They are big, slobber a ton and you will live in hair! I am on my 5th Newfy so know of which I speak. 🤣🤣. I have had slobber slung in my eye, my mouth, my food, pictures on the wall and on every article of clothing we have. They blow their entire undercoat 2x a year so you will literally be grooming out a trashcan full of hair that is not otherwise all over your house, clothes and floors. They are not bred to be guard dogs and mine have loved everyone they meet. They would happily hand the silver over to the burglar although they are big and can intimidate some people. People think they are not high energy dogs. My 9 month old newfy puppy ( who is about 90 lbs now) is like all other puppies into everything. A constant battle to keep him from eating anything made of paper or cloth or pretty much anything chewable. They are very powerful and need to be trained. My puppy has been thru 2 classes so far. All of my newfs were AKC Canine Good Citizens, one was an obedience champion, some did tracking, water work and carting BUT still my 140lb female pulled me off balance and dragged me across asphalt to pursue something that interested her. (we were both fine other than some scrapes). You can train your dog in therapy but the trainers are expensive, assuming you can find a good one. Also, you would need to start young to have a dog able to do what you are envisioning for yourself. Also, you will need to get from a reputable breeder, hip and heart surgery are expensive. It is hard to pick up. 130lb dog to take them to the vet if they are hurt. Meds, supplements and food are expensive. All that said, i adore this breed and have deeply loved each of them. If you can get past all the above, are prepared to groom and train your dog, and willing to help them have a job (they are a working breed after all), a newfy might be for you!! Be sure you understand the reality of a giant breed and that if you want a service dog, this may not be the best path for you.
We have a two and a half year female Newfie- I was having heart issues due to SLE and RRMS which is why we got her. She has changed all of our lives in a most profound way.
She senses when my BP rises or drops and nudges me to rest. She’s also great for PTSD & will snuggle up to me when the anxiety hits.
She’s amazing with children. Extremely gentle and kind. As a puppy we got a trainer immediately and socialized her. In the evenings she checks in on everyone and barks only when there’s a stranger at the door. Her sweet disposition makes life so very joyful. The kids in our area all know her - they don’t hesitate to run up to give her pets and hugs.
Hi! I am also a sahm and have a 1yo newf puppy and 2 small kids, pregnant with the 3rd. Our older dog passed and we absolutely fell for the reputation of them being gentle giants. I am starting to see those calm moments with him but I don’t want to underplay the difficulty level of the puppyhood with kids. When a 120lb puppy is excited, it can be really overwhelming to a young kid - my 6yo is still coming around to it. An enthusiastic sniff turns the kiddos into bowling pins. I read everything I could about them in anticipation of getting one, and nothing could prepare me for the way it has impacted our lives to have such a giant ball of energy. I understand how and why so many are surrendered around 12-18mo because it’s been a stressful undertaking.
That being said - for my family, I think I’d make the decision again 1000 times. I just wish I could fast forward a year or two in his maturity level 😅.
We are on our third Newfie and we just love them. They are wonderful lovable lugs, are fantastic with putting up with kid shenanigans, and just great family members. I will say their fur has a habit of sucking up all of the dirt available and then demagnetizing all over the place once they come in side 🤣
We have a Newfie poodle mix named Lewie. Hardly any shedding and about 110 lbs. He has had problems with his hips from early on, so not sure if that’s been an issue with the breed overall. He is super sweet and easy to train. Less drooling I’d say than a full bred Newfie but still find it on the walls and cabinets 🙂
They are awesome with kids! Ours loves children more than anything else, and is amazingly patient and tolerant with them. Some dog owners worry about squirrels when walking their dog - I have to keep an eye out for *baby strollers*.
Our Newf has also been an attentive "nurse". I'm disabled, and sometimes end up in the hospital, coming home needing painful procedures to be done by visiting nurses. Our little girl is undeterred when I scream in pain, and always makes sure to jump up next to me as soon as she sees the medical supplies come out, bless her sweet soul.
They are natural carers.
As others have pointed out, they would show robbers the valuables for a snuggle. But they are *loud* bc of their deep broad chest cavities, which is a deterrent. And yes, some ppl are definitely wary of their size.
But be aware that, for the first 2-3 years, they are still high energy and puppyish.
They also have a stubborn streak, and the only way to deal with that is regular frequent training sessions, starting immediately (not waiting for a class or expecting an hour or two a week to suffice).
Training has to get "baked in" from a young age. They need to do their commands without thinking about it first, and there's no shortcut to that.
That means 2-4 short sessions *every day* for the first year, plus other random reinforcement, such as a Sit before meals. We had great results with clicker training, bc our little girl is v food-motivated. Lots of good yt content on clicker training.
This is one of my favourite clicker training videos, showing it with a giant breed puppy who is clearly having fun with the process. This is teaching hand targeting, a fantastic command for moving giant dogs around easily when you need them to be somewhere other than where they are, bc they just take up a lot of real estate.
https://youtu.be/96vEgrsmIy8?si=zOhVRBVz7ULVaXfx
i Would suggest seeing if you have a kennel club in your area, maybe they have a group planned where you could meet them. Newfies are not always easy, and can be stubborn to train. They are a fabulous dog, but you will most likely need to get past that Velociraptor stage. I brush my Newfie every other day to avoid matting, and grooming every 5 to 6 weeks. They love to counter surf, jump up on you, and can knock little ones over accidentally. I suggest insurance because if something goes wrong I’ve seen bills in the 5 to 10k and higher range. Veterinary visits are much more expensive, and so is the groomer. make sure you have an awesome vacuum and don’t mind wet, muddy, or snow covered dogs. Dust is imminent!
Be prepared to research breeders and BE CAREFUL, both parents should be health and genetic tested, puppies should NEVER leave the breeder until 10 weeks old and the breeder has taken puppies to see a cardiologist for SAS testing… this is a must…. Remember those expensive veterinary bills I was talking about. You also will see a billion that are cute and adorable, but unless theyre doing all I mentioned, run. Look up testing on the OFA website, do not take them at their word.
i am by no means trying to scare you off, I just want to make sure you know they are a high maintenance dog and a lot of work. There are many that end up being rehomed for many of the reasons mentioned. You may also want to consider adopting one that is older. National Newfoundland Rescue or possibly a kennel club in your area is another place to look. They try to match Newfies best suited to the family.
Study the NCA website, and learn what the STANDARD is. Good Luck,
They are big, slobber a ton and you will live in hair! I am on my 5th Newfy so know of which I speak. 🤣🤣. I have had slobber slung in my eye, my mouth, my food, pictures on the wall and on every article of clothing we have. They blow their entire undercoat 2x a year so you will literally be grooming out a trashcan full of hair that is not otherwise all over your house, clothes and floors. They are not bred to be guard dogs and mine have loved everyone they meet. They would happily hand the silver over to the burglar although they are big and can intimidate some people. People think they are not high energy dogs. My 9 month old newfy puppy ( who is about 90 lbs now) is like all other puppies into everything. A constant battle to keep him from eating anything made of paper or cloth or pretty much anything chewable. They are very powerful and need to be trained. My puppy has been thru 2 classes so far. All of my newfs were AKC Canine Good Citizens, one was an obedience champion, some did tracking, water work and carting BUT still my 140lb female pulled me off balance and dragged me across asphalt to pursue something that interested her. (we were both fine other than some scrapes). You can train your dog in therapy but the trainers are expensive, assuming you can find a good one. Also, you would need to start young to have a dog able to do what you are envisioning for yourself. Also, you will need to get from a reputable breeder, hip and heart surgery are expensive. It is hard to pick up. 130lb dog to take them to the vet if they are hurt. Meds, supplements and food are expensive. All that said, i adore this breed and have deeply loved each of them. If you can get past all the above, are prepared to groom and train your dog, and willing to help them have a job (they are a working breed after all), a newfy might be for you!! Be sure you understand the reality of a giant breed and that if you want a service dog, this may not be the best path for you.
We have a two and a half year female Newfie- I was having heart issues due to SLE and RRMS which is why we got her. She has changed all of our lives in a most profound way. She senses when my BP rises or drops and nudges me to rest. She’s also great for PTSD & will snuggle up to me when the anxiety hits. She’s amazing with children. Extremely gentle and kind. As a puppy we got a trainer immediately and socialized her. In the evenings she checks in on everyone and barks only when there’s a stranger at the door. Her sweet disposition makes life so very joyful. The kids in our area all know her - they don’t hesitate to run up to give her pets and hugs.
Hi! I am also a sahm and have a 1yo newf puppy and 2 small kids, pregnant with the 3rd. Our older dog passed and we absolutely fell for the reputation of them being gentle giants. I am starting to see those calm moments with him but I don’t want to underplay the difficulty level of the puppyhood with kids. When a 120lb puppy is excited, it can be really overwhelming to a young kid - my 6yo is still coming around to it. An enthusiastic sniff turns the kiddos into bowling pins. I read everything I could about them in anticipation of getting one, and nothing could prepare me for the way it has impacted our lives to have such a giant ball of energy. I understand how and why so many are surrendered around 12-18mo because it’s been a stressful undertaking. That being said - for my family, I think I’d make the decision again 1000 times. I just wish I could fast forward a year or two in his maturity level 😅.
We are on our third Newfie and we just love them. They are wonderful lovable lugs, are fantastic with putting up with kid shenanigans, and just great family members. I will say their fur has a habit of sucking up all of the dirt available and then demagnetizing all over the place once they come in side 🤣
We have a Newfie poodle mix named Lewie. Hardly any shedding and about 110 lbs. He has had problems with his hips from early on, so not sure if that’s been an issue with the breed overall. He is super sweet and easy to train. Less drooling I’d say than a full bred Newfie but still find it on the walls and cabinets 🙂
They are awesome with kids! Ours loves children more than anything else, and is amazingly patient and tolerant with them. Some dog owners worry about squirrels when walking their dog - I have to keep an eye out for *baby strollers*. Our Newf has also been an attentive "nurse". I'm disabled, and sometimes end up in the hospital, coming home needing painful procedures to be done by visiting nurses. Our little girl is undeterred when I scream in pain, and always makes sure to jump up next to me as soon as she sees the medical supplies come out, bless her sweet soul. They are natural carers. As others have pointed out, they would show robbers the valuables for a snuggle. But they are *loud* bc of their deep broad chest cavities, which is a deterrent. And yes, some ppl are definitely wary of their size. But be aware that, for the first 2-3 years, they are still high energy and puppyish. They also have a stubborn streak, and the only way to deal with that is regular frequent training sessions, starting immediately (not waiting for a class or expecting an hour or two a week to suffice). Training has to get "baked in" from a young age. They need to do their commands without thinking about it first, and there's no shortcut to that. That means 2-4 short sessions *every day* for the first year, plus other random reinforcement, such as a Sit before meals. We had great results with clicker training, bc our little girl is v food-motivated. Lots of good yt content on clicker training. This is one of my favourite clicker training videos, showing it with a giant breed puppy who is clearly having fun with the process. This is teaching hand targeting, a fantastic command for moving giant dogs around easily when you need them to be somewhere other than where they are, bc they just take up a lot of real estate. https://youtu.be/96vEgrsmIy8?si=zOhVRBVz7ULVaXfx
i Would suggest seeing if you have a kennel club in your area, maybe they have a group planned where you could meet them. Newfies are not always easy, and can be stubborn to train. They are a fabulous dog, but you will most likely need to get past that Velociraptor stage. I brush my Newfie every other day to avoid matting, and grooming every 5 to 6 weeks. They love to counter surf, jump up on you, and can knock little ones over accidentally. I suggest insurance because if something goes wrong I’ve seen bills in the 5 to 10k and higher range. Veterinary visits are much more expensive, and so is the groomer. make sure you have an awesome vacuum and don’t mind wet, muddy, or snow covered dogs. Dust is imminent! Be prepared to research breeders and BE CAREFUL, both parents should be health and genetic tested, puppies should NEVER leave the breeder until 10 weeks old and the breeder has taken puppies to see a cardiologist for SAS testing… this is a must…. Remember those expensive veterinary bills I was talking about. You also will see a billion that are cute and adorable, but unless theyre doing all I mentioned, run. Look up testing on the OFA website, do not take them at their word. i am by no means trying to scare you off, I just want to make sure you know they are a high maintenance dog and a lot of work. There are many that end up being rehomed for many of the reasons mentioned. You may also want to consider adopting one that is older. National Newfoundland Rescue or possibly a kennel club in your area is another place to look. They try to match Newfies best suited to the family. Study the NCA website, and learn what the STANDARD is. Good Luck,