 |
||||
They're Huge!
According to the American Kennel Club breed standard,
What does this mean? It means that owning a Newf is a lot like having a small barnyard animal in your home- say, a calf or a pony. When he gets playful and romps through the house, he's likely to knock things over: not just furniture, but also small children. He won't have meant any harm, but face facts: big dogs tend to be clumsy. Even just a wag of the tail can clear knick-knacks off an end-table. When your Newfie gets curious about what the humans are eating, he can walk right up to the table and sniff (and breathe on) your dinner. Same thing with the kitchen counters. Big also means heavy. Ten years from now, when that frisky puppy has turned into a senior citizen with creaky joints, it's very likely that he'll need your help getting in and out of the car for his trips to the vet. (And you'll make plenty of them when that time comes.) Will you be up to lifting a dog that weighs as much as a grown man? Big means strong, too. If a squirrel crosses your path while you're out walking your Newf, and heaven forbid he forgets his training and lunges after it, he's likely to pull you off your feet.
Which reminds me: finally, and perhaps most importantly, big means, "You absolutely need to teach the dog good canine manners, and keep reinforcing that training as long as your dog lives." A Newf just can't get away with the sort of mistakes that a Yorkie or a Shih-Tzu can. Who cares if a tiny dog yanks on his leash, or jumps up on the UPS man? If a 140-pound untrained Newfie pulls that sort of stunt, though, someone can get hurt. If you're not prepared to make the effort to train your dog, don't get any giant breed, Newfoundland included. Got that? Good. Now, something else you may have noticed about Newfies...
Continue: They Drool
|
|
They're Huge
|
||