Newfoundland
A Canadian fisherman's dog bred for hauling and water rescue. Famously gentle and steady, but the dense water-resistant coat, the drool and poor heat tolerance define daily life with one.
- Weight
- 45–68 kg
- Lifespan
- 9–10 years
Weight and lifespan are reference ranges from the breed guide. They vary by sex, lineage and individual dog and do not predict your dog’s ideal weight or lifespan. Read the care descriptions alongside the individual dog’s history.
Background and characteristics
The Newfoundland worked alongside fishermen on the island it is named after, hauling nets and lines, pulling carts, and going into cold water after people and gear. The webbed feet and the oily, water-shedding double coat both come from that job. Temperament is the breed's calling card: soft with strangers, patient with children, and content to lie quietly in a corner of the room.
Gentle does not mean untrained, though. A hundred-and-thirty-pound dog leaning affectionately into someone can knock them over, so teach a young Newfoundland where to put its body long before it gets there.
Exercise and play
Exercise is moderate and steady rather than fast. Two walks a day of thirty to forty-five minutes suit an adult, and swimming is the ideal outlet if you have safe access to water. Keep growth slow: restrict stairs and jumping and keep the dog lean until around two years.
Coat and everyday care
Grooming is substantial. The dense undercoat needs brushing two or three times a week at minimum and daily through the seasonal sheds, when the volume genuinely surprises people. Drying after a bath or a swim is a project in itself and effectively requires a high-velocity dryer, since a wet Newfoundland coat holds water against the skin for hours.
Drool is part of the package too.
Health considerations
Ask a breeder about the breed-specific health items. Subvalvular aortic stenosis is well documented in Newfoundlands, so parents should have cardiac clearances, and cystinuria has a DNA test. Beyond that, hip and elbow dysplasia, gastric torsion and entropion are the usual giant-breed concerns.
Expect around nine to ten years.
Home environment and care planning
Heat is the limiting factor in daily life. A coat built for the North Atlantic copes badly with a hot summer, so exercise early or late, keep the house cool, and watch for heavy panting on humid days. Do not shave the coat as a cooling measure - it damages the insulating structure and often regrows poorly.
In a house with hard floors, put rugs where the dog walks; sixty kilos sliding on laminate is how joints get hurt.