Newfoundland

prospect

Hi All,

I have been planning for some time on getting a dog.
I have nearly an acre of garden in the countryside. I am currently finishing of the fencing before I get any animal.

The dog will be kept outdoors, kenneled but with free regin of the entire property.

I would love to get a Newfoundland, and also a second dog as a companion. I may get the second dog from a pound.

Just wanted to know all your thoughts & experiences, & advice.

Chunks.
P

peasant

If it absolutely has to be a Neufoundland, try and get one from a working strain.

The show lines have laid far too much emphasis on sheer size over recent years. There are Neufis out there weighing in at 100 kgs now :eek: .

No dog was ever meant to be THIS heavy. The result of this of course is bone and joint trouble, as well as heart issues for the dogs. Their life expectancy is now just a mere six or so years. Also some issues with aggression have been reported in some lines.

You really do not want an aggressive 100 kg dog ...neither do you want to have to haul its bulk to the vets if it has joint pains again and can't walk on its own.

So do your research well and try and get a healthy one.

Jules

nes foundlands are great dogs but can sometimes be a bit flighty and due to this can be a bit aggressive
http://www.newfdogclub.org/Main_Sub_Pages/ws01_gen_info_main.htm

get some good info there

as regards the other one from the pound, fare play to ya, but would you consider cruising the pounds first to see if there are some PB newfoundland/ or newfounland '' look-a-like'' type dogs already lookin for homes!!!! and gettin both your dogs there!!!

EGAR

Ahh. prospect, you are a bit late, I had a brown NFL in rescue up until two weeks ago when he went to his new home. NFL are very care intensive due to their coat especially if they live outside (tangles etc). Most of them love water like hell . And don't overdo exercise with a NFL pup as they are prone to OCD.

prospect

Thanks for the input, it is much appreciated.

I originally selected a NFL because I like a big dog, and I really love the looks of the NFL, and they have a great reputation for being gentle and loving. I had not known about this agressive 'strain' mentioned by jules and peasant. More research indeed.

I live just a mile (nice walk through fields) from the canal, so there will be plenty of swimming available.

I would certainly consider getting both dogs from a pound, but I would want to be certain that they are docile enough to have around children.

Another option is the old english sheepdog.

peasant

prospect wrote:

Another option is the old english sheepdog.

Sorry ...again ...some strains do have issues with aggression, so be careful there as well.

Also ..THAT coat will be impossible to keep tangle free, especially on an outdoor dog and is a magnet for dirt, slobber, sticks, thorns etc plus it blows hair all year round, your yard (and house) will look like a sheep farm, full of "wool". (and you don't even want to think about cleaning up an OES with diarrhea:D )

You'll probably end up shearing it every year ...might as well get a short haired one.


(We have an OES mix ...unshorn ...but then we're not particularly house proud:D ...no aggression with that one, friendliest dog you could wish for. But I have met quite a few really grumpy and snappy OES)

peasant

prospect

Actually a rescue dog might not be such a bad idea ...especially with a large dog.

You would get the advantage of being able to assess the character of a more or less "finished" dog, thus avoiding potential aggression issues and ensure compatability with kids ...

... and some rescue would have room for another emergency, as big dogs can be quite hard to rehome sometimes.

Look at this fella for nice big dog:

(from www.irishanimals.ie)

http://upload.irishanimals.ie/Uploads/67_dante02.jpg

PS ...there also is an OES specific rescue listed on irishanimals

Huggles

Hi, we had a newfoundland for 14 years, the best dog we ever had, no health problems other then that his back legs had very bad arthritis in his final year.

They are a fantasic dog, you do know how MASSIVE they are tho??

Jules

had on in today weight 76kg!!!!!

and honestly all dogs can be aggressive, i would take on a NFL b4 a westie or something like that..

every dog is individual and depends on their upbrining!!!!!

Huggles

jules80 wrote:

had on in today weight 76kg!!!!!

and honestly all dogs can be aggressive, i would take on a NFL b4 a westie or something like that..

every dog is individual and depends on their upbrining!!!!!

Spot On, If i add up all teh dogs we have had over the years (20) We only had one dog, a kerry blue (terrier) that was unpredictable/aggressive.

peasant

I just pointed out the potential aggression issue in relation to NFL and OES because on the usual breeders and club bumpf all you ever read is how gentle they are.

But with both breeds there have been some serious aggression issues in some breeders lines, because all the attention in breeding was on looks, coat and size but not on character. This is of course is swept under the carpet by the same breeders and clubs.

And you DO NOT want to own a big dog that has aggression issues from the start ...all the best training in the world will still leave you with a somewhat "iffy" dog.

Hence my remarks.

Jules

taken p and extremely valid point wasnt attacking it or anything

Sleipnir

When I think of the poor Newfoundland somebody i lived near in Lucan bought for his three bed semi.
Never walked it so he used to just let him out for a couple for hours to wander the neighbourhood.:mad:
It was a beautiful dog but never looked happy at all. Just didn't belong in a house like that.

Moron.

prospect

Hi All,

Gosh, thanks for all the input, and for the link peasant.
I am aware of the size, and we have a very large garden. Also we are surrounded by fields (the father-in-law) which have all crops, no livestock.

We had an OES in my folks house before, and he was a real angel. My mum never minded being home alone, as he had a real deep meancing bark, but we never told stranger how docile he was.

I accept that any dog is unpredictable, but I picked the NFL because I figured a good one would be less of a risk.

lightening

I have an OES. Great dog, 11 years of age now, extremely obedient and a very content dog. The hair is a pain, the biggest disaster is if he ever gets a tummy bug and his runny sh*t sticks to his arse and legs.

Messy.

hmmm

We had the pleasure of having a Newfie as well, and it was the most intelligent, gentle and calm dog you could ever hope to meet. Kids would be hanging out of him and he'd look at us with his mournful look, the cat used to sleep on him.

The huge coat issue is true, and don't forget that come summer your place will be covered in clumps of hair.

Our dog had great spurts of energy when he was excited (going for a walk in particular). He spent most of his day lolling around though. He also hated water, which was very odd, and he could sense when you intended giving him a bath (never catch him). From the sounds of your garden, it's perfect for a dog like this.

One difficulty we did have was that we could never find a lead strong enough to tie him down when we occasionally had to secure him - they are incredibly strong. Another difficulty was that with his intelligence he was always hugely curious and given to wandering off exploring.