Easily trained and possessed of an amicable disposition, Newfoundland makes a good family pet for those who can handle a large that sheds copious amounts of hair, eats plenty of food, slobbers a bit, and loves getting wet and dirty. The breed's name is pronounced New-fun-land, with the last syllable pronounce with a "hard a." It was among the first working breeds of dog to be developed as a family pet, reaching the halcyon days of its popularity in the early to mid-nineteenth century in both Europe and North America. Today, the breed's popularity has waned, but to those who have devoted themselves to the breed, it is truly a treasure.
Appearance
Today's Newfoundland is a large dog that superficially resembles a St. Bernard that is solid black, brown, gray, or black and white in color. However, its origin is quite different from the St. Bernard. The Newfoundland is actually a water dog from the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was used to haul nets and heavy loads for the early settlers of that province who lived on the island of Newfoundland. There is some debate as to what this breed looked like in its original form. The original Newfs were sometimes called St. John's Water Dogs. This name was also used to describe the dogs that played a role in the development of all of the retriever breeds as well. Many authorities think that there were two types of St. John's Water Dogs/Newfoundlands: a greater and a lesser. The greater had more of a mastiff ancestry and became the modern Newfoundland dog. The lesser was used in the development of the retriever breeds.
A Popular Family Pet in the Nineteenth Century
Whatever their original appearance, the Newfoundlands that existed in much of the nineteenth century were large dogs. Many were black and white in color, and this variety was immortalized in the paintings of Sir Edwin Landseer. It is because of his love of this color, that black and white Newfs are called Landseers. These dogs have also been immortalized in literature, with J. M. Barrie including a Newfoundland dog named "Nana" as the baby sitter for the Darling children in Peter Pan. This dog was based on Barrie's own Newf. Lord Byron also was smitten with the Newfoundland, and he wrote perhaps the most famous epitaph ever written for a dog when his dog, Boatswain, died in a fit of rabies:
When some proud son of man returns to earth,
Unknown to glory, but upheld by birth,
The sculptor's art exhausts the pomp of woe
And storied urns record who rest below:
When all is done, upon the tomb is seen,
Not what he was, but what he should have been:
But the poor dog, in life the firmest friend,
The first to welcome, foremost to defend,
Whose honest heart is still his master's own,
Who labours, fights, lives, breathes for him alone,
Unhonour'd falls, unnoticed all his worth-
Denied in heaven the soul he held on earth:
While Man, vain insect! hopes to be forgiven,
And claims himself a sole exclusive Heaven.
Oh Man! thou feeble tenant of an hour,
Debased by slavery, or corrupt by power,
Who knows thee well must quit thee with disgust,
Degraded mass of animated dust!
Thy love is lust, thy friendship all a cheat,
Thy smiles hypocrisy, thy words deceit!
By nature vile, ennobled but by name,
Each kindred brute might bid thee blush for shame.
Ye! who perchance behold this simple urn,
Pass on-it honours none you wish to mourn:
To mark a Friend's remains these stones arise;
I never knew but one,-and here he lies.
Newfs also accompanied early American explorers and naturalists as they experienced the uniqueness of the continent. Meriwether Lewis bought Newfoundland dog at Pittsburgh before he and William Clark began their journey across the continent to explore the newly purchased lands of the northern parts of Louisiana and lay claim to the Oregon Country in the Pacific Northwest. The dog, named "Seaman," proved to be an asset early on in the journey. Traveling down the Ohio not far from where Wheeling, West Virginia, now stands, a large number of black squirrels were seen crossing the river to the Ohio side. Lewis sent Seaman to go fetch the squirrels, which he did. He caught enough of them to make a nice meal for the men as they journey farther from civilization.
Another Newf named "Plato" accompanied John James Audubon on his journeys into southern Florida. The dog was brought along to act as a retriever of shot birds, which the dog did well. One wonders how the dog avoided being devoured by alligators, but he survived the trip just as well. One shot heron was merely wounded, and when Audubon sent Plato to fetch, Plato managed to haul the screeching, pecking bird onto land. It is little wonder, then, that many gun dog enthusiasts used the Newfoundland in some form to create better retrievers.
The Newfoundland spent many years as a cherished pet among the rising middle classes that began to grow even more as the nineteenth century waned into the twentieth. The solid colors became more popular with the organized dog fancy, which grew out of intense interest in domestic dogs by these middle classes. The Landseer variety was often considered inferior as a show dog, even though it had been a very popular color just decades before. European fanciers kept this variety alive as a separate breed. In most of Europe, the Landseer is considered a separate breed. In English speaking countries, it is considered a color variety of Newfoundland.
The Newf played a role in the development of the long-haired St. Bernard. At the monastery where these dogs were kept in Switzerland, inbreeding was taking a toll on the numbers of these dogs. They were being lost to infectious diseases like distemper, and it was decided that they needed to be crossbred in order to produce a healthier canine population.
The Newfoundland was chosen as the outcross. The result was the introduction of the long-haired gene into the St. Bernard. Newfs were also credited with increasing genetic diversity in the Mastiff breed in England, too, which also led to the introduction of long-hair into the bloodline as well as solid black color. Longhaired mastiffs are rare and faulty under the breed standard, and black mastiffs are, too. There was an attempt to use the black mastiffs to create a breed in Wales called a Welsh Black Mastiff, but this attempt failed.
Another breed that was developed through the Newfoundland was the Leonberger from the town of Leonberg in Germany. The crest of the town depicted a lion, so it was decided to make a new breed that would resemble this lion. A Landseer and St. Bernard were crossed, and then those puppies were likely crossed with some yellow or yellow-sable breed to produce the modern Leonberger dog. The Leonberger has the Landseer Newfoundland's love of water.
Today's Newfoundland
Today's Newfoundland is not as common as it once was, which means that its fate remains in the hands a few dedicated breeders and hobbyists. The American Kennel Club sponsors water tests for Newfoundlands and Portuguese Water Dogs, which allow the dogs to show their skills in hauling, retrieving, and rescuing from the water. A few Newfs partake in carting trials, which allow the dogs to haul loads. On the Italian Riviera, Newfoundlands have been reassigned as water rescue dogs, assisting life guards and the coast guards in rescuing people in distress in the water. However, today, the Newfoundland is most likely going to be a family pet.
As a Family Dog
If one would like one of these dogs as a pet, one should take stock of the realities of owning a hairy dog that loves water and, as a corollary, mud. Newfs are large dogs that do not reach their full size until they are over three years of age. Males are normally 120-150 pounds in weight, and females are normally 100 to 120 pounds in weight. A few exceptional males may approach 200 pounds, but these are rare. One should keep in mind that a large dog is going to eat more, and a large dog is going to need more space in the house and in the car than a smaller dog. The vet will charge more to treat a larger dog, because larger dogs require more drugs than smaller ones.
Because they are large dogs, they have certain medical problems, among these are bone problems, like hip and elbow dysplasia. They are also prone to developing bladder stones which comes from a genetic defect called cysturina. More serious problems include subaortic stenosis, which gives the dogs heart valves that do not function properly. Dogs with this condition typically die early. Cancer can pop up in this breed, especially bone cancers. As a result of these conditions, most Newfoundlands live rather short lives of 6 to 8 years. Some have, however, reached the ripe old age of 15.
To prevent some of these problems, one should purchase a Newfoundland from a breeder who has performed genetic tests on his or her dogs. It is likely that most Newfoundland breeders are doing this, because the breed is not a fad dog with lots of unscrupulous and uninformed breeders producing large volumes of puppies to make a profit. However, you should inquire about the genetic tests that the breeder performs on his or her animals, just to make sure.
To prevent elbow and hip dysplasia, all Newfoundland puppies should be fed an appropriate large breed puppy formula or a well-balanced home-made facsimile, developed with the guidance of a veterinarian. The puppy's diet cannot be like that of smaller breeds, because regular puppy formulas may cause the puppy to grow to fast and increase the likelihood of these bone conditions.
Newfs need regular exercise, but they do not require lots of it. Two good walks a day is usually enough for them. In the summer, they should be walked in the morning and the evening to avoid overheating them in the summer sun. Long, dark double coats on a large, warm-blooded dog mean that Newfs have an easy time keeping warm in the winter but have a very hard time losing heat in the summer. Large dogs tend to have a harder time losing body heat because larger bodies tend to hold onto heat more easily than smaller bodies. It is also a good idea to allow the Newf to swim regularly, because this breed really enjoys getting wet.
Newfoundlands are among the easiest to train of the giant breeds. They are usually eager to please. However, their large size means they do not have the stopping and starting ability of smaller dogs. All of their movements become a matter of inertia, and if one wants to compete with one in obedience trials, it is best to really practice on one's timing.
Newfs have a long and storied past in the settlement of Canada and the United States and as excellent family companions in both North America and Europe. Today's Newfoundland is a descendant of hardy water dogs that survived on the rugged coast of Newfoundland for centuries. Now, they must make the adjustment to living in the urban environment with us. For the sake of Newfoundlands and all dogs, please read as much as one can about this breed and any others before deciding to take one into one's life.