I have wanted a newfie for a couple years now. We live in NW Montana and they're not very popular up here. So I have had a hard time finding one. We live on 10 acres near state/forest land, have a full grown Saint Bernard, and I work from home, so there is always someone here. In my opinion ... I think we're a great home.

In my opinion I think we're a great home! But lately the breeders I have found are making me feel like I'm not. I finally found two breeders in my area that have very nice looking Newfoundlands. Parents on site even. One breeder is has a 16 week old female. The other breeder just had a litter 4 weeks ago. So I could have pick of the litter with hers. Both of these women have talked our ears off and when I tried putting a deposit down on the younger pup, I was told I needed to think about it! Excuse me but I've been thinking about a Newfie for a couple of years now! I have done the research on them and I love the breed! But these Newfie breeders are driving me NUTS! How dare them make me feel like I'm a bad home when they are living out of old/dirty trailers, their places are trashed, and their whole place looks like it needs to be sanitized! When you advertise something, isn't it usually bc you want to sell? I have been very nice to these breeders and I have found myself trying to sell myself to them... I had my friend call and pretend she was interested just to see if they treated her the same way, well guess what!? They did! So why don't Newfie breeders want to sell? They're asking A LOT for the puppies, so why act like that? I can understand that they want them to go to good homes, but why push away a person that has wanted to have one for years? Would they rather ship the poor little things to another state? If you want what's best for the puppy, let someone local buy it!

I am very frustrated at this point. I've started looking in Idaho, Washington, Canada, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming and North Dakota. I just hope not all Newfie breeders are this way! I really want a Newfoundland! I think they're amazing dogs!

I can't speak for your particular case, but when I was looking to get a newf I sat with a few breeders each for about 2-4 hours. They asked me tons of questions and I did the same.

I don't think they intend to give you a hard time, I think they just care so much for the dogs and breed that they want to make sure the dogs are going to a good home.

I would rather a breeder who care a lot and would be always willing to help me or the newf out then one that just wanted the money and would sell to anyone.

Keep looking though because Owning a newfy is a real joy and until you own one you can never understand the joy it will bring to your life. I have owned many dogs before my newf but it is my newf that has really put the most smiles on my face and melted my heart.

[lil mutt]

dont forget to look at shelters before you consider buying one... there are a lot of pets waiting for a new home...

[reeskujo]

If the breeders living conditions are as bad as you say I personally wouldn't buy a puppy from them.....It sounds like their nothing more then back yard breeders....If their living in filth I would say it's safe to assume the pups are as well.

Originally Posted by reeskujo

If the breeders living conditions are as bad as you say I personally wouldn't buy a puppy from them.....It sounds like their nothing more then back yard breeders....If their living in filth I would say it's safe to assume the pups are as well.

That is a very good point!

The interview is not just for the breeder it is for you also so you can see the living conditions and the temperment etc of the parents

I am a new member, so I hope I do this right. I have found that most newfie breeders tend to be somewhat snooty. This bothers me, because I am a breeder, and I strive to be easy to work with. It sounds to me that you would provide a great home for a newfie. If you are still looking, I have 3 males available. I live in Virginia, but I can ship If you are still interested, you can contact me.

Originally Posted by jensnewfs

I am a new member, so I hope I do this right. I have found that most newfie breeders tend to be somewhat snooty. This bothers me, because I am a breeder, and I strive to be easy to work with. It sounds to me that you would provide a great home for a newfie. If you are still looking, I have 3 males available. I live in Virginia, but I can ship If you are still interested, you can contact me.

How can you make that statement? You are basically putting all other breeders down other then yourself, and oh! you just happen to have several dogs for sale. you give the real impression you are just trying to sell your own dogs and really don't care about this persons concerns.

I am not trying to attack you or anything, just shocked how you can make such a statement.

Goofy Newfie, I have an acquaintance from my community who owns a Newf. She told me about her experience: She said that her experience with almost all of the breeders she contacted made it seem much easier to adopt a human child than to adopt a puppy! She said it was pretty ridiculous, and she was getting very discouraged. She finally found a breeder in Missouri (my acquaintance and her partner were in California at the time). After talking with her on the phone, she said she had a "really good feeling" about it. When the arrangements were made to have the puppy flown to Ca, the breeder called the "new parents" and told them, "Call me the minute he gets in! I don't care that it will be 2 am, I want to know that he got there." Then my friend said the thing that put the "ultimate warm fuzzy" on the whole deal was, the breeder didn't bother to cash the check until two weeks afterward. It's been three years, and they are still very, very happy with their Newf, and the whole experience of adopting him. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't let the locals get you down. Obviously, their puppies aren't for you. Keep looking, even if you have to go out of state. Also, I realize you seem to want a young puppy to raise up from the start, but what about checking out some of the breed rescues? A lot of people don't realize just how big, and how much work Newfs are, and end up giving them up. So you could still fulfill your dream of having a pure Newfoundland, while rescuing a homeless dog at the same time.

I agree with many of the previous posts... If the conditions of the breeders you went to were that bad I would stay far away. You want a dog from a safe, CLEAN, breeder. Believe it or not the amount of questions they are asking you is GOOD. Be extremely cautious of anybody who does not ask you questions or offers to ship you a dogs sight unseen (who knows what the place is like, what the temperaments of the parents are like, etc.) Most of these situations are puppy mills and back yard breeders. With a few exceptions, GOOD breeders do not ship, they require in person interviews etc. You can look into rescue... I am sure there are Newf rescues all over the country. Did the breeders you look at screen their dogs through OFA/CERF if not RUN... this is a giant breed that is prone to verious genetic diseases and it is vital to make sure that the parents of your puppy have been tested.

I started reading your post and it was like having flashbacks....CRAZY......I have went through the same thing!!! I am in Iowa and just today found a breeder in SD. I won't get my puppy for another 3 weeks, but I am so excited I can't hardly stand it. It has been well worth the wait and hassle. I can't wait to cuddle him. Hang in there and be persistent, I haven't missed a day of searching for the last 4 months......Lots of phone calls, lots of let downs and now finally I will be a Newfie Owner!!
Good Luck to you!!!

i am new to this forum and was wondering if there was anyone from ct
here, i have a black female newfoundland that is now 7 months old and we love this dog, we have a big family of kids and this dog gets along with every one she comes across. anyways i want to breed my dog for one litter then have her fixed with the intentions of giving them away to other family members that i already know would love there dog as much as me and my family do. i wanted to see if anyone is out there with a stud in ct that was interested in trade for pick of the litter, of course we would want to see the conditions and tipe of person the pup would goto and would think you would want to see what we are about and how great we treat our dog. if theres anyone interested in the ct or mass area give me an email .

Hello all, I'm new to the site, as I'll soon be a Newf owner...as of Saturday, when I drive all the way to TX (from IN) to get my new dog. He's 16 months old now, as we wanted one that was beyond the "little" puppy stage. I'm nervous about the house training phase..and as the pick up day approaches, I become a bit more anxious about it. He's a big boy (already a little over 100 lbs) so any advice on housebreaking? I've purchased the XXL crate for inside the house (recommended for his size), but I suddenly worry that because he is older he may be a difficult one to train. The breeder indicated that he's not been in the house and that it should only take a weekend to housetrain him. I don't want to traumatize him, but I also want to go about it the right way given his age (not a little puppy).

Believe it or not the amount of questions they are asking you is GOOD. Be extremely cautious of anybody who does not ask you questions or offers to ship you a dogs sight unseen (who knows what the place is like, what the temperaments of the parents are like, etc.) Most of these situations are puppy mills and back yard breeders. With a few exceptions, GOOD breeders do not ship, they require in person interviews etc.

And here is a paradox indeed!
The breeders ARE obviously very concerned about the homes they send their pups to, and in all likelihood have reached the point of being ultra-picky because of plenty of bad experiences in the past!! Not only breeders lie, prospective buyers lie like troopers as well, on occasion. First hand experience talking.
That being the case, I find it hard to believe that such concerned breeders would be living in filth, and their dogs as well. If they were disreputable breeders, they would have jumped at the first chance of a sale, wouldn't they?
As a breeder myself, I have come across this negative reaction from buyers on more than one occasion when they are asked to visit for an interview, or fill in a questionnaire, or both, as if being screened for suitability is offensive to them. They don't get pups from me either.

Originally Posted by hoggyz

i am new to this forum and was wondering if there was anyone from ct
here, i have a black female newfoundland that is now 7 months old and we love this dog, we have a big family of kids and this dog gets along with every one she comes across. anyways i want to breed my dog for one litter then have her fixed with the intentions of giving them away to other family members that i already know would love there dog as much as me and my family do. i wanted to see if anyone is out there with a stud in ct that was interested in trade for pick of the litter, of course we would want to see the conditions and tipe of person the pup would goto and would think you would want to see what we are about and how great we treat our dog. if theres anyone interested in the ct or mass area give me an email .

PLEASE go and read "orangedogs" post, 'Interested in breeding your dog?'
Why can't the "other family members" go to the shelters and rescues and get their dogs for themselves? Why are you adding to the already overwhelming problem of unwanted and homeless dogs? Your bitch doesn't need to have puppies, you are not an educated breeder, why not leave the breeding to the people who have studied the breed for years and who know what they are doing?

[Zimfam]

Originally Posted by jensnewfs

I am a new member, so I hope I do this right. I have found that most newfie breeders tend to be somewhat snooty. This bothers me, because I am a breeder, and I strive to be easy to work with. It sounds to me that you would provide a great home for a newfie. If you are still looking, I have 3 males available. I live in Virginia, but I can ship If you are still interested, you can contact me.

We currently live overseas (Moscow), but plan to move back to a small farm in Virginia next January. I promised our boys (4) a dog when we return. My children have a little pet sitting business here at the Embassy that has actually given them quite a bit of experience with dogs over the last 2 years. We have narrowed our choice down to a Newfoundland, and would like to get on a waiting list for a female pup from a respectable breeder. Can you please provide any information relevant to your breeding program.

[cigwyllt]

Sorry but with two exception all the people who posted on this thread are no longer members. Is there a Newfoundland breed society you can contact who can help?

[Dollyboons]

I agree with this post, I am in the market for a female landseer pup to be used as my service dog, I also plan to breed the dog assuming it passes all health checks, so that I have a proper replacement at retirement. Most breeders I have run into act as if their pups are made of solid gold, the contracts are insane I'm not sure they are even legal.... So I think I have decided to buy a dog from overseas... It doesn't seem to be all or even most dog breeders, just Newfoundland breeders.

[cigwyllt]

IMO it does not make sense to breed a service dog. You put time and effort and finance into training her and then allow her to undergo the extremely risky process of mating and giving birth and raising puppies. You also have to face the difficulties of managing her through her seasons - at least three seasons before you can consider breeding - while still expecting her to work although her hormones will be raging and she will be a focal point for the attentions of any entire male dog you encounter while out and about. Just because the mother is a suitable temperament to work as a service dog is no guarantee that any of the pups will be suitable. And of course, she may only have bitch puppies and you would not want to keep two bitches together.

If you are thinking that breeding will be cheaper than buying a pup you are very much mistaken. Generally the stud fee is the price of a puppy of your particular breed and in addition you have all the vets bills, extra expenses (food, laundry, cleaning, advertising) and that is after you have found an owner willing and able to stud their dog. Plus it is hard physical work to care for and raise a litter of pups. As you are looking for a service dog you are obviously not in the best of health and not best placed for the task. Done properly raising any litter is exhausting but a large breed will be even more so!

The contracts may seem petty and restricting but in most cases they are for the good of the breed as a whole and for the individual animals - far too many bitches lose their lives when bred unnecessarily and far too many puppies and older dogs are in shelters because owners think it is their right to breed for their own gain (financial or otherwise.)

[Dollyboons]

I have agoraphobia, it doesn't make me "unhealthy", or in anyway unable to care for a litter... In some ways it makes me better able to care for a dog then a " normal " person.
I never leave the safety of my house and neighborhood, so running into an intact male in public, well that won't be happening.
I'm not doing this to save any money... My search for the right dig for me started on October. I actualy bought a puppy that ended up having a hernia so I refused the puppy, even though I loved her. I do not wish to breed any sort of defect. So, saving money is not what I am after... Saving time, and heartbreak is. Not to mention saving the frustration of dealing with breeders.

Contracts need to be upholdable for them to be for the "good" of anything, or anyone. You can't just write whatever you want on a piece of paper, get someone to sign it and then expect a judge to uphold it. What good are they, if they arnt legal? Who do they benefit?

With good vet care the risk involved in breeding is less catastrophic then that of a human, and to not have to deal with breeders ever again, from the up turned noses, to the back yard defect breeders, I am willing to take the risk! Risk little, gain little.

[cigwyllt]

So what sort of restrictions do these contracts impose?