Dfa Dog

Another tip is to keep your dog clean and smelling good, so it can't smell up your house!! I wash my dog with this awesome shampoo (there is also a conditioner) that is organic tangerine flavour and smells amazing. Unlike most smelly shampoos on the market, this one isn't full of chemicals and the tangerine smell really does last!! http://www.pookinuk.com.au/product-selecte...p?productID=522 Also, I spray my dog every other day with a deodoriser that leaves him smelling fresh and looking shiny!! A bottle will last you forever. http://www.pookinuk.com.au/product-selecte...p?productID=504

I always like to make any food changes slowly. I would phase out the wet food over about two weeks as you introduce sardines into the kibble. Something else that will probably help you is adding some water to the kibble which makes it easier to digest.

Have you taken him to the vet? Sounds to me like kennel cough as well. My boy had it about a month ago and he had the exact same symptoms. Has he been vaccinated? They can still get it if they have been vaccinated, usually they just get it less severely, although if the dog is old or young you can have more problems. I'd take him to the vet just to be sure. They'll listen and see if it's in his chest. My boy had it just in his throat so they just prescribed some cough medicine, rest and quarantine!! It is really really important if you suspect it is kennel cough to keep your dog away from other dogs. I couldn't walk my boy for over three weeks. It is highly contagious so you need to be responsible so you don't spread it. If your neighbours have dogs, it might be worth wording them up to keep an eye out for symptoms in their own dogs as it can even be passed through the fence! I have never heard of a dog having kennel cough for such a long time, but I guess if it goes untreated it could be likely. The vet will also prescribe some antibiotics which should clear it up.

Hi there, What a star you are!! I am a Newf owner too so understand how much your kind gesture will be rewarded with cuddles and slober!! So when you picked her up had she just been bitten by a snake? Sounds like you're on top of things by getting x rays to rule out joint problems. As I'm sure you know, it's essential to keep her slim.. I was a little shocked when you quoted her weight- that's almost 20 kilos more than my boy!! But I understand that she was overweight when you brought her home. I agree with the others- swimming is probably your best bet to build up her muscles. Also, if you haven't already, probably best to get some health insurance to avoid any further big bills!! I"ve got Pet Plan for my boy as they insure Newfs no problems. http://www.pookinuk.com.au/product-selecte...&noGoBack=1 Good luck!!

Can I ask why you are feeding the fish oil capsules? I'm familiar with feeding glucosomine capsules etc. but not fish oil.

Going off the pricing on those links (the quoted RRP, not specials) it is less expensive per kilo to feed the Nutrience. Grace - once you have your girl, pop back with the feeding guide from the breeder and I'm sure there will be a lot of support and suggestions for you. Sags Thanks for that!! Was getting late in the night and my head had obviously shut up shop in the maths department!!

Having such a big dog, I keep my Newf on lead unless it is a designated 'off leash' area. Sometimes I wish I could be like everyone else and just let him go off leash in 'on leash' dog areas, cause he would have so much fun and I trust him on recall, but I see it as inconsiderate to other park users who may not be particularly doggy themselves. I remember being shocked when I was walking my dog on leash in an 'dogs on leash' area of the park when a woman's dog ran right up to mine. Then it's owner yelled at me (there was no need to yell) 'is your dog aggressive?' very accussingly. No, my dog is not aggressive, and if you're worried then don't let your dog run up to others, especially when it should be on the lead!!

I have been inspired by a previous post about camping with dogs in NSW and am looking for options to camp with my Newf somewhere in Vic, preferably on the coast. Somewhere that is within close proximity to off leash areas would be great

There are plenty of places that wash and repair horse rugs, I'm sure they'd do a dog rug cheap

None of my dogs have touched Pedigree!! Be wary of foods that have funny shapes and colours- like Pedigree's colourful bones. This is purely marketing for the dog owner- your dog doesn't care what the food looks like, just how it tastes (and hopefully it's good for your dog too). IMO if a dog food company is investing time and money into producing a product that is visually pleasing to the dog owner, this energy would be far better investing in the development of a premium product- for the ultimate consumer, the dog!! I feed Nutrience myself, but Advance is an excellent super premium food too. The specific type of Advance that you get will depend on the size, age and condition of your dog, but here's a link with them all so you can compare! :rolleyes: http://www.pookinuk.com.au/pet-products.asp?categoryID=30

I use pookinuk.com.au too as I find them cheap and convenient with a flat rate of $5 delivery. I work full time so it's great arriving home and having a new bag of food waiting for me a mere day after I ordered it!! As far as changing to adult food, you should definatley stay on the puppy for 14-18 months. There are plenty of puppy foods out there that come in a large size which ends up being so much cheaper than the smaller bags. When my Newfie was a puppy, I fed Nutrience Large Breed Puppy formula which comes in a 20 kilo bag http://www.pookinuk.com.au/product-selecte...p?productID=254 He's now on Nutrience Holistic Giant Breed http://www.pookinuk.com.au/product-selecte...p?productID=418 They also do a large breed one which might be more appropriate for you http://www.pookinuk.com.au/product-selecte...p?productID=263 Both products I highly recommend!!

Hi there, I have a Newfoundland and swear by Nutrience Holistic Giant Breed as it doesn't have all the awful preservatives found in a lot of other foods, and supports the joints and growth of a giant breed dog with glucosamine. http://www.pookinuk.com.au/product-selecte...p?productID=418 Up to about 12-18 months of age, best to feed puppy food that supports the rapid growth of a giant breed. Again, I used Nutrience but the Large Breed Puppy formula http://www.pookinuk.com.au/product-selecte...p?productID=254 Alternatively, for a cheaper option Hills Science Diet is a top quality food as well- try the large breed puppy formula http://www.pookinuk.com.au/product-selecte...p?productID=125 As I'm sure you've been well versed by your breeder, it is immensely important to feed a super premium food to your giant breed pup as they have very specific dietary requirements. Most importantly, don't let your pup get too fat as it puts unnecessary pressure on their forming joints which can have lasting effects. Have fun with your new pup!! :rolleyes:

I just finished posting the above post only to look up to see my Newf standing next to my bed panting with a foot long string of drool hanging from his mouth!! I tried to get a tissue to wipe it but was not fast enough- it dropped on my doona!! Another thing to keep in mind with Newfoundlands!! HAHA!!

I'm in the same boat- want to change my car but not sure what to get. I've decided to sell my Mercedes A class which I got when I bought my dog as it has plenty of room in there for him when I took out the seats. But now I've moved to the city and drive about once a fortnight so have decided to downgrade to something cheap (so I've got less depreciation costs, insurance etc etc). Also I was thinking it'd be nice to have something my Newf would be able to fit in without having to take the seats out. I was looking today at some old Jeeps which seem dirt cheap but I'm a bit wary of getting stuck with repair costs. If I were you I'd go for a station wagon mainly because of the Air Conditioning, but also because there's more of them around so you can probably pick one up for a good price.

Hi PrincessCharming, I was a bit like you and always dreamed to own a Newf one day!! I always grew up with Golden Retrievers, who I also love, but a Newf just had some appeal to me and I always knew that I'd do whatever it takes to get one!! I waited till I was 22, so I got most of my travelling, partying, impromptu weekends away etc etc out of the way. My boy is about to turn two and I have never regretted getting him, but it HAS been a huge lifestyle change!! I think as a young person, when you start thinking about getting your own dog and discussing it with people everyone seems to have a different warning for you ("it will eat you out of house and home", "you'll never be able to travel" etc etc) and you tend to become a bit resentful and defensive, while really you are taking what they say on board to a certain degree. There are a lot of obstacles, but if your heart's really in it, you can make it work. For me, the cost is a big thing. The initial purchase price is nothing compared to other costs. I spend between $75 and $100 a week on food, clipping, wormer, insurance and training. I had to buy a new car to transport him (I know you've said that you already have an appropriate car, but I'm guessing you won't have that for the next 8-10 years!!) and I pay a ridiculous price to rent with him. Renting is the biggest issue. It took me 4 months to find the place that I'm in now, and during that time I had to board him with his breeder and visit him on weekend- was NOT good!! Most places will not allow you to rent with pets (when I was looking there was never more than 6 'pet friendly' houses to rent in the GREATER Melbourne area at any one time!!) and I think the only reason I got this house was because I happened to forget to mention that my dog was a Newf and gave them a photo of when he was 8 weeks old- tiny fluffy and cute!! I know that you said that you'll be moving in with your brother but again you've got to think about the long term- will you be with him till you buy a house or are you likely to have to rent for some time? You also need to take into account changes in income. You can't guarantee that you will earn a certain amount for the next ten years, and it's always a stress if you feel like you can't afford the next wormer or bag of food because you took this dog on as a responsibility. I was told this and totally disregarded it- I had two degrees and surely my wage will only go higher. Trouble is, that's not always the case- the economy changes and you might find yourself without a job!! Another thing to consider is future partners. I am very lucky that my boyfriend has grown to love my dog, but many people simply could not live with a Newfoundland. What would happen if you meet someone you really like and they don't like your dog? Some things that get to me sometimes are things like my friends having the money to go out and go on holidays whereas I have decided to spend my money on my dog. Also, my partner and I have started discussing moving overseas for a couple of years- which would be very difficult because I'd want to take my dog which is hugely expensive and imagine finding accommodation overseas if its difficult enough here!! Also, we can't just decide to go away on a Friday night because we have to organise for someone to look after the dog. Having said all that, if you do think that you can overcome those boundaries then go for it. Owning a dog, especially a Newfoundland, can be the most rewarding, grounding experience! I think it's really positive that you are starting to think about all these things early so you can come to a good decision when it's time to purchase a dog. Good luck

I've had a similar experience. Me and my boy moved from the country to the city about six months ago. As you can imagine, it was a huge adjustment for both of us!! We went from going on long walks without seeing another sole to walking past hundreds of people every walk. Being a Newfoundland, he also attracts A LOT of attention so he's gotten used to people walking up to us and patting us etc etc. One day we were stopped at a red light waiting to cross the road when a homeless guy came up to us and started yelling. He changed his path so as he walking straight towards us. My Newf, who is the most placid friendly thing in the world, got between myself and the man and was barking a growling and jumped up to stand on his two back feet!! I couldn't believe it!! To this day i believe my dog picked up on my feelings of being threatened and responded appropriately. You will find no loyaler creature on the planet than a dog!!

Yeah it's a damn shame BYB is not illegal. Unfortunately many people hahve no idea of the problems associated with BYB and when they decide to go off to get a dog, drop down to the local pet store and pick one up completely unaware!! Pity stories like these are only further exacerbating the problem, rather than taking a prime opportunity to educate people!

High 30s today and went out for a couple hours- found my black Newfoundland lying in the sun grrr! Then when I brought him in, put ice packs under him and the fan on him he did not looked at me like 'what the hell are you doing????!!!'

I would be very wary of this women- sounds like an incident waiting to happen!! A dangerous person is just as bad if not worse than a dangerous dog IMO.

I've had it go the other way- my dog has grown scared of children as when he was a pup he had kids come write up to his face and 'woof woof' at him. Now he thinks that when he sees a kid he should bark! Which is pretty scary for a kid- seeing as he is a big black 60 kilo Newf!! I am slowly trying to train him out of it but always encounter stupid parent who allow their kids to come running straight at him screaming and yelling at the 'big black bear.' I always get between him and the kids and try to explain to the parents as fast as I can that he is friendly, but is scared of kids and more often than not they don't call their kids back. On a couple of occasions he has playfully barked and wagged his tail and the parents give me absolute death stares. Well I told them!! Maybe they should take their kids to obedience training!!

I would never own a dog if I did not either have pet insurance or $15,000 in the bank ready to go for the specific purpose of vet bills!! You hear some shocker stories, one of my friend's dogs got bitten by a snake and was in the emergency pet hospital for many weeks and they had to see one of their investment properties to pay the bill!! I was house sitting for some other people and I found their dog lying stiff as a board out in the middle of the paddock so took it to the emergency vet and they had to call the owners and ask for a $1000 deposit via credit card before they admitted the dog! The dog ended up staying in there for two weeks before passing away- I can't imagine how much their vet bill was!! Having a Newfoundland, I was always taught that the size of the vet bill is comparable to the size of the dog, and also the breed is prone to a number of health problems... Initial insurance came with him as a puppy which I thought was a great idea. I now pay about $42 a month through Pet Plan, but have since found out that you can buy a year's worth of insurance upfont and save heaps of money!!

I have always avoided using treats when I leave because I don't want to reward sooky behaviour!! My routine is getting up at 6.20, walking my dog 6.30-7.30, allow him to lie down on the floor and watch me while I get ready and he cools down, then feed and outside at 8 and I'm off to work. I avoid saying goodbye cause I don't want to make a big deal about leaving and I figure by now he knows that I will be home in a few hours!!

My boy is nothing like me- lumbering, running into things and not stopping to check the damage, reckless behaviour, but a total mummy's boy I have only ever had male dogs and have often wondered what it would be like to have a female dog.. maybe i'll try it one day!!

How much would you expect to pay for a day of doggy day care?? What does it include??

I would love to get my Newf into agility but the instructors at my old obedience school were always so negative because he wasn't a kelpie or border collie! I guess people who don't exercise their Newfs might get the impression that they're lazy because they lie around a lot when they're at home, but really then you're just dealing with lazy owners!!! My boy goes for two walks a day and now that he's full grown can keep up with any of the other dogs at the park!