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Coat Care
 | Brush and comb your Newf at least once a week. Newfs shed year round,
but they “blow” their undercoat in the spring and again in the fall. |
| Don’t just brush the outer layer of the coat; the dead loose undercoat
will cause mats. Use one hand to lift up the hair and with the other hand
comb in the direction that the coat grows. You should be able to see the
skin where you are combing. |
| Mats can cause pain if not removed by either gently combing them out,
or by cutting them out. Be careful not to cut your dogs skin when using
scissors or mat rakes to slice through a mat. Mats pull at the skin of
your dog and can cause bruising and discomfort. If mats get wet, they dry
slowly and can allow yeast and bacteria to grow. |
| There are three areas were mats like to “hide”. In between the back
legs, under the front legs (“armpits”), and behind ears. Other areas will
mat, but these problem areas seem to develop mats overnight. |
| Always groom your Newf before you give him a bath. If you don’t, the
loose hair will turn into mats. Hint: To keep a fresh clean smell, dry
your Newf as quickly as possible after a bath – rub vigorously with
towels, throw a ball to help him shake the water off – or the best is to
dry with a high velocity cool air blow dryer. Also – the blow dryer has a
side benefit – it also removes loose dead coat. |
Nail Care
| Trim nails at least once a month. |
| Nails that are too long can cause your Newf pain and discomfort. If
you hear your Newfs nails “clicking” on the ground – the nails are too
long. Long nails that touch the floor push your dog’s toes apart and cause
feet to “splay”. |
| Have an experienced dog person or your vet show you how to trim nails
properly – or you can take your dog to a groomer or your vet for nail
trims. Most groomers or vets charge a nominal fee for this service. |
| Always have styptic powder available in case you cut the “quick”. |
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Ear Care
| Clean ears at least once a month. Before cleaning smell ears to make
sure they smell “normal”. Fill ear canal with ear cleaner – massage ear
for 10 seconds or more – use cotton balls to remove excess cleaner and
debris. |
| Ears that smell “bad”, contain yeast (brown/black discharge) or
bacteria (white/yellow/greed discharge) – can cause the dog pain. See your
vet if your dog ears are painful when being cleaned – or if there is
discharge that does not clear up after a couple days of cleaning. |
| Never put anything smaller than your finger into your dog’s ears. |
Trimming and Thinning
(for health and cleanliness)
| Trimming and thinning is not just for Newfs that show in conformation.
It can improve the health of your dogs skin and also can reduce the amount
of dirt that your Newf brings into your home. |
| Trimming ears and the hair around the ears can help to reduce mats. It
can also allow more air to reach the ear canal which can help keep ears
dry and healthy. |
| Trimming hair on the bottom of the foot will allow air to reach the
bottom of the foot more easily. Feet are another location where yeast and
bacteria can grow on a Newfoundland. Other benefits are to help your Newf
keep it’s footing on slippery flooring, and to reduce the amount of dirt
he tracks into your house. |
| Thinning out the chest of a Newf that carries a lot of coat or has a
neck that has “folds” may help keep this area from becoming smelly and
yeasty. |
| As far as I can tell, trimming hocks is purely to help keep your home
cleaner. |
| You can read how about how to trim a Newf – but, don’t be afraid to
ask someone with experience to show you how. |
The Newfoundland Puppy: Early Care, Early Training, by Judi Adler,
has excellent information on grooming and caring for your Newf. You can find
purchase info at http://www.sweetbay.com.
Click
here for a list of grooming equipment, supplies, and other resources. |
