The Newfoundland is a large dog breed which was developed as a working dog. The name tells you the origin of this dog as it originates from the island of Newfoundland in Canada. They were bred for the purpose of helping fishermen by bulling nets and carrying large loads. These dogs are mainly characterized by their enormous size and thick double coats. They are muscular and can survive in cold weather. They are also great swimmers and enjoy paying around in water. Another thing is their calm nature. They are very intelligent animals and provide for a great family companion.

History & Origins

As the name says, the Newfoundland is native to the province of Canada which bares the same name. But nobody actually really knows how the dog got there in the first place. There are many theories and the three of them seem to be the most plausible ones. Some say that the Newfoundland is a product of Tibetan Mastiff and the American Black Wolf, now extinct. Other say that the Newfoundland found its way to this area as it was brought by Vikings. It breed with wolfs and the result was the dog that we have today. A third possible option is that the dog was brought by settlers from England and France who brought their own dogs. The combination of Pyrenean Sheep Dogs, Mastiffs, and Portuguese Water Dogs brought to the creation of a Newfoundland.

Brindle Newfoundland

The Newfound was made to be a working dog and it helped various fishermen by hauling nets and carrying various heavy loads. It was a great dog and it still is, although its purpose has changed a bit. At one point the breed almost got extinct as taxes were imposed on families in Canada who owned this dog. But later it was changed and the breed is now very much stable.

Newfoundland Characteristics & Temperament

The Newfoundland is probably one of the sweetest dogs that you can find. It is extremely calm and docile. It has a very sweet temper and for that reason it is often used as a companion dog for therapy. They also refer to this dog quite often as the nanny dog. Its nature also means that the dog is great with children, but it can be problematic keeping it close to extremely small children as it is really big and can accidentally lean on a child.

Gray Newfoundland Dog

Training is fairly easy and it is advised that you start while the dog is still young. If you manage to socialize your dog from an early age and train it will you will be able to help it be aware of its size and weight and get it not to cause accidents. As they are working dogs by nature, they will do anything for their masters and will most likely form an attachment quite easily with the closest people around them.

Appearance, Colors, Size

A Newfoundland is a large breed of dog which is characterized by its coat and size. They can grow up to be 56–76 cm in size and weight up to 65–80 kg for male dogs and 55–65 kg for females.

According to the American Kennel Club, the standard colors for a Newfoundland dog are black, brown, grey, and white-and-black. The white and black type is often referred to as Landseer. There are other possible color variations, but these are considered as rare and are also not accepted by any kennel club as official.

Black Newfoundland Dogs

The size of the dog is because of its big and dense bones. These dogs are both massive and powerful. They are dogs which are used to swimming and are very good at it. They have extremely thick waterproof coats and webbed feet which help them survive in cold conditions. They have very thick and hard coats, making it a nightmare to groom as well. Their ears and lips are droopy, which is why they often drool.

Newfoundland Health

A Newfoundland can usually suffer from similar health issues and conditions that all big dogs suffer from. On average, they live up to 10 years, but it is not uncommon for a dog to have a lifespan of 15.

Some of the problems, health wise, that you may encounter with this dog include  elbow dysplasia,  hip dysplasia,  cystinuria,  subvalvular aortic stenosis which can eventually lead to a heart attack.

Grooming & Shedding

A Newfoundland can be problematic to keep due to its fur and the amount of grooming you will have to do. In fact, this kind of a dog sheds a bunch and its fluffy fur is really hard to maintain. A lot of people decide to hire a professional groomer, but even then you will still need to brush the dog yourself additionally. The Newfoundland dog will need to be brushed two or three times a week and you will have to clean its fur if it gets dirty. In fact, these dogs can get dirty quite easily due to their fur. Baths are needed only when the dog gets dirty. But you will have to provide it with two or three baths per month anyway.

Black And White Newfoundland

Other things that you will have to do are brushing your dos teeth, which you can do two or three times a week. Clipping its nails is also important to do and it requires to be done only when you notice that they are getting too long. Finally, you have to clean your dog’s ears so bacteria do not get inside.

Newfoundland Price and Breeders

A Newfoundland is a great dog to have as a pet. So it is now wonder that many people are actually choosing this dog. Not just the people who can have some use from a big dog like the Newfoundland is, but also families which would like to have a pet of this kind and frankly of this size. But the price for a Newfoundland puppy will range between 800 dollars to 1,500 dollars. Try to establish the family background of the dog before you get it and make sure that the parents are healthy, you do not want to get any hereditary health issues with your dog.

Four Weeks Old Newfoundland Puppy


Why go through a process of buying a Newfoundland when you can rescue one. Today many people decide to choose this option as it is a better and easier way to get yourself a proper dog. There are various organizations available that do just that and if you are interested it will be good if you start by looking at the pages of Newfoundland Club of America Rescue Network for more information about rescuing a dog.

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