About Newf Friends

Newf Friends Newfoundland Dog Rescue is a volunteer run, foster home based rescue group for Newfoundland Dogs in need in Ontario, Canada.
We place Newfs into carefully screened homes in Ontario and surrounding provinces and states.
Established in 2008.

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Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for general information about our program and our adoption policies and procedures.



Saturday, February 27, 2016

Marleigh

Marleigh
2016-005

 May 29/16:  I was adopted!

 Quick Adoption Overview
2 years old
Great with other dogs - needs a home with a four footed pal
Fine with cats
Fenced Yard Required
Located in Bancroft, ON


All About Marleigh
Marleigh is a delightful young Newf who is making daily progress with her training.  She is well mannered, eager to please and sweet as pie.  She also happens to be ridiculously cute!

Watcher of squirrels
Marleigh is an affectionate Newf who is looking for an owner who can help her build her confidence and blossom into a happy, well adjusted girl.  She had little opportunity to get out and meet people and experience new things prior to coming to Newf Friends, so she has much to learn and is taking it all in.  She can be timid when faced with new things but quickly warms up and her goofy, loving, happy, personality quickly shines through.


She loves attention from people she knows and is an expert snuggler!  Marleigh is very motivated to be with people she knows and trusts, and is a typical "velcro newf" who is never more than a few feet away.  When meeting new people she is unsure and shy.  She will back away from and avoid strangers and needs to be given space and the opportunity to approach them in her own time. Once she trusts someone, she quickly becomes their new best friend and demands that they pet her and cuddle with her! She's super affectionate!

Wearing her cape towel after a swim - so cute!
She has excellent social skills meeting new dogs and has happily settled into her foster home with 5 other playmates.  She is playful, reads body language well, shares toys nicely, shows no resource guarding,  and basically gets along with everyone.


A home with another well socialized canine companion will be ideal for her, she really enjoys the company of other friendly dogs and loves to wrestle and play chase.  She also looks to other dogs for cues about how to respond to new situations and really benefits from the company of happy, well adjusted dogs. Marleigh would not be happy living in a home as the only dog.

Here she is playing with another foster dog at her foster home. Marleigh is the one who is often laying on her back on the ground.  She loves to play!



She has been fine with a mellow indoor cat, curious but respectful.  A home with a dog savvy cat will be fine for her.  She has not been exposed to cats outdoors but she LOVES to sit and watch the squirrels at her foster home.


She is a quiet girl who is eager to please.  She does not know many commands so this is being worked on in her foster home and she is bright and making progress.  Marleigh's leash manners are excellent. 


She is a silly girl with a bit of a mischievous side and acts a lot like a pup.  With a twinkle in her eyes she will sneak a shoe or slipper if they are left about, but happily trades for a toy when prompted.  Her house manners are coming along beautifully and she now knows that tables are not for standing on!  LOL!  She is very eager to learn and responds well to positive training techniques.   Marleigh is a delight!


She is now fully housetrained; having had little training in this regard, she is much like a puppy who needed supervision and routine.  She very quickly learned the routine at her foster home.  Such a smart girl!


She is living in a rural environment in foster care and is very at ease and comfortable there.   In a busier environment she is nervous but recovers well and with a trusted handler, and a canine pal, at her side and lots of praise she makes great progress.  Having another confident dog with her makes a world of difference for Marleigh and helps her to take in all of the new things around her.




Marleigh has been introduced to respectful, dog savvy children under close supervision, and is shy but curious, warming up to them when they respect her space, and enjoys to lay quietly and be petted.  She is uncomfortable with people she does not know coming into her space and touching her, so is not suited to living in a home with children.  A very active family with young kids/visitors and a lot of activity and people coming and going will be overwhelming for her at this point and she would shut down and cower.  A calm, quiet household where Marleigh can be introduced to new people, places and things at her own speed is best. She is a terrific candidate for obedience work to help her build her confidence.  She would be fine joining a family where calm, respectful children visit from time to time.
Practicing recall-a work in  progress

Marleigh has been spayed, vaccinated and treated for parasites.  We estimate that she is approximately 2 years old.  She is on the small side as Newfs go, weighing under 85 lbs -- just a little peanut!


Marleigh is being fostered in the Bancroft, ON area.  Her approved adopters will be required to pick her up in person. Traveling a long distance with strangers will be stressful for Marleigh, so preference will be given to homes within a 5 or so hour drive of her foster home. 

An adoption donation of $500 applies.

A safe and securely fenced yard is required.

To be considered for adopting Marleigh, or any other Newf in our program, please complete our adoption application found here.


Having fun in the woods

Monday, February 8, 2016

Temperament issues in Newfs, a growing concern


"Sweetness of temperament is the hallmark of the Newfoundland"....unless you buy your Newf from a lousy breeder, then all bets are off.

The breed we love is in trouble and it's time to have an honest discussion about what has gone wrong and what can be done to stop it.  Here in Ontario we're seeing a very concerning trend:  more and more Newfs are showing dog aggression, severe prey drive and human aggression. It's heart breaking for our volunteers to see the increased numbers of dogs coming through our program who are so un-Newf like in temperament that they need to be muzzled, sequestered from other animals or euthanized for uncontrollable aggression toward humans.

 Why is this happening?
Temperament is a heritable trait, meaning that it is passed along to dogs through their genes.  Historically, the Newfoundland Dog breed has been selectively bred to have a "sweet" temperament and dogs who do not possess this trait are not bred by reputable breeders.  However, today, there are breeders who are not considering temperament in their breeding programs.  When dogs who are genetically predisposed to having temperament issues are bred these genes are passed onto their offspring.  While environment certainly plays a very large part in shaping behaviour, genetics do play an important role in determining the temperament of a dog.   Certain poorly bred lines of Newfoundland Dogs are very well known to us as having incorrect temperament, and these temperament issues are being passed on generation after generation through the breeding of these dogs.   There are large scale (and small scale) puppy producers and BYB who are using this breeding stock, and as a result they are producing dogs with very serious temperament issues and selling them to unsuspecting buyers as pets.

To make matters worse, these lousy breeders are providing breeding stock to other lousy breeders, and sharing breeding stock back and forth, perpetuating the breeding of Newfs with incorrect temperament and form. One notorious large scale puppy producer here in Ontario who has been at the center of this poor temperament epidemic has been providing new breeding stock to other puppy producers throughout the province and also across Canada and the US, spreading the genetic mess they have created across the continent.  Not only do these lines have serious temperament issues, but they also have very serious health issues as well. 

Lousy breeders don't care enough about the dogs they are producing to perform proper health clearances, and they also don't care enough to breed selectively for correct temperament.  Sadly, for the most part they also don't properly socialize the pups or raise them in environments that nurture correct temperament.  The pups are typically sold before they are 10 weeks of age so they miss out on necessary socialization from their litter-mates which makes matters even worse.  These breeders are producing dogs who have serious health and temperament issues and they are saturating the market.


With lousy breeders producing a large volume of poor quality puppies the Newfoundland dog breed as a whole is suffering greatly.  We are seeing more and more "purebred" newfs who barely resemble the breed in appearance or behaviour.  The time to act is now.


 What can you do?  
Help us educate the public. Help spread the word that not all breeders are created equal.  

Warn potential buyers about the risks of buying dogs from breeders who advertise on Kijiji, Craigslist or facebook sale groups.  Share our article on how to identify BYB http://newf-friends.blogspot.ca/p/identifying-byb.html and encourage people to do their homework when selecting a breeder. When in doubt, your local rescue group is a great resource to get information about the quality of local kennels.  Local rescues know the good, the bad and the ugly.  

Help us direct potential puppy buyers to good, reputable, conscientious breeders and away from the lousy puppy producers.  If you know of someone who is looking to purchase a puppy please direct them to our breeder referral page http://newf-friends.blogspot.ca/p/breeder-referral-program.html  

If you are a reputable breeder producing healthy, happy, friendly, correct Newfs - bravo!  Keep your membership with the National Club current so that potential buyers can find you, get involved with your Regional Club to meet future newf owners, volunteer with your local rescue to help clean up the mess the lousy kennels have made,  and keep breeding awesome dogs. We love properly bred Newfs and we need good breeders to keep producing them. 

Help shut down lousy breeders!  If you witness neglect, poor living conditions, questionable practices report them to the SPCA.  If you have concerns about dogs not being registered, dogs being registered incorrectly, a breeder selling dogs at different prices if they are registered, or other similar issues, report the breeder to the CKC.  If you have any questionable experiences with a Newf breeder let your local Newf rescue know about it and they can help direct you to the right resources.

Keep us informed. If you have information about a Newf breeder that you think we need to know about, or that the National club needs to know about, please contact us.  We can't help fix problems if we don't know about them.  If we are armed with good information we can work constructively to bring about change.  

Support your local rescue, your Regional Newf Club and the National club.  These are the people who are advocating for the breed, who are lobbying for changes to policy to help protect dogs and future puppy purchasers, who are preserving the history of the breed and striving to maintain the true qualities of the Newfoundland Dog breed.  Help us save the breed we all love.


Saturday, January 30, 2016

Linus

Linus
2016-004
ADOPTED!

Quick Adoption Overview
Adoption Pending
4-6 years old
Prefers to be the only dog
Fenced Yard Required
Located in Belwood, ON

All About Linus
Nope, he's not a Newf!  We were asked by rescue friends to help this boy find the perfect home.  He entered our foster program on Jan 30.

Linus is an approximately 4-6 year old boy.  We were told he is a Leonberger mix but we're not really sure about that.  He looks more like he could be an Estrela Mountain Dog mix.  Whatever breed he is, he's an intelligent boy who has much love to give!

Found as a stray with his pal Lucy, we don't know much about his past.  The "Leo" pair were adopted from a shelter in the US in mid-January and brought to their new home in Ontario. Integration into their new multi-dog home was not successful so the decision was made to rehome them.  Rather than returning them to a shelter environment the family opted to place them into a foster home based rescue for proper assessment and training, so they ended up in our care.


Linus is looking for an owner who enjoys intelligent, working breed dogs. He knows basic commands and responds to direction from a confident handler.  He is motivated to please and eager to learn.  His leash manners are good, housebreaking is coming along.

Linus has now completed a month long training program and is ready to join an adoptive home.  He has done very well with his training - what a smart, sweet boy he is!  Here are some pics of him working hard during a training session:






He is well suited to an owner who can offer him positive encouragement and guidance.   He thrives in a positive, upbeat environment.


He would be very happy as the only dog in a family, or paired with another well socialized female who is respectful of other dogs and will not get in his space. He is not interested in being put into situations where other dogs will pester him, or where he is expected to play with and socialize with dogs.

Linus is neutered and up to date on vaccines.  He currently weighs in the 115 lb range.

Linus is being fostered in Belwood, ON.  A huge thank you goes out to Mayrich Kennels for all of their help with Linus.

His approved adopters will be required to pick him up in person.  An adoption donation of $350 applies.


Saturday, January 23, 2016

Rufus

Rufus
2014-025

ADOPTED: April 13/16

Quick Adoption Overview
Available for adoption
8-10 years old
Good with kids
Prefers to have someone home most of the time
Special health needs:  takes thyroid meds and supplements;  has poor hearing
Suitable match for a well mannered canine playmate
Fine with cats
Fenced Yard Required
Located in Bomanville, ON

All About Rufus
Love-bug Rufus was adopted from us in early 2015, but due to changes in his owner's travel arrangements necessitating frequent boarding, which is stressful for Rufus, the decision was made to have him come back into our care on January 20/16.


Sweet boy Rufus is a gentle Newf who was picked up by animal control as a stray in 2014, dragging a broken tie out lead behind him.  He was in bad condition at the time and spent many months in foster care getting healthy and ready for adoption.  We don't know much about his past, but estimate that he is now 8-10 years old.



He acts like a pup, is silly and friendly, loves to roll in the grass and is an all around happy boy.   He's a bit of a goof-ball and his foster mom nicknamed him Dufus because of his silly personality!



Rufus has nice manners and is very social -- he loves to greet people and to get lots of attention, especially belly rubs!!!!   A home with an owner who enjoys having their dog right by their side would be best for Rufus, because he looks to his owner for guidance.

His foster mom says he is the typical velcro-newf, loves to be with people, so he is best suited to a home where someone is around most of the time.  Rufus becomes anxious when he can't find his family, he likes to stick close where he feels safe. 

He is not a candidate for staying in boarding kennels -- it is just too stressful for him.  A quiet, calm, peaceful home where there is consistent routine and someone by his side is what Rufus needs.



A sweet and playful boy, in a safe environment Rufus thrives.  He is not able to hear very well, so routine and security are essential for him.


Rufus gets along with other dogs and is gentle and friendly...a little TOO friendly at times.  Ha, ha!  His foster sisters let him know that humping is not allowed and he got the message quickly.  What a good boy, he just wants to please!  Rufus could happily join a home with another well mannered dog.  He benefits from the company of other animals and picks up cues from them about what is going on around him, helping him to compensate for his impaired hearing.

He knows basic commands by hand signal, takes food very gently, likes to be petted and handled and is an all around great boy.  He caught onto housebreaking in his foster home in no time although some disruption during the transition period into a new home would be expected.   He wants to please and is a quick learner.


Rufus is a smaller boy, perhaps a newf-mix, weighing under 100 lbs. He is neutered and UTD on vaccines.   Rufus takes thyroid medication which we have recently adjusted the dose of to put it at the optimal level.  He takes supplements for his joints.



Rufus is being fostered in Bomanville, ON.  His approved adopters will be required to pick him up in person.  

A safe and securely fenced yard is required.  See our FAQ page for more information about our fencing requirements.


 To be considered for adopting a Newf from Newf Friends please complete the adoption application found here and email it back to us. Since Rufus is a senior and takes daily medication we are waiving our usual adoption donation, and ask instead for a donation of his adopter's choice.


Saturday, January 2, 2016

Rigi

Rigi
2016-002
February 5, 2016: I was adopted!

This gorgeous girl is a real gem.  Rigi has excellent house manners, knows her commands, is super friendly, loves everyone she meets, gets along well with other dogs, and she's cute as a button.  What a great catch!

This beautiful 4 year old Saint Bernard comes from a loving family who came to us for help with rehoming Rigi becasue they are relocating and she is not able to accompany them.  Rigi has been well loved and cared for her entire life, and it shows -- she is a happy, healthy, well mannered dog.


Rigi is pronounced Ree-ghee and is the local name for the largest mountain in a range in the Swiss Alps close to the Saint Bernard Pass and is known as “the Queen of the Mountains.” 


Rigi is used to living in the country and enjoys spending time with her family.  A very people focused girl, she loves to get loads of attention and care.  She is very fond of children and could join a family with older kids (she's a bit too big and clumsy to live with very young children!) She has always had someone home with her through the day and would be happiest joining a family where she is not left alone for long hours.   A few hours at a time would be fine though.

A big, bouncy, playful girl, Rigi plays nicely with other dogs and could happily join a family with an equally well mannered playmate.  She has not lived with a cat since she was a pup, but is not highly prey driven and should be fine joining a family with a dog savvy cat.

Rigi knows her basic commands, her off lead recall can be a little slow (yep, she takes her time) but overall she follows commands well.  She is used to being walked off lead at her home, but does have good leash manners after a brief moment of excitement when she first gets her leash put on.  She travels well in the car and uses a ramp to get in and out.

Rigi has been spayed, her vaccines are current, she has received regular vet care throughout her life, and appears to be in very good health.  She was born on April 21, 2011.  She weighs 130 lbs and is 4 years old.

While we search for an adoptive family, Rigi will continue to live with her surrendering family in the Midland, ON area.  Her approved adopters will be required to pick her up in person.  An adoption donation of $500 to Newf Friends applies.








Friday, January 1, 2016

Darla


Darla
2016-001

ADOPTED

Quick Adoption Overview
1 year old
No children under 12 yrs
Suitable for mellow canine playmate
No cats
Fenced Yard Required
Located in Mississauga, ON

All About Darla
Adorable gal Darla is a sweet pup who is the first arrival of the New Year at Newf Friends.

Born on Jan 5, 2015 she is 1 year old and a typical pup full of energy and enthusiasm.  An active girl, she is looking for a home where she will have lots of opportunities to get out and exercise her body and mind.


Darla knows some basic commands and is eager to learn.  With a confident handler at her side who has the time to socialize and train her she will come along nicely.  Her leash manners are a work in progress but she improves daily.


She came to us when her owner was not able to resolve certain problematic behaviours -- she was chasing horses and had become protective of the child in her home, refusing to let other dogs near her.  We are looking for an adult only home for Darla.

In foster care she continues to chase animals, particularly cats, so she will need to join an adoptive family where her prey drive can be kept in check.  Families who have cats or other small animals are not a match for Darla.

Darla is now enrolled in obedience classes and her foster mom is helping her to learn to interact calmly with other dogs. This retraining will be ongoing and her potential adopters should be willing to continue with her obedience work.

Here she is practicing heel, sit-stay and down-stay.  Such a good girl!




Darla made fast friends with several of the dogs at her temporary foster home and quite enjoys playing. One-on-one she has a great time wrestling and goofing around with another well mannered playmate.

In a group of dogs she easily becomes overstimulated and has a hard time controlling herself -- the excitement of dogs playing, romping and horsing around is too much for her to handle and she will go after the other dogs.  For this reason she is not suited to a home with several other dogs, or where she will be expected to go to a dog park.  She would be fine in a home as the only dog, or with one other well socialized dog.

Watch her video below!



Health wise, this cute girl is a happy, spunky pup.  She underwent spay surgery and had her cherry eye corrected in early February, and once healed she will be ready to join an adoptive home.  She is current on her vaccines.

Darla is being fostered in west end of Toronto.  Her approved adopters will be required to pick her up in person.  An adoption donation of $500 applies.




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