Another handsome boy has entered our care. Kodiak is a 2 year bear that is a real sweetheart. We have a home visit going out for his potential home.


Also arriving in our care this week is 9 month old Ben, a handsome Newf/Retriever mix. This playful fella' will be posted up for adoption next week once we have some more details about him.

Ralphie and Murphy are doing very well. What an adorable pair they are. The two love bugs are sweet as can be, and looking for a loving home to call their own.

Murphy has been seen by the cardiologist and his condition is not as severe as we first feared. We will have the result of his 24 heart monitor late next week and will know then what, if any, treatment will be needed.

Visit our "Available Dogs" listings to the right to learn more about Murphy and Ralphie.

Hera and pups continue to do well. We have now confirmed a home for Hera and nearly all of her pups -- we are just screening homes for Luna and expect a home to be confirmed shortly. The pups will be joining their new families in early February.

For those that are wondering what a Siberian Husky is doing at a Newfoundland Dog rescue, here is the story of how Hera and Hudson ended up in our care.

Isabel has been adopted by a loving family. Congratulations beautiful girl!

Isabel's pups have started leaving for their forever homes. In the coming days all of the pups will join their adoptive families to start their new lives.


Newfstock, the Huge 2010 Newf Gathering in Bancroft is fast approaching! Book your hotel room now to avoid disappointment!

Ralphie and Murphy are getting settled in their foster home and proving to be wonderful boys, full of love, and friendly and social with everyone they meet.

Ralphie was neutered yesterday and is doing well. Murphy was scheduled to be neutered, but we called off the surgery after learning that he may have issues with his heart. We are having him referred to a cardiologist for assessment and will be making an action pan for his treatment once we have a diagnosis.

We are in need of donations to help cover the costs of Murphy's testing and treatment. Your donation can be made to our parent group HART specifying that the funds be directed to the Newf Friends Fund. A tax receipt will be issued. The link to HART's Canada Gives button is listed on the right side of this page.

Visit our "Available Dogs" listings to the right to learn more about Murphy and Ralphie.

We have another new arrival later this week. A young brown male who is searching for his perfect forever home. Details will be posted about him by early next week.

Foster Homes are needed in south/central/eastern Ontario. If you have considered fostering, now is an excellent time to apply.

Isabel is still searching for her forever home. This beauty has so much love to give, and will make one lucky family very happy. She is a delightful, playful gal, that loves affection. Isabel is an absolute pleasure! Click the Available Dogs link to the right to learn more about her.

Hera and pups continue to do well. We have now confirmed a home for Hera and several of the pups. We are in the process of finishing up home visits with applicants and expect homes to be confirmed for all pups by early next week. They will be joining their new families in early February.

For those that are wondering what a Siberian Husky is doing at a Newfoundland Dog rescue, here is the story of how Hera and Hudson ended up in our care.

Newfstock, the Huge 2010 Newf Gathering in Bancroft is fast approaching! Book your hotel room now to avoid disappointment!

Isabel is still searching for her forever home. This beauty has so much love to give, and will make one lucky family very happy. She is a delightful, playful gal, that loves affection. Isabel is doing great in her foster home, an absolute pleasure! Click the Available Dogs link to the right to learn more about her.

Ralphie and Murphy are two handsome boys that arrived in our care on Friday. These sweet boys are best buddies, and loving as can be. They are currently being assessed in foster care. Visit our "Available Dogs" listings to the right to learn more about them.

Hera and pups continue to do well. We have now confirmed a home for Hera, she will join her new family in February once her pups have been placed. We are currently in the middle of carefully screening homes for the 8 puppies, and applications are still being accepted.

For those that are wondering what a Siberian Husky is doing at a Newfoundland Dog rescue, here is the story of how Hera and Hudson ended up in our care.

Newfstock, the Huge 2010 Newf Gathering in Bancroft is fast approaching! Book your hotel room now to avoid disappointment!

Ralphie and Murphy are two handsome boys that arrived in our care today. These sweet boys are being assessed in foster care. Visit our "Available Dogs" listings to the right to learn more about them.

Isabel is still searching for her forever home. This beauty has so much love to give, and will make one lucky family very happy. She is a delightful, playful gal, that loves affection. Click the Available Dogs link to the right to learn more about her.

UPDATE: fall 2019:  Due to the FDA warnings about a possible correlation between certain dog foods and DCM we are temporarily switching our foster dogs' diet to First Mate Fish and Oatmeal or Inukshuk Marine

Nutrition and your Newfoundland
By Ben Pinder

Every breed of dog is has its own nutrient requirements. In addition to being lovable, fun, and wonderful companions, Newfoundlands have some specific dietary concerns too.

Taurine
Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is an unusual amino acid and not one of the standard 20 amino acids that we know to make up proteins. It can be found in animal bile, where it aids in digestion, and in the blood, where it performs a myriad of functions. In our diet, taurine can be found in highest concentrations in seafood.

Taurine’s effects on health are well-studied, but still not well understood. We know that it has a role in preventing heart disease, aids in muscle function, and can act as an anti-oxidant. The pancreas naturally produces taurine, but humans following a vegan diet have significantly reduced taurine in their blood suggesting that diet is the major source of blood taurine.

Taurine is an essential nutrient in cats, but not entirely essential for dogs. Even so, breed-to-breed differences in taurine requirements have been identified. We know now that Newfoundland dogs have a higher risk of developing taurine deficiency than other breeds when fed the same commercially available diet that meets traditionally established nutrient recommendations (J Nutr. 2006 Oct;136(10):2525-33). The traditional, vet-prescribed dry corn, rice, and lamb diet is very low in taurine and therefore not a good choice for your Newfoundland, though it may be a good choice for other breeds in your home.

With taurine deficiency comes many health risks, the most serious being dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). DCM is a disease of the heart that is most commonly associated with large breed dogs like Newfoundlands. This may in part be explained by the low levels of taurine in the traditional dog diet. Dogs diagnosed with DCM almost always succumb to congestive heart failure within six months to two years of being diagnosed.

Interestingly, dogs diagnosed with DCM that are not taurine-deficient can benefit their condition with taurine supplements. But we’re more interested in preventing DCM. The best way to do this, and extend the time that you and your Newfoundland have together, is by feeding him a diet rich in taurine.

Omega-3 and Omega-6
All animals need fat as a part of a healthy diet. The type of fat we eat is important to our health. Two of the most important fats are the omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The risk of an omega-6 deficiency is quite low. Almost all of us, Newfoundlands included, get enough of our omega-6s but we don’t often get enough of the omega-3s. A proper balance of omega-3s to omega-6s is ideal for your Newfoundland’s health. So up his omega-3 levels however you can. Omega-3s can be found naturally in food like oily fish (salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel), nuts, and flaxseed oil, however plant-derived sources are inaccessible to dogs as they lack the enzymes required to convert them. That means your Newfoundland needs a diet rich in fish-derived omega-3 fatty acids. This is an important consideration as many commercial diets add vegetable oils and fish meal (processed fish which lacks its omega-3-rich oil) to enrich for omega fatty acids, but these are not actually beneficial sources for your Newfoundland.

Omega fatty acids are important for your Newfoundland because they’ve been shown to be important in so many aspects of health. Omegas are great for lowering blood cholesterol (and therefore preventing heart disease), lowering the risk of cancer, and have been shown to act as a natural anti-inflammatory (great for arthritis). They are also important for the maintenance of healthy skin and coats.

Different breeds have been shown to have differing omega-3 fatty acid requirements (Vet. Immuno. Immunopat. 69: 165-183) and due to their large size, thick coat, and known ancestral diet, Newfoundlands are expected to be near the top of this list.

Arginine
Arginine is one of the 20 most common amino acids essential for life. It is synthesized in the body but additional dietary sources are necessary for keeping dogs healthy and active. Healthy levels of arginine help prevent cancer and heart disease in dogs (Cancer 88:1916-28; J Nutr. 2000;130:2626-2629), diseases beginning to plague the Newfoundland breed.

Arginine is found in a variety of foods but seafood and nuts provide the greatest dietary source. It is possible that failure to feed Newfoundlands their ancestral seafood diet is in part responsible for the increasing incidence of heart disease and cancer in the breed.

Calcium and Phosphorous
Calcium and phosphorous are essential nutrients for all animals. They’re important in maintaining strong muscles and bones, which is especially important in a large breed like the Newfoundland. Calcium can be found naturally in foods such as fish, nuts, dairy, and leafy green vegetables.

Your Newfoundland needs calcium and phosphorous especially in puppyhood (to build those strong bones) but also in adulthood to ward off and treat arthritis.

Iodine
Iodine is necessary for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland in regulating the rate of metabolism. In dogs, iodine deficiency results in hypothyroidism which can cause poor growth, hair loss, weight gain, weakness, and behavioural changes such as irritability (Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 131: 195-203). Aggression can be difficult to manage in any dog, but the large size of Newfoundlands make behaviour management a particularly important issue.

Iodine is found in fish, kelp, and iodized salt (salt with iodine added). Many commercial pet foods supplement with iodine, however because the ancestral diet of the Newfoundland is especially rich in iodine your Newfoundland may require higher levels than other breeds.

So what do I feed my Newfoundland?

Most important to your Newfoundland’s life and happiness is your love. So show your Newfoundland how much you love her by feeding her a diet rich in taurine, omega-3 fatty acids, arginine, calcium, phosphorous, and iodine. The greatest natural source of ALL of these nutrients is FISH! This is not surprising considering where Newfoundland dogs originate. They love cold water and their metabolism has adjusted itself to a historical diet rich in seafood. Their nutritional needs reflect the diet the breed developed on. We can mimic the Newfoundland ancestral diet by feeding them cold water fish rich in all the nutrients they need to live a long, happy, healthy life.

Remember, just like us, a healthy, balanced diet is also important in maintaining a healthy body weight. A healthy body weight can reduce the risk of heart, liver, and joint disease, and give your Newfoundland the energy to keep up with you!

A good, readily-available brand of dry dog food for your Newfoundland is ORIJEN 6 FRESH FISH with SEA VEGETABLES. Our Newfoundlands love this brand and we can help direct you to stores that carry it.

Additional Reading
Interested in learning more about the important role of nutrition in your dog’s health? We recommend this great book:

Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food
By Anne N. Martin (1997), NewSage Press.

Our very own Matilda is pack member #31 on Dogs for the Paws

Thank you Missy, for all that you do.

Attention Artists! Those of you who are participating in our 2011 Fine Art Calendar Project, we will be sending out updates this week. Some photos of the works in progress have been emailed to us, and this project is shaping up to be phenomenal! We will need your completed original art by March, and hope to have all of the bios up on our website very soon. It's time to start thinking about what info you would like included in your bio!

The artist who painted this portrait of Neptune, is one of the many talented artists who are donating pieces of original artwork for this exciting project. We're all waiting in anticipation to see what he creates this time!


There is still time to be included in this one of a kind project. If you are an artist and would like to get involved, send us an email for details.

The Huge 2010 Newf Gathering in Bancroft is fast approaching! We are so excited about this upcoming event, and will have lots of details to post soon. Hotel space has been reserved and details on how to book your room, as well as everything else you need to know will be coming soon. We are still looking for volunteers to help plan this event, so if you are interested in helping out, drop us a line.

Vendors who would like to set up a booth at this event are invited to contact us for more information.

Isabel is still searching for her forever home. This beauty has so much love to give, and will make one lucky family very happy. Click the Available Dogs link to the right to learn more about her.

We're working on posting adopter updates...here's one from Ariel's forever family, sent in late September.

Ariel is great! Ariel has 2 best friends here at our place. Marley, as you know, is our black goldendoodle. Roxy is a delightful 4 year old golden retriever who recently came to live with us when her owner could no longer keep her. Ariel and Roxy NEVER stop playing. They are incredibly active dogs and both like to swim like fish ... so they are ALWAYS in the river. At least they stay out of the pond now!!! Marley is a bit of a couch potatoe and would rather watch the others tumble about from his couch! You would never know Ariel has the health issues that we know she has. She has yet to display any symptoms of her kidney disease and she runs like the wind so her hips and elbows don't seem to be a problem for her at this point. We will know more in December when she is seen by the vet, but so far I am pleased that she seems to be doing so well. I have grown to love Ariel deeply (I was afraid of that) but I know she is happy and will love her for as long as we have her. She is a clown and a bit of a clutz, but as affectionate and loving as they come! I finally have some pictures for you. My daughter is responsible for the bows in Ariel's hair ... not me!
All the best ...

Here's an update from a recent email from Ozzie and Lolla's forever family!

Here's some of what Otis' family had to say in a recent email....

Some of the most commonly asked questions are answered here....

What is your adoption process?

The goal of our foster/adopt program is to match dogs up to their best fit family, to ensure that they lead a long, happy life in their perfect forever home. Rescued dogs have typically already been bounced around prior to making their way into our care, and our priority is to find them a family who will love them for the rest of their lives. To achieve this, we screen our adopters thoroughly, and assess a variety of variables before making a decision about whether a particular dog is the right fit for that family.

Our adoption process begins with submission of an adoption application (link to the right). This is the first contact potential adopters have with us and gives us a basic overview of the type of home that would be provided. Please be patient, we have a lot of emails each day and it may take a while for us to get back to you!

Families are placed onto our waiting list after receipt of their application -- we operate on a "best match" philosophy, so applications are not prioritized by date they arrived. When a potential match comes along, we will contact you for a phone interview.

Once applications are received, suitable applicants for a particular dog will be interviewed by telephone to determine if they are the best match for the dog. If it appears that the family is a good match references are checked before a home visit volunteer is sent to meet the family, their current pets and assess the suitability of the home for the dog they are interested in. We have rescue contacts across the nation and are able to coordinate home visits wherever needed.

Can I come visit the available dogs to see if I like any of them?

Because we are a foster home based rescue, rather than shelter based, foster dogs are in the private homes of volunteers therefore potential adopters that have not been screened and approved are not able to meet with the dogs until their application has been processed.

How long is your waiting list?

We adopt on a "best match" philosophy, rather than a first come-first served basis, so we have no way of saying how long a particular family will be on our waiting list. It is a matter of the right dog coming along....sometimes this happens almost immediately, sometimes it can take several months.

How long does the screening process take?

Once we have found a potential match for your family, the actual process of interview, references and home visit is usually completed within a week, depending on how quickly we can find a home visit volunteer for your area.

What does your foster program do?

Our available dogs are placed into foster homes with volunteers who assess their training, behavioural, social and health needs. This gives us the ability to best determine what type of adoptive home will work best for the dog, to ensure a successful adoption.

All dogs in foster care through Newf Friends are put on a diet of Orijen 6 Fish -- a Canadian made, grain free, fish based diet that best meets the unique nutritional needs of Newfoundland Dogs. Adoptive families are asked to continue on with this feeding regimen.

All dogs adopted out by Newf Friends are up to date on vaccines, and spayed/neutered prior to adoption, unless health/age require that they not be. Pups adopted out prior to being altered will be adopted on a strictly enforced non-breeding contract, and proof of spay/neuter must be provided by the adopter by the time specified.

What support is available to me after I adopt a dog?

We are available for the lifetime of your adopted family member to answer questions, give advice about health, training, social and behavioural needs. We have volunteers across the province who are here to help in any way we can. Adopting a Newf through Newf Friends makes you part of our extended "family" and we like to stay in touch with adopters, and encourage regular contact. We do love updates and pictures!

Free grooming lessons can be provided to those adopters that are interested.

Adopters are invited to events that we host, are included on our email list, and will be included on HART's mailing list, getting quarterly newsletters, and invites to a variety of events throughout the year.

Your site says you require that adopters have a fenced yard -- I don't have a fenced yard, can I adopt from you?

We require that all potential homes have a securely fenced yard to ensure the safety of the dogs we adopt out. Only in very special circumstances will this requirement be waived.

What if I live on a large parcel of land? Will I still need a fence?

Yes, a fence is still required. While we do not require that your entire property be fenced, we do require that there be a securely fenced area off your home for your Newf to use for potty breaks, playtime, etc.

How do you determine your adoption fees?

Our standard adoption fee is $500.
Dogs that are seniors, or who have known health issues that will require ongoing medical care will be adopted out with a reduced adoption fee or the adoption fee will be waived entirely depending on the needs of the dog.
On occasion dogs of other breeds come through our program, and the adoption fee is determined on a case by case basis.

Is the adoption fee negotiable? Can I use a payment plan to pay the fee?

No, our adoption fees are not negotiable and are required in full at time of adoption.
The day to day cost of caring for a Newf is quite high, and families who are unable to afford a nominal adoption fee, likely will not be able to afford the day-to-day expenses of owning and properly caring for a giant breed dog.

I want a dog to use for breeding, can I get one from you?

No. Newf Friend's objectives are to provide education, training opportunities, and resources to encourage responsible pet ownership, eliminate back yard breeders and puppy mills and to help Newfoundland Dogs in need. The vast majority of dogs that enter rescue come from back yard breeders or puppy mills. Providing breeding stock to adopters is not in keeping with our objectives and would be counterproductive. All of the dogs that come to our rescue are spayed/neutered prior to being adopted to prevent breeding.

In the unlikely event that a breeding quality dog from a reputable kennel arrive in our care, we would be able to trace the dog back to it's kennel via a microchip and that dog would be returned to the breeder. Reputable breeders take responsibility for their dogs. and their dogs' offspring for the life of those animals, and these dogs do not end up in rescue. Any good breeder would be horrified to learn that one of their dogs ended up in rescue and would immediately take responsibility for that dog. No reputable or good breeder would ever consider getting a dog from rescue as breeding stock, nor would any reputable rescue group adopt a dog out to be bred.

If you want to breed Newfs, read our note on becoming a reputable breeder.

I am going through some changes in my life and need someone to take my dog for a few months. Can you foster my dog for me?

Unfortunately, we are not able to board dogs in these situations. Our foster homes are needed for dogs who are in our program, waiting for their forever homes.

I need a new home for my dog, but don't want it going into foster care. Can my dog stay with me while you look for an adoptive home.

Yes. In some cases it is in the best interest of the dog to stay with their surrendering family while we search for a home for them. We would have a volunteer come out to meet and photograph your dog, assess it's temperament and needs, and you would be required to legally surrender the dog to us prior to our beginning to look for a forever home.

• registered with the CKC and adhere to all of it's bylaws (warning -- this on it's own does not guarantee that a breeder is reputable -- we frequently get dogs surrendered to us from a CKC kennel that is far from reputable!)
• members of the NDCC and adhere to their code of ethics
• should have very clear objectives for their kennel which should include producing healthy dogs, of correct type, and with excellent temperaments
• Perform health clearances on his/her breeding stock prior to breeding - this should include at a minimum heart, hips, elbows, cystinuria - as outlined on the CHIC database
• they should also have health clearances on the parents/grandparents, etc of their breeding stock.
• use breeding stock that meet the breed standard for conformation - this means dogs that are true to "type" and preferably dogs that have completed their CH titles and/or have parents that did. Here is an excellent reference from the Newf Club of America to help judges assess a Newf's conformation.(Note, the acceptable colours listed are for the US. In Canada only black or black and white are acceptable.)
• selecting their breeding stock based on an understanding of genetics and with very careful selection of breeding pairs to achieve desired traits with the long term goal of improving the breed
• selecting breeding stock that can perform the tasks that Newfs were bred to perform - excellent swimmers, draft dogs, etc. Ideally breeding stock should have water rescue titles and/or draft dog titles, or at least come from lines of dogs that do
• take responsibility for the dogs and their dogs' offspring for their entire lives
• offer health guarantees, and temperament guarantees
• require that adopters sign a contract
• sell pups on limited registration

We have been inundated with requests for calendars from people who didn't get one for Christmas! We will be running one final print run of the 2010 calendar. Calendars are $22 if picked up, or $30 with shipping within North America. Shipments within Canada should be received in 2-3 days, to the US within 7 days, and abroad, within 3 weeks. For online orders please click here to order your calendar.