THE ASSOCIATION OF OWNERS AND
BREEDERS OF PEDIGREE DOGS.

Men like to gather by affinities. That's how clubs are born. Some amateurs and breeders of Newfoundland dogs founded the Belgian Newfoundland Club (BNFC-CBTN) in 1979. They had as objectives to gather all the amateurs of the race, to develop the canine sport and to encourage the breeding of pedigree dogs in its purest form.
Although the Newfoundland is not very well known, the club developed to the point to become one of the largest and the most active clubs of Belgium and counts currently almost 500 members.
The bilingual review of the club appears every three months. It contains information concerning the activities, the Newfoundland, its health, taking care of him, the results obtained by the members at contests and shows and also letters of members.
Each year, approximately 25 activities are organized throughout Belgium: walks, weekends, conferences, demonstrations and from March till October every two weeks the water training in Willebroek which bring together an average of 70 dogs at each training session.
The club assigns a responsible in every province. He can give information about the Newfoundland and about the club. He is also in charge of organizing a yearly event in his province and act as a spokesman of the club.
The association ensures the mediation of the pups. Thanks to this service, the potential buyers receive all information necessary to the purchase of a pup. This information is gathered in the booklet "a pup at home and then...?". At the same time, the brochure provides a list of the "member-breeders" where the amateurs can buy a pup in all confidence.

WATER TRAINING.

Dogs were born to work and not to be attached to a chain or to be bored lying in an armchair. The "Will to please" is mainly present in the dog. Understanding this forms the basis for a perfect relation between dog and his owner.
In the past it was completely normal that dogs worked and if looked after well, these dogs were very happy. But now the roles are reversed and it is man who must encourage his dog to work. The dog evolved from an object of work to a pet.
Swimming together, returning objects, and other wateractivities with our four-legged friend are naturally very pleasant. But man had always a need for competition and likes challenges. That's why in February 1986 there were several meetings between the BNFC-CBTN and Mrs. Vanherle-Stevens, a monument in the Belgian canine sport and president of section 4b of the Royal Canine Union Saint Hubert, to make as quickly as possible a program of water training in Belgium. And the same year, they succeeded to pass the first water tests in the Meeting of Representatives. Considering the growing number of interested people, they worked out more complicated water training tests. The result consists at the present time of three certificats of merit: A., B and C.
The goal of this program is to encourage the amateurs and owners of Newfoundland and Landseer ECT to train their dogs in wateractivities, step by step. Not only the dog is in contact with other dogs and unfamiliar people but also he develops by these exercises a discipline of confidence and behavior, which can be useful for him in dangerous situations in and around the water.
This program of water training will certainly not harm their career of dog of exhibition and at the same time is a starting-point towards other disciplines in the canine sport, provided that those who practice it, learn to believe in their possibilities as teachers.