Newfoundland

The Newfoundland is widely considered the strongest breed of all. With enormous muscles, large bones, and great lung capacity, this breed is always up for the tough job. That might be pulling a cart, carrying a pack, dragging supplies, or water rescue. This dog is also intelligent, and will often size up an emergency situation and perform the rescue with no direction. From the early 19th century the powerful, sweet, enormous Newfie has frequently been the subject of painting, sculpture and literature. Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville and Emily Dickinson all wrote about the Newfoundland; Lord Byron published an epitaph for his Newfie, Boatswain. The Newfoundland stands 22-28"�; the male commonly weighs 130-150 lbs. But these numbers represent an average; the largest Newfie on record, a male, weighed 260 lbs. and measured 6 feet long from nose to tip of tail! The shaggy coat has an oily, dense undercoat that serves to make it waterproof. It comes in a variety of colors: besides the common black, the breed may be seen in gray, brown, or landseer (black head with black and white body). The American Kennel Club considers landseer a color variation, however in Europe the Landseer is shown as a separate breed. The Newfoundland is ideally suited for swimming in rough seas and spending long periods of time in icy waters. The large lungs give the dog endurance. Newfies have a unique swimming style: rather than the typical paddle performed by most breeds, it moves its legs out and away from its body in what is similar to the human breast stroke. Its feet are webbed to better propel the body forward with each stroke. Bred in modern times in Newfoundland, Canada, the Newfie's origin is obscure. It is thought to descend from the ancient St. John's Dog, which was either indigenous to the Newfoundland region or was imported with very early European settlers some centuries ago. There is a popular legend that the St. John's Dog was crossed with the "bear dog"� that arrived with the Vikings in 1001 A.D., to create the modern Newfoundland. However there is no evidence to support this idea. It is more likely that the Newfie is a cross between the St. John's Dog and the mastiffs that were brought by Portuguese fisherman who fished the Great Banks of Newfoundland in the 15th century. Other historians suggest a cross with the Great Pyrenees dogs brought by Basque fisherman, or with the "Boarhound"� which could have come ashore with the French. At any rate, by the time formal colonization of the region began in 1610, settlers documented a large dog with the modern characteristics of the Newfoundland. Irish and English fisherman working the Great Banks in the 1880's described two native dog breeds being used to pull fishermen's nets, loads of lumber, and bundles of equipment: one was smaller with a smooth coat (the "Lesser St. John's Dog which is though to be the modern Labrador Retriever) and the other was very large, shaggy and strong. This breed was certainly the Newfoundland. By the early 19th century the breed appears in England. The many paintings of Sir Edward Henry Landseer which feature the Newfoundland popularized the breed with the English public. Stories of amazing rescues did too. In 1828 a teenager named Ann Harvey from Canada's Isle aux Morts set out on a fishing jaunt with her father, her younger brother and her Newfoundland, Hairyman. They came upon the sinking wreck of the ship "Dispatch"�; over the next exhausting three days, Hairyman rescued over 180 Irish immigrants from the disaster. A story was widely circulated in the early years of the 20th century about another sinking ship, this time in a blizzard and icy waters. The terrorized crew spotted a Newfoundland in the water and threw him a rope. The dog swam to shore with the rope, which signaled to those on shore where the ship was and that there were survivors; 92 were saved. Other stories involve a Newfoundland owned by the doomed first officer on the Titanic, which swam the water for three hours searching for his lost owner, and then appeared to save a boatful of freezing passengers from collision with the Carpathia as it came steaming to the rescue. In WWII, Newfoundlands were used on the seas to search for and rescue lost sailors. Newfies are considered by many in the dog world to be amongst the sweetest and most lovable of breeds. Nineteenth century American humorist Josh Billings said: "Newfoundland dogs are good to save children from drowning, but you must have a pond of water handy and a child, or else there will be no profit in boarding a Newfoundland."� Indeed, Newfies are not easy dogs to keep. They require a lot of space, and enjoy bathing in water and mud whenever they can find it. The thick coat must be cleaned and brushed very frequently; neglecting grooming can result in fleas and painful skin infections. Newfies who live indoors a lot may eventually lose the oily undercoat. Newfoundlands tend to be very healthy. Common issues are hip or elbow dysplasia, and bladder stones. The breed can be prone to inherit Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis (SAS), a congenital heart defect that can cause sudden death. The Newfoundland is very sensitive to heat, and owners must take care to protect the dog from heat stroke. Daily and vigorous exercise is necessary for this breed; do not overfeed, as the Newfie tends toward obesity. The Newfoundland requires human companionship; this breed is never overly independent or aloof. Its intelligence and eagerness to please make it a delight to train and handle. The Newfie is fond of other dogs, smaller pets, and children. Protective, loyal, kind and patient, it makes a devoted family companion dog, and is a good watchdog and guardian. Owners of Newfoundlands, mindful of satisfying the great need for exercise, enjoy involving their dogs in tracking, draft tests and water rescue tests, agility, conformation, and cart-pulling.

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