Newfoundland Retrievers - An Overview

Many people caught their first glimpse of a Newfoundland at the American Kennel Club Championships several years ago. A spirited Newfie named “Josh” bounded across the screen and captured the much coveted Best in Show title. America was captivated by this beautiful and ENORMOUS dog whose exuberance and energy rippled out of their televisions.

They had caught a glimpse of what people who already own Newfoundlands see every day and what makes them such wonderful companions.

With an average height of 28 inches from the top of the shoulder to the ground and an average weight of 130 to 150 pounds for males, they are one of the eight “giant breeds” of dog. With massive heads and paws, people will often ask if they are some kind of bear!

Most commonly seen in all black, they can also be black and white, which is known as a “Landseer”, or brown. With long, wavy hair, they are incredibly beautiful and majestic.

Even though they are named for the island of Newfoundland in Canada, their origins are a bit muddy. Probably descended from a great mix of other breeds, the first Newfoundlands seemed to have appeared in the 1600s in North America.

Classified as “working dogs”, they are champion swimmers. Often used as water rescue dogs, they have the unusual natural instinct to save drowning people. Originally used to haul fishing nets through rough waters, it was discovered that Newfoundlands would unhesitatingly jump into the water to save a person in distress. After completing an intensive training course, Newfoundlands are still used today as water rescue dogs and have been credited with saving thousands of people throughout history.

Also used for draught, Newfoundlands can be trained to pull a cart, much like a pony. Their massive size and extremely trainable nature, makes them a perfect candidate for this type of work. In addition to working in the water, Newfoundlands were bred to do draught work and still take to it quite easily.

But the most important role Newfoundlands play is as a member of the family. Their unbelievably sweet and gentle nature make them the best breed of family dog I have ever seen. With no apparent understanding of their size, Newfoundlands will climb right into the laps of unsuspecting strangers in their quest for attention.

Unfortunately, their tremendous size is not for everyone. If you are thinking of acquiring a Newfoundland, make sure you do some research. Carefully weigh the needs of one of these dogs against your own lifestyle to decide if a Newfie is truly the right choice for you. Many Newfoundlands wind up as rescue dogs because their owners realize that they are not quite up to the challenge of owning this unique breed.