Newfoundland dog breeder help

[Natural]

Hello,

My girlfriend and I are looking for a newfoundland dog breeder. We found one. Heaven on earth in red deer Alberta. We just filled out the questionnaire and sent it off. We are now waiting to hear back. Though talking with friends I'm being warned to make sure they're not a puppy mill simply for the amount of dogs they have. They have a lot of male and females however they're ckc registered and appear to have a very large living area for their animals, heart and hip information on their dogs

We have been having a hard time finding a breeder that replies to emails. It could be that they're not breeding right now or we might looking to get on a waiting list too early. 6-8 months is when we are hoping to find us a dog. But we want to find a reputable breeder now and if we have to wait so be it.

[Dog Dancer]

I love Newf's, congratulations. I am by no means an expert, but a good breeder should be able to provide you with at least five years of lineage on their dogs, along with titles all the way along. Also, they should require a contract be signed. I just purchased a couple of Alaskan Malamutes, and had to sign many papers with my breeders, one being a non-breeding contract. You should be able to get health certificates from the parents for any of the genetic diseases your dog is prone to also. If the breeder is in your area they will generally want to do a home inspection. If it sounds too easy to get a pup I'd be suspicious. We jumped through hoops for these pups, but it was well worth it. And it took us about a year and a half to find a breeder (two actually). Our first breeder in BC didn't have any litters and we ended up finding a litter through a referral in Ontario. Good luck to you, wait for the dog you want.

[Mina]

Originally Posted by Natural

Though talking with friends I'm being warned to make sure they're not a puppy mill simply for the amount of dogs they have.

Doing your due diligence is always wise.
IMO, most breeders are less than wonderful.
Finding a good one is well worth the effort.

Originally Posted by Natural

... however they're ckc registered //.

That, in and of itself, means very little!

Originally Posted by Natural

We have been having a hard time finding a breeder that replies to emails.

Have you contacted the national, provincial,
or any of the many regional Newfoundland clubs
(not to mention the many clubs south of the border)?

Originally Posted by Natural

It could be that they're not breeding right now or we might looking to get on a waiting list too early. 6-8 months is when we are hoping to find us a dog.

There is no such thing as contacting (a good) breeder too early.
Often, with the best breeders,
entire litters are spoken for,
long before they're even conceived.

Good breeders are always on the lookout for good owners;
both are often hard to find.

Originally Posted by Natural

But we want to find a reputable breeder now and if we have to wait so be it.

It's gr8 that you're doing your research.
Do be careful; being "reputable" does
not necessarily equate to being "good".

Some of the very worst of breeders have excellent web sites and,
having bred so very many puppies,
have a list of references of "happy customers".
They know the right things to say.
They know how to sell puppies.

Best of luck in your search!

[Longblades]

Originally Posted by Natural

Hello,

My girlfriend and I are looking for a newfoundland dog breeder. We found one. Heaven on earth in red deer Alberta. We just filled out the questionnaire and sent it off. We are now waiting to hear back. Though talking with friends I'm being warned to make sure they're not a puppy mill simply for the amount of dogs they have.

A red flag perhaps but there's no reason a breeder cannot have lots of dogs and still be a very good breeder. Some may not be on site but be co-owned or be stud dogs they use.


They have a lot of male and females however they're ckc registered

I agree with Mina. Just as the above is not a cease and desist, this is not a green flag. CKC is merely the body that registers the pups. They do little to ensure good breeding practices in reality. However no recognized dog in Canada is purebred if it's parents are not registered with CKC and it's illegal to claim so.



and appear to have a very large living area for their animals,

You do suffer from being unable to see in person. Do the dogs spend time indoors for socialization? Newfs may indeed, with their heavy coats, be outside a lot. Is it clean, do they smell, is it noisy?


heart and hip information on their dogs

You must do your research. I'd want to see elbows and eyes as well. I don't think there is a breed that does not suffer from PRA. And by see it I mean just that, ask them to email you copies of the certificates. For hips do they OFA or Pennhip? And can they explain the difference to you? My breed is Labs so I'd want a couple of other things as well. Do you know if there are other concerns in Newfs?

We have been having a hard time finding a breeder that replies to emails.

I find lots of breeders are very busy people and some are poor at managing email and websites but good with their dogs.


It could be that they're not breeding right now or we might looking to get on a waiting list too early. 6-8 months is when we are hoping to find us a dog. But we want to find a reputable breeder now and if we have to wait so be it.

What do they do with their dogs? Conformation? Titles on the breeding pair? Carting? Google the kennel name in areas where Newfs usually compete and see what you come up with. Obedience? Agility? Rally?

Good luck. We obedience trained at a facility owned by a breeder of Newfs and Leos, a very well respected in the breeds lady. Unfortunately she died much too young.

Some other things to ask about, The health guarantee. Does it specify you must use a certain food or spay or neuter by a certain time? I'd avoid a breeder asking for spay or neuter of a large breed like a Newf before one year old because of the health concerns of neutering too soon.

What vaccinations will the pups have? What schedule does the breeder recommend? What follow up does the breeder expect from you?

Will dew claws be done? How do you feel if they are not as some don't remove the dews.

Have you searched for a Newf forum? You will get more Newf specific answers on a forum dedicated to the breed and possibly someone familiar with the breeder. Many forums will not allow you to name the breeder or comment on them, for legal purposes, but folks can PM you.

ETA: I went to their website. For me there are issues. I urge you to find a Newf forum. I have Labs not Newfs, some things should be the same but I don't know Newfs. One thing I will tell you, that is a bare bones health guarantee. It doesn't cover much for very long. And you want to check what your compensation will be. It's very, very old school to offer to replace the puppy and that's all. I would want to be offered a refund for medical expenses, or my purchase price. Because I am not going to trade in the puppy I fell in love with in 15 minutes for a new model just because he might have elbow dysplasia or whatever.

[Dog Dancer]

Good post Longblades. Yes a health guarantee is important, you mentioned too about spay and neuter. I used two breeders and since I had a male and female it was important to spay the female at a reasonable age, the breeder of the male wanted me to neuter him at six months but I refused. He will be neutered after one year.

I have a very easy and ongoing relationship with both of the breeders, but the breeder of the female is much more open. So if you can converse with your breeder up front it may be a good sign. Also, try to go to their kennels for a visit and see first hand what their set up is. It will tell you a lot.

Also, both of my breeders have a return policy. If for any reason I cannot or choose not to keep these dogs I am legally bound to return them to the breeder. They take full responsibility for these pups from birth to death.

[marko]

This post is about 3 years old and so OP got the answers needed.
Recent posts are now deleted and this thread is closed.

Members should feel free to PM me with any issues.
thx