Hi we are thinking of getting a newfoundland we have researched into the breed and have decided that it is the breed for us does anybody own newfoundlands? would be great to here from anyone that has them to give us some advice and tips ect.
many thanks
sarah

Hi Sarah

I've got a Newfie who's 10 months old and is adorable.
Have a peep at Amazon for Newfoundlands Today written by Del Richards. Its a great book and well worth reading.
I would also recommend contacting the UK club www.thenewfoundlandclub.co.uk/ who will be able to help you find your new companion. Dels details can be found there along with other members who will be able to help you. 
If you are house proud or own a nice garden, take a photo :) they really are ones for making mess and bringing all sorts into the house. You also have to love drool as it gets everywhere and every meal you have will contain a hair or two :) and the odd bit of drool :)
When it rains Bruce will go mad to go out and lay in it, even through thunder!! then he comes in and leaves huge wet patches all over the place.
As Bruce is my first I'm learning things every day but they really are great and I can't imagine life without him now.

Regards
Stu

Oh nearly forgot

There are a couple of forums worth looking at.
One is Drool Central and is part of EZ board http://p205.ezboard.com/bdroolcentral but you have to register before you can view and the other is NN and is full of great info www.newf.net .

Regards
Stu

Hi

I have a 6 month old brown Newf pup and MiniPeace has pretty much covered the basics ;)

I would wholeheartedly advise making contact with the breed club and being put in touch with someone who will allow you to visit their full-grown Newfs so you can get an idea of what you're letting yourself in for. Newf puppies are the cutest things ever but the 10 stone slobbering, shedding adult who positively has to sit on your knee is a world away from the cuddly little teddy-bear pup you bring home at 8 weeks of age! Sadly, many Newfs end up in rescue because their owners were not prepared for the reality of living with an adult Newf.

As Minipeace has said, they are not a breed for the houseproud. Their natural state is wet and they can seek out a muddy puddle in the driest of weather. They will then return home and redistribute the contents of said puddle from their coat to your walls and furniture. We have Newf-proofed our house...leather furniture, hard floors etc...everything must be easily wipeable!! ;) And somehow you will find Newfie hairs in the butter and every yoghurt tub you open. Not to mention the fact that one shake of the head is enough to coat most of the ceiling in drool Basically, they are not the breed for the easily grossed-out!

Having said all of that, they are the gentlest, most loving breed I have ever come across. We have waited a long time to be in the position to get our first Newf and we're already planning for more (although not for some years). They are addictive and you'll find very few people can stop at just one! Don't say you weren't warned :D :D

Hi

Everything the other posters have said is true, newfie hair every where, drool, mud and the constantly being wet and thats the owners and well as the dog.:) If you can get past all of that they are a fantastic breed to own they are kind and gentle practically human in some ways. They are a great breed to own with children because of these characteristics but you must put in a lot of time and effort to train them when young so you have a well mannered adult as the last thing you want is a 10 - 12 stone dog running rampant. Like all breeds they have their health issues - hip displaysia and heart problems so you must buy from a reputable breeder who tries to eradicate these health issues as much as possible by only using low scoring (hips) parents and heart tested clear parents. Get in touch with the breed club and they will be able to point you in the right direction and will send you a leaflet with all the things to look out for and the website is also very good.

They are a breed that have been exploited by puppy farmers and people wanting to make a quick buck so be very aware of this when you start looking, there seems to be a lot of non KC registered pups at the moment that are selling for about £200 less than the average but if they are not KC registered the odds are that the parents have not had any of the health tests so don't be tempted to save a bit of money.

There are adictive as I can personally testify as I have a 2 year old and I am getting another pup a week on Friday. Seeing some newfs in a home setting is a must before you make the decision to get one though going and looking at some at a show is also a good idea as you will be able to talk to some people who own them - but be aware that the newfs at shows have been bathed and groomed to look as pristine as that and the odds are that as soon as they get home they will jump in anything wet and muddy cos being clean and tidy is my newfs worst nightmare.:)

Good luck with your search.

We have 2 older newfies 7 years and 5 years, shedding time is the worst as is coats the floors furniture and tables. As they get older they can become a very real responsability, vet bills are very large, they are not a breed for the faint hearted. but you get all the love back 100 times over.

Lynn

I show and rarely breed and would agree with everything that's been said...however, a word of warning, they are ADDICTIVE!! and ONE is never enough! LOL Enjoy, if you want to see a picture of mine I will send one via e-mail, or go to the Our Dogs magazine pages on the web http://www.ourdogs.co.uk/ I'm listed under Breeders, Dawn Jenkins Yamchamol Newfoundlands, also go and see my friends site at www.bigtop.me.uk The problem really is we don't have any at the moment! In fact we have waiting lists, but, please be careful, it's easy to buy a cr*p Newfie. Make sure all health checks are done and SEE the results, these include cystinuria, heart, hip and elbows. All the best, love Dawn.