Hi all

Ok so I'm helping a family member pick which breed she should get. They have narrowed it down to one breed but I just wanted to see if you all agree with there choice.

Ok so my cousin and her mother have decided the time is right to get there first dog.

My cousin is 32years old and lives with her mom who is in her late 60's both very active people , who enjoy long walk out ect..., My cousin is a health visitor who works monday- Friday from 9am till 5pm but some of those days she finishes at 3pm. Her mom is retired and is very lonely on her own they both have wanted a dog for a long time and have waited for the right time and the feel now is the right time.

Both want to be equally involved in looking after the dog, like both want to walk, feed, train the dog ect..., They told me they both love labradors but feel they are too active for her mom and want a dog who is like a Labrador but without all the energy that labs have ( when I say energy of a lab I mean an adult lab , they are fully aware a puppy and teenage dog will be full of energy no matter what the breed but some breeds mellow out or have low energy as adults)

So she told me they went to crufts this year and they fell for the Newfoundland and said they are similar to labradors , friendly, gentle, affectionate but are not as active as a lab. So I suggested they sender a few questions to see what is for them.

Size: from Labrador size to Leonberger size

Physical exercise a day: anywhere from 1hour to 2hours a day but for the right breed they will be happy to give more but they could not cope with the exercise needs of say a Dalmatian or Weimaraner.

Energy level: medium they don't want a dog whose always on the go and never switches off , they want a calm , laid back dog who once given exercise everyday both mental and physical will just chill watching TV with them, they don't want a dog whose running around all the time.

Barking: medium not yappy or a constant Barker as they have neighbors to think.

Affectionate: very, they want a close bond with there dog who they can have cuddles with.

Child friendly: in there house not important as my cousin can't have a child it's medically impossible for her but there neighbors have children and family members ect... , So they still want the dog to be a breed who is child friendly

Dog friendly: yes as loads of neighborhood dogs and loads of family and friends who have dogs.

Cat friendly: yes as her neighbour has cats so it's important to keep the peace as her and her neighbour are friends so she doesn't want arguments if the dog killed one of her cats so she wants a breed who won't chase to kill.

Stranger friendly: yes but not bothered.

Grooming: not an issue as my sister who is a dog groomer will do it for free.

Coat type : fine with any

Drooling: doesn't bother either of them

Mental exercise: in the form of brain games and puzzle toys she has no interest in working the dog , just a family pet so she doesn't want a breed who's driven to work or needs loads of mental exercise.

Training: will be starting from day 1 when the puppy comes home and will getting help from a one to one behaviourist like Emmabeth \ nettle someone like them.

Easy of training: they want a breed who's fairly easy to train , it doesn't matter if the breed is not as easy as a lab but fairly easy and not a difficult breed.

Most of what she said I feel suits a Newfie, she said they are aware how big a Newfoundland will get. And the short lifespan , how expensive they are ect..

She said what ever breed we choose , once choosen we plan on reading as much about the breed as we can and meeting as many as we can whatever the breed.

I feel a Newfoundland ticks all there boxes and there going to be sensible , responsible owners by reading as much and leading as much as they can and still get one to one help when they become owners from day one to prevent rather than fix issues so I can't see why they can't have a Newfoundland?

What do you all think?

From my experience Newfoundlands are very gentle dogs and I have always got the impression there not hyperactive either

Had they not looked into golden retrievers at all?
Lively as youngsters and teenagers, but mellow beautifully as adults and don't require miles of walking and are pretty happy with short walks with a bit of brain training at home.
I'm hugely biased towards goldens so perhaps keen to push their good points.
Easy to train, friendly, happy dogs with a good life span (my last two reached 14 and 14.5 years), shed plenty but not excessively, very happy to lie contentedly by your feet or thoroughly enjoy a good run, don't bark much except to warn (my current one rarely barks). Highly intelligent and easy to train to do all sorts of helpful things around the house, friendly and easy going with dogs and people, can be trained not to chase cats and adore cuddles on the sofa - well mine always have

Whatever breed they decide upon make sure they not only use a breeder who health tests their dogs but also breeds for a good temperament. Always advisable to visit breeders to assess their dogs for temperaments before deciding.

Golden would before unfortunately , because her mom had one growing up and had a very close bond that she could never own another, a few family members have goldens currently and she always gets a little upset when she sees them.

Goldens would have been my recommendation too.

Other things to consider are the "running costs" for a Newfoundland. Due to their size things such as vet interventions, feeding, kennel fees if you ever go on holiday, size of car etc also need to be taken into account. Giant breeds take up a lot of space so having a house of a suitable size is also important.

Mental stimulation is just as important as physical exercise so don't discount other breeds just because they are said to need a goodly amount of exercise - doing exercises that engage their brains is just as tiring as a walk. My BC - a breed known for their high activity levels - is really chilled out indoors and there are some days when he doesn't get an offlead walk (he is dog reactive) but a short session of brain work, such as scent work, interactive toys, training sessions etc will tire him more than pelting around all over the place.

Hum.   This isn't a breed I'd necessarily have thought about but .......

https://www.champdogs.co.uk/breeds/newfoundland

This, from this website, might help but I do urge you to locate, via the relevant Breed Club where you are, a reputable breeder and go visit, by appointment.   Most good breeders will be happy to sit down with you and talk you through and ins and out of their chosen breed.   And it might actually help if they have no puppies on the ground at the time - you need to concentrate on the ADULTS not the aaah puppies

You will need appropriate transport and accommodation!!

There's a Newfie in my obedience class. She's super laid back and very friendly. Many dogs, including my terrier, are very scared of her on sight, and the owner was telling me that she attracts a lot of unwanted canine attention in the park and gets growled at a lot (I'd imagine most dogs would be too afraid to actually approach - she is ENORMOUS). A HUGE amount of hair despite daily grooming and omg the drool. I can't even imagine what their house looks like - I asked the owner and she burst out in hysterial  laughs. She is a HUGE dog; everything is supersized including getting a people carrier car to be able to transport her. In training, she's dopey. She doesn't do anything "fast" and she had to miss all the sessions when the temperatures rose a little as was struggling with the heat while the others carried on as normal. She a super cuddly dog; very stranger friendly (which is good as people constantly want to see her up close). I've no doubt she'd be the perfect family dog over in Canada with cooler temperatures a big lake to save drowning children, but she's a bit out of place in Brighton. But she is lovely. But big. So big!!

Sorry I have not updated this I was meaning to, the newf might be off the list as I put her in contact with a woman I know who I use to see on my daily walks when I use to walk Ellie ( my golden , who I sadly lost due to cancer) and she owns newfs and has owned them for 30years and said she has been given a half glass full picture of newfs as she said none of hers have been calm, laid back yes but not calm she said they are boisterous and lively dogs and that they are not easy to train at all as they are stubborn and not as interested in training as other breeds they are more interested in playing or saying hello to the other dogs, she also mentioned how a lot of other breeds growl at her newfs as there size looks threatening to other dogs and that going on holiday can be a pain as they suffer more in the heat like flat faces breeds , so you have to be prepared if going to the beach with them but even if your on holiday you have to accept it is to hot for them and stay in the caravan or cottage ect...

So apart from the golden could anyone give breed recommendations from using the info in my first post.

Just because the Newfoundlands belonging to one owner are boisterous etc doesn't mean ALL Newfoundlands are the same.

Any breed can be boisterous & difficult to handle if they are not reared & brought up correctly.

I've met a good few Newfoundlands when I used to work & live on a huge estate that had a recreational lake that a Newfoundland group used to use for water rescue training. I had to remove the sheep & cattle that free ranged away from the lake so they didn't "join in" with the dogs. All the dogs I met were quite laid back & ignored the nosey stock that did try to join in.
The dogs from puppies upwards underwent ordinary obedience training first & then went on to the water rescue trials, some of the dogs were water rescue dogs in real life & it was great to see them improving over the training sessions. Sitting patiently in rowing boats until sent into the water to either rescue a "drowning stranger" or tow the boat back to the shore. They also learnt how to rescue from the shore line & pontoons(in lieu of a dockside). They appeared quick to learn & very tolerant of other dogs.

Golden retrievers IMHO vary greatly in temperament & character some being very hyper & others laid back, even litter mates vary.

The giant breeds do in general have more laid back character & tend to do things in their own time slower than smaller breeds. I've met a Pyrenian x Leoburger who is incredibly laid back & gentle, but he has been well trained.

The key to having a "nice" pet is down to the work put in firstly by the breeder & then the owner & finding a good training group & trainer to get the best out of the dog & owner. My Collies all have an off switch, they are not the manic creatures some people tell you they are & again it is down to husbandry

I’m going to suggest something slightly smaller than a Newfie, but as you said they are an active family that enjoy walks and given your original post, I think the Portuguese Water Dog might fit  the bill.   They are. Lovely happy friendly breed m that can be a little wilful in their ways, but would enjoy all your requirements .

As you were looking at a water breed, and slobbery wet dogs,  the Portie should not be much different, apart from size, as youngsters they are energetic with active minds. But what they give back is tenfold,  they will need regular grooming, and depending on whether they keep a full natural coat or go for a retriever clip, it will vary from once a week bath and good groo. To every 6 weeks visit to groomers with grooming in between.

This is a breed not considered by many , they get bypassed by more popular breeds, but for an active family that wants a happy friendly medium sided dog, they would fit in well.

You need the strength for a Newf too. They can be a very stubborn breed as many in the working group can be.
Have they considered a Bernese at all? Smaller and more manageable in size compared to the newf. Yes they can be stubborn but once you've broken through the right way to train them they are a pure joy to own. Most like the water and they don't have the immense coat or the drool either.
Don't get me wrong Newfs are lovely but slobber gets everywhere and the daily maintenance of their coats will need more than your sister once a month say. There will be a heck of a lot of grooming possibly on a daily basis. Newfs tend to adore water so that makes sorting the coat out even more of something to consider.

how about a flat coat?  ones I have met were lovely dogs.

Ok so I have told them, Bernese is on the list but a little worried about all the health issues but otherwise like what the have seen and read on the club site, if you could tell me more about Bethesda for them.

The other tow suggestions are a no,

Smaller but how about a Clumber Spaniel ?

Ok after looking at them tiwce the Clumber spainel is also on the list.

Ok so if anyone can give more info on either the Clumber or Bernese please do as they would be very greatful.

With the Clumber they read they drool which there fine with drool but do Clumbers drool similar to the beef or do they drool less? Even though there fine with drool they said it would be a bonus if a breed didn't drool or drool less

For a lot of breeds, their behaviour and energy needs as adults depend on both those of their parents and their upbringing. While there are some manic labradors out there, the majority are actually rather lazy, and while they love a good walk, they are lazy around the house. If you choose a lab from calm parents and bring it up calmly, a lab would tick all of your boxes.

Don't know too much about Clumbers but seen many Newf owners with the lead in one hand and a 'drool-towel' in the other - never seen that with a Clumber From talking to people if you have a Newf you need washable walls for when they shake their heads!

I just wanted to update this thread to say no more suggestions please yet, as they are really interested in the Clumber spainel and I have started a new thread to focus on Clumbers.

Thank you for all for your advice and help, and if anyone knows anything about Clumbers please share in the Clumber thread.

Leonberger if they really want large.  Better health and less slobber than Newfies.

A golden retriever might be a better option.

For intelligence and bigger size what about a Hovawart? http://www.hovawart.org.uk/

I stated above why they won't have a golden, and they are considering a Clumber spainel so are only interested in info on them at the moment.

Sorry replied to the first post

It's ok, there's a lot to read, if you know anything about Clumbers I have started a Clumber thread.