Temperament
International Kennel clubs generally describe the breed as having a sweet temperament. They have deep barks, are easy to train and are known as guardians, watchdogs and good with children.
History
The breed originated in Newfoundland from dogs indigenous to the island. There is some speculation they may be partly descended from the big black bear dogs introduced by the Vikings in 1001 A.D. However it is more likely that their size results from the introduction of large mastiffs, brought to the island by generations of Portuguese fishermen. By the time colonization was permitted in 1610, the distinct physical characteristics and mental attributes had been established in the breed for all time. In the early 1880s fishermen from Ireland and England traveled to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland where there were two main types of working dog: one more heavily built, large with a longish coat, whereas the other was lighter in build, an active, smooth-coated water dog. The heavier one was the Newfoundland and the other was the St. John's dog, the forerunner of the Labrador Retriever. The dogs were used in similar ways to pull fishnets and heavy equipment.
Rescues
During the Discovery Channel's second day of coverage of the AKC Eukanuba National Championship on December 3, 2006, anchor Bob Goen reported that Newfoundlands exhibit a very strong propensity to rescue people from water. Goen stated that one Newfoundland alone once aided the rescue of 63 shipwrecked sailors. Today, Kennel Clubs across the United States host Newfoundland Rescue Demonstrations, as well as offering classes in the field.
In 1832, Ann Harvey of Isle aux Morts, her father, and a Newfoundland Dog named Hairy Dog saved over 180 Irish immigrants from the wreck of the brig Despatch.
And in the early 1900s, a dog that is thought to have been a Newfoundland saved 92 people who were on a sinking ship in Newfoundland during a blizzard. The dog retrieved a rope thrown out into the turbulent waters by those on deck, and was able to bring the rope to shore to people waiting on the beach. A breaches buoy was attached to the rope, and all those aboard the ship were able to get across to the shore.
An unnamed Newfoundland is also credited for saving Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815. During his famous escape from exile on the island of Elba, rough seas knocked Napoleon overboard. A fisherman's dog jumped into the sea, and kept Napoleon afloat until he could reach safety.
Health
There are several health problems associated with Newfoundlands. Newfoundlands are prone to Hip dysplasia (a malformed ball and socket in the hip joint), Elbow dysplasia, and cystinuria (a hereditary defect that forms calculi stones in the bladder). Another genetic problem is subvalvular aortic stenosis, also referred to as subaortic stenosis or SAS. This is a common heart defect in Newfoundlands involving defective heart valves. SAS can cause sudden death at an early age. Newfoundlands also tend to slobber copiously, but this is generally more a concern for owners than for the dogs themselves.
Quotes
"The man they had got now was a jolly, light-hearted, thick-headed sort of a chap, with about as much sensitiveness in him as there might be in a Newfoundland puppy. You might look daggers at him for an hour and he would not notice it, and it would not trouble him if he did." Jerome K. Jerome Three Men in a Boat
"Newfoundland dogs are good to save children from drowning, but you must have a pond of water handy and a child, or else there will be no profit in boarding a Newfoundland." Josh Billings
"A man is not a good man to me because he will feed me if I should be starving, or warm me if I should be freezing, or pull me out of a ditch if I should ever fall into one. I can find you a Newfoundland dog that will do as much." Henry David Thoreau Walden
"Near this spot are deposited the remains of one who possessed Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, and all the Virtues of Man, without his Vices. This Praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery if inscribed over human ashes, is but a just tribute to the Memory of Boatswain, a Dog." George Gordon, Lord Byron, Epitaph to a Dog.
Famous Newfoundlands
- Boatswain - pet of English poet Lord Byron and the subject of his poem Epitaph to a Dog
- Pilot - pet of Edward Fairfax Rochester in Jane Eyre - first described in chapter 12
- Adam - Seaward's Blackbeard - 1984 Best in Show winner at the Westminster Dog Show
- Josh - Darbydale's All Rise Pouchcove - 2004 Best in Show winner at the Westminster Dog Show
- Sable Chief - mascot of The Royal Newfoundland Regiment
- Seaman - pet of Meriwether Lewis
- Sirius - dog of Maggie in the book Star in the Storm
- Nana - dog of the Darlings in Peter Pan
- Mother Teresa - The major canine character in the movie Must Love Dogs
- Swansea Jack- Dog of the century
- Sgt. Gander the Mascot of the Royal Rifles of Canada who was killed in action at the Battle of Hong Kong when he carried a grenade away from wounded soldiers. For this he was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal retroactively in 2000
- Several of the First Dogs in the White House were Newfoundlands
- Brumus - Robert F. Kennedy's dog
- Thunder- from the book Thunder from the Sea
External links