• All toys should be large enough to prevent swallowing whole.
  
  • Tennis balls are NOT RECOMMENDED as a Newf can swallow one whole. If you decided to use one, supervise your Newf closely.
    
  • What was a good size toy for an 7 to 12 week old Newf puppy will be too small for an older Newf. Prepare to go through several sizes of Kongs and other the favorite toys. (It helps to have friends with smaller dogs to whom you can pass on the outgrown toys.)

• Use Bitter Apple to prevent chewing on inappropriate objects (non-Toys).
  
  • Regrettably, some Newfs love the flavor of Bitter Apple, Tobasco Sauce, dishsoap, vinegar, and just about everything else you may think of to discourage inappropriate chewing.

• Avoid the use of old socks and shoes as a Newfie can't distinguish between an old pair and a new pair.
  
  • "In our household we have always (going back actually to my parents house/dogs) tied a knot in any discarded sock and then given it to the animals to play with. To this day we have never had any dog have a problem with comprehension of this system ... even Rose ... :-)" (Advice from Karen Kephart <mailto:karenk@fnal.gov>)

• Hard Plastic Jug filled with stones
  
  • "One of my pups greatest toys, even to this day (she's 16 mos. old) is an empty hard plastic jug like one of those big cat litter jugs that is empty and filled with stones. Makes great noise, is a fabulous "hockey puck" to chase around on snow or green grass, can be thrown and chased and slid for hours! And it's free (cider jugs work but there not really as great)." (Suggested by an Unkown Newf-L member <mailto:newf-l@lists.colorado.edu>)

• Empty 2 liter pop bottles with caps off
• Empty 4 liter milk bottles with caps off
  
  • "Kodiak's favorite toy when she was a puppy was empty plastic milk jugs. She had a hard time getting a hold of them so it provided hours of entertainment and there was always new ones every couple of days. Now she just likes to lick the old milk and try to shred it so we have to watch her if she has one." (Suggestion from Kirsten <mailto:newf-l@lists.colorado.edu>)

• Fisher Price wobbling, chiming apple
  • (Suggested by Joan Leach <mailto:jleach@dns.cyberlink.bc.ca>)

• Buster Cube
  
  • You put kibble in it and the Newf has to roll it around to get at the food. (Suggested by Joan Leach <jleach@dns.cyberlink.bc.ca>)
    
  • "Teaches concepts like "under," "over," and "inside" (Nic Rosenau <mailto:webmaster@newfpuppyshoppinglist.com>)

• Shredding should be a supervised activity as some Newfs will try to consume the remains of the toy which may not be either digestible or passable.

• Cardboard Boxes.
  
  • "These are the best darn toys in the WHOLE wide world. As I work out of my house, I regularly receive boxes of stuff. Zillah shreds a box almost every day. On Friday, a huge package arrived and the box was almost as big as Zillah. Wow! This was the best box he'd ever had. Only problem was when he swung it around my office and bopped me on the back of the head with it. I think this was intentional." (PamelaVanG <mailto:PamelaVanG@aol.com>)

• See Plush Toys.

• Tennis balls are NOT RECOMMENDED as a Newf can swallow one whole. If you decided to use one, supervise your Newf closely.

• Soccor Balls
  
  • "Kodiak also loves to play with a soccer ball. She loves to grabs it in her mouth and runs around the yard with it and she can also kick it and pounce on it so I can't get it from her. Once it was kicked over our fence and she got the most bewildered look on her face. When our neighbor finally returned it she was very excited. They are fairly inexpensive and very durable." (Suggested by Kirsten <mailto:newf-l@lists.colorado.edu>)

• Large plush ball, 12" for ~US$15
  
  • Great for indoor fetch!

• The Fluffy Ball, a 6" to 8" sheepskin ball ~$12 Cdn
  
  • "Forest's favorite toy is a 6 to 8 inch across sheepskin ball (no squeakers) made by a company that makes sheepskin slippers up in the backwoods of Ontario. 100% washable, this is the best toy for a Newf... the balls are made from the remnants of the other products the company makes and stuffed with the clippings (not a good toy for a dog with an allergy to wool!), sewn together using a special overlock machine ... Forest's fuzzy ball from last year is still going strong -- I haven't had to mend the seams, and they DO play rough...they play tug-a-ball with it, shake it, pull at it, pounce on it, etc., Mulder even dragged it outside and dropped it in the kiddie pool, rolled it in the mud..." (Suggested by Krys Prichard, <mailto:rco@infonet.ca>)
    
  • Order from The Warm Corner Sheepskin, Ltd.
  • <http://www.shop.net/warmcorner>
  • 133 George Street
    P.O. Box 283
    Lanark, ON K0G 1K0
  • (613) 259-2489 (fax/phone)
  • 1-800-572-2894

• 10" Indestructible Ball which can be filled with sand or gravel. ~US$12.
• 10" Best Ball which can also be filled with sand or gravel.
  
  • "Kotter loves his 10 inch ball. At first we were nervous about giving it to him due to his hips, but he handles it great and it doesn't seem to stress his hips at all. He was able to soccer it around like a pro immediately (soccer = football to those outside the U.S.). He even played a good game of "keep away" the first evening he had it. The best thing is that it's also a fun toy to play with on his own. He'll be out there happily batting it around for, well ..., MINUTES! And we haven't even put anything inside of it to make it sound cool." (Suggested by Nic Rosenau, <mailto:webmaster@newfpuppyshoppinglist.com>)

• Football, American, junior version (~9" long)
  
  • "I use a good quality vinyl one with a faulty valve which enables the dog to handle it with ease. Fully blown up they bounce better but only the largest dogs can handle them well. They also appear to last well -- the one we are using now has been in use for about 4 years and is now been enjoyed by its second newf." It's also a good toy in the water so long as you don't leave the punctured ones in there too long. (Suggested by Les Brumhead <mailto:huller@alphalink.com.au>)

• Squeaking knobby football

• Tough vinyl clutch ball

• Nubby ball

• Acme Corkles (a nubby ball -- easy for little teeth to hold and carry).

• Horse Ball, nearly 30GBP's or US$25
  
  • "It is like a large marker buoy with a handle. The horse holds the handle in its teeth and tosses it about." (Asiotye <mailto:asiotye@aol.com>)
    
  • "Horses play for hours with them (have 2 horses, one toy). The newf has had his for 3 years now." (Suggested by Anonymous <mailto:newf-l@lists.colorado.edu>)

• Jolly Ball, 10 inch for ~US$16
  
  • Similar to the Horse Ball, with a large handle for easy throwing and holding, the Jolly Ball also floats and bounces. Made of soft, low-density plastic, they won't deflate.

• Kong
  
  • A full grown Newf will prefer the 6-inch King Kong, but a Newfoundland Puppy will want the 4-inch version. (Suggested by Joan Leach <mailto:jleach@dns.cyberlink.bc.ca>)
    
  • A Kong filled with peanut butter will occupy a Newf for some time.

• Toss'N'Tug, 8 inch; for ~US$8
  • Soft, hairy, floating ball with a looped handle. Best for supervised used as its handle can be unraveled.

• Don't let your Newfoundland Puppy become a destructive chewer. Redirect his natural chewing instinct to some of these chew toys.

• Various sized Booda Bones (braided cotton bones), 8-inch-19.5-inch, ~US$3-US$12
• Other knotted rope toys, 20-inch to 36-inch; for ~US$7 to ~US$13
  • Without plastic bits which can be chewed up

• Gumabone dental bones, 8-inch = ~US$6

• Nylabone dental bones, 8-inch = ~US$5

• Hercules chew

• Wolf sized dental Kong
• Kong , ~US$10
  
  • A full grown Newf will prefer the 6-inch King Kong, but a Newfoundland Puppy will want the 4-inch version. (Suggested by Joan Leach <mailto:jleach@dns.cyberlink.bc.ca>)
    
  • A Kong filled with peanut butter will occupy a Newf for some time.

• See Bones.

• Offer hard plastic toys only when the Newfoundland Puppy is supervised as a Newf can chew one up and swallow small pieces that may not make it all the way through the Newf digestive system.

• Rubber hedgehog for ~US$9

• Squeaking cauliflower chew toy

• Only when supervised as a Newf can chew one up and swallow small pieces that may not make it all the way through the Newf digestive system.

• Plush squeaking squirrel, 11" for ~US$13

• Plush grunting hedgehog

• Plush Rainbow Jack with Six "Squeeky's", a Ruff™ Dog Toy Exerciser from J&Y Pet Products, Inc.

• Squeaking peapod

• Buy in bulk for lower prices.

• Marrow Bones
  
  • I have to admit, Yogi's teeth look great since he gets the raw marrow bones (raw so they don't splinter and big enough that he can't swallow it whole) - the vets are amazed at how white they are - it sure beats brushing his teeth :-)

• 6-inch to 8-inch Bleached bones

• Large sterilized natural bones
  • 5-inch to 7-inch = ~US$2
  • 8-inch-10-inch = ~US$3.50

• Knuckle bones

• Mammoth bones

• Paddy wacks
  • Very tough beef tendons roasted in their own juices.

• Chick 'N' Cheez

• Nylabone Carrot Bone
  • Stains the carpet orange, but the Newfs love them.

• Nylabones Pop Pups
  • Potato-based, they can be softened by heating for Newfs wanting a gentler chew.

• Roar-Hide Natural Rawhide Dog Chew from Nylabone (molded, sterilized rawhide & casein)
  • "Regular rawhide can ribbon and cause Newfs to choke. Roar-Hide, however, is a ground, unified mass, injection molded & sterilized. It cannot ribbon, is high in protein & low in fat. Baked in flavor. " (from package)

• Galileo Bones, souper size for ~US$11

• Pressed Rawhide bones
  • "Kotter loves them!" (Rohn Blake <mailto:rohn@pubrats.com>)

• Rawhide bones
  • Only when supervised as a Newf may choke on long bits of rawhide

• hooves ~US$0.75-~US$0.90
  • Really stinky when wet (from Newf saliva) -- an outdoor chew!

• Opinions are mixed as to whether tug toys are appropriate. My (Nic's) judgment is that they are good for some Newfs and not others and then only if used properly.

• "Avoid introducing tug toys until you have a sense of the puppy's temperament. If your pup is a dominant type, then you may not wish to use tug toys. If your pup is shy or okay with letting you be in charge, then go ahead. If you choose to use a tug toy, first teach the "Drop" command, then PLAY with the toy. Every time the game gets rougher than you like, LET GO. If the Newfie wants to play, the tug will come back. Try to end the game slightly before the Newf is ready to stop: Teach the command "That's all" (meaning play time is over), while the Newf is still young and you are the stronger partner." (Advice from an Unkown Newf-L member <mailto:newf-l@lists.colorado.edu>)

• Largest of the cotton Booda bones, 19.5-inch = ~US$12

• Long Booda tug

Tug toy with a handle on one end, 17-inch-30-inch, ~US$7-US$18

• Old socks or washcloths tied together.
  
  • Some will caution you to avoid the use of old socks as toys, as a Newfie can't distinguish between an old pair and a new pair.
    
  • "In our household we have always (going back actually to my parents house/dogs) tied a knot in any discarded sock and then given it to the animals to play with. To this day we have never had any dog have a problem with comprehension of this system ... even Rose ... :-)" (Advice from Karen Kephart <mailto:karenk@FNAL.GOV>)

• Drop in kiddy pool (see below) for puppy to retrieve.

• Red plastic retrieving dummy

• Splunkie/Splunky (Suggested by Joan Leach <mailto:jleach@dns.cyberlink.bc.ca>)

• Orange canvas bumpers
  
  • only when supervised as a Newf can (will) destroy one.

• retrieving duck

• Half-filled 500 ml. pop bottle (Suggested by Joan Leach <mailto:jleach@dns.cyberlink.bc.ca>)

• Cool Kong, 4-inch = ~US$7.50
  
  • It floats and has a rope handle for tossing and carrying. Best for supervised used as its handle can be unraveled.

• Football, American, junior version (~9" long)
  
  • "I use a good quality vinyl one with a faulty valve which enables the dog to handle it with ease. Fully blown up they bounce better but only the largest dogs can handle them well. They also appear to last well -- the one we are using now has been in use for about 4 years and is now been enjoyed by its second newf." It's also a good toy in the water so long as you don't leave the punctured ones in there too long. (Les Brumhead <mailto:huller@alphalink.com.au>)

• Jolly Ball, 10" for ~US$16
  
  • Similar to the Horse Ball, with a large handle for easy throwing and holding, the Jolly Ball also floats. Made of soft, low-density plastic, it won't deflate.

• Toss'N'Tug, 8" for ~US$8
  
  • Soft, hairy, floating ball with a looped handle. Best for supervised used as its handle can be unraveled.

• Before getting your Newf wet, give her or him a brushing -- wet tangles become nasty mats all too quickly. You'll also want some way to make sure your Newf dries all the way down to the skin or hot spots may develop.

• Some people choose to shave off the belly and chest hair of their Newf or trim their coats to between 1/2" to 1" length. Many would argue that this is a big no-no, because ...
  
  • it takes more than a year for the coat to return to its original condition (especially important in colder climates or for those competing in Conformation)
    
  • a Newf's coat serves to protect the Newf from both summer heat and winter cold. In particular, a shaved coat exposes the Newf to the risk of sunburn.

• Kiddy pool, firm plastic, ~US$8

• Pool made from an eight-foot diameter galvanized tank
  
  • "The MudPuppy's favorite is his swimming pool. We bought a galvanized tank from the feed store (8' round) and buried it in the yard so that the lip was about a foot above ground level with a drain pipe laid in such a way that we could empty it easily. We put a step (8" wide) around the edge of the inside of the pool for easy exits. We put it under the patio roof so it is always in the shade. We fill it when the MudPuppy starts sitting in his water dish in late spring. Change it when it looks too murky. Only real problem is catching and drying him before he jumps on the sofa after a swim." (Vana <mailto:knutenewf@aol.com>)

• Sprinkler

• Ocean, lake, river, pond, stream :-)