Are You Ready for a Newfoundland Dog at Home?
Big dogs are especially awesome dogs. They’re fun and playful, they’re scary to people who don’t know them very well, and they’re intimidating to those who aren’t up to any good. There is something about a large dog that makes you feel secure in your home, on walks and with your kids. You can let the dog outside with the kids to play and he will get some exercise and keep things away from the kids that might seem to be inappropriate. You can leave him in the house when you’re not home provided he’s properly trained, and you can trust that he’s going to remain loyal and loving to your family and your home. The Newfoundland dog is one that is just like this. This big, beautiful dog appears to be a calm and docile creature, but he loves to work and he loves to play. He’s a great swimmer and loves to spend his life with a family near water where he can jump into the water to fetch, swim and play. He’s great for boating and enjoying fishing, and he’s a wonderful companion. If you’re in the market for a Newfoundland dog, you should first consider what it takes to have a dog at home and then make the decision whether or not this is the right breed and/or size for your home.
Where do You Live?
Here’s the deal; the Newfoundland is a big dog. While we can’t tell you that you cannot get one if you live in a tiny apartment complex without a yard and with very little space, we can advise you against this. It is a dog that likes to exercise and it’s very large. You just don’t want a dog this size in a small space without room to run around and enjoy life. It’s not all that fair to you or to the dog. If you do live in a very small space and you still want a dog, perhaps you should consider one that’s a bit smaller so that it doesn’t feel as if the dog is cramped in your small space.
How Often are You Gone from Home?
Dogs require some serious love and attention; and those take time. If you and the people in your household are never home, it’s difficult to own a dog. Even if you have a dog walker and someone who comes to play with the dog during the day when you have long days away from home, it’s not fair to the animal to be locked up all the time without the people who actually own him or her to be there. This is not to say you cannot have a dog, but it’s not always the most realistic concept for many people to consider. You should probably consider whether or not a Newfoundland dog fits into your lifestyle before you make the decision to get one of your own.
Does Your Family want a Dog?
Does your family want a dog? If not, you probably should not get one. The promise that you will care for the dog all the time and no one else has to is not enough. A dog deserves a loving home in which everyone wants him or her around, not just a household in which one or two people like to have him around and everyone else is a bit ambivalent to its presence. The Newfoundland is a good dog that will take good care of your family, so you want to ensure that the entire family actually wants the dog around so that you don’t have to worry about its feelings or the feelings of your loved ones.
Do You want to Train or No?
Here’s a big question to consider when it comes to your new dog. Do you want a Newfoundland dog as a puppy or an adult? This is something serious. It’s cute and sweet to have a puppy you raise from babyhood to adulthood, but do you want to handle all that goes with having a puppy? This is a dog with no obedience and not potty training, so you’ll have to do all that. Or you will have to send your dog off to some sort of training camp that will take him or her away from your family, which is not always easy. An older dog is likely already potty trained and housebroken, so you won’t have to worry about these things on your own.
Do You Know what it Takes to Own a Dog?
Owning a dog requires a great deal of your own life. It requires time, effort, energy, walks, money and love. It requires attention and observance, and it requires patience. You’ll have to take the dog to the vet. You’ll have to take the dog on walks. You will need to ensure the dog is properly fed and watered and cleaned, taken to the groomer and handled well. Newfoundland dogs require daily exercise, so you either need a fenced in yard in which your dog can run free and wild or you will need to take the dog on long walks each day to allow it to get the exercise he or she requires. It’s a commitment that you have to be prepared for from the start and not give up on when the cuteness of a new puppy and the novelty of raising a dog wears off.
Are You Prepared?
It takes some serious preparation to own a dog. Are you ready for this? Owning a dog takes time before you even bring it home. You will need to find a Newfoundland dog breeder or rescue, find a vet and buy all the supplies needed to raise this dog. You’ll also need to do some research to see what can help you raise this dog and whether or not you have to start training right away or later on down the road. It’s a big commitment, and you have to be prepared before you bring the dog home.
Photo by Getty Images/Mary Bloom
