Training:
Training is again essential. I'm not talking rolling over and running around obstacle courses, I'm talking about basic manners.
Teach your puppy not to jump up. A little tiny bundle of fur jumping up is one thing, Granny getting flattened by your 14 stone Newfie is something else entirely.
Do not feed them at the table, they are ruthless counter surfers anyway. You don't have to share your meal, they will steal what's left later. If you do feed them from your plate, even once, they have elephant memories for even the slightest bending of your will. Resign yourself to every meal having a side dish of imploring eyes and drool.
When they're young, keep training sessions short and sweet. Around 5 minutes is the ideal and you'll find that the mental stimulation provided by training, will make for a very sleepy puppy. Never get frustrated if it doesn't go your way and never end a training session on a bad note.
Reward based training:
When training with your dog you always need to make sure your dog is motivated and you need to find the things your dog likes so you can use it as a reward. Most dogs love food so treats can vary from a bit of dry kibble or shop bought treats (generally low value) to cheese, chicken and cocktail sausages (high value).
If you are teaching a new exercise or increasing the distractions, then it’s a good idea to use high value rewards but if it's something you have practised a lot, then you may find that a lower value reward is fine but always bear in mind whether you would prefer to go to work for £5 per hour, or £50 per hour......Judge this on the way your dog is working, if your dog is doing well and is motivated then you are using the right reward. I would ALWAYS use a high value reward for training.
You are NOT BRIBING, you are reinforcing good behaviour positively.
Recall:
Yes recall. Well, it is a bit hit and miss with most Newfoundland's. It's not so much as they don't hear you, or understand that you want them to come back, it's more that they take it as an advisory rather than a command. If, for example, you are the only interesting thing around AND you have sausages in your pocket, then they are almost perfect at recall. If, however, there is another dog, a car, a bike, a football, a small child or an interesting plant, then not so much. If any of you find a solution for this please do let me know.
Get used to practising together in the early stages of training before you head out into the open. These exercises will not only get your puppy used to their name but provides a fun and familiar environment for them to learn new skills. Recall training can be really easy and is a never ending lesson for your dog as they will always encounter new scents and surroundings throughout their life that will test their resolve. A good, solid and consistent recall is one of the most important things your dog can learn. You can start at home by simply sitting at opposite ends of the room or at either end of the hallway, have your training partner place their hands gently in front of the puppy so their movement is gently restricted, call their name enthusiastically and have your partner release them when they feel them wriggling break free. Follow with lots of praise, a tasty treat and repetition.
This channel is fantastic and will show you how to do it positively with a tried and tested method that works along with lots of other basic training commands that will ensure you have a well mannered bear that's a joy to be around.
The key is to be enthusiastic, think hyperactive children's TV presenter. The more excitable you are, even if you feel foolish, the more your giant stubborn Newfie will realise that you are far more exciting than the distraction. Never reward a negative or wrong behaviour. Encourage and reward behaviour you do like and ignore or prevent behaviour you don't like.
Walking to heel. You seriously have to try to get this one nailed. If you don't, get used to looking like Eddie the Eagle when walking downhill to the park and spending a lot of time face down. They realise fairly early on that they are bigger and heavier than you. Again, watch the videos in the paragraph above
Clicker Training:
One of the best ways to train with effectiveness is to use a 'clicker'. They can be picked up at any pet shop or online
Clicker training is a great way to capture and identify behaviours and actions during training as dogs have a very short window of association between the action that they are being rewarded for and the reward. For best results, rewards need to be delivered exactly when the behaviour occurs. That way the dog can clearly mark what it was doing and repeat it again for another reward. Delays between behaviour and reward can lead to confusion. You think you're rewarding your dog for touching its bottom to the floor as part of the 'sit' command but by the time you've fiddled around to break a piece of treat off in your hand, he thinks it's for lifting his paw to get your attention. So how do you resolve the problem? You introduce a secondary reinforcer and in this case, it's a clicker! This increases the window of recognition between the good behaviour and the reward as you have captured the action with the clicker and have more time to juggle with all of the sausages crammed into your pockets.
Have a look online at 'clicker training' videos and how to 'load/charge the clicker' so your dog recognises that this sound means they've done something you want them to do again.
We love the Kikopup training videos on YouTube
The Terrible Teens:
This is when you hope that all of the hard work that you have put in starts to pay off.
Newfie's have a long teenage phase. They start to become less inclined to listen to you and more inclined to push your boundaries at about 12 months. This continues, if you are lucky, until they are about 2 to 3 years old. During that time they will perfect the art of totally ignoring every command that they once knew unless it suits them.
They will learn the 'peace protestor manoeuvre" which involves just throwing themselves to the ground and going limp, whilst looking at you with a face that says "I'm 10 stone whatcha going to do about it?" whenever they don't want to do something. They will become more excitable and develop hormones that make them want to hurtle around barging into everything whilst yelling at the top of their voices. Stick with it, this phase will pass.
Be firm and be consistent. Any inconsistency is immediately logged and remembered and if it suits them, will become their view of how things always are. Eventually when you are sat with your calm and relaxed 4 year old Newfie lolling against you, you will look back on it and laugh. Or not, as by then you will probably have developed a Newfoundland addiction, and will probably have another teenage furball racing around causing you and number 1 Newfie to roll your eyes in despair..........