Getting a puppy and want to do everything right - please may you advise me?

[NomDeOrdinateur]

Hi all, my brother (age 20) is finally getting a puppy after about 15 years of pestering my folks for one, and I'd be really grateful if you could please advise me on the essentials.

He's done a lot of research and decided to buy a Newfoundland puppy from a reputable breeder, because he has read that they are typically very docile and should only get a small amount of exercise each day (he thinks

[NomDeOrdinateur]

PS - before somebody jumps on me, I put the word "chavvy" in scare-quotes because it's literally (and unfairly) synonymous with the word "staffy" where we live, NOT because I think this or condone anybody else thinking/saying it. I just used it to explain why he 100% wouldn't consider a staffy, so I hope nobody will take offense or perceive me as prejudiced - if so, my apologies.

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

I don't know anything about Newfies OP but I would advise against a Terrier as you suggested. They may be small but are very busy and need stimulation and exercise. Mine is still only young and can sometimes climb the walls on 3 times the exercise your brother is proposing and they can be very wilful to train. Mine is good with other animals but many owners in here have a differnt tale to tell.

Don't confuse small with easy

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Though Staffies are possibly slightly different as seem more laid back.

[happygardening]

OP These are extracts from the Newfoundland Club UK leaflet "so you want a Newfoundland?"
"Big, hairy, clumsy, enthusiastic, hungry, usually slobbery, frequently wet, often muddy, sometimes naughty, invariably in your way, generally ?deaf? to your commands and always demanding of your time and affection. BUT they are a joy to the lives of those people daft enough to be devoted to them.
If you are houseproud, lead a busy life or are out at work full-time, this is NOT the breed for you. They need love, attention, good food, regular grooming, more love, basic obedience training, space to run and a loving ?family?. This is not a breed to live in a kennel or be left alone, either shut outside or in another room. They demand the company of humans and are happiest living as one of the family ? but with all the doors wide open please....
Newfoundlands The beautiful, cuddly, fluffy bundle of love you see at the breeder?s home will become 80+ pounds (35Kg+) of energy within a few months. That lovely coat sheds hair everywhere, no outfit in your wardrobe will be without its sprinkling, you will leave hairs wherever you go, and every pot of yoghurt will contain at least one! A Newfoundland could still be acting like a puppy when he is two years old, weighs at least 7 stones (45Kg) and is 25+ inches (60cm) at the shoulder. Gentle and loving he may be, but the frail, elderly and very young may be knocked aside in his joyful rush to greet them. This is why basic obedience training is so important and must be started as soon as possible."
I dont know how to link it in on here but if you search Newfoundland club UK there's lots of info on their website. Hopefully no reputable breeder would sell him one!

[Marne]

I have a 5 year old Staffie, she's deffently not layed back but is happy to sleep for a big part of the day (when awake she can be hyper), she doesnt need as much exersize as my lab but she likes a lot of company so would be very upset about being left every day if i was to go to work. Maybe he should consider another type of pet until he is able to give enough of his time to a dog?

Newfoundlands are huge and need a lot of exersize and time (grooming, training, walking etc..). He maybe able to get an older rescue dog but not many rescues would home a dog with someones who works all day (for obvious reasons).

[blinkedandmissedit]

We got a rescue puppy at new year. We got her at 10 weeks and by 12 weeks she was housetrained. BUT, a large part of this was because I am here all day and my children are at school, so I was able towatch her like a hawk. She also goes in a crate at night or if I have to pop out. If she was left for a long time in the house alone, I doubt very much she would be able to hold it. So that restricts you and your mum going out for the day as puppies really cannot be left for long.

The training is definitely an ongoing thing. They need puppy classes and several bursts of training every day. My DH works full time and is able to do a little with her, but only in terms of practising what I have taught her. I cannot see how someone working full time, then going to th gym regularly will have the time to properly train a puppy.

A lot of the training takes place outside of the house. So going to new places, coping with traffic noise, meeting dogs and people. There is no way I could have done this with our puppy after work as she is asleep for a lot of the evening, especially when we first got her.

The dog would need to be trained to walk properly on the lead. Again, this needs reinforcing every day. That would not come down to your brother if he is not home, it would be you and your mum.

Puppies have to be watched constantly. They eat anything (including their own poo) and really need saving from themselves nost of the time.

I have also not had a full night's sleep at all in 2013, as my puppy cannot yet go all night without the toilet and barks (well yaps!) to go out.

I am shattered, but because I have the time to put the work in, we can see it all paying off already. If I was at work all day, I would still eb shattered from the lack of sleep, but also I would have an untrained dog.

I also thought greyhound. The ones we see on our walks are going so slow they are almost going backwards!

[NomDeOrdinateur]

Thanks so much for your advice, Marne and Blinkedandmissedit - it sounds to me like a greyhound might be the way to go. I'm sure he won't like the idea though, and mum isn't keen AT ALL because she doesn't think they look nice (goodness knows why, but hopefully she might be swayed by a little Italian Grayhound as they're so sweet).

I've passed everybody's comments over to my parents, who are going to discuss it with him tonight. I told my brother today that I'm not going to help him (I'd tentatively agreed to visit a local breeder and find out more about Newfies) unless we come to a better compromise, and he was very intractable and quite aggressive/defensive about the whole thing. I've suggested some alternative breeds, but I really think I may have to choose between either: living at my parents' home (to spend some time with my family and save for a deposit) with a ridiculously large, messy and intimidatingly boisterous young dog; or, ruining my relationship with my brother by trying to stop this and either succeeding or having to move out because of the dog anyway.

Oh dear...

[NomDeOrdinateur]

Also, the puppy advice is so helpful - thank you for the reality check Blinkedandmissedit. Even if mum and I did all of the day-time tasks, I can't imagine my brother managing to balance the night duties with his job!

[happygardening]

If your brother is completely honest with the breeder about his situation (working full time going to gym etc) the fact that the responsibility in the day time will fall on you or your parents they will hopefully tell him that he would not be suitable. If they don't I would question how reputable the breeder is. Do look at the Newfoundland Club website tells you about health problems costs of medicines/wormers etc,

[Marne]

oh and i stupidly bought a pup when i was 20 years old, i was working full time and sharing a house with 3 lads, they agreed to help (how stupid was i to think they would), i took the pup everywhere with me and had someone to look after it for an hour during the day (to walk him), he destroyed the kitchen, house training took a long time (as i was not there enough), he was a lovely dog but i was totaly selfish getting him, when he was 8 months old i had to move house and could not take him with me so i rehomed him to a friend, he was house trained within a week as they were home all day to spend time with him. I didnt get another dog until i gave up work to have children, i now have 2 and they take up a lot of time.

[Shesparkles]

We got a pup a few months ago, and as adorable as he is, it's like having another toddler around the house! The only experienced I really have of dogs is with this one so I'm no expert but I think that like children, you get out what you put in.