Expecting 1st newf!

[newby]

Hello!

I am about to purchase our (dh&kids)first family dog and it is going to be a newf. The kids are 2 and 5. I am curious are newfs as good with kids as the literature says? I am a little nervous about having a dog of this size with two young kids but am in love with what I have heard about the breed. Also are they hyper as pups, I know personality varies, but overall?? Any advice would really be appreciated!

Thank you soooo much!

 

[Nicole]

Tayla our Newfie is 15 months old and she is great with the kids she has been around. she seems to play alot more gently with them than with us.

She is a very active and hyper puppy. She is starting to mellow out a little now but she has been just as active as any other puppy until now.

They are a fantastic breed of dog though. Tayla is our first Newf but she will not be out last. We have fallen in love with not only her but the breed also.

Good Luck. Hope your puppy brings you as much happiness as Tayla has brought to us.

 

[Greg L]

Leviathan, our first newf many years ago, was quite the nanny/safety nazi. She wouldn't let our first (and only at the time) child do much by himself without her there to keep an eye on him (as an aside our two males have seemed to have the attitude of "if you aren't bleeding then don't bother me" with the kids and their screaming). When we would put him in one of those jumper things that you hang in a doorway and the kids bounce in until their legs go to sleep, she would get very worried and lay down underneath him so that he wouldn't slam into the floor (he would just bounce up and down on her).

As far as hyperness goes.... yes they can be hyper as a pup. However hyper for a newf is sound asleep for a little yappy dog on a slow day.

Greg

 

[AmyPC]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Greg L:
When we would put him in one of those jumper things that you hang in a doorway and the kids bounce in until their legs go to sleep, she would get very worried and lay down underneath him so that he wouldn't slam into the floor (he would just bounce up and down on her).


Greg<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Heehee, that's a funny image Greg.

Rory is not a 'safety nazi', unfortunately.

She really has had little to do with kids, except at the park. She has tried to jump up on a few, for example to get a ball they are holding above their head. She also used to try to grab food from them when she was younger, if they were toddling around holding something in their fist. They are at a good height for that as puppies. I've always been slightly nervy around her and children in fact, only because I know she is clumsy and doesn't watch where she is running at all times.

There is a lady at the park who brings a baby in a baby carriage thingy and occasionally Rory will go and sit next to it for ages, looking like she's guarding the baby. But I think in reality she's sitting in the shade of the thing!

I think Rory may be the exception to the Newfie rule though.
To be honest, Rory specifically is no better with children than, say, a Golden Retriever or a Labrador or something of a similar nature. But that's probably because she doesn't really know any personally.

 

[kzdz]

We don't have any kids, but I think both Morgan and Quark wish we did. My mom teaches first grade, and if I'm able to visit on a weekday we make a quick stop at school. Morgan and Quark love to lick 1st grader ears -- they're at that perfect height. They seem to realize that they need to be a little more gentle with smaller people. In the kindergarten room they just stretch out and let all the kids pet them at the same time. But they're favorite room is the one used for kids needing physical therapy. I think they like it because the kids are physically unable to all rush at them at once.

When Morgan was about 9 mo. old, my niece (also about 9 mo. old) came for a visit from Idaho. We were a little worried about Morgan being around a baby, but she just laid down and let Kylie (my niece) tug on her hair and ears. Every so often, she would "wash" Kylie's hair, but that was about it.

As far as puppy hyperness goes, yes they can be, but nowhere near the activity of the little dogs or even a lab puppy.

Good luck! They really are the most wonderful pet you could ever have. I'm still honored to be owned by my newfies.

 

[newby]

Thanks for all of your responses. We have never owned a dog before, besides when I was a kid. We did however house a lab pup for my father for a couple of months. I am planning on enrolling our pup in puppy kindergarten. Do these type of dogs resond well to training or is it about the same as say a lab or golden? Another question when I get my pup at 10 weeks how much will he weigh what size will he be?

Thanks again!!!!

 

[GAD]

Does this help?

GAD

 

[Maggiesmom]

I brought Maggie home at 7 1/2 wks (I had to beg the breeder cuz it was a little early but I had a week of vacation then & wanted to bond

) Anyway, at that time she was about 15 lbs, she is now 10 mths old and my guess is shes about 115 lbs (I'm taking her in to weigh later today) if you want some photo idea I've got some pictures of her at different ages on my website http://www.geocities.com/furrycritterspage/furrycritterspage.html?1006385168500
thats a link to it. The one thats said was taken shortly before coming home was about 5 days prior to it. The air conditioning & bath pictures were at about 6 mths, and the leaves at 8 mths and the others at about 9 1/2 to 10 mhts. But it will depend on the line your pup comes from too. My other newf Jo Jo is 3 yrs old and smaller than Maggie is at 10 mths.



------------------
Shawn....
Maggie, JoJo, Alex, & Destiny too

 

[kzdz]

Morgan with my niece. Both approx. 9 mo. old.

[This message has been edited by kzdz (edited 01-03-2002).]

 

[shawn]

Welcome to our wonderfulworld of newfs!!

I own my first newf (Newmie), who is 9 months old now. I also have a 9 year old son. I have to admit that Newman is a little rough with my son (Jordan), but he is extremely gentle with smaller children. I have a friend with a 5 yo son (Thomas) and Newmie lets Thomas lie on his back when Newmie is lying down. I think he is rougher with Jordan just because Jordan is bigger.

As far as size: Newmie was 8wks old & 16lbs when we got him. He is now 9 months old and a little over 100lbs. Newmie's brothers from one of his mother's previous litters are 180lbs now.

Hyper? Yes, they are hyper, but Newmie is more just into things. Stealing things, hiding things, that kinda stuff. Not too hyper, but much more so than my 13yo cocker who sleeps 22hrs a day.

No matter what kind of dogs I've had, I've never loved one like I love my Newmie and I think the general concensus for me and most everyone one this net is that we will NEVER be without a newf again!!

Much luck with our Newf searching and I really hope you do get a newf. I promise, you won't be sorry!!

shawn & newmie

 

[Nicole]

GAD and kzdz those photos are fantastic.
GAD your girls are just beautiful.

Newby, Tayla was eight weeks when we bought her home and weighed 6 kilos (approx 13lbs)
and she now weighs just over 50 kilos (approx 110 lbs). They grow so quickly.

Tayla was a little difficult to train as she has a real dominant streak but we are over the worst of it now and is generally obedient except when she is really excited. Like around water or when people come over. She will get there it just takes some persistence. As far as sit and stay type commands Tayla picked those up long before all the other pups in the class and actually seemed qiute bored with it all.

 

[kzdz]

Nicole, Tayla sounds a lot like Morgan was at obedience class. The first few weeks she was absolutely wonderful, but by the 4th week she no longer liked to sit or lay down when told. She would just give me this look, like "Geez, Mom, I know what it means and there's really no reason to do that right now." I've been told that newfs are generally quick to catch on to commands, but once they've learned them, they don't like the repetition most dogs require.

 

[newby]

Thanks guys! This sounds like it is going to be quite a journey and I will probablly be running here for advice quite often! So what type of weight am I looking at around 10 wks? I am getting quite excited, it sounds like it is going to be like adding another kid to the fam! Its a long drive to get the pup and on the way home he is going to be sitting on dh's lap, he will be small enough to fit on dhs lap...wont he???

 

[Nicole]

This is a picture of Tayla with her breeder at 6 weeks old. So your pup will be a bigger than this at 10 weeks. By about 16 weeks I was having trouble carrying Tayla.

 

[Greg L]

At 10 weeks he should be the size of a large cat, a very large cat. So he should fit on a lap more or less.

Greg

 

[kzdz]

Quark and Morgan both still occasionally try to sit on my lap! But, yes, at 10 weeks it will most likely still fit in anyone's lap. Quark was 8 weeks and 15 pounds and I think he was gaining about 1/2 a pound a day for awhile. So by 10 weeks I think he was around 20-25 lbs.

 

[GAD]

Check out http://www.gad.net/Cosette.html

For pics of Cozy at various times in her life.

Here's on at 11 weeks:

Mischief? Nah...

GAD

 

[bridge2itnf@aol.com]

Cozy is so cute! You know the old saying , dogs favor there master lol

really though she has your expression.Any way my tuggs looks like Lauren to me , maybe its just to early in the morning for me lol

Any way back to the question, I dont have but my one cent to put in because Tuggs my 9 month male newfie is never around children except for the 3 boys that i just started keeping for the dr. my daughter works with. He doesnt know what to think about them. He goes up to them sniffs them trys to paw ,them not in a mean way though. I think he just wants hands on or something .It would have been nice to have raised my family with a newf bring child and puppy up together ,to me that would have been ideal.With me when children are around i just give constant supervision.sorry im not much help but im new to this also. anyway Welcom aboard , u are in for the BEST trip uf your life. BUCKLE UP BRIDGET

 

[bridge2itnf@aol.com]

OH ,Gad adorable child, i would send pictures but i really dont know how yet, i do have tons of them though of tuggs at all ages ,i love to take pictures .I think i might be geting rather good at it

Bridget

 

[kzdz]

GAD-
I love that picture of Cosy! It's amazing how little they are at the beginning, isn't it? And those eyes! I was actually checking out Cosy and Daisy's pages the other day. I loved the sound bites of Cosy. She seems much more vocal than Morgan. I was using my husband's laptop and my dogs were going nuts! Especially when they heard her "lonely cry". I finally had to stop listening because Quark really couldn't take it anymore. He was running back and forth on the couch whimpering. He couldn't understand why I wouldn't let that poor dog out of the tiny box. If the rest of you haven't checked out GAD's page, you should! Otto's pretty cool, too!

Kelli