopped growing height wise at about 11 months old but still growing muscle etc....so that tooth idea is rediculous! Hope that helps:)
-
Hey there! I believe you were given some false information about your newfie. I have a pup that will be two next month and i have been monitoring his growth very carefully. At 5 months, he was about 21 inches and 55 lbs. He continued growing in height until about 16 months and is still gaining weight by the month. At one year he was 28 in and 110 lbs. and is now 30 in and weighs 145. I have several good friends and family who own newfies as well and they tell me to expect about another 15-20 lbs as his chest develops over the next 8-12 months. I'm sure your newf is growing at a perfectly normal rate. Hope this helped ease your mind.
Philip, Shenandoah Valley, Va
-
Here is a picture of My Newf River in Jackson Hole at 15 months and 120 lbs.
-
Puppies loose their teeth at about 5 months old they still have plenty of growing to do. My IW Morgayne will be 5 months in a week, and she has lost all her canines and is getting in her big teeth. I have had about10 puppies in my life and they all lost their teeth between 4-6 months of age. Your girl has plenty of growing to do still.
-
They don't know YOUR newf. It's the same thing with skin babies, everyone thinks they are an expert just because it's a baby, and they were a baby once, so...
Take it all with a 'grain of salt' and smile politely while you tune them out. Your best advice will come from your vet and the fabulous people on this board who have raised Newfs. Enjoy your baby!! She is beautiful!!!
-
I have Pyrs and a Golden, so no experience with Newfy's but you've received some great info from other BPO Newfy people. I too have never had a puppy that was finished growing by 5-6 months. My Pyrs haven't finished growing and filling out until they were between 2 1/2 & 3 yrs old. Sounds like someone was misinformed, shall we say. Enjoy your baby!
To Philip in VA, welcome to BPO and please post more pics and stories about River. He's so handsome and he's well traveled, too! What beautiful pics! ;D
-
ive never even heard that before.. stop growing after they get their teeth?? that's new to me. and doesnt apply to any dog ive ever had either. heaven sakes max would be a foot shorter than he is right now!haha
know what's wierd? i had a dream that max was loosing more baby teeth last night.
-
I had never heard it either...and it didn't make much sense to me. That's why I brought it here to get answers from the BPOers...
-
well i would consider it an incorrect statement. especialy after reading what every one has posted, and the person who said that to you will find out soon enough when your newfie keeps growing...and growing..and growing....hah a!
-
Could you imagine if humans stopped growing after we lost our baby teeth? We would be tiny! I think this person was trying to be a know it all with you.
Nina
-
Hey man i was reading your post and i figured i would respond even if you have gotten the information that you wanted... I have owned multiple newfies sense i have been 6 years old... Every newfie is different but i will tell you that your source is wayyyyyy wayyyy wrong..... It is not possible for your newfie to stop growing at the age of 5-6 months.... I just got another newfie pup last december and to me i thought she looked a lil smallier than my previous newfs. She was 22in and 62 lbs at 5 months but she looked the same as your pup... That being said i will now tell you that she is 102 lbs at 8 months and that newfs grow rapidly without you even noticing it.. Im absolutlely positive that your newfy will continue to grow and will keep growing until at least after the 2nd year. that is typically when newfs growing slows down. And the tooth thing has no relevance to when her body will stop growing. did you stop growing when you got your big teeth haha... No im sure you continued to grow. Good luck and continue to post more pics!
-
Gosh, I guess you hit a nerve. I'm sure you can tell by the responses that the trainer is obviously seriously misguided. I think trainers in the business for many years are so focused on the training aspects they loose site of some of the basic characturistic s of the different breeds.
We had a trainer that insisted we did a baaaaad thing getting litter mates and if immediate action wasn't taken soon they would never bond with us and only prefer their own company. I was panicked as well. Not loved by my own Newfs.
Bwwaaaahhhhh. I was silly to worry. Newfies can't help growing into extremely huge dogs and they can't help loving everybody and they can't help loosing big gobs of hair and giving slobbery wet kisses and getting wet with whatever water is available and getting into mischief and sleeping wherever you want to walk and ....... Sit back and enjoy your baby :D
-
I would go to a different class. They don't seem to know much about dogs.
ALL dogs start getting their new adult teeth right around 14 weeks.
As far as growth, my vet told me "on average" take a dog's size and weight at 4 months and double it and that should be their approximate size as an adult. Of cours, Tink is surpassing this average, it is a good guesstimate.
FYI
-
Since this post was first posted in 2007. How big is Sierra now??
-
I forgot all about posting this!! LOL!! As usual, you were all correct - I had nothing to worry about. Sierra is currently 26 1/2 inches tall and 89 lbs. She looks like she is still filling out body-wise, but she is nice and lean and the vet is very happy with her waistline. I have FINALLY stopped hearing people comment on how small my Newf is, and I love it!
I actually joined the dog training club where these trainers work, it's a large organization and I haven't trained with them since. I ran into one of them and she said "Oh, you adopted another Newf!" When I told her it was Sierra she seemed like she almost didn't believe me and she was like "That's little Sierra?" I couldn't keep the smug, satisfied smile off my face!!!
-
Sierra is soo cute!
-
well... fumble is just turning 3 July 20th and he's still growing... so i'm not sure the teeth falling out thing holds true to every dog... maybe with some it's a sign...
My breeder said they really aren't "full" grown until they are 3...
-
I actually had a good natured, albeit loud, debate over Sierra's size just yesterday with one of Jeff's friends. He's one of those redneck backwoods types that is a know it all about EVERYTHING and most of his "knowledge" is full of ****. I'm not that crazy about this guy, but he's been a very good friend to Jeff so I tolerate him.
Anyway, he mentioned he thought she'd be bigger and that led to me defending her size. He said he had two female Newfs that were both the size of our friend's dog, Thunder. Now Thunder is a Great Dane. A Dane sized Newf??? Female??? I stuck with the facts: Average size for a female according to the breed standard...he said he doesn't care about no dang breed standard, it doesn't mean anything. Ummm...ok, whatever. He refused to believe that she was 26 inches, so we pulled out a tape measure to prove it. Score one for Steph. I stated all of the Newf club events I go to, Sierra is the same height as all of the other females. He also said that there's no way she'll ever be strong enough "at her size" to pull a boat in from the water, so she'll never pass her water test. Jeff and I both said she's already proven she can easily pull a boat to shore. Twice. Score two for Steph... :D
Anyway, it went on like that for a while and finally we agreed to disagree. He'll always believe he knows all there is to know about Newfs, and I'll always know he's an idiot. ;D The only thing he did say about Sierra that I agree with is that she's awful pretty. :D