Starting off on the right paw
There is so much that goes into the care of newborn pups. It is much like having a newborn baby…times 9 in this case. Depending on the mama and how she handles labor and newborn care, we will have lots of work to do. Grace is our easy one. She is a very calm mama in labor. She pushes, cleans them up, guides them to the nipples and allows them to nurse right away…even while still giving birth. She is an incredible mama. Breezy on the other hand handles it exactly how you would expect someone with anxiety to handle it. She absolutely freaks out when they are born, sniffs them to death while pushing them to us to clean them up and she will not have anything to do with nursing until labor is all done and over with and there are no more “aliens” inside of her…(literally how she acts). Then she lays with them. In Grace’s case, all that’s needed is a clean environment and warmth. With Breezy’s babies, we bottle feed while mama is in labor so that the babies are immediately getting fed and tended to. We also do body heat and cuddle with them, skin to skin so they can get our warmth. In either case, puppy warming pads, lots of towels, cleaning wipes, garbage bags, puppy pads, nasal suckers, sterilized scissors, alcohol, ribbons, string (in case a cord is needing to be tied), and so many more things go into that labor and delivery process.
After everything calms down, then comes the sleepless nights. Ya know, the kind where every puppy cry/whine sends you jumping up out of a dead sleep just to make sure they aren’t being crushed and everyone is equally suckling. We have lost a few pups from puppy fading syndrome, over the years. It wasn’t easy. Now, there is a type of panic that comes over us and an overbearing protectiveness. We make sure we weigh them repeatedly and keep our eye on any “little ones” to make sure they get separate feeding time with mama. My mother bred huskies when I was growing up and she jokes with me all the time about how effortless her dogs were. They did everything right up to the sale of the pup…she barely had to do anything. I do not know this life. These pups are like my grand babies and we all bond with them immediately. The whole family gets in on this and they are smothered with love and protection from day 1.
Newfoundlands have become my greatest obsession and they run my life. I have fallen so madly in love with their personalities and character traits…everything about these gentle giants are everything I’ve ever wanted in a dog and never knew it til now.
Ya learn something new every day…
I did not know when I first became a breeder that puppies were born without hearing as well as sight. Sight was a pretty easy guess seeing as they are born with their eyes closed and they only start to open between 1-2 weeks. But, I had no idea that they couldn’t hear! I started doing some research on how we could effectively communicate with them in a calm, loving manner. We were all so used to speaking baby talk with them and clearly that wasn’t the way. I decided it was time to incorporate some new tools. To get them used to our smell, we cuddle with them and let them crawl up on our shoulder to get all wrapped up in our hair. They get used to our smell like that. When they have stopped exploring our hair, we bring them to our upper chest and start humming. The vibrations from the humming that come from our chin and chest are very soothing to them and it’s like a lullaby. They are already used to us all by the time their eyes open and they can hear our real voices. I’ve noticed that it aids in the bond they form with us before leaving for their forever home. They trust us. They act like themselves without hesitation and we try guiding them towards good behaviors.
The Newfoundland personality is such a naturally loving one that I don’t believe the pups would ever not be lovable. However, we do what we do from the very start of their life so that they can be in an environment where their personalities grow to their fullest Newfie potential is so important. I truly believe that it’s crucial to develop that close bond with your Newfie very early on so you’ll have patience and grace during their adolescence. When they go to their new home, they will be naturally looking for their person. They will love the entire family…and all the friends….and the mailman…and the pizza guy…and the amazon delivery guy…
BUT, they will bond with their person first and foremost. This happens almost immediately (in most cases) and we truly believe that we are doing the best we can to make sure our babies have that easy transition from their birth family to their newly adopted family.
And then we stay in touch. Wether it’s through text, email, messenger or posting in the group, I have contact with all but 3 of my puppy families. Those 3 have chosen their privacy over the family bond and that is totally ok but the B’sharri family connection is there should you ever want to utilize it.
I love what I do. If you think the price is too high, our pups aren’t for you. There is a tremendous amount of care that goes into their parents and keeping them in the best shape they can be, especially our mamas with pregnancy and postpartum care. We feed them well and A LOT. We also go above and beyond with our pups. We love them and give them the best start they could possibly have. And, we’re always here. No matter what time of day or night, if you have any questions or concerns or even just want to vent about their teenage antics…I am your girl. I will listen and offer any advice I can to help guide you. If you have a question/concern I don’t have the answer to, I have a very wide Newfie community and I can guide you in the right direction of help/tips/advice.
That is what you get when you get a puppy from B’sharri’s Breeze Newfies. The true Newfie spirit/personality guarantee!
