Newfoundland Training Guide

Last updated Sep 25, 2020 0

Training a Newfoundland can be very rewarding because this large, calm dog is very intelligent and loyal. However, a few things about the breed should be considered, as you raise your young pet. Newfoundlands can be very sensitive, especially to the harsh tone of a voice, so training should be done in a very calm way.

You may want to get your Newfoundland puppy into a “puppy kindergarten” so that it gets off on the right foot. Just make sure the sessions are aimed at very young dogs and not adults.

How to Train Newfoundland Dog

The Newfoundland puppy probably will not have the attention span necessary for classes aimed at adult dogs. Because of their size and strength, training an adult Newfoundland can be quite challenging. Having your new pet in an obedience class, with other puppies around, may make a great deal of difference in the results. Your dog will probably love having other young dogs around. With this in mind, you and your new pet should benefit from receiving the basics very early.

Newfoundlands usually do not need to be taught to jump up on people. Their size and calm manner generally keep this from happening, so you may not have to worry about this large dog knocking someone over by jumping. In fact, some owners are amazed at how careful and gentle the Newfoundland is around children and smaller individuals. The dog often seems to adjust to its surroundings as well as any breed.

Remember that the Newfoundland is a working dog and will be at its best when asked to take on a challenge that will please you. Some owners even put the Newfoundland to “work” by rigging their grown Newfoundland to a small cart that can pull young children around. Your pet will actually enjoy being involved. Another way that some Newfoundland owners get their pet involved is by having them carry a reasonable-sized pack on camping trips.

Your Newfoundland will take on this task easily, though some warn that belongings can get wet when the dog finds a nice pond or lake in which to jump. They do love water, so be careful to keep your pet on a leash when around water. Many owners have found that some of the “training” for their Newfoundland simply involves getting them involved in family activities. This breed is very sociable, fitting nicely into your lifestyle.

Newfoundland owners and Newfoundland clubs often organize activity designed to show the skills that are natural to the breed. Keep in mind that the atmosphere at many of these meets is not as competitive as with many other breeds, because the exercises are meant to highlight the natural ability of the dog. For example, in water tests, the exercise is meant to show teamwork between the dog and its owner or handler.

The Newfoundland Club of America has even established water test standards for measuring the teamwork and performance with this wonderful breed. In some areas, the “draft” test is quite popular. With this, the Newfoundland is asked to demonstrate its natural abilities in pulling a wheeled cart or some similar task.

Again, this is meant to highlight the dog’s natural ability since it has been a working dog for many, many years. You may want to talk to a professional trainer in this area if you are interested in such exercises.

As for housebreaking any new pet, there are a lot of theories and ideas. Many dogs of this breed actually work quite well. There are a few ideas that you may want to try with your Newfoundland. In any case, it is always best to show your dog the one place that is considered the “toilet” so it will use this whenever possible.

You should always keep a close watch on the pet’s water intake and make sure that meals are given at the same time. In every area of training the Newfoundland, it is very important to be calm and consistent.

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