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To the Newfoundland Page!
All Things Shenanigans!
Well, in case you didn't know what
a Newfoundland is SHAME ON YOU. I'm only kidding heh heh heh. A Newfoundland is
a breed of dog named after the Canadian province of Newfoundland where it was
developed. We were bred to help Newfoundland fishermen to haul nets, pull loads
on land and be a companion to family and whatever livestock were present. Our
closest cousins are the Labrador Retrievers which are named after a region in
Newfoundland. It's also speculated by some that Portuguese Water Dogs are pretty
close cousins. Needless to say we're pretty good swimmers!
We're the largest of the Canadian breeds according to standard. On average the
girls are about 120 pounds and us guys are about 150 pounds. We have massive
heads, so we're prone to drooling. Just like most of our "giant breed"
cousins. We have a thick long coat (Newfoundland is pretty cold you know!). We
also have webbed feet, which most people find very fascinating. If I had a dime
for every stranger who has tickled my toes!
We come in several colour varieties, some colours are not recognized depending
on your kennel club and some colours are not recognized completely. In Canada,
the colours recognized by the CKC and NDCC are Black and Landseer (White with
black markings) In the country to the south of us, we're also recognized in
Brown and Grey. Nevertheless, regardless of the colour, you can always tell a
Newf by our world reknowned gentle dispositions.
Us Newfies are a pretty amiable group of dogs. Despite our large size, we are
generally quite gentle with little people, even in our crazy puppy years
(relatively!). We tend to be calmer than most breeds. We are a very people
oriented breed, so it you can't stand a dog who's going to make a point of
putting his head in your lap, don't get one of us! We are very powerful dogs, so
we need proper training, guidance and control from an early age. Some of us have
been reputed for being stubborn. Mom says I'm stubborn all the time! We like to
look dignified, however I have yet to know a member of my clan who doesn't have
a silly streak in them!
We're not a terribly active breed. If you're looking for someone to run miles
with you, get a Dalmatian. We'll swim miles with you though. And pull your kayak
in from the water. We're not the best dogs suited for heat, so make sure in the
summer we're kept mighty cool. Some lemonade is nice too!
Despite that though, us Newfies can do lots of things. We're in the Working
Group. We can pull heavy sleds, we can rescue people from the water, which is
one of our most common applications. A lot of people tend to think that us giant
breeds are kinda dumb, not so! We can compete in obedience trials, do tricks and
even be in movies. We're very clever at getting food too!
Before you get any breed of dog, let alone us Newfs, you have to do your
homework. Check with your local breed or kennel club, or even the national ones,
to get a list of recommended breeders. Make sure that you know what makes a good
breeder (See article on the Article's page!). Us big guys can have genetic
defects such as Hip and Elbow Dysplasia, thyroid problems, heart problems, eye
problems and even types of hemophilia! There are tests to clear breeding dogs
from these diseases as much as we are capable of doing so far. Please check out
the links page for further links to Newfoundland health issues. Breeders should
compete with their dogs in some way shape or form and be involved in the
community. They should be frank, open and willing to answer any questions. A
good breeder is proud of their breeding stock. A good breeder will also ask you
questions about yourself and family. Don't take this as an inquisition, a good
breeder wants to make absolutely sure that their puppy is going to go to a good
home, even if this means they have to keep the puppy with then until they do!
Please see the articles page for further information on where and how to select
your dog, mom will write it because she knows a bit more about it. Meanwhile,
enjoy Newfs galore! I hope to be putting pictures up of my family soon.
This is me after the
FIRST time I went swimming! Yech! What a mess, imagine that wet stuff all over
you. And this time it was not warm like my baths! Banzai says I'll get to like
it as much as he does if not more. I dunno....Mom says it will soon be time for
me to start swimming again, especially when they kayak around the shore. Banzai
says I'll enjoy hauling in kayaks, I don't know why, he likes it, but why would
I do such a weirdo thing?
The
Newfoundland Appeal!
What's
not appealing about us?
Not too many people are ready willing and able to into the ownership and
care of a very large hairy, drooling breed. Admittedly while Newfoundlands are
amiable characters, there is a lot of care and responsibility that goes into
these large guys. Fortunately, their lack of "refinement" has helped
in keeping the breed at relatively low popularity, which is the way, myself,
breed fanciers, rescue folks and breeders like it.
That said, I was reading an
article in Dogs in Canada written by an owner of two Jack Russell Terriers
lamenting at the popularity television shows Frasier and Wishbone has bestowed
upon his two dogs and many dogs like his. Well conversely in my not so
expensive house, and with a breed who's popularity seems to involve a few
movies and a couple of commercials, I too have this problem. Well I hesitate
to call it a problem, since I love talking, I love talking about dogs, and I
love talking about MY dogs. Like the breed I so admire, I consider myself
pretty friendly and approachable, so stopping every five minutes is not a
difficult task.
It's very odd that in this
society where just about anyone without a dog seems terrified that they are
going to be bitten, I have scores of people instantly recognizing Shenanigans
as a Newfoundland and flocking to him. Granted I live in Canada, and the
Newfoundland is considered a wonderful ambassador for our country. Canadians
have seen just about every variety of Labrador Retriever there is. The Nova
Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is slowly making it's introduction to Canada,
but is still widely unknown. The Canadian Eskimo Dog is not a common sight,
and certainly not in suburbia. So that leaves the Newfoundland. The reputation
of the breed and it's gentle and amiable qualities spreads the country coast
to coast, but it's not every day the average Joe or even the average dog
fancier gets to see a Newfoundland up close and personal. My mother lives in
downtown Toronto, I often bring Shenanigans along for the visit. We usually
head for the local dog park and for a walk around the neighbourhood.
Fortunately, we're not asked if Shenanigans is just like some TV dog
character. However I'm asked almost every time the typical
questions/statements.
How
much does he eat?
Do you know how big he's going to get!?! (Not so much a question as is a
statement)
Do they drool?
Ewwwwww, I didn't know they drool!!!
Auuughhh, look at my pants!
They must shed a lot!
He must eat you out of house and home!
Do they really have webbed feet?
You must live on a farm!
You must have to exercise him a whole lot!
I must state now that I am
not complaining or do not want to come across as such. I don't mind addressing
the same questions again and again. I'm a dog trainer, that's part of the job
description. It does sometimes get boring. What is interesting, is hearing
stories that these dogs bring up. Since I have gotten Shenanigans I have met a
lot of people from the east coast, who had to come up and visit the
Newfoundland. They have told me wonderful stories of the breed from their
childhood. This is a great perk of therapy work, you get to learn Canadian
history in one of it's oldest forms of education!
I do get the other typical
questions that I wish I sometimes didn't have to hear, but it's not a major
complaint, just a pet peeve and I warn you, it's petty!
Is that a
black Saint Bernard?
Is that a hairy Labrador Retriever?
There are times where I
have to correct people of the identification of my breed. I haven't been with
Newfs too long, so I'm sure I'll get some doozies as time goes on. I have
gotten into discussions where people were more than certain that Shenanigans
wasn't a Newfoundland, because he was too small. When I finally explained to
them, that the dog they are referring to is only 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 months old,
they usually reply with an Oh, so he will get to be about 200 pounds right? I
explain to them, his parents size and chances are, he'll be closer to the
average that the standard dictates, 150 pounds. They then proceed to tell me,
that that is too small for a Newfoundland, and that I better check to see if
his parentage is true. There are certainly larger dogs out there, and I'm sure
they are lovely, however Shenanigans is in the standard, what's wrong with
that! Coming from herding breeds, I haven't really been exposed terribly to
the Bigger is Better train of thought. I'm getting my medicine's worth now
however!
The Newfoundland's
reputation has been passed down generations of people. They have been known as
gentle guardians of children and wee things for hundreds of years. And they
have been popular in older literature, such as Peter Pan, but, their current
reputation in this day and age of mass media seems to have gotten around by
word of mouth. This works to benefit the Newfoundland fanciers, in that the
breed is not too popular, however, people aren't leaping for cover as they see
these large dogs walking down the street. And those who aren't aware of the
breed's reputation, are soon acquainted with it, as they peer into the gentle
expression of a Newfoundland who is just sitting patiently, with a dignified
air wait to be petted or hugged by children. At a recent event at the Royal
Winter Fair, Shenanigans must have encountered thousands of people, many of
them being children. While many people knew that Shenanigans was probably one
of the safest dogs in the building to have their children pet, those who
didn't were soon given a display on how a large awkward looking puppy suddenly
turned very gentle and precise when a tot ambled over to him. They soon
learned that Newfoundlands were one of the best breeds to have with children,
and about a zillion of their breed's misgivings. (Gotta hoard the breed for
myself still).
When all is said and done
however, 99.9% of the people who approach me, are in love with the breed. They
are upfront with the fact that they'll probably never own one, which is a
relief to me (more for me!) but they certainly love to be around the dog as
long as it's not their responsibility. *Grin* Which is perfect. The
Newfoundland Dog is indeed a great breed of dog to have, chances are, you'll
never find a dog as gentle or affection or in tune with your emotions. But
they are a large breed of dog, with a lot of hair, and A LOT of various
aspects to take into consideration.
These picture illustrates the differences between Newfoundlands and Labrador Retrievers. The first picture are two youngsters of each breed. The Newfoundland being 9 months at the time and the Labrador being 16 months. The Newfoundland is already much larger than the Lab, he is almost three times as heavy. Note the difference in head types, the Newfoundland having the much heavier head and different expression. As well the Newfoundland does not have the trademark Labrador Retriever tail. The Newfoundland has a lot more coat than the lab. Both breeds have webbing in their toes, and both breeds come in black. The Lab colours are Black, Yellow and Chocolate, while the Newfoundland's are Black, Landseer, Bronze/Brown and Grey. Both breeds do share ancestry, but have diverged into two separate breeds altogether. The second picture illustrates these differences as the dogs mature. In the second one Shenanigans is 20 months old and the Lab (Tristan) is 27 months of age. The size difference is quite noticible now, as are the physical differences in structure. However the similarities of both breeds loving water and having great temperaments are apparent in the picture. Even though Tristan is looking at his mom trying to adjust his rear. nbsp;
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All articles and humour on this site are copyrighted to Joy Henderson, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and cannot be reproduced without express written permission from the author.
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