tell me about Newf Grooming please!

K

Karenvm

New member
Hi All!
Brand new to this forum-
I don't have a Newf yet, but I do hope that in the next year, we will!
I currently have two Labs, one who is 13 1/2 years old, and won't be with us too much longer.

I have always wanted a Newf, have always loved the breed. And so I am just now begining my research... making sure I know everything I need to know before getting one!

One question I have is about grooming- I know this is not something that I would be doing myself most likely, but would bring the dog to a groomer. I am wondering how often they need to be groomed professionally, in addition to daily (?) brushing? I am assuming there is a cut of some sort that they can get, which gives them that gorgeous "teddy bear" look.

All I have read is how much grooming they require, but not exactly what that is!

Please let me know what you all do!

Thank you.
Karen
 
BlackLightning

BlackLightning

New member
Hi Karen!!

It's soooo great you are doing your research!! Good for you!

Grooming is obviously a big topic when it comes to Newfs. A pup is actually quite easy to deal with in terms of grooming needs. It takes a long time for a Newf's full adult coat to come in. It depends on the lines of the particular Newf, but the first 1-2 years are easier to manage than once they have their full adult coat.

It is important to introduce grooming at a young age though so that you don't have a 120lb stubborn or frightened dog on your hands.

Newfs blow their coats about twice a year, but they shed constantly!! When they are blowing their coats, you can collect another whole Newf worth of hair! I've attached a picture below to show you what I mean :)

The rest of the time, daily brushing is fantastic for keeping the hair mat free, which is common for the breed. It also helps loosen and eliminate dead undercoat sitting in the coat (so less to vacuum!)

Some people don't mind keeping their Newfs coat a little longer, others like a nice, tidy trim. It really depends on the owner. Just remember, if you are searching the web and seeing gorgeous, fluffy coats, those dogs are likely show dogs, which is a whole other level of coat maintenance!!

Your BEST FRIEND when owing a Newf is a high velocity blower. Everyone on here with one will sing its praises. A blower is what helps get that fluffy look you might be seeing in pictures. But, it does a lot more than that! For one, it dries your Newf, which can be important in terms of keeping hot spots at bay and of course since Newfs are known for their love of water, you may have a wet dog on your hands quite often. They also do a great job of removing dead undercoat, dander, dust, etc. They are an investment, but they are worth their weight in gold! and they are heavy! :)

I fully groom my guys about every six to eight weeks (i.e. bath, blowdry, trim).... some will say they do more, others less. It really comes down to the Newfs environment, the Newf themselves (my one seeks out puddles and mud like crazy, the other is a Princess and prefers to be clean), and your personal preferences.

Hope that helps!

Here is Boum after brushing him out with nothing more than a greyhound comb :)


Grooming a Newf to look like the one below (the famous Josh who won Westminster) is an incredible amount of work!!! The average Newf does NOT look like this, especially not on a daily basis!! I am lucky if I get 24 hours out of a groom before mine have slobbered all over themselves again, or managed to find a pile of leaves to romp in, or a mud puddle they just couldn't resist. You'd have to keep them in a bubble to keep them looking like this! :)


More often than not, mine look like this. They seem to really enjoy looking like this right after a groom!


Or.... like this.... after a hike!


Sometimes though, I get lucky and I get this :)
 
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ElvisTheNewf

ElvisTheNewf

Active member
Don't let the grooming scare you off. If anything, let it be the money. Not the fur.

That being said, if everyone here recommends or says the same thing, believe them! We didn't break down and get a dryer until Elvis was 4 because I didn't think we needed one. I was totally, 100% wrong. They are so, so worth the money.

Other than that, Kaila pretty much nailed it. 80% of grooming will be personal preference. 20% is for health reasons. Elvis tends to look a little messy, but he's our dog and it works for us. We brush/blow him out about once a week - but we vacuum a lot more! I trim him myself (and by "trim" I mean cut off whatever I want - fur grows back!) and take him for a professional grooming about 2-3 times a year. The groomer we have here charges $100, which is cheaper than where we took him back in WV. We bathe him probably once a month during the warmer months, and 2-3 times during the winter. We just use the hose and dog shampoo and do it outside.

Grooming these guys is pretty much a personal decision. Some people here may cringe that I "only" brush him once a week, others may be amazed that I have time to "brush him EVERY week".
 
Joan Fisher

Joan Fisher

New member
I've had Newfs since 1977 but only had a dryer since we got Tiika 5 years ago. How I wish I had had one before. I blow Tiika every day after her walk and also every time she comes in from outside if she's wet, full of snow, etc. The blower is outside beside the back door and I can flip it on and blow her without even stepping outside. We have very little hair in the house because of the blowing. Tiika gets combed out after blowing every morning. It takes around 15 minutes to groom her. I bath her 2-3 times a yea,r usually for special occasions like a concert or going to the Specialty Newf Show. I have never had a Newf "blow" a coat in all the years of owning one simply because I do groom every day. Everu 3-4 weeks I also trim paws, clip and dremel nails and generally tidy up ears, etc. I 'm afraid I don't trust any Dog groomers around here. The only time Tiika has been professionally groomed was at a Newf Specialty show. My brother takes his Newf to a groomer in Toronto around every 3 months and he doesn't even look like a Newf half the time. They totally wreck his coat!
 
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Angela

Angela

Super Moderator
Hi and welcome,

Check out the grooming section, there are several great sticky posts there.
 
cmorgan.1505

cmorgan.1505

New member
A good vacuum is a life saver. Everything said is correct. I brush Thor once a week and we wash him once a month to 6 weeks. I also use wipes in between baths if his legs get dirty. Thor is a little over a year and will be going for his first real professional grooming in a month or so. Hr has had baths, but not a trim yet cause it was not needed. We plan on paying for the works twice a year cause its about 160 here and doing it ourselves the rest of the time.
 
YorkvilleNewfie

YorkvilleNewfie

New member
Kaila pretty much nailed it, but I'm in the same boat as Joan...I brush Mila out daily (sometimes even twice daily) and blow her out twice weekly (I fuss over her coat a lot) and because of that, I don't have to deal with the massive coat blow of legend like most everyone else, and the hair situation is minimal in the house because of it too. It certainly helps that I vacuum frequently, but even on the occasion that I skip a day or two, there's not much to speak of on the floor.

Grooming requirements really change from dog to dog depending on a variety of factors, your persnickitiness, the kind of coat the Newf has, the degree with which the Newf drools, whether or not you're experiencing a muddy, mucky fall or if your Newf swims a lot...etc., etc.

My girl has a massive coat and I brush daily, blow out twice weekly (as stated previously), trim the hair on her feet and ears weekly, trim nails weekly, clean ears weekly, bathe monthly (or more depending on the season), attempt to shape her furnishings and chest every month or so and she gets a full show groom 2 times a year. If I were rich, I'd have her fully groomed more often, but alas! I often refer to Mila's grooming as my second job...because it really is a part-time job. It's also been, in my experience, that females are harder to keep clean based purely upon the fact that, if they're heavy-coated like my Mila is, urine dribbles can be a problem. Sanitary clips and grooming wipes help in that department, but I doubt that the same issue would occur with as much frequency in a male.

Something to keep in mind and to maybe look into is the fact that the price for a full groom (bath, blow dry, ears, nails, undercoat raking, all-over trim/shaping) on a full-grown Newf changes from area to area. It can vary anywhere from $75 to $200 and finding a groomer that actually does a very good job at it is a bit like searching for the holy grail. I would call around to the groomers in your area to get a good idea of what you might be looking down the barrel at, pricewise, and to see if any of them have any experience with grooming Newf-type dogs.
 
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YorkvilleNewfie

YorkvilleNewfie

New member
I should also add that grooming tools for home use is a bit of an investment. I have a poodle comb, an undercoat rake, a Mars Coat King, a slicker brush, thinning shears, curved shears, high-quality nail clippers, a blower (though not a commercial blower like the K9II or K9III, literally just a blower..the kind you would blow leafs with. I would kill for a K9III...but for the time being, the hubby's put the kibosh on any more big ticket Newf items :lol:), clippers, and various and sundry other grooming items like random brushes, ear cleaning solution, leave-in conditioner, waterless shampoo, even doggie perfume...it's not cheap! Some, like Kaila above, even have grooming tables, another item I would give a kidney for!
 
K

Karenvm

New member
Thank you all so much!!!!! Kaila- your post and photos was incredibly helpful!!! I had never thought about the blower, but it would even be useful for my Lab, as I do bathe them a few times per year!
I read some of the "stickies" in the grooming thread, but all of your replies have been even more helpful to a "newfie newbie" like me!
I so appreciate it!
karen
 
K

Karenvm

New member
PS: I DO stare at that photo of Josh in awe!!! I fell in love with him back then, and still keep going back to that photo of the "perfect newfie"!!!
Hi breeder (not sure if we are allowed to use names!) is not far from where I live- I've been "stalking" their site for months!! LOL!
 
dumainedogs

dumainedogs

New member
I'm a "do it yourself" person when it comes to Obie's grooming. Frankly, because I live in a place where Newfoundlands are few and far between, I just didn't want to go through the trial and error with groomers who had never seen one and might send me home with a dog that looked like a big cocker spaniel :) I've actually been surprised by how manageable it is if you don't set your expectations too high. (i.e.: show dog) With some regular brushing, combing & raking (lot's more when he's blowing coat) and the occassional full out wash/blow/trim all weekend project.. I've managed to keep him looking respectable. I cherish my k-9 III (which I rationalized by figuring it paid for itself the first four times I groomed him myself) I rely on the Mars Coat King a couple of times a year. I have a great comb & brush, the requisite curved shears & thinning shears. A supply of "ice on ice" conditioner as well as high quality shampoo. We dremel his toenails. It can be done. It is not overwhelming. But, it is a commitment. I do have a groomer clip his belly a few times during our hot summers. But that's the only "pro" work he gets.
 
Murphy

Murphy

New member
Or you can follow my routine. Chase Monty around the garage until I pin him down.. Or let him up on the bed and use the much maligned "dolly brush" :coffeepaper:
 
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