Torrin Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 We already have an elderly Golden Retriever and are thinking of getting a new puppy to liven up his old age! The newfoundlands are just soooo cute and apart from the slobber and their size everything about them seems great! Anyone got any firsthand experience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackiepoppies Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Sorry, no knowledge of Newfoundlands, but I do know a someone who breeds Leonbergers. They are absolutely beautiful in every way and their temperment is superb. Jx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I haven't owned one personally, but when I was growing up some neighbours had one, and she was a gentle giant. Very loving and sweet. I'd say go for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 My friend used to have one and it was lovely. For a large dog it was very gentle and calm, good job really as i wouldn't want it jumping up at me! We are hopefully going to look for a new dog soon as Poppy had to be PTS on Sunday, its too wierd not having a dog around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 sorry to hear that Sunshine, my little dog Poppy was PTS in August The lady at my puppy training class a few years back had newfoundlands and they were lovely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helly Welly Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Some neighbours of my parents breed them. I don't think i ever heard them bark, they really do seem to be gentle giants. Sorry your dog had to be PTS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrin Posted June 17, 2009 Author Share Posted June 17, 2009 sorry your dog had to be PTS. After having a dog around I can't imagine a house without one. Never heard of Leonbergers before. Just looked them up and they're gorgeous - like big teddy bears! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 So sorry to hear about Poppy. Newfoundlands are beautiful, but huge! I havent owned one but they are on my "want" list when I move to my mansion in the country They love water apparently, so if you live near a river you'll never get the thing out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackiepoppies Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Be prepared for the grooming We had an Old English Sheepdog but we kept her coat to a 'puppy cut' which was easier to manage along with five children Jx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quinlan Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Beautifu dogs... and lovely tempremant. BUt yes beware the grooming. They have double coats (to keep the cold out!) I worken in kennels for years and the newfies were all lovely, but we spent most of our time grooming them!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Lovely gentle dogs but look out for hip dysplasia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Never owned one, but once bought a house from an elderly couple who owned TWO Newfoundlands. There was a sort of dirty mark all round the kitchen/dining room at about 3' high, where they used to rub themselves against the wall. We kept finding dog hair for about a year afterwards, and all the interior doors were rather badly chewed! The vendors kept saying that they were really gentle dogs, but so boisterous that they'd knock us over just wanting to say hello, and as they each weighed about 12 stone (the dogs, not the house sellers!) they kept them in another room when we went round. The funniest bit was when my OH (ex) went over the night before we moved, he had a Vauxhall Cavalier and he'd put the back seat down as we were lending them some chairs for the last night. The chap came out to the car and said 'oh, I didn't realise you could do that'. Apparently when they went out in their car these dogs sat ON the back seat ... I shouldn't think he could see much in the rear view mirror except grinning dog! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 My uncle had one, and I used to see the odd client with the odd show dog when I was working. Did you know they come in various colours and that the black and white is called a "Landseer"? They are huge, slobber, eat a lot and fart a lot ...sorry mods hope I can say that, ( you can't have one sleeping quietly behind the sofa unless you have the window open) They need grooming for an hour EVERY day otherwise they get matted. They need a lot of exercise and they lurve water,( there are still lifesaving competitions within the Newfie Club) The aroma of a dog that takes 12 hours to dry is an acquired taste. Because they are big dogs they are beset with health problems and your first inkling will be when you try to insure your Newfie pup only to find that his premium is three times anything else's. They are knackered, healthwise, by the time they are five or six years old and you have perhaps another two, three four years of slow deterioration. You will spend a hundred pounds or two at your Vet on his first year, rising to mortgage proportions when he is old. They are gorgeous if they belong to somebody else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I agree with DA. The ones that I have known have had lovely temperaments but have been slobbery and smelly. I echo wholeheartedly what DA says. It is a big leap from a Retreiver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiggerlady Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 What about a Tibetan Terrier? They are on my wish list for the future..a bit hairy, a bit mad and cute with it..not too big or small,and fun to have (apparently!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrin Posted June 18, 2009 Author Share Posted June 18, 2009 Thanks for all your thoughts. I have emailed a lady from the Southern Newfoundland Club who says she can arrange for me to visit someone with a Newfie to get a better idea! Those Tibetan Terriers are lovely tiggerlady, but I think they may have even more hair than a Newfie!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raina Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 My sister is Getting a newfoundland, Dunno when But i'm not keen on the Breed I prefer Border Collies & Border Terriers (I also like Boxers and EBTs oh and west Highland Terriers ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiggerlady Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 The Tibetans are hairy but you could have them clipped every so often to keep it shortish.We do that with out lhasa apsos,which are a shih tzu type dog,and it works quite well.They dont moult like normal dogs,which is a bonus! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 My friend has one who is really nice - really friendly, never barks and great with kids. They do have a lot of hair that gets everywhere, but they have all wooden floors/tiles downstairs so their house is ok because they can just use a little plastic broom to sweep it up like they have at the hairdressers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Lovely friendly dogs but we met one in the park today and the guy started chatting too us. Even he said lovely dogs BUT when moulting you can brush 2 carrier bags of fur off them each day Also you would need an excellent pet hoover! Oh and she shook her head and slobber went everywhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Slobber and fur I can put up with but the heartbreaking thing about all big dogs is how unhealthy they are and how short their lives are. Such a hard thing to endure when you have fallen for your puppy so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlotta Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 I've got two Newfoundlands - Lola aged nearly 5 and Martha aged 2 1/2. I've had Newfs for 15 years. (4 total) My first two both lived till 11 and were very healthy up until they were quite old. One needed pills for arthitis from about 9 but otherwise very good. I would HIGHLY recommend insurance - Lola had a bilateral (both legs) cruciate rupture a couple of years ago and I've paid fees in excess of 5 figures to get her sorted...(or at least Mr Pet Plan has!) They are VERY slobbery and VERY friendly (Martha loves to climb on top of you on the sofa for a cuddle (especially when she's wet! The love to swim, but don't smell unless they swim somewhere smelly... they don't have the 'wet dog' smell that my lab had for example. If you keep them well groomed they shouldn't smell. You will get very dirty floors (and walls to a certain extent) and you will find yourself wiping slobber off the walls and ceilings! They don't need a lot of food - considering how big they are!! They are very gentle but their sheer size mean they can easily knock you over if they want too... and can be very stubborn - early training is ESSENTIAL! They are surprsingly active - Martha hares around the garden like a race horse! Newfys do bark!! It's VERY loud but not yappy so to my ears not too bad! For example mine have both been woofing up the garden like crazy at the foxes playing next door!! Mine are good with the chooks (but a puppy would need close supervision like all dogs - the only difference a Newf is more likely to trip over a chook and land on it squashing it!! Please go to a reputable breeder who does all the health checks... there is no reason why a big dog can't be healthy! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrin Posted June 22, 2009 Author Share Posted June 22, 2009 It's great to hear from someone who has actually got a newfie - thanks karlotta! Have now read the Newfie book I bought cover to cover as well as everything I can find online and I think we're going to go for it. With 4 children, a large goldren retriever (although not in the Newfie size range!) and both my husband and I being born with the 'untidy' gene I think we'll manage with the hair and slobber around the place, although I know some people (incl some of my friends) wouldn't cope! I take the point about large breeds having shorter life spans but i think if we can provide a happy home for the time it's here then we've done well. And chickens don't live that long either - but I wouldn't be without them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlotta Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 That's good to hear! The trick with less tolerant friends is to recommend they come dressed in easy to wash clothing and if they look very slobber-scared give them a hand-towel when they arrive for them to absorb the slobber as it happens! Puppies don't start off dribbling much so most likely it'll sneak up you anyway. I think 11 years is pretty good for a large breed - much, much better than some large breeds... Most Newf breeders are passionate about keeping the breed strong and healthy so as long as you find one who carries out tests etc, you should be fine! I notice you contacted the Southern Newf club... I'm in the south too! If you are interested I can let you know where my girls are from... You can see pics of my girls on my flickr photostream - http://www.flickr.com/photos/karlotta/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiggerlady Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I spoke to a friend of mine last night about hers.she has 2, one is 11 and the other 7.She too has had both cruciate ligaments done on one of hers..at £1500 each..so insurance definately required! She thinks it was caused by the first owner having laminate floors as he was slipping about dreadfully when she went to see him. She spends 3 hours a day grooming them and baths them every other week,regardless of weather,outside as they are very hardy and used to swimming in icy water originally,to keep the smell down. They weigh 15 and 1/2 stone,and she has gone through the rear suspension struts of 3 cars! She now has a people carrier! So that would be something to bear in mind..!Also vet treatment is very expensive because of their size..for example antibiotics dosage is several tablets at a time! which you prob wouldnt claim insurance for due to excess premiums applying etc. Having said all that she loves them to bits and wouldnt swap them for the world! The younger one came from a family who had a very small child (about 18 months)who was terrified of his size.even as a puppy,and when they saw him again a couple of months later the dad's face fell as he saw what size he had grown to in such a short time and muttered something about having made the right decision to find him a new home! He obviously had no idea what they would look like fully grown..no research done obviously Hope this helps and good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
