Newfoundland photos please! Photos

Hi all,

I am obviously not looking now, as I have a 4 and a half month old dalmatian to keep me busy, but I was just reminiscing about a beautiful boy Newfie that used to live near me, and I was wondering if people would mind telling me all the good and bad points about this wonderful breed?

Any pictures are of course welcomed with open arms!

Thanks all,
Lorna xx

They can be very smelly, drool a lot and their hair can be incredibly hard work and very expensive to have done at the groomers if you can't do it yourself.
Becky (The groomers perspective!)

Things prospective Newf owners should know:

They shed like it's their ambition in life to be bald. That's just the normal every day shedding. Coat blowing time is like a blizzard of hair. And it gets everywhere...you will never again eat a meal that does not come with added Newfie fur. I am still trying to figure out how yoghurt manufacturers know to add brown fur to my yoghurts specifically as every pot I open has at least one.

They drool. Some drool more than others but they all drool. Most people don't realise that dried drool sets like concrete and nothing shifts it. You will spend more time than you care to think about trying to shift drool from walls and ceilings as a head shake can distribute the stuff over a wide area. You will inevitably get droll in your cornflakes/coffee/much needed glass of vino (if you don;t drink now, you will when you own a Newf...it's a coping mechanism...you can't worry about how you'll get at the spots of dried drool at the top of the curtains if you're too pi$$ed to focus on them). That seemingly random headshake is surprisingly accurate in it's aim. One final thing about drool...you will ALWAYS have some on your clothes, be it your scruffiest dog walking gear or your best bib & tucker. Don't believe me? Have a good look at the next Newfie owner you meet.... Drool is often a deal breaker. You will find out quickly who your REAL friends are.

The taste of drool and hair will no longer be a mystery to you. A Newf owner won't even be grossed out by that thought.

Your house will never be properly clean again. Although they are an excellent cover for those of us who fall somewhat short of domestic goddess.

Wet is a constant state for them...consequently, it will become a constant state for everything they come into contact with. That includes you.

They are the original velcro dog and need human company. When you get a Newf you acquire a 55kg+ shadow with a penchant for leaning on you every time you stop for more than a second. You are unlikely to ever have a pee in peace ever again.

They are not the couch potato that they are often portrayed to be. They are a working dog bred for strength and stamina. If you forget this, your Newf will remind you in ways that will cost a lot of time and money to rectify.

They are expensive. Like every giant breed they need everything in the biggest sizes. Vet bills are bigger, food bills are bigger. Laundry and dry-cleaning bills are bigger (see previous notes on 'hair' and 'drool'). You will need a bigger car.

Every conversation you ever have with a stranger will involve them saying something along the lines of 'Wouldn't like to see your food bills' then guffawing wildly like it's the funniest thing they've heard all century. You will learn to smile whilst biting your tongue and silently remind yourself that 'little amuses the simple'.

That said, who wouldn't want one of these...?

Very interesting post Shaynola i enjoyed reading that , loved the pics also , such a stunning baby and i loved the one in the box so cute xdk

That was a fun (and informative) read.

It sounds like life with a leo too.......... don't you just love the big hairy wet lumps, who share everything!
I have never met a funny neffie, and for me it was neffie or leo..... i got a leo just because i wanted the bigger of the 2 and leo's don't drool like neffies.
They make puddles instead..........

Shaynola, that was possibly the best response i could have dreamt of having to that thread! Have you thought about doing some freelance writing - you're very very funny and very informative!!!!

I absolutely love those pics! I love Newfies - I really need to spend some time with an owner with one (or two, three, four....) before I even consider it, which will be in a couple of years time, but I just think they are fantastic!

Thank you again....feel free to add more pics!

Why thank you, Lorna. You're too kind Have I thought about freelance writing? Are you serious? Who'd be willing to publish my ramblings? A sense of humour does help when you own a Newf though. People who own multiple Newfs are borderline certifiable And I am reliably informed (after the fact) that people who start out with a Brown are beyond help No-one knows why but browns are reputedly Nuts (the capital 'N' is not a typo). It's almost worth telling more experienced Newf people that your first is a brown just to see their reaction. Generally there is much pointing and laughing closely followed by the type of sympathetic look usually reserved for the village idiot.

Seriously though, any Newfie owner or breeder in your area would be happy to have you come visit even if you are not in the market for a dog for a few years. A breeder I know always makes sure her 6 dogs have had a good run and are suitably wet and muddy when prospective owners are due...that usually helps separates the wheat from the chaff (some never make it out of the car before realising that a goldfish might be more a more appropriate pet ) The Breed Clubs will be able to help you out in this regard.

http://www.thenewfoundlandclub.co.uk/
http://www.northernnewfoundlandclub.org.uk/

There are other Newf owners on the board so hopefully they will jump in as I feel like I am hogging the topic a bit Sorry!! Bad case of verbal diahorreah... I'm legendary for it. Aren't you glad you don't live with me!!

Jules, I absolutely love it - you are a star!!!!!!!

You soooooo should write for a living! You've made me smile more in the last hour than anyone has managed for the last 6 months LOL!

I think I am going to have to meet a family of Newfies, I used to live opposite a gorgeous (black!) Newfie called Bailey, and he was LUSH! They had a broom, with a cloth attached, I asked what it was, they smiled and replied "slobber cloth", I queried this, only the have Bailey answer my question, by shaking his head!

I know the feeling of being the village idiot all too well, when people meet Icon, "dalmatian, they're nuts aren't they?!".......

Ah well, you're half way to being a qualified Newf owner already

Glad I could brighten your evening

Check this out. If these don't bring a smile to your face, nothing will ;-) http://www.thenewfoundlandclub.co.uk/gallery_character.php

PS. I've had a snog off Sanchez...he's a teensy bit bigger now than in that pic but every bit as scrummy

I'm absolutely in love!

Do they like really long walks? E.G would a Newfie be able to keep up the pace of a dalmatian?

Agree with others that was excellent writing and reading, so true and it made me giggle.

slobber......... be aware it is everywhere - my version of it

Years ago (true story) a salesman sat on my sofa all suited and smart. I was trying really hard to hold a sensible conversation whilst holding a 150lb dog in my left hand trying hard not to let her drool rub against his suit. He sat there politely but looked very nervous the whole time.

As the sales guy spoke, i watched the drool and dribble start, my eyes darted to the guy and then to my newf. It was spreading downwards, first an inch long, then two. I tried to concentrate on what this guy was telling, trying to look really interested then my eyes darted back to the drool. No kidding it had now become 6 inches long, thick white sticky stuff dropping down either side of her mouth.

Then it happened.....the guy must have realised he didn't have my full attention, he shuffled and coughed at the same time and in very slow motion i watched my newf shake her head....the dribble went about 6ft in the air and i watched in horrow as in slow motion it plopped into the guys coffee cup. this was Just as he was raising it to his mouth, he stopped, there was a plop noise, he looked at his cup and then to me and said "what was that" i shrugged quite inocently and said "i don't know" he shrugged and then took a sip. I still to this day laugh at that momory. He never realised.

If you found that totally discusting - A NEWF IS NOT FOR YOU- this is the norm in a newfie owners life.

Hair - i am always amazed that i can buy a packet of crisps from the canteen at work and when i open them - there is one of jess's hairs in the packet - how does that happen.

NEWFOUNDLANDS ARE :
Big, hairy, clumsy, enthusiastic, hungry, usually slobbery, frequently wet, often muddy, sometimes naughty, invariably in your way, generally ‘deaf’ to your
commands and always demanding of your time and affection.

BUT they are a joy to the lives of those people daft enough to be devoted to them.

If you are houseproud, lead a busy life or are out at work full-time, this is NOT the breed for you. They need love, attention, good food, regular grooming, more love, basic obedience training, space to run and a loving ‘family’. This is not a breed to live in a kennel or be left alone, either shut outside or in another room. They demand the company of humans and are happiest living as one of the family – but
with all the doors wide open please. BE WARNED they can become addictive, and many people have more than one.

temperament of a well-bred Newfoundland is as close to perfection as you can get in the dog world. Gentle, affectionate, and intensely loyal and devoted to his people

The character of this breed can be summed up no more eloquently than in the lines written by Lord Byron in 1808 as a memorial to his Newfoundland ‘Boatswain’: “ ... Beauty without vanity, Strength without insolence, Courage without ferocity, And all the virtues of man without his vices.”

A few notes i have copied from the internet.

Yet again, another excellent account of life with a newfie - do I qualify as a suitable potential owner by the fact that I laughed at the story of the salesman?

HAHAHAHAHA!

This is great, Charlie slobbers like that and he's nothing like a newf, he's not even remotely related to any 'slobbery' type dogs so I have no idea on that one but my dad calls him 'hooch' from the film cuz he slobbers, lol.

That's so funny about the guy, then he took a sip! I really lol'd! Hahaha how did you not burst out laughing in his face? LOL! :smt043 I would have.

DON'T FORGET YOU NEED A BIG CAR!!

I walked down the shops the other day with my kids and dogs, stood outside while my daughter went in. Jess was panting and had the big slobbery chops as normal, it was all dangling down. At this point i didn't really notice (you don't it is quite normal). A lady walked out of the shops with a beige skirt suit on, came straight over without asking rubbed jess franticly on the head and said "how lovely" and then walked off. My son and i held are breath for a minute, looked at each other and then burst out laughing. The reason.....



The whole back half of her skirt was covered in jessie's slobber. We watched as she walked off down the road in her heels. It amused me to think what she will do when she realises what the wet stringy stuff was all over her bum.


Newfies don't need much exercise and long walks in a young dog is a big no no. It does a lot of damage. I was told you should do 1 minutes walking for every month of age the dog is. ie 6 months only 6 minutes walking as it can really damage there legs for the future.

Here's big Nelson, 11 years old next spring, and he's still a big puppy.

Stunning.

I shouldn't be looking really.

How will a Newfie puppy cope with a 2 year old dalmatian wanting to play all the time, can play with another dog damage them?

When they're fully grown have they got the pace to keep up with a dalmatian?

As much as I am falling in love with the breed more and more every second, I don't want to get a dog that would be unhappy living with me and my boy (when he's older.....I'm planning very much ahead here people!)

xxxx

Hi Lorna

I guess a lot depends on the dog but mine is a bundle of energy and could easy keep up with (or outpace ) a Dalamatian.

Careful exercise is very important for all giant breeds during the groth period but after that, they will generally take as much exercise as you can give them. Mine manages well on about 2 hours most days but will go for much, much longer given the opportunity; especially at this time of year. Warm weather can be more of a problem so mine tends to do a lot more swimming then.

I don't think play with another dog will be any more of an issue that it would be for any other breed. When my Newf arrived at 8 weeks old, I already had a 14 month old Chow X Rottie.

You have to remember that a Newf will oursize and outweigh the average Dal by 5-6 months of age so perhaps you should be considering will your Dal be able to cope with a Newf pup??

Well, they sound like bigger, hairier Boxers....

I find food manufacturers are also kind enough to supply my food complete with Boxer hairs. Even my freezer had Boxer hairs in it (and they are short haired dogs that generally don't need grooming)

I sympathise with the drool thing. Max has worked out how to blow spit bubbles and then shake them everywhere... :?

If it wasn't for the grooming aspect of it all (and the whole getting a third dog thing), I would have a Newfie like a shot