Mary Allen
Shoulder height: 66 – 71 cm
Weight: 54 – 68 kg
Age: 8 -11 years
Color: black, white-black, brown
Use: companion dog, the family dog
The Newfoundland is a “strong as a bear”, large and powerful dog with a calm, friendly and well-balanced personality. Despite his strong stubbornness, it is also easy to train with loving consistency. It needs a lot of space, loves to be outdoors, and is an avid swimmer. Therefore, it is not suitable for life in the city.
Origin and history
The home of Newfoundland is the Canadian island of Newfoundland, where it was used as a water, rescue, and draft dog by fishermen. It came to Europe in the 19th century. The first English breed club was founded in 1886.
Appearance
With an average shoulder height of over 70 cm and its almost furry-looking coat, the Newfoundland dog has an imposing, bear-like appearance. It has a strong, muscular body that looks even bulkier due to the dense, water-repellent coat with lots of undercoats.
According to FCI breed standards, the Newfoundland comes in the colors black, tan, and black and white. In its native Canada, the brown color does not conform to the standard, while in the USA the gray color conforms to the breed standard.
Nature
As a young dog, the Newfoundland is spirited, but as an adult, it is relaxed, calm, and very compatible with other dogs. It is generally a very friendly, charismatic, and the affectionate family dog. Newfoundland also has a strong personality and a lot of self-will. It is used to acting independently, as evidenced by many documented human rescues from the water. Therefore, this dog personality needs consistent training and clear leadership of the pack from puppyhood onwards.
Due to its size, Newfoundland is not necessarily suitable for dog sports activities that require jumping ability and speed. However, it is perfect for water and retrieval work. With a history as a fishing and rescue dog, the Newfoundland is an excellent swimmer and loves the water more than anything.
The bearded Newfoundland needs ample living space and loves to be outdoors. It is therefore not suitable for life in the city or a small apartment. Even cleanliness fanatics will not be happy with this dog breed, because the long coat needs a lot of care and can also bring a lot of dirt into the house when the weather is right.
Newfoundland does not tolerate the hot season very well, but it does not mind the cold. As with other large dog breeds, the Newfoundland is also more prone to orthopedic conditions, such as hip dysplasia and other joint disorders.