Newfoundland
A water rescue dog with webbed feet and a coat that sheds cold water. It swims out to people rather than waiting to be sent, and has done for centuries.
Overview
The Newfoundland is a water rescue dog with webbed feet, a water resistant double coat and a build that lets it swim for extended periods in cold water. Historically it worked with fishermen hauling nets and lines, and it has a long documented record of pulling people out of the sea.
It swims with a modified stroke, moving the front legs out and down rather than paddling, which gives it more power in the water than other breeds.
Temperament
Gentle, patient and famously good with children, to the extent that the breed is often called a nanny dog. Newfoundlands are calm, tolerant and sweet natured.
They are sensitive and respond badly to harsh handling. They are also enormous and clumsy while growing, and they drool a great deal, which is a genuine lifestyle consideration. They want to be with their family and do badly isolated.
Care and grooming
A flat water resistant double coat that needs brushing two or three times a week and daily during the two heavy moults. They shed enormously and they carry water and mud indoors.
Subvalvular aortic stenosis is a serious cardiac condition in the breed and should be screened. Cystinuria has a DNA test. Hip and elbow dysplasia and bloat are also concerns. Nine to ten years.
Living and exercise
An hour a day of moderate exercise as an adult with swimming ideal, and strictly limited while growing.
They overheat easily under that coat. A Newfoundland is a superb family dog and it is a great deal of dog: the drool, the shedding, the water and the space are all part of the deal.
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