Newfoundland Dog Breed – Gentle Giants

A man is not a good man to me because he will feed me if I should be starving, or warm me if I should be freezing, or pull me out of a ditch if I should ever fall into one. I can find you a Newfoundland dog that will do as much.
~Henry David Thoreau, from Walden

Newfoundlands are a breed well beloved and oft-commemorated throughout history. The poet Lord Byron left a famous inscription, Epitaph to a Dog, on the burial site of his own Newfie, named Boatswain, and is infamous for his extreme devotion to the dog. Several presidents and politicians have kept Newfies as pets, including Rutherford B. Hayes, James Buchanan, and Robert F. Kennedy. Noted explorers Lewis and Clark took their Newfie, Seaman, with them on their expedition. British painter and sculptor Edwin Landseer often used Newfies as his subjects in his paintings, like the one shown here below, and subsequently became the namesake of the Landseer breed of Newfies.

A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society, oil on canvas exhibited in 1838

Why are these dogs so beloved?

• Despite their large size and stature (up to 29 inches tall and weighing up to 150 pounds!), they are very friendly dogs and are great with children.
• They train easily, too, because they naturally follow the lead of their masters.
• They are capable of working very hard.
• Their instincts on good vs. bad people are usually spot-on, so they make great guard dogs.
• They typically get along with other pets, as long as they are well socialized and corrected if they become too loud or aggressive with them.
• They do well outdoors as well as indoors, but do need interaction with their family.
• They rarely bark, unless protecting their family from intruders.
• They also make great rescue dogs, and have many documented instances of saving humans.
• As adults, they don’t usually eat any more food than an adult labrador.
• No cleaning is required – in fact, washing these dogs is discouraged. Only a dry shampoo should be used occasionally.
• In general, they are loyal, loving and trustworthy pets.

And remember Nana, the Darling’s dog who served as a nanny for Wendy, John and Michael in The Adventures of Peter Pan? She was a Newfoundland. Perhaps the most famous of the fictional Newfies.

Mrs. Darling loved to have everything just so, and Mr. Darling had a passion for being exactly like his neighbours; so, of course, they had a nurse. As they were poor, owing to the amount of milk the children drank, this nurse was a prim Newfoundland dog, called Nana, who had belonged to no one in particular until the Darlings engaged her.

Ideal living conditions

Newfoundland dogs ideally live in cooler climate areas, the heavy coat doesn’t do well in hot weather. They can also stand being inside as long as they are sufficiently exercised. A large yard is not necessary, though while outside, a Newfie (like any other dog) requires a cool place to rest and cool, fresh water to drink.

How long do they live?

Newfies live between 9-15 years, with the average life-span of about 10 years.

Sounds great, but what’s the catch?

While Newfies sound like ideal dogs, there are some things to consider before choosing to adopt one.

• They drool. A lot. Their flappy gums can fling drool up to 20 feet.
• They shed. A lot. Because their hair is so thick, you can expect to comb it thoroughly at least once a week, and daily during the shedding season.
• They are prone to certain hereditary conditions, especially hip dysplasia and a congenital heart condition called sub-aortic stenosis.
• Newfoundlands enjoy water, so if you’ve got a pool or a pond, you should expect to find them there. A lot..
• They stay in the puppy stage longer than other breeds. You can expect typical puppy antics until they’re 2 or 3 years old.
• Anyone not wanting to train a puppy should consider getting an adult Newfie that doesn’t outweigh a human adult female.
• You will need to walk your Newfie once a day, walking ahead of or beside the dog to establish authority.

Awesome! Where can I learn more?

For more information and fun facts about Newfs, check out the following links:
Newfoundland Club of America (NCA)
Carlo, Emily Dickenson’s Newfie
Sergeant Gander, The Newfoundland

Tagged as: dog breeds, newfoundland dog art, newfoundlands