Water Test Results

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:25:25 -0700

New WD (sorry don't know his registered name) - Boo handled by John Brennan

New WRD's
Griffins Pt D'Arcy CDX (?),DD,WD (D'Arcy) - owned and handled by Deborah Rothwell
Ch Kevaura's Midnite Wildfire DD (Brodie) - owned and handled by Kathy Mitchell
And brother, Ch Kevaura's Dec Of Independence (Indy) - owned and handled by Roland Parker

WRD Requalifiers
VN Ch Sierraveiw'w KaraBleu Sea-nna CD,DD,WRDX (Sea-nna) - owned and handled by Rick Humphreys
VN Ch Salty Dog's Miss Mischeif CDX,DD,WRDX, etc.
(Misty, with more titles than I can possibly remember) - owned and handled by Alex Hoops
--
Pam Rubio

Great day in Pescadero!

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 19:22:07 -0700

Alex Hoops and crew did a fantastic job putting on this fun event (and a great picnic too!) Here are the medalists:

Introductory Division:
Gold:   CastaNewf's Expedition North CGC ("Tug") (teamed w/Marcarpents Northern Light ("Zoe")) (I don't know all of Zoe's titles), handled by Lynne Baker
Silver:   Sweetwater's Taylor Made 4Us CGC RN ("Taylor"), handled by Susan Liley
Bronze:   Great Basin Princess Sara Bear CGC ("Sara"), handled by Linda Kennard

Advanced Division:
Gold:   VN Ch. Saltydog's Leapin' Lizards CD RE DD WRD ("Lizzie"), handled by John Pearson
Silver:   VN Ch. Saltydog's Miss Mischief CDX CGC RE TDD WRDX ("Misty"), handled by Alexandra Hoops
Bronze: CastaNewf's Bonne Chance CD CGC RE TD TDD WRDX ("Chance"), handled by Alexandra Hoops

Newfie Triathlon and Working Dog Picnic

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:28:30 -0700

Try your hand at the Newfie Triathlon consisting of a short Draft maneuvering course, Water rescue exercise, and Obedience recall & Rally course.
Two levels of competition:
-Introductory for those who prefer to be on-leash.
-Advanced for dogs who are ready to be leash-free.
New to the working dog events? Come join us for fun, food, and more! After the competition, all two- and four-legged attendees are welcome explore the different working dog options available. Take a spin through the maneuvering course, a dip in the pond, or learn a few Rally-O basics. Experienced trainers will be on hand to provide tips and info.
Pre-registration is required.
Event date: Saturday, June 28, 2008
Location: Willowside Ranch, Pescadero, CA
Cost: $30/triathlon entry, $15/attendee
Dates to keep in mind:
-May 27, 2008 – Triathlon entries open
-June 14, 2008 – T-shirt pre-orders due
-June 21, 2008 – Triathlon entries due
-June 25, 2008 – Attendee registrations due
For Registration form CLICK HERE!

NCNC Spring 2008 Draft Test

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 09:32:30 -0700

It was a lovely day out at Lagoon Valley Park in Vacaville, but unfortunately the perfect weather didn’t translate in to a perfect pass rate for the NCNC Spring Draft Test. There were many Almost Draft Dogs who just need one more chance. Here’s the wrap-up:

Entries 14
Withdrawals 6
Tested 8

Qualified:
Pouch Cove’s New Wave (Surf) handled by John Pearson. Owned by Gabrielle Cohen & Martin Vroegryk & Lori Littleford

Judges: Patti Pigeon and Rick Humphreys

Read this Before You Buy a Puppy Online

Sun, 6 Jan 2008 09:52:04 -0800

Dear Newfoundland Puppy Buyer,

We know how anxious you are to get a Newf puppy right away. Every time you mention a breeder you’ve found on the Internet or a local newspaper, we’ve responded with a “buyer-beware” kind of warning. You even mentioned that our answers were beginning to sound like an “Us vs. Them” debate.

Well, you’re partially right. That’s because the Newfoundland Club of America (NCA) and its regional clubs are trying to do two things.

First, we have made a commitment to maintain and improve the Newfoundland breed - that’s what breed clubs are for.

Second, we’re here to help consumers like you find a healthy, typical Newfoundland to add to your family.

Are we saying you won’t find a healthy puppy from a non-member breeder? No. Are we saying every puppy produced by an NCA or regional club member is guaranteed to be sound and healthy? No, of course not. What we ARE saying is that we’re here to help you make the most informed decision possible when choosing that new puppy. You’ve already made it clear that you’re looking for a companion/family member that will be around to share your life for the next 10-12 years. We don’t want to see you saddled with a veterinary or behavioral nightmare that leaves you emotionally and financially drained for 9 of those years because of inherited defects.

Who is “Us”?

“Us” are those Newfoundland Club of America and regional clubs’ members who care enough about the breed to go the extra mile and learn all we possibly can about Newfoundlands. We network with others who have far more experience and we pass on what we learn to those who are new to the breed.

“Us” are the people who cry when we see the abuse and/or neglect that some Newfs have endured. We spend our club money to nurse them back to health, because their owners couldn’t or wouldn’t. We participate in and support Rescue. We take up the slack because the breeder often can’t or won’t help with one of their dogs that end up in Rescue.

“Us” are the breeders that invest the money and time to do health clearances on our dogs. We research pedigrees and network with other breeders in order to make the best possible decisions before planning appropriate breedings. We answer phone calls about problems our puppies/new owners may be having - from feeding to housebreaking to illness, etc.

During our screening period we counsel people who think they want a Newf and try to help them realize that a Newf might not be the most appropriate breed for them. We spend hours and hours trying to educate the public about our breed. Often, we end up helping people who buy puppies from other people, have problems with them, and then can’t get their breeder to answer their questions.

Most of “us” have puppies only when we have the time and resources to produce them. Typically, we have the female and have to arrange to find an appropriate male with a compatible pedigree and health clearances. We then pay a stud fee, a semen collection fee, an insemination fee, and if we’re lucky, the mating results in a pregnancy. Then we pay for all the health check fees for the entire litter until they’re at least 10 weeks old.

We keep our dogs as family pets. Many of us try to breed dogs that carry on the Newfoundland’s heritage, and we participate in water, draft, obedience or therapy work with our Newfs – In other words, our Newfs do something other than just make more Newfs.

And “Them”?

They are people who produce Newfs with the idea that this can be a significant source of income for them. We’re not saying that they don’t love the breed, love their dogs, or that their dogs are “bad.” What we’re saying is that many of these breeders don’t take responsibility for the dogs they produce. They can’t or won’t help puppy buyers when asked. They often lack enough “Newf Experience” to answer questions. Many do not help their own puppy buyers by taking a puppy back or helping financially if a dog they bred needs expensive surgery.

Prior to breeding their dogs, they may do some of the clearances, but usually not all of those recommended by the NCA. They frequently don’t submit the clearances to the OFA because that costs money. Some do submit the clearances, but that does not guarantee that their dogs are typical of the breed in type or temperament. Health is just one aspect of the breed.

“They” may or may not show, participate in working events, or do therapy work with their Newfs. They know there’s a market, and they take advantage of it. They have low “overhead” because they have males and females right on their property, and it doesn’t cost them a thing to do a breeding. Yet many of them seem to ask more money for puppies than some of the top show kennels.

While the Internet is wonderful, it is not the best place to purchase a Newfoundland puppy. “They” do a lot of business on the internet because they can reach a lot of prospective buyers. They’re confident in the knowledge that most people won’t make the effort to actually come to their “kennel” and see first hand how the breeder takes care of all the dogs. They can put the photo of any dog on their website and we all assume it’s really a photo of the dog they claim it is.

I know this is long, but I want to go over a few points about “puppy mills” because we find that many people are ignorant about the dog breeding business.

When people set out to make money from breeding dogs, it becomes a livestock business. If people test for all the appropriate clearances (hip/elbow/cystinuria/heart) at the appropriate age (2 yrs for hips/elbows) it is difficult to make money breeding Newfoundlands, unless they pay nothing for stud service/breeding costs and produce multiple litters a year.

There are ways to spot puppy mills - or for-profit breeders, especially on the internet:

□ They’ll advertise multiple breeds for sale. Why? They can make more money. Conscientious breeders focus on one or maybe two breeds and do their best for those breeds.

□ They’ll take “pay pal” or other payment plans over the internet. You have to give money before a puppy is in your hands. And, obviously in that case, they’re shipping a puppy to you sight unseen – no puppy placement screening.

□ When you inquire about puppies, they ask you very few questions about yourself, what you’re going to do with the puppy - their main questions are about paying a deposit/shipping/etc. They probably will spend lots of time telling you how great their dogs are and how big they are.

□ When asked if they show their dogs or belong to a regional/national club they’re apt to reply that they don’t show because “Dog shows are just beauty contests and it’s all just political anyway” or “We don’t belong to any clubs because it’s all one big clique and we just aren’t like that – we’re for the common folk.” Membership in breed clubs offer learning and networking opportunities and indicates a commitment to the breed.

□ On their website or at their facility you’ll see that they have lots of dogs - both males and females. Some of them specialize in “rare” brown and white or gray and white. Some breeders even charge more for browns or Landseers as well. The Newfoundland Standard only allows black, white & black, brown or grey.

□ Check out their contract prior to spending any money –ALWAYS. That way you’ll know in advance if there’s any guarantee. If there is a guarantee, then see what you have to do in order to get some restitution - and decide if you’re willing to do it. A common ploy is to require the buyer (you) to return the puppy if there’s a problem and you want a refund, even a partial one. Are YOU going to be the one to break the news to your family? These breeders are depending on your love for the dog to not use that option.

□ As we said at the beginning, our role as avid Newfoundland fanciers is to help educate you so that you can make good decisions. We care about where you purchase a puppy because we want you to have a good experience and get a good healthy puppy. We don’t want to console you later as you try to deal with potentially heartbreaking decisions, or while you’re asking yourself “Why did I buy my dog on the internet?”

So the point is, do your legwork, consider the things we’ve said, ask the appropriate questions and decide if you feel good about the answers. If you think the answers are good and you feel comfortable dealing with the breeder for the next 10 years, if the contract seems fair and reasonable, etc., then consider buying a puppy from this breeder. We’re not telling you not to get a puppy from “Newfs-R-Us” or “Joe Breeder” or anyone else. We’re telling you to arm yourself with knowledge before you commit. We hope this will help you make an informed choice.

Best Regards,
Responsible Newfoundland Breeders

NCNC Blog

Water Test Results

Great day in Pescadero!

Newfie Triathlon and Working Dog Picnic

NCNC Spring 2008 Draft Test

Read this Before You Buy a Puppy Online