retrieving birds

[chris nanney]

Has anyone heard of Newfs being used to retrieve water fowl? It would seem that in icy waters, a Newf would hold up much better than a smaller retriever. Though, I doubt they have the nearly the same type of enthusiasm for retrieving birds as a Lab or Chessie.

 

[NessaM]

Think it depends on their learning environment. We swim in the ocean and there are two labs who train with duck decoys that my two like - with the labs providing the example and incentive/competition my two were going absolutely MAD for those duck decoys. Pooka was outswimming the labs to get to them.

 

[AC]

Seeing as the Lab is also from Newfoundland, they should hold up very well in the icy water. I would think that a Newfs coat would slow them down more than a Lab. I have read about Newfs used for retrieving as their size made it easier to break through thin ice but that was the only plus.

 

[Ksullivan]

My husband who was a duck hunter in his younger years, always had Labs, he has said of our Newfs that he believes they would make good duck retrievers, he as above said they would swim slower, but be a MUCH stronger swimmer than a Lab, so if it was a far retrieve in rough water the Newf may be better.

 

[rainsmom]

I have duck retrievers, and I once threw a pigeon for my retrieving-mad Newf, Rain. He ran out to get it... and looked up with THE most horrified look I've ever seen. "But... but... it's DEAD!"

Hee. If you worked with them to get them willingly retrieving both dead and crippled birds, you could use them. However, while they would probably be better suited for cold water than the retrievers, they wouldn't have the speed or the endurance, and it would be AWFUL to try to haul them out of the water between retrieves if you were hunting from a boat.

(You don't want to leave them in the water. Hypothermia hits fast, and it's a very ugly death.)

I would love to be able to train my Newf for hunt tests. The organizations that put on hunt tests, however, discriminate against non-retriever breeds. Sigh.

 

[cedarvalleynewfoundlands]

I guess it would all depend on the Newf. A couple of mine will retrieve things thrown in the water and bring them back. The others dont have a retrieving instince in them. I sometimes swim my dogs with a neighbor who has Labs, and her pups retrieve instinctively as very young pups. I would think a Newf could be taught, but would probably never have the abilities of a retriever. My biggest male, Zeus, just looks at me whenever I throw soemthing for him, like "What, ME, go get that??? WHY???

Mary

 

[ina/puusty]

Chickens..HB will recover for us..and intact, but the wild birds..she will retrieve..for herselfs 'snacks'..alone! ina n HB n Kesa

 

[Peter Maniate]

The Newfoundland is the workhorse of the retrievers. They can tolerate any temperature water whereas a Lab or any other retriever breed will get "cold tail" in extremely cold water.

While not the fastest swimmer, a Newf has the most endurance and is the strongest of canine swimmers. Like a polar bear they do a modified breast stroke and are the only breed of dog to do so. This enables them to find their natural flotation point and use their legs entirely for propulsion unlike other breeds who have to use part of their leg strength to keep themselves up in the water.

Until the 1800's Newfs were used for sport retrieving but the shaking of water off of their coat when they got in the boat was a real turn off.

A proper Newf coat does not slow down a Newf. Such a coat is oily and lies flat unlike the current fad in the show ring.

A Newf certainly could be used as bird retriever but they are obviously overkill. You don't need a dog that can retrieve people, oars and boats to go out to get a bird.

 

[The Doctor]

Let's see .....

Both Juno and Coda have caught both Cam and Bob (the parakeets) in mid-air when we let them out to clean the bird cage. Both birds lived .... and both dogs were tickled pink that they could catch a bird out of the air......... :whistling: Does that count ??

 

[AngusMcDubhsMom]

Let's see .....

Both Juno and Coda have caught both Cam and Bob (the parakeets) in mid-air when we let them out to clean the bird cage. Both birds lived .... and both dogs were tickled pink that they could catch a bird out of the air......... :whistling: Does that count ??

I'm Impressed! :lol:

 

[Peter Maniate]

Chickens..HB will recover for us..and intact, but the wild birds..she will retrieve..for herselfs 'snacks'..alone! ina n HB n Kesa

Ina you are the second person that I have heard of that has a chicken retrieving Newf. The first one was a lady farmer in England and I mentioned her in one of my columns in Dogs in Canada magazine http://www.hannibalkennels.on.ca/articles/breedlines/2004_04.htm .

 

[StrwbrryFlds4evr]

they have very soft mouths.

 

[zennewf]

A proper Newf coat does not slow down a Newf. Such a coat is oily .

Peter,

I've often wondered about the natural oiliness of the newf coat. A few weeks to a month after a bath my newfs have always, even when well groomed, gotten an oily coat coat. It's not as soft and fluffy and pleasing to a person. But I always thought ... this is here for a reason. This sheds the rain and the snow. This helps create buoyancy in the water.

Good. Now I can feel better about not shampooing my newfs very frequently. We normally have that done every two months, but with the economy, I'm guessing it'll drop down to a couple of times a year.

I find that brushing out several times a week keeps them looking good. Though they have that good old - fashioned oily, slightly funky smelling (to non-dog people) coat.

Liz

 

[R Taft]

Annabelle retrieved a baby swallow (very much slobbered) and it lived to tell the tale

 

[NinaA]

I, too, am impressed. Personally, I don't thing there's much of anything you can't teach a Newf to do if it is physically possible for them. i.e. they're obviously too big to be a ratter and go down holes. I think Peter has the best line on it. Not used more because of over kill. But, I love the story about Juno and Coda. My first Newf used to catch birds at our bird feeder and bring them to us - unfortunately they usually were dead. This, too, was when she was a puppy. As perfected her craft they were delivered live. Then we figured out she was using the woodpile behind the feeder as a blind. How smart is that? And, we moved the woodpile. It did not make her happy. Then WE moved and she got a much bigger yard and her own pool. That did make her happy.

 

[Peter Maniate]

Good. Now I can feel better about not shampooing my newfs very frequently. We normally have that done every two months, but with the economy, I'm guessing it'll drop down to a couple of times a year.

I find that brushing out several times a week keeps them looking good. Though they have that good old - fashioned oily, slightly funky smelling (to non-dog people) coat.

Liz

I very rarely bath a Newf any more. The damage to their skin and coat is too great. However I spray in a conditioner that also refreshes the coat to minimize the wet dog smell.

 

[zennewf]

I very rarely bath a Newf any more. The damage to their skin and coat is too great. However I spray in a conditioner that also refreshes the coat to minimize the wet dog smell.

Yes, that is close to where I am at. We have a coat conditioner that smells good that hides the dog smell. But honestly, most places I take the dogs to and the people I associate with, actually don't smell, or even relish, the dog smell...

Liz

 

[4ondafloor]

Let's see .....

Both Juno and Coda have caught both Cam and Bob (the parakeets) in mid-air when we let them out to clean the bird cage. Both birds lived .... and both dogs were tickled pink that they could catch a bird out of the air......... :whistling: Does that count ??

Still laughing....What a picture I have

 

[Peanut]

My old dog was THE BEST waterfoul retriever in a group of mostly labs. Although he was a Newf X, and a Golden/Newf at that...

We do bring our Newf grouse and pheasant hunting, he's not the best bird retriever...he DOES try, but our Springer is SOOO 'birdie', the poor big lunk don't stand a chance against the little sh!t.