Kennel Club Group	Working
Lifespan	8 - 10 years
Height (at the withers)	Males and Females 26in - 28in
Weight	Males 130lb - 150lb Females 100lb - 120lb
Coat	Double, Flat Coat. It is Both Dense and Coarse to the Touch
Color	Black, Black & White, Brown, Brown & White, Grey, Landseer, White & Black
Eye color	Dark Brown
Common health issues	Elbow Dysplasia, Hip Dysplasia, Cystinuria, Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis (SAS), Ciliary Dyskinesia, Eye issues
Other Names	Newf, Newfie

Many who may be unfamiliar with this breed, may be scared by their sheer size, but fear not! These doggies are actually some of the gentlest and most sweet-natured dogs you can get! If you don’t believe us, just watch Peter Pan. The dog in this film is a Newfoundland and is essentially the children’s nanny, affectionately referred to as ‘NaNa’. This reference is no coincidence, as these dogs are one of the best breeds to have with children. They will never bite or act out and are actually just big old softies! They are also extremely protective over their families however, if you enjoy having a clean and tidy house, this may not be the breed for you. They will often dribble, and their heavy coats are known to hold dirt and mud, which will eventually end up all over your home! One advantage to this breed is that they don’t require huge amounts of exercise, a brisk daily walk will do as they much prefer being lazy and sleeping on the sofa!

Canadian fisherman long relied on Newfoundlands as peerless shipboard working dogs who specialized in dramatic water rescues. Newfs are born swimmers, complete with partially webbed feet, and strong enough to save a grown man from drowning. Their prowess as rescuers is the stuff of legend: What the Saint Bernard is to the Alps, the Newfoundland is to the icy waters of the North Atlantic. Newfs also earned their keep by hauling fishing nets to shore and carting the day’s catch to market. Although the Newf’s career as a seagoing deckhand is mostly a thing of the past, the breed is still considered the premium water-rescue dog and is employed in that role the world over. The Newf is one of the world’s most beloved breeds, and history is rife with examples of their dedication to humankind. In 1802, when Lewis and Clark began their historic 8,000-mile trek across the American continent, a Newfoundland named Seaman was part of the expedition. He was useful as a hunter and guard dog, once saving lives by running off a rogue buffalo that was charging the camp. Today, Seaman is depicted in 10 different Lewis and Clark monuments across the country. A well-visited tourist attraction in England, where Newfs have always been a great favorite, is a monument erected by Lord Byron at Newstead Abbey for his cherished Newf, Boatswain. The monument’s inscription, devised by the great poet himself, eulogizes Boatswain, “Who possessed Beauty without Vanity/Strength without Insolence/Courage without Ferocity/And all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.” Such was Byron’s regard for his Newf that Boatswain’s tomb at the abbey is larger than his own. A Newfoundland named Brumus burnished his breed’s “nanny dog” reputation by helping Senator and Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy look after their 11 children.