# How hot is too hot for a Newfoundland?



## TheFifthBeatle02 (Aug 23, 2009)

I am considering getting an adult Newfoundland but have read numerous things about their low heat tolerance. I live in California and at the height summer it gets to be around 110 degrees. The winters are chilly but not "cold" and are completely void of snow.

I am really interested in this breed but do not want it to be miserable. Can anyone offer some advice on whether or not it would be okay in these conditions? If it will be okay, can you also give some advice on how to keep the dog as comfortable as possible? Thank you in advance.


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## pittsabowawa (Jul 26, 2009)

Im not an expert but I would suggest that you try to find another breed. The dog would be fine in airconditioning and during the cooler months but from how you described it I think he wouldnt like it too much during the summer months. Those dogs were bred to swim in arctic waters so they're gonna have lots of fur (hot) and Im pretty sure the breed only comes in black (dont take my word for it though) which will make it hotter. 

That being said dogs can adjust. I live in Savannah, GA where it is not only hot but it can get up to 80% humidity and I've seen people with saint bernards and huskys. I dont agree with that personally but I dont know these people and I dont know how their dogs do in the heat.


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## baorb (Mar 14, 2009)

I live in Texas, and have a husky. I really feel bad for him, struck in the house most of the day. But he was a rescue.


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## cassro (Jul 29, 2009)

If I were you, I would look into a different breed with a shorter coat. Or, if you really want a Newfoundland you could always move to somewhere colder.


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## Suzi (Jun 9, 2009)

can't you just keep their coat shaved/very short, and take them swimming often?


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## prntmkr (Jan 17, 2009)

TheFifthBeatle02 said:


> Can anyone offer some advice on whether or not it would be okay in these conditions? If it will be okay, can you also give some advice on how to keep the dog as comfortable as possible?


The heat is always a concern, especially for big, black, hairy dogs. We have one - a Black Russian Terrier (which, incidentally, was originally bred with, amongst other breeds, some Newfie)...

I would be, and am, concerned with the heat issue ... although, were it our BRT in question, I'd simply groom his hair down a _lot _shorter.

Having said that, and my apologies for stating the obvious, why not find, speak with, and visit some "good" breeders in your area?


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## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

I would look into a different breed as well. Why not a short coated saint bernard, bred for similar duties. But not as much coat




Suzi said:


> can't you just keep their coat shaved/very short, and take them swimming often?


No, you DO NOT shave a double coated breed. It will ruin the coat, not help with keeping the dog cool, as it removes the dogs prtection and opens it up to being sun burned and bug bit very easily. it is NOT recomended to shave a double coated dog. ever. unless for some health reasons. that would be a exception.


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## Mom2Furkids (Jul 2, 2009)

I would look into another breed. We have hot summers (30C at times) but we get very cold (-30C) weather in the winter. We had a Great Pyrenese but we have central air conditioning and a large house. In summer she would lay directly on the air vents when she was overly warm. We also have a/c in our camper. A newfie is similar to the pyr; you definately would not want to shave their hair; it's their protection as well as their beauty.


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## Suzi (Jun 9, 2009)

Tankstar said:


> I would look into a different breed as well. Why not a short coated saint bernard, bred for similar duties. But not as much coat
> 
> No, you DO NOT shave a double coated breed. It will ruin the coat, not help with keeping the dog cool, as it removes the dogs prtection and opens it up to being sun burned and bug bit very easily. it is NOT recomended to shave a double coated dog. ever. unless for some health reasons. that would be a exception.


Ooohhh I see. I googled it and it makes a lot more sense now. Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I still see Golden Retrievers on the street who have had a partial haircut though - their underside is long and nice but their top and sides are trimmed. Is this the same too?


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

A dogs coat acts as a thermus. it keeps the heat out and the cold out. A heavy coated dog regulates it's body tempurature by panting. If the air is too hot the dog cannot have proper heat exchange threw it's panting, shaving the dog will open it's body up to the heat from the sun and the possability of sun burn.


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## Suzi (Jun 9, 2009)

Keechak said:


> A dogs coat acts as a thermus. it keeps the heat out and the cold out. A heavy coated dog regulates it's body tempurature by panting. If the air is too hot the dog cannot have proper heat exchange threw it's panting, shaving the dog will open it's body up to the heat from the sun and the possability of sun burn.


I see. That's genius! 

But, how come then it's possible/commonplace to shave/trim curly (I assume single-coated) dogs?


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

Suzi said:


> I see. That's genius!
> 
> But, how come then it's possible/commonplace to shave/trim curly (I assume single-coated) dogs?


Curly haired and stright hired breeds like the poodles, Bichon Frise, Shi-tzu's, yorkies ect. have hair not fur. Their coats would keep growing much like a human's hair and so they need to be cut every few months some people like to cut it a little shorter than others. If you trim them down to the skin you are still going to have the sunburn problems.

It seems tho that the currly haired breeds tend to stay warmer in the cold than the straight haired breeds. I think the curlyness is a better insulator.


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## Poly (Sep 19, 2007)

Keechak said:


> Curly haired and stright hired breeds like the poodles, Bichon Frise, Shi-tzu's, yorkies ect. have hair not fur. Their coats would keep growing much like a human's hair and so they need to be cut every few months some people like to cut it a little shorter than others. If you trim them down to the skin you are still going to have the sunburn problems.


Scientifically hair and fur are exactly the same thing. So why do we differentiate hair coats and fur coats in dogs? Well, tradition mostly but also three characteristics- hair thickness, hair density, and length of periods within the growth cycle. But that is getting quite technical. 

You are correct that what is commonly called a hair coat tends to keep on growing (technically, it has a very long growth period). That is one of the things that makes it different from what is called a fur coat which tends to reach a certain length and then stops (technically, it has a limited growth period and a long dormant period). 

Dogs with what is considered a fur coat - especially a double coat - should not be cut. They should be brushed - and if necessary raked - continuously to remove the dead stuff. If you give them a haircut the new hair/fur will grow in too soft and in double-coated dogs you will also mess up the seasonal ratio of undercoat to topcoat. For that reason I'm not a fan of so-called "summer cuts" for these dogs. 

Newfies are a double-coated breed so therefore a haircut is not a good idea. 

Dogs with what are considered hair coats - straight or curly - can be cut or even shaved - e.g, a poodle cut - and they will be fine _*except if they have a wire-haired coat*_. Wire haired dogs should always be stripped rather than cut because any cutting turns the hair soft and destroys the wiry character.


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## Thracian (Dec 24, 2008)

> Scientifically hair and fur are exactly the same thing. So why do we differentiate hair coats and fur coats in dogs? Well, tradition mostly but also three characteristics- hair thickness, hair density, and length of periods within the growth cycle. But that is getting quite technical.


They are definitely not the same to me. I'm allergic to dogs with fur, but have minimal problems with dogs with hair. It's a shedding issue.


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## Poly (Sep 19, 2007)

Thracian said:


> They are definitely not the same to me. I'm allergic to dogs with fur, but have minimal problems with dogs with hair. It's a shedding issue.


Nope - you are incorrect. They are exactly the same - same proteins, same chemistry, etc. If you are allergic to "dog fur", you are allergic to "dog hair" too. 

Dogs that have "hair" produce the same allergy triggers that dogs with "fur" do. 

But because of the way their coat grows, less of the triggers are actually released into the environment. It's simply a matter of quantity, not quality. Dogs with "hair" also appear to shed less for the same reason - a lot of the old stuff is captured within the coat and not dropped off on its own. 

Of course, when they get a haircut, all that stuff comes off. 

This can all be described very technically but I'm giving you the basics.


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## Suzi (Jun 9, 2009)

Thanks everyone, very interesting and informative. 

Hmm, so I wonder what kind of coat Remus has. He is a goldendoodle. I know mixed breeds don't have predictable characterists, etc.

He hardly sheds, but his hair is wavy, not curly like a poodle (or like his brother). His hair grows and we have to trim it out of his eyes occasionally or else he can't see anything. He is 5-6 months old so we haven't had a chance to see how long his coat grows. We also gave him a haircut already because we thought he was hot. Plus he was getting more and more rotund . Actually an interesting thing is that as we were shaving him that one time, after a while he stopped squirming, and we think it's cuz he realized that he gets a nice breeze on the parts just shaved. Maybe just wishful thinking on our part.


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

To get back to the OP's question about the Newfie. You could keep a newfie where you live IF you (1) keep it inside in the AC during the hottest part of the day, or take it swimming. In winter it would be fine. But, have you ever really lived with or been around a Newfie for any period of time?


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