The Newfoundland Breed
Other Names Known By
- "Newfie"
Kennel Club Dog Group
- Working
Breed Classification
- The Newfoundland is a member of the working group. They were originally used for helping fishermen; today they are used in rescue work and as companions
Average Food Cost
- £ 7.50 - £ 10 per week
Feeding Requirements
- As puppies the "Newfie" should have a nutritious diet to ensure the proper formation of the bones and joints. Supplements should not be added to the diet unless absolutely necessary as they can do more harm than good.
Other Expenses
- As you can appreciate having a large dog can have large bills attached.
Average Puppy Price
- £ 800 -- £ 1,600.00
Life span
- 9 - 15 years
- On average the "Newfie" lives to around 10 years, some are reported to live into their teens.
Average Litter Size
- 8
- Litters vary greatly in size; anything from 2 to 15 puppies can be born in any one litter.
General Physical Description
- The "Newfie" is best described as being a gentle giant. They are large and heavy in both bone and coat. As puppies they look like a cuddly teddy bear, however this stage does not last long as they grow very quickly.
Average heights and weights of both genders.
Bitches height
- 66cm / 26 inches / 2.16 feet
Dog's height
- 71cm / 28 inches / 2.33 feet
Bitches weight
- Min 34.5kg / 76lbs / 5.43 stone
- Max 50 kg / 110 lbs / 7.875 stone
Dog's weight
- Min 64 kg / 141 lbs / 10.08 stone
- Max 69 kg / 152 lbs / 10.8675 stone
Size Category
- Large / Giant
Weight Height Range
- Ideally dogs should measure 71cms at the withers and weigh between 64 - 69kgs. Bitches should measure 66cms and weigh between 50–54.5kgs.
Ailments
- The "Newfie" is in general a healthy breed. As long as they have the correct diet to allow their proper growth there should not be too many bone and joint problems. Many breeders are now screening their dogs for elbow, hip, heart, eye and cystinuria problems.
Common Ailments Susceptibility To Illness
- Low (low risk)
History
- It seems almost certain that the Newfie did not originally inhabit Newfoundland. However the island was peopled by a race of peaceful Indians and their wolf type dogs during the 15th century. These dogs were used for hunting, fetching and carrying. When the white settlers started to occupy the island they hunted down the Indians and their dogs, only the most useful and obedient dogs were permitted to live. The surviving dogs more than likely bred with other dogs that were introduced to the island by traders from around the world. This meant that different varieties of dogs were mated; these dogs included hunters, water dogs and mastiffs. The resulting offspring were left to fend for themselves, the outcome being that only the largest and strongest survived. Over the years a dog resembling the Newfie of today started to emerge. By the early 18th century word of these extraordinary dogs that could haul heavy loads and help fishermen had reached Europe. To begin with poor people who could not afford horses to transport goods from the ports to their homes purchased these dogs. Shortly after their introduction to Europe large breeding kennels appeared and some good quality dogs were produced. The Newfoundland Club was formed in 1886 and is one of the oldest in Britain. Not long after the Club was formed a breed standard was created and has remained largely unchanged since.
Intelligence
- The Newfie is an intelligent dog that requires consistent training in a relaxed manner.
Show Characteristics
- The Newfoundland should have a broad head with a short and rather square muzzle that is covered with short hair. They have a soft mouth, which is well covered by the lips, and the jaws have a complete scissor bite. The eyes should be wide and deep set, small in size and dark brown in colour. The ears should be small, set well back, lie close to the head and be covered with short hair. The neck should be strong and well set onto the shoulders. The chest should be deep and broad. The back should be broad with a level top line. The front legs should be perfectly straight and well muscled; the back legs should be muscular and strong. The feet should be large and webbed. The tail should be of moderate length and well covered with hair. At rest the tail should hand down and be slightly curved at the end, when on the move it should be carried slightly up. It should never be carried over the back or have a kink. Their movement should be free with a slight rolling gait. The double coat should be dense, flat, coarse to the touch, oily and water resistant. The front legs should have more feathering than the back. The colours desired are black, brown and landseer (white with certain black markings).
Overall Exercise
- 40 - 60 minutes per day.
- The young dog should have all exercise monitored while it is still growing to ensure that no damage occurs to the bones and joints. They love water, swimming being one of their favorite forms of exercise.
Distress Caused if Left Alone
- Medium
Personal Protection
- Medium
Suitability As Guard Dog
- Low
Risk of Sheep Worrying
- Low
Tendency to Bark
- Low / Medium
Ease of Transportation
- High
Compatibility With Other Animals
- High
Suitable For Children
- High
General Character And Temperament
- Newfies are very docile, gentle and make great family pets. They have a natural life-saving instinct, which makes them unsuitable to go swimming with, as they would continually try to drag you out of the water. Generally the Newfoundland has a superb temperament and will get on well with both people and other animals. They are very outgoing and live life to the full, said to be one of the friendliest breeds.
Grooming Requirement
- Once a week (so they say).
- Trimming Requires Professional Grooming.
- The grooming needs of this dog are fairly demanding. They should be brushed regularly with particular attention being paid to the feathering on the legs, which can become entangled.
Colour
- They can be black, black with white bits , brown , brown with white bits (not as common as the blacks with white bits)or white and black (landseer) in colour.
Shedding
- Moderate / high.
Famous Examples
- Nana ~ The Newfoundland nursemaid in J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan.
- Seaman ~ Owned by Lewis and Clark.
- Boatswain ~ Owned by lord Byron his epitaph read ‘near this spot are deposited the remains of one who possesses beauty without vanity, strength without ferocity, and all the virtues of man without his vices.
- Brumis ~ Owned by Robert and Ethel Kennedy, (also featured on life magazine cover).
- Ben ~ Owned by Mario Lemieux a professional hockey player.
- Faithful ~ owned by Jesse Grant, son of Ulysses Grant.
- Gander ~ Owned firstly by Rod Hayden then owned by the royal rifles of Canada. This brave dog gave his life to save the entire company as he picked up a grenade that was thrown by the enemy and ran off with it still in his mouth and this was to be his last brave act and he was duly awarded the prestigious ‘DICKIN’ medal equivalent to the Victoria cross.
- Blacky ~ Owned by Caroline Gruosischeufele of chopard, a co-president of the company that makes the jewellery of the stars. This Newfoundland has a 60 carat diamond as a collar. A picture of this advertised in the HELLO magazine (issue number 897).
- Bilbo ~ Owned by Steve Jameson. The first Newfoundland to be a fully certified lifeguard in English waters (2007)
- Charlie ~ Owned by Chris and Paul Tedder of Sarda Cantech. The only Newfie qualified for search and rescue in the United Kingdom (2007)
