Just bought a dog - a Newfoundland x - any tips/advice?

emeraldbugle

Hi,

We have bought our first dog, both dh and I have had dogs growing up children.

This puppy is 10 months old and large already

He seems house trained, he hadn't made any mess last night, but he did wee a little with excitement this morning. Will this stop?

The biggest problem is he stinks! He is really pongy at the moment. Do we just need to sort a good wash and groom for him? Or is he just going to be stinky?

Any tips on food for him, haven't a clue what to choose? He was just having dry dog biscuits and chicken previously.

Is there a good industrial hair brush for them?

Thanks :T

krlyr

Diet can play a huge role in smell so once he's on a good diet, hopefully the smell will go away! There are lots of threads on here about dog food so worth having a search/browse A bath may be a good idea initially, though I'd let him settle in for a few days first, as he's had a lot of changes and some dogs find bathing a bit of a scary experience! A wipe over with a damp cloth may help temporarily. In the meantime, check out Amazon or Ebay for a good dog shampoo - I got a specific "odour busting" shampoo off Ebay for mine, you dilute it down so it lasts ages (and you don't want to bath a dog too regularly anyway as you'll affect the natural oils in their coats).

Stephb1986_2

We need a picture of him!!! Love Newfoundlands

Steph xx

Caroline_a

It's a really thick coat, so to stop matts and tangles building up I would use a rake type comb on him and finish off with a slicker brush.

As far as the smell goes, check it isn't his drool that is smelling rather than the coat - it appears it can be a bit of a trait with Newfies.

Rich_Rach

Feeding him a good diet is one of the most important things. Giant breed dogs can take up to 2 years to fully grow as they have such a huge skeleton! Being so big he will also require a large amount of energy, however the really cheap brands are full of rubbish so look into something better quality- it may seem more expensive at first but it's far more energy dense so you won't have to feed as much and cost per day wise it might even work out cheaper. Plus it might help with the odour! I have a giant breed dog myself and feed him Royal Canin Giant from my vets. The kibbles are huge and he loves it!

Caroline_a

Oh yes, I should have added, he's still a growing lad, so no stairs, jumping up or down things and 5 mins walk a day per month. You'll be surprised how fast he will put on weight over the next 12 months or so, but his bone plates need to fuse correctly so he has to be kept almost under-exercised to help this to happen.

gettingready

I think perhaps caroline meant 5 min per month of age so at 10 months 50 min? Or am I wrong?

Re brush - the best I have ever come across, Mikki Rake:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mikki-Grooming-Anti-tangle-Undercoat-Handle/dp/B001U8S8W8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350037504&sr=8-1

Raksha

Don't allow any behaviour now that you don't want to last for ever - if you're OK with him sitting on the sofa, fine, but don't allow it now and a few months down the line decide you don't like it.

Be consistent!

Caroline_a

gettingready wrote: »

I think perhaps caroline meant 5 min per month of age so at 10 months 50 min? Or am I wrong?

Re brush - the best I have ever come across, Mikki Rake:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mikki-Grooming-Anti-tangle-Undercoat-Handle/dp/B001U8S8W8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350037504&sr=8-1

Yes that was what I meant, although for a giant i would probably split that into two walks - they take so long to fully mature skeleton-wise, that it's always better to err on the side of caution.

Welshwoofs

Another giant breed owner here echoing the 'no jumping' rule. It's absolutely crucial for the big ones.

My giant breed absolutely hated Royal Canin and won't eat dry kibble on its own as his breeder fed him on raw chicken, tripe, brown rice and goat's milk. These days he has a handfull of very cheap, dry mixer (Chappy) to add some crunch to his meals and then wet food which is a mixture of poached chicken, raw salmon/liver/mince beef and also tubs of Natural Instinct which is raw meat with added veg, kelp and herbals. I also put a spoon of natural yogurt on his food a couple of times a week.

With a dense coated dog you're always going to get more smells than a short-coated one. Best thing I can suggest is a Furminator rake for long-haired large breeds and a good shampoo every now and then (if you have a stand-alone shower, may be an idea to train him to get in it for a wash because you'll find that a damn sight easier than getting him in the bath when he's grown!)

gettingready

I had a furminator for Zara but the Mikki Rake does much better job and does not damage her fur.. furminator did, a lot actually.. and only used it few times..