Giant
10 Years
68 Kg
Working Dogs
Gentle, Responsive
The Newfoundland is a large working dog, usually black in colour. It is gifted with strength and is massively boned throughout without the heavy appearance. This noble and majestic breed has a broad and massive head with a relatively short muzzle covered with short fine hair. It has small, dark brown eyes, small ears that lie close to the head also covered with hair, black nose and teeth that forms complete scissor bite. The legs are straight and well-muscled while the body features a broad back, deep chest and strong muscular loins. The large, webbed feet enable the Newfoundland to swim and propel accurately in water. The tail is well covered with hair and is usually carried low with a slight curve at the tip. When the dog is moving, the tail is carried slightly up, and when it is excited, the tail is carried straight out with a slight curve at the tip. The body is covered by a flat, dense, water-resistant (oily) coat that comes in black, brown, and landseer (white with black markings.) The preferred heights at shoulders are 71 cm for dogs and 66 cm for bitches. Dogs can weigh between 64 and 69 kg while bitches can weigh between 50 to 54.5 kg.
All dog breeds have different levels of intellect. Some dog breeds; working dogs in particular, are very independent thinkers and have been evolved to be very intelligent. Typically, a highly intelligent dog does well in obedience training and other activities. A highly intelligent dog can be very demanding and do require lots of physical and mental stimulation. If you’re looking for a relatively laid-back dog, that doesn’t require lots of mental and physical stimulation, then you must fully understand the level of intelligence of your dog breed of choice.
Before committing to a certain dog breed, you must fully understand their intellect levels and their specific levels of energy. To keep your dog well-balanced and happy, their needs must be met and maintained.
All dog breeds have different needs when it comes to the level of exercise they require. For the high energy dogs; which are your typical working dogs, they have a lot of energy and require lots of daily exercise along with plenty of mental stimulation. A highly energetic dog breed would suit an individual or family that is equally as active and loves the outdoors. There are also breeds that have relatively low exercise needs, such as toy dog breeds. Although they require daily exercise and mental stimulation, they’re just as happy chilling at home with their loved ones. This type of dog breed would suit an individual or family that prefers the peace and quiet and relaxation.
Before deciding on your chosen dog breed, Mypetzilla recommends that you research the exercise needs and whether you’re well equipped before committing to buying or adopting a particular dog breed.
There are several dog breeds that are known and potentially predisposed to developing health related conditions. Sensible breeding can help prevent the onset of health related conditions and this should always be taken into condition when researching your dog breed of choice. Before committing to a dog, you should speak to the breeder about any health related conditions that may affect the dog you’re looking to buy or adopt. You can also request to see any test results from genetic testing.
There are many dog breeds that tolerate children really well and are not affected by the constant noise and need for play-time. However, there are some dog breeds that don’t do very well with children and can become frustrated and snappy. That being said, all children should be shown how to handle and care for a dog in their home and should always be supervised when playing. As much as a dog can become annoyed and snappy with a younger child, the child can also become less tolerant and misbehaved towards the dog.
Mypetzilla recommends that you always supervise play-time between your children and dog. Children need to respect the boundaries and feeding time for the dog and likewise for the child. We also strongly advise that play-time doesn’t get out of control and too rough which can cause injury to both child and dog.
There are lots of dog breeds that are well suited to living in an apartment. It’s worthwhile noting that you need to check that you’re allowed dogs in your building before committing to bringing one home. If you do decide to own a dog and are living in an apartment, then you must make sure that they have plenty of room to roam around and frequent walks outside to prevent them from becoming bored and depressed.
Mypetzilla recommends that you check as to whether you’re allowed dogs in your apartment building and to fully ensure your apartment is dog proof before committing fully to bringing a dog home.
All dog breeds shed to some extent, some more than others. With this, all potential dog owners should be aware of this, as it will be a matter of putting up with some hair or lots of hair being left around the house. Depending on the dog breed, there are certain times during the year where some dog breeds shed the most and this is typically around spring and autumn. However, there are some dog breeds that shed all year round.
If you’re very house-proud, they you may want to choose a dog breed that sheds very little. Mypetzilla strongly recommends that you fully research your dog breed of choice and their shedding levels before committing.
All dog breeds require different levels of grooming. Some dog breeds are easier to maintain than others and only require a weekly brush to help keep their coat in good condition. There are some dog breeds that require regular trips to the grooming parlour and this can come at a huge cost. Either way, all dog breeds require their coat and nails to be maintained and cared for.
Mypetzilla strongly advices that potential owners research the grooming needs and associated costs with their desired dog breed before fully committing.
Barking is a necessity for your dog to communicate. However, it can also be a nuisance to yourself and fellow neighbours if it’s not kept under control. If you live in an apartment, then you’re better off choosing a dog breed that doesn’t bark as much. If you live further out and far from civilisation, then it’s worthwhile looking into a dog breed that does bark and will bark to alert you of any other company on your property.
Mypetzilla advices that you research the behaviours of your dog breed of choice and whether this would work for you and your family. It’s worth noting that dogs can be trained to bark less and this will take a lot of effort and training from the owner.
Majority dog breeds form very close relationships with their owners and as a result can become very stressed when left alone for a period of time. If a dog is suffering with separation anxiety then they’re very likely to become destructive around the home as a way of dealing with their anxieties. Dog breeds that do form strong bonds with their owners are better accustomed to a household where one member of the family remains home, whilst the others are out, this is to help avoid further anxieties and destructive behaviours.
Mypetzilla recommends that all potential owners research their dog breed of choice on their bonding abilities and how well-adjusted they are to being left alone at home. It’s also worth noting that you should never leave your dog for longer than 4 hours alone at home.
There are certain dogs breeds that have very high intellect and therefore easier to train than other dog breeds. There is also a downside to this; as fast as they learn the new trick or command, they can easily pick up bad habits just as quick. Other dog breeds that don’t rank as high on the intellect scale require patience and plenty of reward treats from their owners during training.
Before committing to a certain dog breed, Mypetzilla advices you to fully research your dog breed of choice and their level of training needs.
All dog breeds have different energy levels. The working dog breed has one of the highest energy levels in comparison to the low-energy dog’s breeds such as the Toy dog breed group. To keep a dog truly happy, healthy and well-balanced, their energy levels must be met.
High-energy dog breeds need lots of exercise and mental stimulation. High energy dog breeds would suit an active family or person. Dog breeds that are considered as low-energy, love to spend the majority of their time relaxing and sleeping in their favourite, comfy spot. A low-energy dog breed would suit an individual that equally loves the quiet life and relaxing lifestyle. Of course, low-energy dogs still need their daily walks and mental stimulation, just not as much as a high-energy dog breed.
Mypetzilla recommends that potential owner research fully on the type of dog breed that would suit their existing lifestyle and to also take into consideration the dog breeds energy levels and exercise requirements.
Before you decide on what dog breed would be suitable for you and your family, you must consider whether they’re a friendly dog breed and if you already have other pets within the household. For homes that already have dogs and other domestic pets, then it’s wise to choose a dog breed that has a friendly personality and temperament.
There are some dog breeds that mix well with other dog breeds and there are others that don’t suit one another and this could potentially cause issues later on down the line.
Another important point to consider is whether the dog breed of choice is friendly towards people and children.
Mypetzilla recommends to research fully on the right dog breed for your family and to also consider their temperament and characteristics.
The Newfoundland breed is a native of North America which developed from its namesake, the province of Newfoundland in Canada. There are quite a few versions as to its origin. One version states that the breed is a mixture of native island dogs and the black "bear" dogs brought by the Vikings in the 11th century.
On the other hand, historians agree that the Asiatic Tibetan mastiff contributed to the development of the Newfoundland but no documented evidence is available to backup this claim. There is also the speculation that the Labrador Retriever and the Newfoundland are related breeds because of their similarities and the close proximity of their origins. Whatever the exact origins maybe, the resulting breed had webbed feet, rudder-like tail, and water-resistant coat making an excellent swimmer but is equally adept on land. It was used to pull fishnets and heavy equipments including carrying boat lines to shore. It has saved many lives by saving drowning people which earned its nickname "lifeguard dog." Its excellent swimming abilities and intelligence earned the Newfoundland a job on sailing vessels and it is said that the Newfoundland exhibits a very strong propensity to rescue people from water.
In fact, when the ship Ethie ran aground off the Canadian coast in 1919, a Newfoundland named Tang was credited for saving the entire crew. It is said that the dog jumped into the turbulent sea and swam to shore with the boat's rope in his mouth. Tang was given a gold medal for bravery by Lloyds of London which the dog wore for its entire life. In 1995, a Newfoundland named Boo while strolling along the Yuba River with its owner, rescued a man in the water who was desperately holding onto a red gas can trying to stay afloat in the swollen current. Boo grabbed the man's arm and pulled him safely to shore. It was found out later on that the man was deaf-mute and couldn't actually call for help. Boo, had no formal training in water rescue. Today, this chunky breed is more popular as a pet and companion, although there are still quite a few who serve as lifeguards.
The Newfoundland is a majestic breed, very fond of water with natural life-saving instinct. It is a devoted and loyal companion, gentle and naturally docile; a true "gentle giant." In comparison to other breeds, older Newfoundland puppies tend to be calm. This is a slow-maturing dog which takes up to thirty six months before reaching full maturity. The Newfoundland has a very deep bark but its natural sweetness and friendliness makes it a poor guard dog. Naturally sweet and calm, laid-back and generous, the Newfoundland is an extremely intelligent breed with humanlike emotions. Although it is a calm and affectionate breed, the Newfoundland may be difficult to train and is rather sensitive to the tone of voice, which must be considered when training this breed. It also has a tendency to drool though not as much as compared to other large breeds.
Training should be given in a calm manner and not with a high tone as the Newfoundland is very sensitive to the tone of voice. It is also quite slow to move its body so this should also be taken into consideration.
Grooming the thick coat calls for daily brushing with a hard bristle brush. It sheds its coat two times a year; usually the heaviest is in the spring and another in fall. Extra time and attention is needed during shedding season.
In general, the Newfoundland is a healthy and robust breed. Given the proper care and attention, it can live between 8 to 10 years on average. There are a few health problems to consider when choosing the Newfoundland for a pet. It is prone to hip dysplasia (a disease of the hip joint which can cause severe arthritis or crippling lameness), elbow dysplasia, sub-aortic stenosis (a heart disease), and cystinuria (a congenital defect that forms bladder stones.)
The best diet for this breed should contain a blend of fish, pork, poultry and lamb. It should also have a high fat content. For the food to be properly assimilated, avoid feeding this breed with a diet that has very high protein content or high fibre content.
The Newfoundland will enjoy every bit of time it can have snoozing but it should be given proper exercise. Moderate exercise should include swimming whenever possible. It will enjoy pulling heavy objects just like a sled dog, and it does better in cold weathers. In fact, this breed can not tolerate extreme heat. This breed drinks a lot of water, especially in warmer days so it should have access to clean, safe drinking water all the time and a shade to rest. The Newfoundland will do okay in an apartment if it is given sufficient exercise. It is relatively inactive indoors and will do best in a home with at least a small yard.
This dog is extremely devoted to its human family but is quite suspicious of strangers. It loves children and is very patient with them. It is also great with other pets but males tend to display aggressive behaviour towards the same sex.
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