That depends on your training methods.
Sure, anyone can teach the dog to do very basic commands, but can they do it so they don't damage their relationship with the dog or cause physical harm? Newfs are so sensitive both emotionally and physically that they can "shut down" in no time flat, and you can permanently damage their bodies if you don't know the correct techniques. These are not tough dogs in those respects. And they need to learn more than the basics. They are smarter than most people know, and do best when they learn beyond simple commands.
If you think that teaching a pup to sit by pushing down on his hips is a good method, then think again. If you think that teaching "stay" means giving the command and then walking across the room to face the dog, you've got it wrong. If you believe that shouting at a dog, whose hearing is already far superior to yours, or smacking him if he's naughty will "teach" him, sorry, you just lost a lot of your status in his mind. You just became an A-hole to him. If you think that jerking your dog's collar is a way to keep him from pulling you off your feet, be prepared for some very expensive vet bills.
If you think spending one 30 to 60 minute training session per day sounds right, then you will fail miserably and your dog will be bored, unhappy and unresponsive. One of the keys to successful training is to make the dog love it and leave him wanting more.
Short sessions, many times a day for the LIFE of the dog. Don't expect to attend a 6-8 week course and then be trained. Or to teach a simple command at home and expect he's learned it. It takes continual practice. It's like raising a child. You don't send him to kindergarten and then think he's ready for the world. He has to be taught HOW to learn, then he has to be schooled for many years, and practice his eventual career for more years to come. Education never ends. Just ask your folks. But the good part is, that if you know how to teach a dog using the correct techniques, its an immense amount of fun for you both! If learning/training is not fun for you and the dog, then you're doing it wrong.
Humane, positive reinforcement dog training is a skill that is best learned from those who have experience in the art. And certainly not your average TV dog training instructor. Methods have changed drastically over the years and there is legitimate science to back up modern humane techniques. It's not your grampa's dog training anymore.
Even the most highly experienced dog owners, those who show or do working events, breed, or just keep them for pets, take their dogs to classes even though they have long possessed the skills to train them by themselves. It's about knowing what is best for the dog and about responsible dog ownership. I don't know one long term member of our club who doesn't take their pups to classes and continues with those classes long term. Even dog training instructors take their dogs to other instructors classes. I used to instruct for years, and always took my dogs to classes. To this day, my fellow instructors and I consult on a regular basis. It's not just about teaching behaviors like sit and down.
A
good dog training instructor is there NOT to train your dog, but to train you. Just like your college professors. They will teach you about canine behavior, how to recognize those behaviors, control, redirect, extinguish, how and when to reward, and more. And they will be there when you run into trouble, which you will. We all do.
Plus, if you ever think you might want to do water rescue work, therapy, obedience, or draft work with your Newf, you need to know how to teach the basics correctly and how to give the proper commands and then build on those. Establishing a connection with your dog, sharing a common language with him and building trust can be made or broken with training techniques.
And, if you train by yourself, you miss the
very most important benefit of going to a class.
Socialization. I can't stress enough how important it is to thoroughly socialize any dog. A poorly socialized dog is a everyone's worst nightmare. Combine that with the fact that Newfs with bad habits (or one that has no respect or trust in you) are horrible to live with, and both you and the dog will end up very unhappy.
Seriously, a lot of your buddies will abandon you if your dog does not possess good social skills. They won't want to come over to your place and they'll never invite you to bring your dog along. They will not think you are cool just because your dog is big. It's enough to ask them to put up with the large size, hair, and drool, but an unsocialized dog, too? On the other hand, you will gain an enormous amount of credibility if you have a well trained, good mannered, "happy to oblige" dog. They will look to you for advice on how you did it. I'm not even going to say how girls respond to sloppy, smelly, naughty giant breed dogs.
It's not unheard of that Rescue had to put a dog down because he was not good with other dogs and/or people. Dogs can be a very dangerous liability in that respect.
Of all the responsible qualities that a good dog owner should possess, training properly is up there near the top of the list. It's especially important with large breed dogs. Its some of the best money you will ever spend, IF you find a good instructor. Go here
APDT to see if there is one in your area.
