Newfoundland dog owners, lets hear your experiences!

[frankthedm]

I have been looking at many dog breeds and have begun to be swayed by the good reputation Newfies seem to get. I’m nowhere near getting a dog at the moment, but I like thinking things through. I’ve heard about the drool, but beyond that, I’m curious what kind of experiences EnWorld can tell me about them.

I'm not a stickler for "breed standards" so if anyone has had experiences with Newfie crossbreeds or newf blooded mutts let me know about those as well.

Ok, you can tell me about the drool too.

 

[trancejeremy]

My parents got a Newfoundland when I was in college, and I ended up taking care of him in his last couple years of life.

They're big. Very big. Extremely big. This is important, because they are also very stubborn. If you want them to go someplace they don't, this can be a struggle. Because they are not only just heavy (150 lbs), but strong.

They eat a lot (duh).

They've incredibly sweet. I don't think they have a mean bone in their bodies. Which is nice, but if you want a guard dog, forget it. My parents had theirs for I think 2-3 years before he actually barked.

Still, they can play a little rough (not as much as other dogs), and you have to be careful because they are just so big and strong. My parent's dog broke my nose with a right paw to the face. And gave me a concussion once, knocking me down (I'm prone to those, though. Both the nose and the concussion thing).


They tend to be lazy. You can get them to do things, indeed, I saw a thing on TV on them working as rescue dogs, and I saw one of them sort of repelling down a rope from a helicopter to rescue someone in the water. It didn't look real happy about it, though.

They are incredibly good swimmers. And they do have strong rescue instincts. If you would get in a pool and pretend to drown, he'd jump in. Or if you just pretend to be hurt, he'd come over and check on you. And usually sit on you, which really isn't too helpful, but...

They've very smart. My parent's dog housetrained himself and would ring a bell whenever he wanted to go out (which my cat later learned from watching him, actually).

When he was about 11-12 or so, he had trouble getting up (I guess because he was so big, and his back leg muscles were not strong enough). That's when I took care of him, because I could pick him up and they couldn't. I don't know how common it is, but it's a lot of work hauling around a 150 lb dog. But he was such a nice dog (and wasn't in any other sort of pain), I thought the effort on my part was worth it.


Anyway, I don't know if I'd get one again. I got my current dogs (Black Lab-German Sheppard mixes, I think) because they literally appeared on my doorstep one day, and I find their size (80-90 lbs) to be much, much more manageable. Still, if I could pick any dog to get, I would probably try getting a Black Lab/Newfoundland mix. Hopefully they would have most of a Newfoundland's temperment, along with the Lab's small size.

 

[frankthedm]

They're big. Very big. Extremely big. This is important, because they are also very stubborn. If you want them to go someplace they don't, this can be a struggle. Because they are not only just heavy (150 lbs), but strong.

So is a collar or reinforced harness a better choice? If in the odd situation he tries running, I don't want him hurting himeself while he drags me.

They've incredibly sweet. I don't think they have a mean bone in their bodies. Which is nice, but if you want a guard dog, forget it. My parents had theirs for I think 2-3 years before he actually barked.

They still can be quite intimidating. You have to know a good deal about dogs until you find out how sweet they are. A dog lover will see a gentle giant, troublemakers will see 150 pound of hungry dog.

Still, they can play a little rough (not as much as other dogs), and you have to be careful because they are just so big and strong. My parent's dog broke my nose with a right paw to the face. And gave me a concussion once, knocking me down (I'm prone to those, though. Both the nose and the concussion thing).

How sweet, doggie didn't know his own str. Sorry about your injuries, but I can't help but picture a Fred Flinstone and Dino situation

They are incredibly good swimmers. And they do have strong rescue instincts. If you would get in a pool and pretend to drown, he'd jump in. Or if you just pretend to be hurt, he'd come over and check on you. And usually sit on you, which really isn't too helpful, but...

They've very smart. My parent's dog housetrained himself and would ring a bell whenever he wanted to go out (which my cat later learned from watching him, actually).

Sounds like he was sitting on you to teach you a lesson for the false alarm. And I take it he was good with cats then? I would be worried a dog that size might see kitties as doggie treats if not for all the 'great with kids" & "really gentle breed" comments.

Anyway, I don't know if I'd get one again. I got my current dogs (Black Lab-German Sheppard mixes, I think) because they literally appeared on my doorstep one day, and I find their size (80-90 lbs) to be much, much more manageable.

Such cute puppies. {Dogs are puppies to me until they are well over 100 lbs.]

Still, if I could pick any dog to get, I would probably try getting a Black Lab/Newfoundland mix. Hopefully they would have most of a Newfoundland's temperment, along with the Lab's small size.

Any other dogs with a Newfs temper?

 

[trancejeremy]

So is a collar or reinforced harness a better choice? If in the odd situation he tries running, I don't want him hurting himeself while he drags me.

My parents tried to find a harness for him, but couldn't. They have incredibly big necks and chests that you'd probably have to special order one. I don't think dragging you would hurt. I really don't think much can hurt them. They are massively built. I think they could probably drag a small car without hurting themselves.

They still can be quite intimidating. You have to know a good deal about dogs until you find out how sweet they are. A dog lover will see a gentle giant, troublemakers will see 150 pound of hungry dog.

Nah, they just aren't intimidating dogs. Even to people who don't like dogs. They don't really bark or growl, they always have a goofy smile on their face. They just don't radiate any hostility at all.

How sweet, doggie didn't know his own str. Sorry about your injuries, but I can't help but picture a Fred Flinstone and Dino situationSounds like he was sitting on you to teach you a lesson for the false alarm. And I take it he was good with cats then? I would be worried a dog that size might see kitties as doggie treats if not for all the 'great with kids" & "really gentle breed" comments.

Well, it was really my fault, I was urging him to jump on me when he knocked me out, and the nose was when I was trying to teach him to box with his front paws. And I think they sit on you when they think you are in trouble because they think they are keeping you warm.

He was pretty good with cats. When he was younger, when I would come home on holidays and bring my cat, he would sometimes chase her, but mostly because he just wanted to sniff her, which she didn't like, so would run. But then sometimes she would actually sleep on top of him, which he didn't mind.

And then later on, when I had 3 cats, one of mine has this weird love of dogs. And she would constantly harass him by cuddling up to his face, licking him. He put up with that.

Also when he was younger, he had sort of a girlfriend. A neighbor's female dog would come over and visit him. He was pretty much just confused by it, because she was hyper and would run circles around him. And steal his bones.

I mean, really, they just have no agression in them at all. I think it must have been bred out of them.

Such cute puppies. {Dogs are puppies to me until they are well over 100 lbs.] Any other dogs with a Newfs temper?

Yeah, I have had trouble adjusting to such small dogs. I had Great Pyreneeses when I was growing up, which aren't super-heavy, but 130 lbs or so and a lot taller. So having 80 lbs dogs is something of a shock.

But anyway, I don't think any other dogs are like Newfoundlands, they are famous for their good nature.

I mean, you could poke a cat in the stomach with your finger maybe twice before they hiss at you or claw you. With an average dog, it will take longer, but eventually they will growl at you or do something to tell you to knock it off. You could do that to a Newfoundland all day and it wouldn't lose its temper.

 

[kenobi65]

Any other dogs with a Newfs temper?

I've heard that many of the other big breeds (wolfhounds, deerhounds, etc.) are similarly mellow, but I don't have firsthand knowledge.

OTOH, a good friend of mine used to have a Newf. He *hated* the mailman (as many dogs do), and would go into a frenzy when the mailman arrived. One time, he jumped against the front window so hard that he shattered it. The mailman asked to be transferred to a different route.

 

[Erstwhile]

Any other dogs with a Newfs temper?

Golden retrievers and the labrador breeds are similar temperments, I think, in that they tend to be very sweet-tempered (retrievers especially). Though those breeds are a bit more energetic than a Newfoundland I think and don't have the rescue instinct - though they tend to love water.

I wasn't aware of Newfs being stubborn - I had heard they were, like the labs and retrievers, the type of dog that loves their "people" and are quite biddable...but I readily admit I could be wrong on that.

 

[trancejeremy]

They aren't super-stubborn, like say Great Pyrenees, who you can't really get to do anything. But if a Newfoundland doesn't want to move or go someplace, it's almost impossible to make them. (There was an episode of Keeping up Appearances about this, a Newfoundland named Olive decides to stop in front onf Hyacinth's house and she can't get it to move). You have to be very patient with them.

I dunno if they compare to labs, temperment wise. Based on my 2 dogs (which admittedly aren't pure labs) and the one my roommate in college had, labs are a lot more hyper, have a strong retrieval instinct (as opposed to rescue), are much easier to command, and can be far more aggressive (have some sort of hunting instinct). They also definitely have tempers. I mean, my 2 dogs lose their tempers all the time, with each other and me (while playing). They are sweet, but they aren't super-sweet. (Mailmen excepted, apparently, almough my parent's liked our mailman. But then, he was a nice guy)

 

[HellHound]

They aren't super-stubborn, like say Great Pyrenees, who you can't really get to do anything.

Except bark.

Pyrs are great watchdogs, if you don't mind a stubborn watchdog that barks all bloody night, and then gets up and wanders off when you actually want him around. Our pyr is a 160 pound monstrosity that sleeps in the yard all day, and wanders around barking all night. In the morning he 'does his patrol' of the property - and since we live on a 200 acre farm, this takes him from about 5:30 am until about 9:00 am.

Of course, living on a farm and living outdoors all the time, his coat gets a bit... matted*. So as soon as it gets warm we shave him - nothing quite as goofy looking as a 160 pound pyr with no hair. That's also when we weigh him. In the early spring, his weight must easily be 170-180 pounds with all his hair, and on wet days you can add another 20-30 pounds of ice and freezing rain to that. He loves nasty weather - he'll sleep on his back in the middle of the yard and let the freezing rain land on his big dumb belly.

So yeah, don't get a pyr unless you want to own a giant white(ish) lump that barks.



*Matted: Meaning thick and heavy and embedded with sticks and grass and branches and leaves and parts of dead animals that he scavenged from the wolves' winter kills.

 

[frankthedm]

So yeah, don't get a pyr unless you want to own a giant white(ish) lump that barks.

I have vauge memories of a cartoon about a boy who had one of those white monsters.

http://www.tv.com/belle-and-sebastian/show/9546/summary.html

 

[Aurora]

So yeah, don't get a pyr unless you want to own a giant white(ish) lump that barks.

Awe, but they are so cute HH. I almost got a 3 mos old one from a shelter once, but when I went back the next day, he was gone.