Tell me about Newfoundlands

[Sullivan]

I've been thinking about getting a newfoundland pup.  I have 9 month old st. bernard, a cat, and three bunnies.  We want a dog that will get along well with all of them.  We also want a dog that is very smart and easy to train.  I have fallen in love with newfoundlands.  They look like little gorillas as babies and they have Harry Potter hair that sticks straight up on the top of their heads!  Everything I've read tells me that they are the dog I want next.  However, I want to be sure that i'm well educated before I make my decision.  I want to know everything from their worst qualities to their best, and also what should I look for when looking for a new pup, and what I should look for in a breeder.  Should I be sure that they are certified in hip, elbow, and heart?  Anything else?  I would appreciate any advice or stories.  I'm a huge dork and dog fan so I enjoy reading personal stories as well.  Thanks!

[Jen]

You did not mention if this newfie will be for family pet only or are you going to show too?  Newfie's are very expensive not only when buying as a pup but vet bills are big too.  Health certs are incredibly expensive!  You need to have "disspossable income" to show a dog and lots of it too.  If it is to be a pet only then going to a good breeder should be enough you don't "need" health certs but a good responsible breed is a MUST.

jen

[jabear]

I couldn't agree with more about falling' in love with a Newf! IMO they are the best dogs ever! (Of course my 2 1/2 year old boy made me say that  )

First, the dogs are very expensive and run between $1700-$2000 on average. Regardless of what you are planning to do with the puppy, you must make sure that you find a good, reputable breeder. It should be someone who is very knowledgable about the breed and does it because they love the breed & not just for the money. A good place to find one is through your local Newf Club or the Newf Club of America. Make sure that you check out the breeder's home and find out how the other dogs live. Your breeder should have the dog's parents heart, hips and elbows certified. The puppy can be hip/elbow certified at a very young age through new technologies, though it's best to wait until they are 2 so that their bones stop shifting and become more solid.  Also, make sure you understand what type of contract you are signing from your local breeder. Some require you to show, some require that you never spay/neuter, some require joint ownership, some want to retain a breeding & some just let you have the baby with no strings attached. Finally, you need to know if they will cover the cost of any problems in the first year of life, or in a case of death will they let you have a new baby, etc. 

In general, here is list of some very positive qualities from my expereince as a Newf mom:
1. They learn very quickly and love to please!
2. They like to learn new things- especially the things that they are naturally born to do (ie. water rescue, protecting kids)
3. They don't like to be away from the family and are protective, even though you'd never guess so. I found that out by accident. If Bear & I are home
    alone and he feels their is something odd outside, no matter how slight, he will posture, pace back & forth, then come site by me until he is sure
    that I am safe. He also postures when we are walking and he is not sure of the person approaching us. When heis sure they are no threat he
     returns  to his normal position and is a happy-go-lucky dog with thei tail wagging and all.
4.  They have very strong emotions- almost human like. They will talk for hours with you and if sad will give you the guiltiest face ever!
5. They will love you like no other. They'll give you hugs & kisses  all the time.
6. They will share everything wil other dogs like toys, food, etc.
6. They are so loyal to their parents & family that they miss you terribly when you are gone.

Here are some negative qualities:
1. Lots of shedding, drool and messiness in the house.
2. Some aren't protective until they have to be.
3. Intact males take a little more effort to train than neutered males. (Ours in intact and needs to be reminded of things, though he has NEVER tried to
     get out to be with a female in heat- EVER!)
4. They do need a reasonable amount of exercise to keep fit.
5. If allowed to stay on the bed/couch the springs can be weakened significantly due to the weight. 

I hope this helps! Good luck with finding a puppy. I think that it will a great addition to your family.


       

[Bear]

 

Is that the short answer or the long answer?

[Newf Lover]

I think JaBear covered all the bases on getting a Newf.  They aren't for everyone and that's for sure.  They take a fair amount of maintenence, drool and shed alot (they love to shake their heads when they have long threads of drool hanging).  The most important thing to do is do your homework on your breeders.  Go visit them, see how they interact with their dogs, check the health history and breeding history of their dogs.  See how many dogs they own and/or show.  Ask yourself, does this person breed to improve the genetic lineage of their Newfies or are they a puppy mill and mostly do it for the money.  You wouldn't believe some of the things we came across when looking for a puppy, things that would make you cry your eyes out.  Also, see if they belong to any Newfoundland societies, like the NCNC.  Those groups highlight breeders who follow the appropriate guidelines of healthy and humane breeding.  Go to NCNC.ORG if you live in California or if you want to see an example of this.  On a side note, I see you already have a St. Bernard.  Did you know that Newfies were used to re-strengthen the St. Bernard genepool.  In the early 1900's, St. Bernards had been so overbred that they had major problems, so Newfoundlands were brought in to help out.  That's why they have such a similar disposition.  Good luck finding a pup!

[Kinzy]

We have a 7 year old newfie, Kinzy.  She is the love of our lives.  A few things I would add is that they are extremely sensitive!  They hate to be yelled at!
And, they should be considered indoor dogs. 

Kinzy is the most spoiled dog I know.  She only eats her dog food in the car while it is going down the street.  She WILL starve herself if she can't eat in the car!  She is my hubby's "work" dog and goes with him to work and goes with us everywhere.  She only stays home a few days out of the year. 

We taught her how to count, add, subtract and multiply, as well as basic training.  I prefer professional trainers over non-professional. 

If you ever see the book Lewis & Clark From the Rockies to the Pacific, by Steve Beckham,  Kinzy's picture is on page 18 of the book!

Good luck in your decision!  If you do get a Newfie.....spo il it absolutely rotten!  They deserve it!

[jabear]

Oh My gosh! How on earth did you teach her such things? That is awesome! And what kind of job does your husband have that he can take his dog with him? I am so jealous!!!
I may also be able to tie your spoiled dog story. Our Bear refuses to drink water unless he can drink it fresh out the faucet outside!

[romanreign]

" If it is to be a pet only then going to a good breeder should be enough you don't "need" health certs but a good responsible breed is a MUST."

I actually disagree with this statement.  If you plan on paying 1700-2000 for a dog, you should get the best you can - meaning health certs on the parents at the very very least.  There is no reason why you should expect that pet quality Newfies should be less healthy.  The only difference between pet quality and show quality is conformation.  They should be equally healthy and have stable temperaments.  A GOOD breeder is one who is RESPONSIBLE. 

Keep in mind that even though you do have health certs on the sire and dam, health problems will crop up anyways.  They only lessen the chance that your puppy will have health problems, not a guarantee.  They aren't that expensive.  We got hips, elbows, shoulders, patellas, cardiac, thyriod, and cerf done for $500.  Plus teeth cleaning and laser cut nails.  $500 is substaintually less than what you'll be paying for hip replacement, elbow surgery ,or lifetime medication. 

I know plenty of show quality Newfs with health problems.  I would also disagree that Newfies are sensitive.  Most of them have hardy temperaments, meaning they don't crack under pressure. 

Jennie

[jabear]

I would also disagree that Newfies are sensitive.  Most of them have hardy temperaments, meaning they don't crack under pressure.  

I don't think that by saying Newfs are sensitive Kinzy meant that they can't handle pressure but that they have extremely sensitive feelings. My Newf is definitely sensitive to any yelling/crying/screaming (from excitement/surprise) and shows it immediately by putting his head down. He also postures when he senses something may not "be right" in the neighborhood and gives a millions kisses when he is happy or senses you are sad. He doesn't need any yelling at when he does something wrong because when we walk over and say "bad boy", he puts his head down and sulks until we forgive him.

[luvmenewfs]

Jaebear really summed it up.

Also, ALWAYS health certs whether show or not.  A Newfie should have the best possible breeding whether Show or not.   Remember to check for OFA heart, elbows and hips...Cystine ria Clear...

If someone offers you a lesser price for pet vs show...walk away.  Good Newfie breeders do not devalue any of their babies.

If you haven't been around a Newf, it might be a real good idea to be exposed to some Adult newfs.  Stay away from babies because NO ONE can resist a Newfie baby!!  Seeing what they are like after full grown gives you a better idea of what you are going to be living with!!!  They are NOT outside dogs!!

luvmenewfs

[luvmenewfs]

I know plenty of show quality Newfs with health problems.  I would also disagree that Newfies are sensitive.  Most of them have hardy temperaments, meaning they don't crack under pressure.  

Jennie

Oh!  I have to disagree with your disagree!!!

Our two boys are incredibly sensitive and receptive to human and other animal emotions and body language.  They honestly do have very human like characteristic s.  If my boys hear a baby or little child cry they go nuts.  Whine and cry.  If another dog is in trouble, they let you know.  They let us know when our neighbors dog had his leg stuck in a major hole and couldn't move.  The dog was not crying.  To elderly to do much of anything.
Luvmenewfs

[Sue M.]

I've had a number of Newfs and they were all sensitive by nature. My beloved Bear Bear (now at the bridge) would lean against the wall and sulk if she had been yelled at. Likewise, my beloved Rebel (also at the bridge) would run down to the basement if she heard yelling. My husband and I are not, by any means, the yelling type of people. Once while camping, a friend agreed to watch her while the rest of us went dune buggying. My friend yelled at her son which sent Rebel fleeing the camp site! We never left that friend charge of our Rebel again! Luckily, Rebel went to the outskirts of our campsite and sat down and waited for us. Cassie, our current 5 year old adopted Newf, came to us with a few problems. No one had worked with her. She pulled excessively on her lead and liked chasing squirells. She is a very strong dog and it took all I had to hang on to her.  Obviously, I had to work on this before she pulled her and I both out in front of a car. Once when she did this, I reprimanded her harshly. I'm not one to hold on to a gripe. I reprimand, then it's done. We move on. The rest of that day she moped around the house. It took awhile, but I realized, she was upset for being reprimanded. Newfs are very people oriented. They want to be with you and they get upset if you are upset. It's the nature of the beast so to speak and it's just one of many things that make me love the breed.
I also agree that you should check out the breeder and make sure they are responsible. A good breeder will have all the common health problems of Newfs, checked.

[newflvr]

I totally agree with the "sensitivity of Newfs" issue!  Not in the "startle" sense but in the way they are SO sensitive to the people in their lives!  We have a good friend who has always had goldens and he was so unnerved to find my boy Otis sitting next to him watching him as he spoke to the other humans in the room and maintaining eye contact like a human.  Our friend's comment was that he had never seen a dog that was SO human in the way he regarded people. 

I swear that Otis could understand every word we said!  In hiking he would stop at forks and wait for me to tell him right or left...then go the correct direction.  If we were hiking in a group and I got behind, he would run to the front of the group to block the trail until I caught up.  I could always tell he was doing it because you could here the yells of "get out of the way, Otis"!!!  drifting down to me~!

As everyone else has said....do your homework in researching breeders!  A good breeder will be honest with you about what they are breeding for.  Ask that awful question:  How do your dogs die?  How long does your line usually live?  At least you'll have an idea of what you are dealing with!!!

[pitas]

Hello!

We have two 2 year old Landseer brother & sister and one 9 month old Landseer male, 1/2 brother (Same Mom, different Dad as our first two).  We have always had big dogs in our family, several Goldens and our vet new we were looking for trying out the Newfoundlands.  Just so happens one day he contacted us, a friend of his had just had a litter.   We were hooked from the first day we met them!  Our big boy Klondike is very sensitive, yet protective at the same time.  He is such a big love.  He is also terrific by instinct in the water.  Our only female Madison is very smart and is very fussy.  When the boys leave their slobber in the water dish, she will bark until somebody gets her fresh water!  Needless to say we have to have a separate hidden water dish for her upstairs for when she goes to bed!  She also goes to bed at 9p.m. and if somebody doesn't walk  her up to bed, you will hear her bark too!  She is a wonderful, smart little brat.  Our latest pup Kelso is a clone of his sister!  Smart, funny and 90% of the day, those are the 2 that are causing the puppy rumpus!   They all love to bring something to you when you come home or first wake up.  They are all very sensitive, sweet and love to swim in the bay.  They are training for pet therapy and water rescue.   

We are thrilled with being the proud owners of this wonderful breed.  We are learning things everyday.

Anita and the goofy Newfies from NJ

[queenangi]

Hi there. I just got a newfie/lab cross and I am in LOVE! She is the sweetest baby. I recommend a newfie over many other breeds, and I've had lots of others. By the way, I just happened on this web site today and I think its a great place to get helpful information on your big pawd dawg.