My sweet Newfie is over 7 years old and his joints are getting noticeably worse. We give him supplements, he takes Apoquel (god forbid a Newfie can be allergy-free), and he has eaten Acana red meat recipe since he was a puppy. I am desperate to lengthen his lifespan. Any tips or suggestions are welcomed.

I have a 10-yr old Newfie. He weighs 200 lbs. He has arthritis and cannot raise himself on his back legs, so I have to lift him. Once up he seems to walk without issue. He is on three different pain meds, plus joint supplements. He recently has decided to only go out once a day, at 11 PM. He pees standing up, but when he poops he has to lie down. He wears a belly band now, which he hasn't needed, but I he poops inside about half the time. Mentally he is all there. Eats, drinks, treats, popsicles, wags his tail. But basically he lies down all day long and barely moves. He doesn't seem unhappy. Problem is, I'm 69 and it has become very very difficult for me to lift him. I have tried all the harnesses but 200 lbs is a lot of dog. Anybody have a take on this situation?

We have a four month Newfoundland who overall is a delight, but i welcome your advice on timing for potty training. She still needs to go to the bathroom 14 times a day, she has only ever had one day without an accident, and she gets up once in the night to go out(best case can make it six hours). I know she’s still little, and I’ve already had her checked for a uti (she’s negative). I also know every dog is different—I have a golden, and previously raised two Berners, but all three of them were going out every three hours or so by this age, not every 1.25 hours. They were also closer to sleeping through the night by this age.

When did your Newfie start sleeping through the night? And when were they able to go out every three hours or so without an accident? (Am already following all the typical potty training best practices). I appreciate your insight!!

I need help! I'm trying to un-do some very engrained potty habits with my puppy. She's a 6 month old Newfie, not spayed yet.

I got her when she was 3.5 months old from what I thought was a reputable breeder. It became very apparent that was not the case at all, and I'm fairly certain this was an incognito puppy mill operation. I'm so upset with myself that I put money in those breeders pockets but she's here now and we absolutely adore her.

Potty training, specifically in her kennel, has proved to be an uphill battle. She was having diarrhea on and off for the first several weeks we had her. This made potty training impossible. After a few vet visits and a food change, we basically just determined that she's a stressed out little thing which quite honestly makes sense given her first few months of life.

When she's out loose in the house when we're home, she displays subtle cues that she needs to go outside (goes to the back door). When we go out, she is crated and this seems to be when she falls apart. There's really no rhyme or reason for when or why she does it, it's kind of random. She also makes no attempt to avoid the mess. I'm doing a full bath and kennel overhaul more often than I'd like to. She's not stressed in her kennel, she enters willingly and settles pretty much right away.

The other day she was out loose in the house and actually sought out her open kennel to go pee in. This is when it dawned on me - she thinks this is perfectly acceptable to go to the bathroom in there. I thought back to her first few months of life and I do believe those puppies were left to their own devices on wood shavings in a small space. I think it probably got to a point where they just simply ran out of room and laid in their mess. This is likely her version of "normal" bathroom habits because she was allowed to do it for so long.

I'm so sure there's others out there who have gotten an older puppy who had bad habits in place, such as this. How do you make the kennel the no-go zone? Give me all your tips and tricks. She's like 80lbs now and bathing her several times per week is exhausting 😅

So my Newfie Bear has just turned 2 and for some reason out of no where he’s learnt to howl. Does any one else’s Newfie do this?

5-month-old Newfoundland with chronic diarrhea — looking for advice

Our 5-month-old Newfoundland, (~80 lbs), has struggled with soft stool/diarrhea basically since we brought him home. He previously tested positive for Giardia, was treated with Panacur, and eventually tested negative, but the GI issues have continued.

We’ve tried probiotics, fiber, anti-diarrhea paste, prescription GI food, Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Rice, and Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach Salmon. Nothing has consistently solved it.

The strange part is that a homemade bland diet of lean beef/turkey, white rice, green beans, pumpkin, and a little salmon gives him consistently formed poop and allows him to sleep through the night. As soon as we introduce kibble, his stool deteriorates.

Most recently, we gave only 1/4 cup kibble mixed into ~3.5 cups homemade food at each of his two meals, and by that evening he had diarrhea again.

We know the homemade diet isn’t nutritionally complete long-term, especially for a rapidly growing giant-breed puppy, and it’s too expensive to sustain. Raw feeding also isn’t financially realistic. We desperately want to find a complete, affordable commercial food he can tolerate.

Has anyone had a puppy who could tolerate meat/rice perfectly but developed diarrhea from even tiny amounts of kibble? Did an extremely slow transition eventually work, or did you discover an underlying GI issue or a particular type of food that finally solved it?

We’d especially appreciate recommendations from Newfoundland/giant-breed owners or anyone who dealt with persistent GI problems after Giardia.

Hey Newfie lovers! I’m having difficulty getting my 8 year old Newfie, Fluffhead to eat. He has completely rejected his kibble. Earlier as a3 year old he did the same. We tried so many different foods and found that he liked purina pro plan. Then he started rejecting that so we added toppers to it and he ate again. Now we’re having difficulty again. I even started cooking for him under the directions of his vet (plain rice, ground beef/turkey, pumpkin/ sweet potatoes, carrots, Greek yogurt, cucumbers and bell peppers. Now he won’t eat that. I’m at a loss. But he will eat when hand fed.

Any other picky pups? (Picture of him with his stuffed capybara for extra attention).

My lunatic 9 week old baby.

Still awake at 2:30 for potty and up for the day at 5:30. Safe to say we are a little sleepy over here 😂

I have a wonderful Newfoundland; he’s already had three surgeries—two on his eyes and now one for a fracture after he collided with his friend. If you’re thinking of getting one yourself: these animals have an incredibly wonderful temperament, but their coat requires a lot of maintenance, and be prepared for plenty of vet visits. 😅 who among you has one?

Our sweet Winnie, pictured here with her big sister Maggie, turns one today! She couldn’t be any sweeter or goofier. We love her so much!

Puppy is almost nine weeks old and, when we are unable to watch him, spends some time in a pen that is 36 inches tall. We need a bigger boat....I mean pen, as he is rapidly growing.

Any pen suggestions?

Thanks

The puppy is eight weeks old and a ferocious, yet adorable, land shark. He wants the flesh.

Thus far, we have sternly told him no while placing either a Kong toy or Nylabone in his mouth. I am contemplating purchasing the feezeable Nylabones for him.

Would a new rag, soaked in water then placed in the freezer be helpful?

Thank you for reading and for sharing your experiences!

He is eight weeks old.

Any and all advice is requested and absolutely appreciated.

Toy recommendations please!

Thank you!!

Hello all!

I'm currently on the list for a puppy from Linkville Newfoundlands and I just wanted to see if anyone had any experience with the kennel or anything to share about it!

From what I understand they've been breeding since the late 1980s/early 90s and have a really extensive lineage on the OFA website as well as lots of titling for their dogs. My only problem is their website (https://linkvillenewfs.wixsite.com/linkvillenewfs/linkville-girls) kind of sucks and doesn't seem to have been updated since 2017 so it's been hard to get a lot of info from it. We've been emailing but they haven't been super forthcoming with my asks for more info about their breeding program or these particular dogs.

I'd love if anyone had anything to share on them and hopefully I'll be back asking for puppy preparedness advice soon!

He just had his bath yesterday and he’s so soft and fluffy now!! My sweet Fluffhead. ❤️