Newfoundland

Newfie, Newfoundland Dog, St. Bernard of the Seas

The Newfoundlander is affectionate, sturdy and very easy to train. His imposing size might frighten some people, but his total lack of aggression makes him a dog suitable for all.

Height 63 to 74 cm
Weight 45 to 70 kg
Life expectancy 8 to 10 years
Hair Loss High
Excercise Need Medium
Home country Canada

Quick Overview of the Newfoundland

Temperament

  • Extreme gentleness and patience
  • Great docility, not at all aggressive
  • Ease of learning
  • Can sometimes be dominant

Appearance

  • Extraordinary stoutness
  • Massive and very muscular
  • Dense fur
  • Small brown eyes

Health

It is important to monitor his growth and provide him with adequate protein nutrition so that his development is healthy and strong

Temperament of the Newfoundland

Newfoundlanders are gentle and very patient. Despite his impressive size, he is not aggressive and not a very good guardian. He's an excellent learner and his education is very easy thanks to his great docility.

He can sometimes be dominant, but good early socialization will be very effective to accustom him to live with his peers.

In love with the human species, he loves cuddles and is ready to risk his life to save a person in distress. This sea rescuer has a very protective instinct and will even go so far as to save someone he thinks is in distress at sea, even if the person in question is just having fun by jumping around a little too much in the water.

This big-hearted four-legged dog is the undisputed friend of man and all his fellow men, big or small.

The Newfoundland is the ultimate life companion and is suitable for everyone thanks to  his exceptional character. Because of his size, he cannot live just anywhere, but with his calm and patient temperament, he can be everybody's friend, big or small, old or young.

As he gets along well with everyone, even other animals, cohabitation is very easy for him as long as his education is intended to control his slight tendency to sometimes become dominant.

His temperament is pleasant, gentle and patient.

Even if he is not a guard dog, it is obvious that his immense corpulence may be enough to repel some intruders, but it is easy to see that he really loves everyone.

Breed Appearance

newfoundland

The Newfoundland has a rather impressive physique. This plush looking animal has an uncommonly large body. His great physical strength and strong bones don't weigh down his silhouette in any way.

Height

Between 69 and 74 cm (27.17 to 29.13 inches) for the male
Between 63 and 69 cm (24.80 to 27.17 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 60 and 70 kg (132.28 to 154.32 pounds) for the male
Between 45 and 55 kg (99.21 to 121.25 pounds) for the female

Color

His fascinating coat is black, brown or white and black.

Hair

His double, water-resistant coat is dense and smooth and its texture is fairly coarse.

Morphology

The weight of this large dog varies from 60 to 70 kg (132 to 155 pounds) male or female. His head is large and very massive in proportion to the rest of the body. His small eyes are brown and tend to be sunken.
His small ears drop down on his head.
His nose is dark. His powerful tail is large and bushy.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 2, section 2 and is #50

Characteristics of the Newfoundland

Does this dog suit your lifestyle?

Every dog breed has its own characteristics. However, the actual character of a dog can vary from one to another within the same breed.

Find out if the Newfoundland is your ideal dog breed with our quiz.

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Life in an apartment
Good first dog
Tolerates solitude
Tolerates cold weather
Tolerates hot weather
Affectionate
Friendly with children
Friendly with strangers
Friendly with other animals
Hair loss
Drooling level
Easy to care for
Robust health
Easy to train
Intelligent
Tendency to bark
Tendency to nibble
Protective
Instinct to hunt
Adventurous spirit
Energy level
Level of intensity
Need for exercise
Playful

Price and monthly budget

Price you can expect to pay for a Newfoundland puppy: between 1100 € / $ 1 / £1 and 1600 € / $ 1 / £1
These prices are indicative and may vary from breeder to breeder
Average monthly budget for a Newfoundland: 150 € / $ 1 / £1
The monthly budget includes the average expenses for food and hygiene products (grooming, anti-parasite...)

Newfoundland puppies near me

Tips About this breed

Of course, he's not a house dog. The garden, countryside or waterfront are the ideal places where he will be totally happy. As he is truly man's best friend, he should be close to his family as often as possible.

Although he loves the outdoors, especially in cold weather, he likes to stay with his family. He must therefore be allowed to sneak into the house and enjoy the presence of humans on a regular basis.

His fur protects him from the cold and he tolerates cold temperatures both on land and at sea, but he does not like the heat.

He should be able to benefit from a source of water to cool down on hot or scorching days.

Health of the Newfoundland

This hound generally enjoys excellent health. He is fragile in the first few months of his life, like most large breeds. His growth must be well monitored and he must be given adequate protein food so that his rapid development is healthy and solid.

The Newfoundland has no particular pathology and enjoys a good life expectancy.

GROOMING

His huge coat needs regular brushing to keep it healthy. It is dense and energetic brushing will be required to ensure good vitality. Given the size of the dog, it is necessary to allow some time for a good complete brushing.

Because of the density of his coat, some foreign bodies can easily get stuck in the hair. It's preferable to remove them immediately by targeted brushing.

History of this breed

Native to the island of Newfoundland in Canada, this breed is descended from the cross-breeding of native dogs to the large island bear hounds that were introduced in 1001 A.D. by the Vikings. The Newfoundland breed was greatly improved after the arrival of European fishermen on the island of Newfoundland.

Although cross-breeding with other breeds improved, the original Newfoundland characteristics were still retained. The behaviour and physical traits of the animal were already well established in 1610, at the very beginning of colonization, and it was around the 18th century that the Newfoundlanders began to be used to pull logged tree trunks.

The fishing boats' crews of the time considered their dogs as separate members. They were used to retrieve certain objects, to pull up the fishing nets on board and to rescue men who had fallen overboard.

Some people believe that the ancestor of the Newfoundland is the Tibetan Mastiff who arrived through the Bering Strait with the Native Americans ancestors. This ancestor of all mastiffs could basically be the ancestor of the Newfoundland as well. It is likely that both versions are true. There is no evidence to the contrary.

It is also likely that Indian dogs were crossed with a Tibetan Mastiff to get to the magnificent specimen that is today's Newfoundland. This ancestor would then, as Otis Mason tells in his "Handbook of American Indian", have been used for guarding, pulling sleds, fishing, hunting and also for watching and keeping children company. All of these activities are very similar to those carried out in today's Newfoundland.

Regardless of the actual origins of the Newfoundland and regardless of the dogs used to do this, the dog as we know it today is one of the greatest dogs on the planet.

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