Article
Is The Newfoundland The Right Breed For You?
Before purchasing a Newfoundland,
please read this article that has been adapted from:
DON'T BUY A BOUVIER! by Pam Green (c.1992)
This article, written many
years ago, has become a classic in Bouvier circles. It has been
reprinted many times by clubs to use for the education of prospective
Bouvier owners. She gives her permission freely to all who wish to
reprint and distribute it in hopes of saving innocent dogs from neglect
and abandonment by those who should never have acquired them in the
first place.
Interested in buying a
Newfoundland? You must be or you wouldn't be reading this. You've
already heard how marvelous Newfoundlands are. Well, I think you should
also hear, before it's too late, that NEWFOUNDLANDS ARE NOT THE PERFECT
BREED FOR EVERYONE. As a breed, they have a few characteristics that
some people find charming, but that some people find mildly unpleasant,
and some people find downright intolerable. There are different
breeds for different needs. There are over 200 breeds of dogs in the
world. Maybe you'd be better off with some other breed. Maybe you'd be
better off with a cat. Maybe you'd be better off with goldfish, a
parakeet, a hamster, or some house-plants.
DON'T BUY A NEWFOUNDLAND IF YOU ARE ATTRACTED
TO THE BREED "CHIEFLY" BY ITS APPEARANCE.
The appearance of the
Newfoundlands you have seen in the show ring is the product of many
hours of bathing and grooming. This carefully constructed beauty is
fleeting: a few minutes of freedom, romping through the fields or
strolling in the rain restores the natural look. The natural look of the
Newfie is that of a large, shaggy farm dog, usually with some dirt and
weeds clinging to his tousled coat. The true beauty of the Newfoundland
lies in his character, not in his appearance. Some of the long-coated
and most of the short-coated breeds' appearances are less dependent on
grooming than is that of the Newfie. (See also the section on grooming
below.)
DON'T BUY A NEWFOUNDLAND IF YOU ARE UNWILLING
TO SHARE YOUR HOUSE AND YOUR LIFE WITH YOUR DOG.
Newfies were bred to share in
the work of the family (fishing, pulling carts, etc.) and to spend most
of their waking hours working with the family. They thrive on
companionship and they want to be wherever you are. They are happiest
living with you in your house and going with you when you go out. While
they usually tolerate being left at home by themselves (preferably with
a dog-door giving access to the fenced yard), they should not be
relegated to the backyard or kennel. A puppy exiled from the house is
likely to grow up to be unsociable, unruly, and unhappy. He may well
develop pastimes, such as digging or barking, that will displease you
and/or your neighbors. An adult so exiled will be miserable too. If you
don't strongly prefer to have your dog's companionship as much as
possible, enjoying having him sleep in your bedroom at night and sharing
many of your activities by day, you should choose a breed less oriented
to human companionship. Likewise if your job or other obligations
prevent you from spending much time with your dog. No dog is really
happy without companionship, but the pack hounds for example, are more
tolerant of being kenneled or yarded so long as it is in groups of 2 or
more. A better choice would be a cat, as they are solitary by
nature.
DON'T BUY A NEWFOUNDLAND IF YOU
DON'T INTEND TO EDUCATE (TRAIN) YOUR DOG.
Basic obedience and household
rules training is NOT optional for the Newf. As an absolute minimum, you
must teach him to reliably respond to commands to come, to lie down, to
stay, and to walk at your side, on or off-leash and regardless of
temptations. You must also teach him to respect your household rules:
e.g. is he allowed to get on the furniture? is he allowed to beg at the
table? What you allow or forbid is unimportant, but it is *critical*
that you, not the dog, make these choices and that you enforce your
rules consistently. You must commit yourself to attending an 8 to 10
week series of weekly lessons at a local obedience club or with a
professional trainer, and to doing one or two short (5 to 20 minutes)
homework sessions per day. As commands are learned, they must be
integrated into your daily life by being used whenever appropriate, and
enforced consistently. Young Newfoundland puppies are relatively easy to
train; they are eager to please, intelligent, and calm-natured, with a
relatively good attention span. Once a Newfoundland has learned
something, he tends to retain it well. Your cute, sweet little Newf
puppy will grow up to be a large, powerful dog. If he has grown up
respecting you and your rules, then all his physical and mental strength
will work for you. But if he has grown up without rules and guidance
from you, surely he will make his own rules, and his physical and mental
powers will often act in opposition to your needs and desires. For
example: he may tow you down the street as if competing in a sled-dog
race; he may grab food off the table; he may forbid your guests entry to
"his" home. This training cannot be delegated to someone else, e.g. by
sending the dog away to "boarding school," because the relationship of
respect and obedience is personal between the dog and the individual who
does the training. While you definitely many want the help of an
experienced trainer to teach you how to train your dog, you yourself
must actually train your Newf. As each lesson is well learned, then the
rest of the household (except young children) must also work with
the dog, insisting he obey them as well. Many of the Newfs that are
rescued from Pounds and Shelters show clearly that they have received
little or no basic training, neither in obedience nor in household
deportment; yet these same dogs respond well to such training by the
rescuer or the adopter. It seems likely that a failure to train the dog
is a significant cause of Newf abandonment. If you don't intend to
educate your dog, preferably during puppy hood, you would be better off
with a breed that is both small and socially submissive.
DON'T BUY A NEWFOUNDLAND IF YOU LACK
LEADERSHIP (SELF-ASSERTIVE) PERSONALITY.
Dogs do not believe in social
equality. They live in a social hierarchy led by a pack-leader (Alpha).
The alpha dog is generally benevolent, affectionate, and non-bullying
towards his subordinates; but there is never any doubt in his mind or in
theirs that the alpha is the boss and makes the rules. Whatever the
breed, if you do not assume the leadership, the dog will do so sooner or
later and with more or less unpleasant consequences for the abdicating
owner. Like the untrained dog, the pack-leader dog makes his own rules
and enforces them against other members of the household by means of a
dominant physical posture and a hard-eyed stare, followed by a snarl,
then a knockdown blow or a bite. Breeds differ in tendencies towards
social dominance; and individuals within a breed differ considerably.
You do not have to have the personality or mannerisms of a Marine boot
camp Sergeant, but you do have to have the calm, quiet self-assurance
and self-assertion of the successful parent ("Because I'm your mother,
that's why.") or successful grade-school teacher. If you think you might
have difficulty asserting yourself calmly and confidently to exercise
leadership, then choose a breed known for its socially subordinate
disposition, such as a Golden Retriever or a Shetland Sheepdog, AND be
sure to ask the breeder to select one of the more submissive pups in the
litter for you. If the whole idea of "being the boss" frightens or
repels you, don't get a dog at all. Cats don't expect leadership. A
gerbil or hamster, or fish doesn't need leadership or household rules.
Leadership and training are inextricably intertwined: leadership
personality enables you to train your dog, and being trained by you
reinforces your dog's perception of you as the alpha.
DON'T BUY A NEWFIE IF YOU DON'T VALUE
LAID-BACK COMPANIONSHIP AND CALM AFFECTION.
A Newfoundland becomes deeply
attached and devoted to his own family, but he doesn't "wear his heart
on his sleeve." Some are noticeably reserved, others are more outgoing,
but few adults are usually exuberantly demonstrative of their
affections. They like to be near you, usually in the same room,
preferably on a comfortable pad or cushion in a corner or under a table,
just "keeping you company." They enjoy conversation, petting and
cuddling when you offer it, but they are moderate and not overbearing in
coming to you to demand much attention. They are emotionally sensitive
to their favorite people: when you are joyful, proud, angry, or
grief-stricken, your Newf will immediately perceive it and will believe
himself to be the cause. The relationship can be one of great mellows,
depth and subtlety; it is a relation on an adult-to-adult level,
although certainly not one devoid of playfulness. As puppies, of course,
they will be more dependent, more playful, and more demonstrative. In
summary, Newfs tend to be sober and thoughtful, rather than giddy clowns
or sycophants.
DON'T BUY A NEWFIE IF YOU ARE FASTIDIOUS ABOUT YOUR HOME.
The Newfoundland's thick shaggy
coat and his love of playing in water and mud combine to make him a
highly efficient transporter of dirt into your home, depositing same on
your floors and rugs and possibly also on your furniture and clothes.
One Newf coming in from a few minutes outdoors on a rainy day can turn
an immaculate house into an instant hog wallow. His full chest soaks up
water every time he takes a drink, then releases same dripping across
your floor or sopping into your lap. Newfoundlands are seasonal
shedders, and in spring can easily fill a trash bag with balls of hair
from a grooming session, or clog a vacuum cleaner if left to shed in the
house. I don't mean to imply that you must be a slob or slattern to live
happily with a Newf, but you do have to have the attitude that your
dog's company means more to you than does neatness, and you do have to
be comfortable with a less than immaculate house. While all dogs, like
all children, create a greater or lesser degree of household mess,
almost all other breeds of dog are less troublesome than the
Newfoundland in this respect. The Basenji is perhaps the cleanest, due
to its cat-like habits; but cats are cleaner yet, and goldfish hardly
ever mess up the house.
DON'T BUY A NEWFOUNDLAND IF YOU FIND DROOL TOTALLY REPELLANT
Most Newfie owners begin with
some degree of distaste for drool, but as this is an integral part of
the Newf, this dislike usually progresses to some level of nonchalance.
A sure sign of a Newf addict is that not only do they not understand
other people's squeamishness for this substance, they spend many hours
trying to come up with useful purposes for the gallons of drool that can
be produced on a regular basis. Some say that the world record "drool
toss" from an adult Newf is over 20 feet! This makes your walls and
ceilings well within reach of even an average drooler. Newfie's drool
because of their jaw and mouth structure, which allows them to breath
while performing water rescue, this is a quality inherent in the breed.
If you cannot get used to the idea of drool in your house, then try one
of the many breeds of dogs that do not drool. Newfs are definitely not
in this category. Although I have heard of cats who drool, the quantity
is not remotely comparable, and hamsters don't drool at all.
DON'T BUY A NEWFIE IF YOU DISLIKE DOING REGULAR GROOMING.
The thick shaggy Newfoundland
coat demands regular grooming, not merely to look tolerably nice, but
also to preserve the health of skin underneath and to detect and remove
foxtails, ticks, and other dangerous invaders. For "pet" grooming, you
should expect to spend 10-15 minutes a day (e.g. while listening to
music or watching television) on alternate days or half an hour twice a
week. Of course any time your Newf gets into cockleburs, filigree, or
other coat-adhering vegetation, you are likely to be in for an hour or
more of remedial work. During oxtail season, (western US), you must
inspect feet and other vulnerable areas daily. In Lyme disease areas
during tick season, you will need to inspect for ticks daily. "Pet"
grooming does not require a great deal of skill, but does require time
and regularity. "Show" grooming requires a great deal of skill and
considerably more time and effort or expensive professional grooming.
Almost every Newfoundland that is rescued out of a Pound or Shelter
shows the effects of many months of no grooming, resulting in massive
matting and horrendous filthiness, sometimes with urine and feces
cemented into the rear portions of the coat. It appears that
unwillingness to keep up with coat care is a primary cause of
abandonment. Many other breeds of dog require less grooming; short
coated breeds require very little.
DON'T BUY A NEWFOUNDLAND IF YOU DISLIKE DAILY EXERCISE.
Newfs need exercise to maintain
the health of heart and lungs, and to maintain muscle tone. Because of
his mellow, laid-back, often lazy, disposition, your Newfie will not
give himself enough exercise unless you accompany him or play with him.
An adult Newfoundland should have a morning outing of a mile or more, as
you walk briskly beside him, and a similar evening outing. For puppies,
shorter and slower walks, several times a day are preferred for exercise
and housebreaking. All dogs need daily exercise of greater or lesser
length and vigor. If providing this exercise is beyond you, physically
or temperamentally, then choose one of the many small and energetic
breeds that can exercise itself within your fenced yard. Most of the
Toys and Terriers fit this description, but don't be surprised if a
Terrier is inclined to dig in the earth since digging out critters is
the job that they were bred to do. Cats can be exercised indoors with
mouse-on-a-string toys. Hamsters will exercise themselves on a wire
wheel. House plants don't need exercise.
DON'T BUY A NEWFOUNDLAND IF YOU BELIEVE THAT DOGS SHOULD RUN "FREE."
Whether you live in town or
country, no dog can safely be left to run "free" outside your fenced
property and without your direct supervision and control. The price of
such "freedom" is inevitably injury or death: from dogfights, from
automobiles, from the Pound or from justifiably irate neighbors. Even
though Newfs are home-loving and less inclined to roam than most breeds,
an unfenced Newf is destined for disaster. A thoroughly
obedience-trained Newfoundland can enjoy the limited and supervised
freedom of off-leash walks with you in appropriately chosen
environments. If you don't want the responsibility of confining and
supervising your pet, then no breed of dog is suitable for you. A
neutered cat will survive such irresponsibly given "freedom" somewhat
longer than a dog, but will eventually come to grief. A better answer
for those who crave a "free" pet is to set out feeding stations for some
of the indigenous wildlife, such as raccoons, which will visit for
handouts and which may eventually tolerate your close
observation.
DON'T BUY A NEWFOUNDLAND IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD
TO BUY, FEED, AND PROVIDE HEALTHCARE FOR ONE.
Newfoundlands are not a cheap
breed to buy, as running a careful breeding program with due regard for
temperament, trainability, and physical soundness (hips especially)
cannot be done cheaply. The time the breeder should put into each
puppy's "pre-school" and socialization is also costly. The "bargain"
puppy from a "back-yard breeder" who unselectively mates any two Newfs
who happen to be of opposite sex may well prove to be extremely costly
in terms of bad temperament, bad health, and lack of essential
socialization. In contrast, the occasional adult or older pup is
available at modest price from a disenchanted owner or from a breeder,
shelter, or rescuer to whom the dog was abandoned; most of these "used"
Newfs are capable of becoming a marvelous dog for you if you can provide
training, leadership, and understanding. Whatever the initial cost of
your Newfoundland, the upkeep will not be cheap. Being large dogs, Newfs
eat relatively large meals. (Need I add that what goes in one end must
eventually come out the other?) Large dogs tend to have larger
veterinary bills, as the amount of anesthesia and of most medications is
proportional to body weight. Spaying or neutering, which costs more for
larger dogs, is an essential expense for virtually all pet Newfs, as it
"takes the worry out of being close", prevents serious health problems
in later life, and makes the dog a more pleasant companion.
Newfoundlands are subject to two conditions which can be costly to
treat: hip dysplasia and bloat. (Your best insurance against dysplasia
is to buy only from a litter bred from OFA certified parents and [if
possible] grandparents. Yes, this generally means paying more. While
bloat may have a genetic predisposition, there are no predictive tests
allowing selective breeding against it. Your best prevention is not to
feed your dog too soon before or after strenuous exercise.) Professional
grooming, if you use it, is expensive. An adequate set of grooming tools
for use at home adds up to a tidy sum, but once purchased will last many
dog-lifetimes. Finally, the modest fee for participation in a series of
basic obedience training classes is an essential investment in
harmonious living with your dog; such fees are the same for all breeds.
The modest annual outlays for immunizations and for local licensing are
generally the same for all breeds, though some counties have a lower
license fee for spayed/neutered dogs. All dogs, of whatever breed and
however cheaply acquired, require significant upkeep costs, and all are
subject to highly expensive veterinary emergencies. Likewise all
cats.
DON'T BUY A NEWFOUNDLAND IF
YOU WANT
THE "LATEST, GREATEST FEROCIOUS KILLER ATTACK DOG".
The Newfoundland's famous
disposition as the "Gentle Giant" is not a fable, a Newf with the
typical disposition of the breed would prefer to slobber a criminal than
attack one. Also because of selective breeding for water rescue, Newfies
are "soft-mouthed" dogs. In contrast to the protection-trained dog,
trained to bite on direct command or in reaction to direct physical
assault on his master, the "deterrent dog" dissuades the vast majority
of aspiring burglars, rapists, and assailants by his presence, his
appearance, and his demeanor. Seeing such a dog, the potential wrong-doer
simply decides to look for a safer victim elsewhere. For this job, all
that is needed is a dog that is large and that appears to be
well-trained and unafraid. The Newfoundland can serve this role
admirably, with the added assets of generally dark color and shaggy
"bestial" appearance adding to the impression of formidability and
fearsomeness. If the dog has been taught to bark a few times on command,
such as "Fang, watch him!" rather than "Fifi, speak for a cookie", this
skill can be useful to augment the deterrent effect.
DON'T BUY A NEWFOUNDLAND IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING
TO COMMIT YOURSELF FOR THE DOG'S ENTIRE LIFETIME
No dog deserves to be cast out
because his owners want to move to a no-pet apartment, or because he is
no longer a cute puppy, or didn't grow up to be a beauty contest winner,
or because his owners, through lack of leadership and training, have
allowed him to become an unruly juvenile delinquent with a repertoire of
undesirable behaviors. The prospects of a responsible and affectionate
second home for a "used" dog are never very bright, but they are
especially dim for a large, shaggy, poorly mannered dog. A Newfoundland
dumped into a Pound or Shelter has almost no chance of survival --
unless he has the great good fortune to be spotted by someone dedicated
to Newf Rescue. The prospects for adoption for a youngish, well-trained,
and well-groomed Newfie whose owner seeks the assistance of the nearest
Newf Club or Rescue group are fairly good, but an older Newf has
diminishing prospects. Be sure to contact your local Newf club or Rescue
group if you are diagnosed as terminally ill or have other equally valid
reasons for seeking an adoptive home. Be sure to contact your local
Newfoundland club if you are beginning to have difficulties in training
your Newfie, so these can be resolved. Be sure to make arrangements in
your will or with your family to ensure continued care or an adoptive
home for your Newfoundland if you should pre-decease him. The life span
of a Newfoundland is about 10 years. If that seems too long a time for
you to give an unequivocal loyalty to your Newfoundland, then please do
not get one! Indeed, as most dogs have a life expectancy that is as long
or longer, please do not get any dog.
IN CONCLUSION
If all the preceding "bad news"
about Newfies hasn't turned you away from the breed, then by all means
DO GET A NEWF! They are every bit as wonderful as you have heard! If
buying a puppy, be sure to shop carefully for a *responsible* and
*knowledgeable* breeder who places high priority on breeding for sound
temperament and trainability, and good health in all matings. Such a
breeder will interrogate and educate potential buyers carefully. Such a
breeder will continue to be available for advice and consultation for
the rest of the dog's life and will insist on receiving the dog back if
ever you are unable to keep it. However as an alternative to buying a
Newfie puppy, you may want to give some serious consideration to
adopting a rescued Newf. Despite the responsibility of their previous
owner, almost all rescued Newfs have proven to be readily rehabilitated
so as to become superb family companions for responsible and
affectionate adopters. Many rescuers are skilled trainers who evaluate
temperament and provide remedial training before offering dogs for
placement, and who offer continued advisory support afterwards. Contact
local Newf breeders or Newf club members to learn who is doing Rescue
work.
