Newfoundland Dog - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin

The Newfoundland dog has its origin on the Island of Newfoundland and they were developed from the indigenous dogs and the Big Black Bear dog, that was introduced to this area by Vikings in the 12th century. When the european fishermen arrived to this area, the Newfoundlands dogs were crossed with some of their dogs, but certain breeds are unknown.

2) Water Lovers

The Island of Newfoundland is surrounded by icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean, so its no wonder that Newfoundlands are amazing swimmers. They were originally bred as working dogs and they were helping the fishermen. They are only rarely work like this, but they still love the swimming and they will love to jump into water anytime.

3) Gentle giant

This is very very big dog, but they totally gentle, sweet, devoted and affectionate towards their people. This is why they make amazing family companions. They even love children and they are known for being extremely patient with them. Some people call them nanny dogs.

4) Exercise

Newfoundlands do not look like very athletic dogs, but do not be fooled by that. They need a lot of daily exercise to be happy. The exercise is also important to keep them in a good shape, because Newfies are prone to obesity.

5) Protectors

They might be sweet and gentle towards their family and friends, but they also have strong protective instinct. They are not the best watchdogs, because they are not big barkers, but when someone is threating them or their pack, they will most likely protect.

6) Rescue dogs

I already said, that Newfies love water, but they are also known for being great water rescue dogs. They have natural inclination to rescue drowing people from the water and they are very brave. Newfies are just made for this job, they have webbed feet, big lung capacity and oily double coat, which helps them to swim for very long distances.

7) Maintenance

Do you think that the Newfie is the perfect dog for you? Than you should be prepared for a lot of drooling and shedding. The coat needs to be brushed regularly to remove the dead hair. You should also regularly check their ears, eyes and nails, just like with other dogs.

8) Landseer

The typical Newfoundland coat color is black, brown and grey. There is also a black and white Newfoundland, but they have different breed name. This dog is known as Landseer Newfoundland dog.

9) Size

This giant dog breed height is between 63-74 cms, which is 24-29 inches. The average height for females is 54 kgs, or 120 lbs, for males it is 68 kgs, or 150 pounds. As you can see, the females are much smaller than males.

10) Weight gain

As puppies, Newfies are gaining a lot of weight very quickly. They gain about 100 pounds in their first year. In this age, they need a lot of good quality dog food. After their first year, their metabolism slows down, but you should monitor the amount of the food you are giving to them, so they are in a good shape.