Newfoundland

Newborn Newfoundland puppies, docile and teddy-bearish, weigh as much as 21-29 ounces, and their weight exceeds 22 pounds by about 2 months. Later, however, they grow slowly, taking about 2 years to fully mature.

Although the origin and lineage of these dogs is uncertain, they long helped fishermen and pulled freight carts on the namesake Canadian island, and they are also renowned as rescue dogs for disasters at sea.

These excellent swimmers, bred to work in and around cold ocean waters, are unfazed by cold water or weather. They have a waterproof double coat and especially large paws and feet for producing strong strokes, and the thick skin between their toes functions as a web.

Just like literature’s best-known Newfoundland, Nana, from J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, these dogs make good playmates for children, but when they frolic too much, they can be a handful. Another artistic contribution to their popularity is a portrait of a Newfoundland with a black-and-white coat by 19^th-century artist Sir Henry Edwin Landseer; this coat, named after the painter, has since then became popular.

These fast, powerful dogs are nevertheless sensitive to heat and prone to droll and snore.

Newfoundlands shed a lot, and their thick coat must be brushed often. After water play, it should be dried.

Origin: Canada
Size: (male) Height about 28 inches; weight 131-151 pounds
(female) Height about 26 inches; weight 100-120 pounds
Coat: Flat, dense. Colors include black, brown, and landseer (black and white).