GREATBASIN NEWFOUNDLANDS !!!
CARING FOR A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY part 1
ABOUT US & OUR BREEDING PROGRAM PART 2
A healthy & well trained Newf is something every owner wants. The average lifespan of a Newf is about 10 years. With reasonable care & periodic checkups you will find that a Newf is a strong & robust dog. Problems found in Newf puppies are sometimes caused by the inexperience of new owners, stairs, sloops & cement. The correct way to start is to buy a healthy puppy & to keep him that way by regular trips to the Veterinarian. Good quality food & careful observation for symptoms of diseases or other ailments. Don't allow your puppy to play with larger pups or dogs that outweigh them, their bones & joints are supporting allot of weight for themselves, you don't want them to injure their growth plates. Keep them from climbing up & down stairs, steep slopes on a daily basis. Don't keep them on cement as this will promote hip displasia. A good book on Newfies or a general dog care book is worthwhile.
A. VETERINARY CARE:
Find a reputable Veterinarian who is experienced in large breeds. Your Breeder or a Newf Club may be able to help you find the right Vet in your area. Take your puppy to your Vet as soon as possible after you get him home. Even if he has a recent health certificate, a double check is valuable, & you will get good advice on puppy care, shots, local health problems, etc. Avoid unnecessary contact with other dogs until your puppy's immunities are established. Your Newf may need a booster shot for Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, parainfluenza, Parvo Virus & Corona Virus. Rabies Vaccinations will have to comply with your states law or your Vet's recommendations. Also, you should have your dog examined for worms (round, whip, tape & hook) every 3 months as a puppy & twice a year thereafter. Heartworm is a problem in areas where there are mosquitoes, so you should consult your Vet regarding testing for & prevention of this disease. A definite aid to both worm & fly control is to pick up your dog's stools EVERY DAY & more often for a puppy. Flea & tick control is essential, as they are a source of many problems. Extermination of these parasites in infested areas, such as bedding, is as important as on the dog itself. Dogs should be treated for fleas & ticks, the same day you treat your home, your dog's bedding, yard, etc.
B. GROOMING:
In any climate, grooming your Newf not only makes him look nicer by controlling mats & shedding but also cleans his coat & skin, & reduces odor. Use a long toothed steel comb & a wire slicker brush with bristles bent at the end. Work against the grain back to front, then reverse. Be sure the hair is brushed down to the skin, being careful not to scratch the skin. Mats of dead hair accumulate behind the ears & inside the hind legs. After the permanent coat develops, shedding occurs but twice a year, spring & fall. Newfs need extra care & observation to combat parasites & skin problems. Grooming is essential. Brushing often means less bathing. When you do give your dog a bath, be sure to remove all the soap to avoid skin irritation. Rinse & rinse again. If toenails are not kept at a moderate length through exercise, they should be clipped, but learn how to do it properly before you try it. Consult a dog groomer, or ask your Vet for assistance.
C. SAFETY & SHELTER:
Take care to see that growing puppies don't do a lot of jumping, running, or playing on slippery surfaces, or have their limbs pulled. Their fast growing joints & bones are still soft & may be permanently damaged. Love is one thing, but excessive handling is another & should be avoided. The only correct way to pick up a puppy is to insert one hand between the front legs, a hand between the hind legs until they touch & then lift evenly, thus supporting the entire weight of the puppy. Your new puppy needs a lot of sleep. You will want to avoid heavy exercise (including cart pulling) with a Newf less than 18 months of age. This heavy exercise can damage the puppy's body. Avoid strenuous exercise right after meals & during warm periods. It's wise not to let dogs hang their heads out of car windows as various eye injuries can result. Most Newfs enjoy swimming. It's an excellent exercise for it strengthens muscles without putting weight on the joints. Most Newfs prefer calm waters, such as lakes & streams, to rough pounding ocean surf. Don't let your Newf run loose as he could be hit by a car or stolen & may incur the ill will of neighbors. Remember that the biggest dog in the neighborhood often gets the blame for the deeds of all the other dogs around. In most cities, dogs must be in a confined area & walked on a leash. All dogs enjoy a walk at least once a day. A six-foot leather or cotton web leash & a training collar are required in obedience classes. A slip collar, chain or nylon, of correct length is standard training equipment. Never chain or tie your dog! Never leave a collar on an unattended dog! A dog sleeping out side should have a well-insulated house or shelter available. A dog sleeping inside needs a draft-free place & a rug or pad to keep him off the hard floors, which can causes calluses. Many Newfs will select a cool tile floor.
D. FEEDING:
It's quite common to hear those who don't know the breed say, "My, but he must eat a lot." Probably because he is so placid, the full-grown Newf is a comparatively small eater. When he is growing most rapidly, between the ages of 3 & 18 months, the Newf is a heavy eater. At this time he will eat several pounds of kibble plus such other materials as your breeder recommended you give him each day. Initially continue feeding your puppy what the Breeder was feeding. Don't drastically change your puppy's diet. Adult Newfs will eat about 4 to 8 cups of dry dog food per day (or about a 40-50 pound bag of dry food per month). The amount of food an adult Newf requires isn't proportional to his weight, but to his size & activity. We believe in free feeding. Which is, putting down enough food for the entire day. An 8 week old puppy will normally eat 3 times per day; after 5 or 6 months the puppy will eat twice a day. Never fatten a puppy to butterball condition, rather keep it a little on the lean side. Over feeding won't make your puppy larger than his genetic makeup intended him to be. Overweight at any age reduces the life span & may provide fertile ground for other problems. The amount of food suggested on dog food labels is generally excessive for large breeds. In short, take care of your new puppy just like you would any new baby in your family!
E. THE NEED FOR TRAINING:
An untrained dog, no matter what its size, is a liability in modern society. For their own safety & owner's sanity, all dogs require some form of obedience training. being intelligent canines, most Newfs are readily trained. The ideal time to begin the training is when the puppy is 2 months of age, which means you start the day you get the puppy. Between the age of 2 & 4 months, the puppy should be taught to walk on a loose lead, come when called & stay when told. If you use praise as a reward & plenty of encouragement, the puppy will be a willing & an adept student. By starting early, you can teach the puppy the commands you want him to know & avoid the development of bad habits. This type of training can be done at home with the aid of a good book on obedience training. Newfs should definitely receive early obedience training, or they may outgrow their trainer's ability to handle them before they mature & realize they have gentle qualities. If you intended to water train your puppy, it's advisable to introduce the puppy to water by the age of 4 months, but do so with care & consideration. If you want your dog to learn to retrieve, you should introduce the puppy to the fundamentals before it's 8 months of age. One person in the family, preferably an adult, should assume the major responsibility for training, but all family members should know the commands, use them consistently & know how to reward the puppy with praise & encouragement when it has responded to a command. In addition to early training at home, it's advisable to take your puppy to a training class. Almost every training organization will accept puppies at 6 months of age & some have special programs for puppies between 2 & 4 months of age.
A Newf puppy at 8 weeks of age can generally be house-broken, if you are willing to be consistent & watchful. However for a few more months accidents can happen, not because of disobedience but because young dogs still don't have muscles that always cooperate. Since puppies sleep most of the time, it's easy to anticipate their needs. As soon as the puppy wakes from a nap, finishes eating, or after vigorous play, take it out to relieve itself & any time you observe the puppy circling & sniffing the floor, take it out to relieve itself. You must be vigilant, but once an accident has occurred, scolding the puppy is ineffective. Just clean up the accident & deodorize the spot. Continue to positively reinforce good behavior, ignore accidents & your puppy will be housebroken quickly. Similarly, rubbing its nose in the corpus delicti does no good at all, & swatting the puppy with a rolled-up newspaper only creates a dislike for rolled-up newspapers & perhaps paperboys. The destructive potential of puppy teeth is enormous & it's important that a puppy learn the meaning of "No" at once. Provide his own special toys for chewing say a stern "No" when he picks up anything else. remember, CONSISTENCY & PATIENCE ARE THE KEY TO ALL TRAINING!!
F. PUPPY GROOMING:
To begin with , your puppy had his toenails trimmed 6-8 times. This should continue weekly for the life of your pup. From birth until 10 weeks we use human toenail clippers. From 4 months on we use regular dog nail clippers. Make sure your blades are sharp for quick, safe cutting. We replace ours often! In addition, your puppy was bathed & dried before he want to the Vet's office for his final checkup. Your puppy has also become accustomed to being handled many times by various people throughout the daily chores. To continue this training we recommend you brush your puppy daily. Don't worry we're not talking about all out grooming. A slicker brush will do quite nicely. Make sure you have all your tools handy before you start. Although we prefer to use a grooming table (it saves your back), you may lie down on the floor with your pup & speak in a calm soothing voice while petting or rubbing his tummy. Once the pup settles down, gently begin brushing with the slicker brush. Don't push too hard as the fine teeth can scratch the skin. Remember to be especially gentle when brushing the hair on the inside of the rear legs & tummy. After the slicker, use a stainless steel comb & go over the pup completely. The comb will get in all the nooks & crannies. In the beginning these sessions should only last a couple of minutes, ending with big hugs & a cookie (not for you, for the puppy)! Gradually increase the amount of time you spend brushing. At the end of each session, stop brushing but continue to talk & pet him. Gently pick up each foot, rub it gently & squeeze each pad on each foot. At the end of a week, have someone pet the pup while you talk & carefully trim the nails. Start by just clipping off a little at a time & "shave" each nail until you see the "half-moon" of healthy nail tissue. We always have the styptic (powdered form) ready just in case we cut the nail too short & nick the blood vessel that runs inside the nail ("quick"). Should you "quick" the pup, don't panic, you will only instill your fear in the pup. Speak in a soothing voice while dipping the nail in the styptic. Once your pup settles down, tell him what a good boy he is. Don't forget the hugs & cookies. Small cookies remember, a growing pup is always watching his weight. By using this system, we've found that we've actually taught the pup several things. First is down. If you tell the pup down each time you start a session, before too long, they've learned what the word means. Because it's associated with wonderful petting & cookies, they learn it quick. Second is that they can trust you to help the "hurt" feel better. They don't realize that you're the one that "quicked" them, only that you hugged & loved them to make them feel better.
G. BATHING:
Many skin problems are caused by improper grooming, in other words, a well groomed dog is a healthy dog. Mats collect dirt can lead to hot spots that smell. A matted dog is not pleasant to touch or live with . Regular grooming will give you early warning to fleas & ticks & keep down the hair in the house. A well groomed dog gets lots of attention when in public. Dogs may be bathed as often as necessary, once a month should be appropriate, provided you use a good dog shampoo. Remember, when a dog is being shown, they are bathed once a week or more! We've found that dogs usually require more baths during the summer than the winter with the heaviest grooming required during the "spring shed". Bathing a dog is much easier if you have first combed the entire coat, removing all loose hairs & mats. The two basic tools we use are a rake & a fine tooth comb & a good pair of scissors. The rake removes large clumps of hair while the fine tooth comb "fine tunes" by removing any final loose hair. To begin grooming, start with the rake. Push up the hair n the leg with your hand & comb down pulling small amounts of hair at a time. By working up you are starting with the shorter hair on the legs & pulling the longer body hair down. This way you are always combing through already combed hair. If you come to a mat, hold the mat between your fingers, close to the skin (to minimize pulling) & comb through small amounts of the mat until you have worked the mat out. It seems as though mats always form behind the ears, under the front legs & (furnishings). If you take long walks in the woods, check the furnishings often as they collect burrs & brambles. Once your dog is combed out, you will find the bathing process easier.
As a precaution, we use flea shampoo year round. Mix your shampoo with warm water, according to the directions, in a small container. We mix about 1/4 cup of shampoo to a quart of water. A small sponge works well to apply the shampoo. Thoroughly wet the dog with warm water, starting at the head & working your way back & down. Once the dog is wet, apply the shampoo in the same manner. If you tilt the dogs head back you won't get shampoo in the eyes. Pay particular attention to the tail area as this is where most fleas love to hide. Work the shampoo in with your sponge, getting the suds all the way to the skin. Don't forget to wash the bottom of the feet. The feet can collect all kinds of debris, which, if not removed, will cause problems. Now that your dog is soaped from head to tail, it's time to rinse him off. Again, tilt the head back & remove the shampoo the same way you applied it. Rinse, rinse, then rinse again. Any shampoo left on may cause skin irritations, itchiness & a greasy feel to the coat. Rinse until the water runs clean then rinse again. Make sure you rinse under the tummy, under the front arms, & between the rear legs. Then stand back & let your dog have a few good shakes. If the dogs coat seems dry follow with a cream rinse, diluting it with water, working it into the coat, especially the furnishings, then rinse again.
To dry your dog, there are many different techniques you may use. Towels will quickly remove most of the excess moisture making the actual drying process easier. Human hair dryers, dog "blasters", stand dryers, or a canister type vacuum with the hose plugged into the exhaust port all work well. Make sure you are very careful if you use a human hair dryer as they get very hot & can burn their skin. As you dry, comb through the dog again removing any hair the bath has worked loose. When the dog is dry, give him a big hug, a cookie & tell him how pretty he looks (& how wet he made you!)
H. TRIMMING EARS, FEET & HOCKS:
A clean Newf is healthier but more of a joy to its owner, so does proper trimming have benefits beyond appearance. Feet that look like dirt mops don't work that way. They do, however, trap outdoor mud & magically release it on the carpet. Besides being harder to keep clean, shaggy feet provide an excellent environment for the development of fungus infections of the pads. Untrimmed ears also help foster growth of fungus infections by reducing air circulation & trapping moisture. Comb the hair on the ear & use the scissors around the edge to trim the hair & define the shape. Then use the comb to lift the hair & the thinning shears to blend the length from short at the tip to round up to the length of the hair at the top of the head. Finally, lift up the ear & use the scissors to trim the long fuzzy hair under the ear to blend with the neck. Don't be afraid to trim your Newf. If the end result doesn't look like what you wanted, remember you're dealing with one of natures great renewable resources & in a few weeks you'll have another chance to try your hand again. Keep telling him what a good boy (or girl) he is & regular trimmings can be fun for you & your dog.
Trimming of the feet can be done on the floor, but it's a lot easier on your back if you have a low (24") grooming table. A grooming arm or a friend to help keep the dog on the table is very helpful. Always remember a dog can move faster than you can & you will be working with sharp scissors. The equipment I suggest for basic trimming is a Greyhound comb, a Universal slicker brush, a pair of 6 1/2 " ball tipped curved scissors & a pair of thinning shears (approx. 30 tooth double edge is preferred). Always start with a bathed, dried & brushed dog. To trim a foot, stand your dog on the table. Pick up the foot & with the curve of the scissors pointing away, trim the hair on the bottom of the foot flush with the pads. Put the foot down on the table & brush the hair up between the toes. With the scissors pointing straight down & the curve towards the dog, trim the bottom of the feathers rounding them into the bottom of the foot to keep them from dragging on the ground.
To trim the hocks, comb the hair straight out all the way around. Stand the dog so the foot is positioned correctly (i.e. the hock is perpendicular to the table). Trim the sides of the hock vertically the width of the foot so they are parallel. Then trim the back of the hock vertically so it's parallel to the front. Round off the edges to make an oval look. Then round the bottom to the foot at the same angle as the feathers were rounded on the front feet.
I. COME PUPPY COME:
Come Puppy, come! May be the most important lesson you ever teach the new canine member of your family, as it could save his life. A really consistent response to the command can remove the dog from dangerous circumstances, such as oncoming cars or a threatening dog. This lesson reeds to be taught at a very early age, & probably is most easily learned at that point in the puppy's development. Begin as soon as the puppy begins running around. It's a good time to teach him his name as well as to come. Sit on the floor & call the puppy in a warm & welcoming manner. If he doesn't come at once, lure him with a small treat of food. When he does come to you, offer him immediate hugs & lots of praise. Make every trip to you a positive reinforcement of the command. Be sure that the puppy responds EVERY time you give the command. If he chooses to ignore you, first try the food lure & as a last resort, physically have someone bring him to you. Consistency is the important factor. He needs to understand that COME means to come every time!! NEVER use negative reinforcement when training a puppy to come. If he has done something naughty, carry him to the scene, but don't call him & then punish him when he comes. He'll soon learn that COME can be negative. Play the "COME" game on a consistent basis, but remember that your puppy has a very short attention span. A "come" or two is enough at any one time, so he doesn't lose interest in the game. Make sure that he is successful each & every time he responds to your command. Hugs & kisses work very well with puppies, & they are so rewarding to you too.
Soon your puppy will be a youngster interested in moving out & exploring the world. Controlling him will be much easier if he has learned his "come" well. With the exciting lure of the wide outdoors, you will need to reinforce your command many times. At first, put a long line on the puppy. Let him wander & snoop a while & then call him in your warmest & most welcome manner. Don't be surprised if your wonderfully trained puppy from the house refuses to come when he has found the wonderful, enticing smells of the whole outdoors to distract him. But, DO insist that he come when called. A gentle reeling of the rope will probably be necessary. Do it every time. One slip-up gives him the message that "come" is an arbitrary command. It will probably be some time before your puppy can be trusted to respond absolutely reliably to your "come" command. Don't give him the opportunity to disobey. They learn that lesson all too easily. Keep him on a line dragging behind him so that you can control him even though he thinks he is running free. Of course, there is no absolute certainty that a dog will always respond to your command. There would be far fewer accidents if we could count on their responding every time. BUT, you can save yourself a lot of heartache & just plain aggravation by teaching your puppy that he MUST COME. Please note, the above system works with older dogs too! You just need to have more patience & practice it longer!!