AKC Conformation the judge compares each newfoundland to the breed standard, the written description for the breed. The dog and bitch that “conform” best to the Standard in the Judge’s opinion that day are awarded Championship Points. The number of points awarded are based upon the number of newfoundlands entered in each sex.

The OWNC holds a Supported Entry 1-2 times each year.

For more information view the club event calendar.

Obedience is the foundation for all kinds of fun activities with your Newf. It’s the best place to start if you want to do water work, draft work, agility, or simply have a well-behaved pet.

You might even get bit by the obedience bug and end up competing in a trial.

• American Kennel Club
• United Kennel Club

The basic definition of drafting is the act of pulling a cart or wagon. (And “carting” is often used interchangeably.)

The goal of draft work is to show how beautifully Newfies and their humans can work as a team. A great performance displays control while highlighting the Newf’s natural abilities and independence.

Teams just starting out may want to try Specialty Carting while teams ready for competition work to earn titles ranging from DD (Draft Dog), to DDX (Advanced Draft Dog) or TDD (Team Draft).

Naturally sweet, calm, and in tune with their people, our Newfies excel as therapy dogs. Therapy dogs visit schools, group homes and rehabilitation centers providing therapy to individuals. The dogs are accompanied by their handlers (generally their owners) who have trained them and have been certified by an organization to provide this service to the community.

Watching a Newfoundland pull a boat to shore or save a human life or two will take your breath away. Though many Newfs are naturally gifted, developing and perfecting water rescue skills takes a village. And OWNC is a great village of members who love spending days on the water working with our Newfs.

We help each other prepare for all levels of water rescue work and hold a test in the fall where we show what we can do and work to earn our WD (Water Dog / Junior), WRD (Water Rescue Dog / Senior) or the ultimate WRDX (Water Rescue Dog Excellent “X”) titles.

Did you know our dogs have a sense of smell that’s between 10,000 and 100,000 times more perceptive than the human nose?

Nosework is a great sport that can help build confidence in a young or shy dog and give an older dog or dog recovering from injuries a safe, non-strenuous activity. There are a few different organizations that hold trials. Each organization does things a little differently so check them all out and find what works best for you and your super sniffer:

• National Association of Canine Scent Work
• UKC
• AKC

Dock diving is a fun sport where water-loving dogs can compete by running the dock and leaping for a toy, being judged for either distance or height. There are more and more places in and around Texas to practice. Or find an event with one of the prominent organizations holding dock diving events.

• North America Diving Dogs
• Ultimate Air Dogs
• DockDogs