Newfoundland Grooming

Newfoundland dogs have thick, long, double-layered coats that require a good bit of grooming. Newfies will need frequent brushing, and bathing about every six weeks--and the bathing process is quite a job. Haircuts aren't required, but various optional hairstyles are possible.

See below for further details on brushing, bathing, haircuts, and more.

Newfoundland grooming takes a good deal of work--and much of that time will be spent maintaining these big dogs' thick, fluffy, double-layered coats.

Newfoundland dog grooming will need to include brushing 2-3 times per week (and since they shed more heavily in the spring and fall, daily during those periods). Depending on how much time your Newfie spends outside--which will mean it'll get dirty faster--baths will be necessary every one to two months. Haircuts aren't required, but occasional trimming is recommended to keep the fluffy coats from getting out of control.

While some owners learn to perform all aspects of Newfie grooming--brushing, bathing, paw care, and haircuts--by themselves, many rely on professional groomers for the major tasks like baths and trimming. In any case, it's a good idea to take your Newfie to a pro at least once. The groomer can give the dog's coat a nice makeover, and provide tips on how to groom a Newfoundland dog in general.

Caring for these dogs' coats will require the use of some Newfoundland dog grooming tools. Included in these: a pin brush, a greyhound comb, an undercoat rake, scissors, and canine shampoo. Optional items you can also use: a mat splitter, canine conditioner, a high-velocity hair dryer, clippers, and a dog grooming table.

Brushing your Newfoundland will need to take place at least twice per week. During the spring and fall, when these dogs blow their undercoats, it'll need to happen daily to help remove dead hairs.

The best brush for a Newfoundland dog isn't a brush at all: a greyhound comb will be the tool owners use most often. A pin brush and an undercoat rake will be good to have as well.

How to brush a Newfoundland: for regular maintenance, it's best to use a technique called line combing. This involves combing the coat section by section, parting a small section with one hand and combing through it with the other hand, making sure to comb from the undercoat outward to the outer coat to remove dead hairs. Start the line combing on the dog's lower legs, and work your way upward. Along the way, if you encounter any mats or tangles first try working them out with your fingers, then continue working through them with the end teeth of the comb. (Get further details in the Getting Out Tangles section below.)

During shedding season, use the undercoat rake in much the same way you use the comb, going through the entire coat section by section.

Finish by giving the Newfie's coat a quick brush-through with the pin brush to make it look neat.

Unfortunately, Newfoundlands' coats tend to mat and tangle pretty easily. The mats and tangles form most often on the legs, behind the ears, and on the neck and chest (where drool wets the hair and makes it clump). Mats and tangles happen more frequently during shedding season, when dead hairs from the undercoat get tangled with the outer coat.

These tangles can be worked out by hand (see the Brushing section above), but many owners rely on the use of an undercoat rake like a Furminator. Newfoundland dogs' coats will be much more mat- and tangle-free if these tools are used on a regular basis.

Use the rake to brush the dog from head to tail, moving in the direction of hair growth. Make sure to brush down to the undercoat with each stroke--but be careful not to let the sharp teeth pierce to dog's skin!

Does your Newfoundland dog smell bad? If so, it's probably time to give the dog a bath. Unfortunately, though, bathing a Newfoundland is a pretty time-consuming process. These dogs' thick coats take a lot of lathering and rinsing, and drying the coat takes quite a while--plus, this breed's size means there's simply a lot of dog to clean!

Newfies that spend a lot of time indoors will only need baths every couple of months--but if the dog is more of the outdoorsy type, it'll probably get dirty more quickly, in which case a bath every 3-4 weeks is good.

With Newfoundland bathing, it's important to use canine shampoo, as the kind made for humans can irritate a dog's skin. The best shampoo for Newfoundland dogs, according to many owners, is actually a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner combo. These combo shampoos, the owners say, help keep the thick coats mat- and tangle-free when combined with regular brushing.

How to bathe a Newfoundland: using an indoor bathtub with a spray nozzle attachment is best, but an outdoor kiddie pool and a garden hose will work too. First give the dog a thorough brushing, then wet the entire coat down to the skin. Apply a generous amount of shampoo to the dog's back, then lather well; be sure to work the soap into the coat with your hands. Start on the back, then work downward. (And don't forget the legs, underbelly, and tail!) Wash the face, head, and ears with a washcloth. Rinse the coat completely, which may take more than one pass! (It'll be good to have a spray nozzle which you can put right next to the coat for this part.) Once the water runs clear, towel-dry the dog and lead him out of the tub.

Drying is next. It's important to dry your Newfie's coat completely to avoid any doggy odor, and to minimize tangles. Using a high-velocity dryer is recommended, but a regular hair dryer will suffice--the problem is, the hair dryer needs to be on its lowest heat setting to avoid burning the dog's skin, which means the drying will take forever! Whatever your method: Dry the coat section by section, brushing with a pin brush as you go to speed up the process--and the drying will still take up to 30 minutes or more.

Finish with a final brush-through to make the coat look neat and clean.

Technically, Newfoundland haircuts aren't required--but many owners do have their Newfies' coats trimmed to keep them looking neat. And while some learn how to trim a Newfoundland dog themselves, most leave the Newfoundland dog haircut to the professional groomers.

Can you shave a Newfoundland? You can, but doing so is not recommended. Some people believe that shaving a Newfoundland dog (especially in summer) will keep it cool and reduce shedding--but those are both myths. A shaved Newfoundland dog rids the coat of its natural insulating abilities, thereby making the dog more susceptible to sunstroke and sunburn. And since it's the dog's undercoat that sheds, unless the Newfoundland is shaved bald--which is never a good idea!--the undercoat will still shed.

Instead of shaving, experts recommend one of these two Newfie styles:

• Summer Cut: A longer version of the well-known Puppy Cut. On a Newfoundland dog, a Summer Cut has the entire coat clipped to 2-3 inches in length. This still leaves enough of the outer coat to be able to trap cool air beneath it, and to protect the Newfie's skin from the sun.
• Lion Cut: On a Newfoundland, a Lion Cut makes the dog look like the king of the jungle! The hair on the head, neck, chest, front legs, and front part of the torso is left long; the rear of the torso and rear legs are clipped shorter. A "pom" is often sculpted on the tail tip as well.

In addition to their coats, Newfies need their paws maintained as well.

• Nails: Newfoundland dogs' nails will "click" on hard surfaces when they get too long--and that sound means it's time for a trim. Use regular nail clippers to cut the nails as close to the toe as possible. Be sure not to cut into the nail's "quick" (the blood vessel running through the nail), as this will make it bleed and be painful.
• Toe Hair: If the hair between your Newfie's toes gets too long, it will catch dirt and debris and even get infected. Use scissors to trim the hair short.
• Paw Pads: A Newfie's paw pads can become dry and cracked, especially if the dog walks or runs a lot on hot asphalt or snow and ice. Apply paw pad moisturizer (available at pet stores) to your Newfie's paw pads weekly to keep them soft and moist.