Watercubs & Kivisilmän

working show-quality newfoundlands

General information about the litters:

Could you be a potential Newfoundland owner?  READ: Is a newfoundland the right breed for me?

We only sell puppies to families who will keep in contact with us, and who will ask us help for any possible problems before it is too late! We would prefer active families who are interested in either/both the showring and waterwork. We will always be there to give a helping hand in any hobby you choose and teach you the basics to the best of our abilities.

Everyone is welcome to ask about the upcoming litters, even if you are not interested in showing/waterwork, we just want the best loving homes for each and every puppy. :-)  We do not ship the puppies abroad without seeing the owners either beforehand or when collecting the puppy.  

For most of their lives, the puppies will be living in our livingroom, surrounded by our family. They will have gotten used to the normal noises from the sounds of the TV to aeroplanes flying over our house. They will have been taught how to be handeled on the grooming table and accept the basic brushing. The puppies will have been socialized to all kinds of people.

The puppies will be able to go to their permanent homes from the age of 8 weeks. Visits from families are welcome from 3-4 weeks, depending on the situation (preferably not before to reduce possible outside diseases being spread). The puppies will come with a thick information pack containing everything from a general introduction to the breed, to how to feed, vaccinate, groom and teach basic obedience to the puppy. This information pack will be supplied to the owners preferably beforehand. All questions will be answered to our best knowledge. If we do not know, we will help you find the answer.

The puppies will be registered to the Finnish kennel club under the prefix Kivisilmän (and pedigree supplied), vaccinated (parvo), microchipped and dewormed at least 3 times before parting. According to the situation, some vaccinations may be given together with the basic healthcheck. A health certificate will also be supplied, stating that the puppy is in good health. The litters will be weaned to raw food. Hopefully their permanent families will continue to feed raw, because it is the best way to ensure that the puppies get a healthy start in their lives. If, however, you do not feel comfortable starting with raw food, we will guide you to the best alternative.

You are always welcome to come and get to know our newfies before deciding on anything. :-)
 

Where does the price come from?

The price of the puppies will be 1500€. The prices include official hip and elbow X-rays before the age of five years and one open class dogshow. These are in no way compulsary, but we would appreciate if you could do them.

Why should I X-ray my dog?

The hip and elbow X-rays are normally taken after the age of 24 months, usually before the age of four years. In the process the dog is put to sleep, during which the vet will take the needed X-ray pictures. The pictures show the structure of the hip and whether there is any arthrosis present and how likely it is that it will appear over time.

The pups health and health results are one of our major interests, since they tell us something that we cannot see with a naked eye. The results help us make the decisions in the future; to breed or not to breed.

For the owner they are almost as important, if not even more, because the pictures tell the owner how much and how they are allwowed to excercise their dog. Can they start agility (a hobby where the dog has to jump over fences ), do they have to focus on keeping the dogs muscles in a good state by doing more waterwork.

Why the dogshow?

The dog show is not as important as the health results, but it is also valuable information for us. It tells us how well the dogs meet the breed standard, and if they have any structural problems. Are they as beautiful as the owners see them? :-)

Neither of these are compulsary, but only preferable. They are very valuable information for any breeder..

From our previous litter all but one have been to dog shows, four have had their official X-rays taken. These have told us more than we could have ever hoped for. At the beginning dog shows can feel like scary thought, but there's no need to worry; we're always here to help in every way. From trimming all the way to showing in the show ring.  

The breakdown of the price of a newfoundland puppy

1000€ times 6 puppies = 6000€?

The standard price for a Newfoundland puppy is in the region of 1000-1700€. The price of our first litter was 1000€. At this time, we had not included the X-rays or showing in the price which meant the owners had to pay for them out of their own pocket. Currently both are included in the puppy price.

The basic necessities that can be counted as a part of breeding bills are listed underneath. This is to show that reputable breeding can never be done for the money.

And of course all that money cannot buy: time and work. There is surprisingly lot of work with caring for a litter. After the first weeks, it can feel like there's poo even coming out of your ears. It's everywhere and if you don't clean it that second you'll end up having to clean the whole house after someone's accidentally stepped on it.. The first weeks have their own workloads; keeping an eye on all the puppies, weighing them every couple of hours and making sure that when the mother decides to stand up or lay down, no-one's underneath..

After the puppies can be let outside in the garden the poo-cleaning gets easier, but now it's time for "hello everyone, we have puppies, would you like to pet them" -the socializing period- when everyone needs (and wants!) to come and pet them. Of course during this time you will also have to teach everyone individually to the trimming table and combing, the sound of a car, being alone in the kitchen at our feet and of course the tv and much, much more...
Not to forget updating puppypictures on the web for potential new owners and advertizing and questioning potential owners. Time, that's something that you really want but don't have.
Until you have too much after all the puppies have left to their forever-homes. It feels Empty, but at least you know you have done everything to make sure the puppies have the best starts at their new homes. The feeling you get after the pups are gone, makes you know you are a good breeder.

From the previous litter we made 20€, with which we bought ice cream for the whole family.

(c) Salmelin