Newfoundland

Coat and looks how to spot one

double coat, medium length, water-resistant

A big, heavy-boned, strongly muscled dog with a flat-lying, water-resistant double coat. The outer hair is fairly long, coarse and straight or slightly wavy, while the undercoat underneath is soft and thick. The face has short fine hair, the legs carry feathering and the tail is thickly furred. The feet are webbed, which helps it swim.138

Personality what they are like

The Newfoundland's defining quality is a kind, soft temperament; its standard calls sweetness the single most important feature of the breed. It is calm, easygoing and friendly with almost everyone, including strangers, and has a long-standing reputation as a patient guardian of children. It is clever and keen to please but sensitive, so it learns best with gentle, reward-based training, and it can be a little unhurried in responding.3745

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Moderate. A daily walk or easy jog of up to about an hour suits most adults. Swimming is a favourite activity, and the breed also enjoys water rescue trials, draft (cart) work, obedience, rally, tracking and therapy work.648

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

The thick double coat sheds a fair amount and needs regular brushing: at least once or twice a week, and daily (as The Royal Kennel Club recommends) to keep it tidy, with more during seasonal shedding. Expect some drool, so a towel near the door is handy.64

Home where they are happiest

A home with room to move and ideally a large garden; The Royal Kennel Club suggests a country setting suits the breed. It is happiest in cool climates and needs shade, water and a cool resting spot in warm weather. Access to safe swimming water is a big bonus.64

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A complete, balanced diet made for giant breeds. Puppies benefit from a large-breed puppy food that keeps growth steady rather than fast. Adults should be fed to keep a lean body shape, with portions adjusted to activity.4

Company who they like around

A people-oriented family dog that wants to be part of household life. It is typically friendly with visitors and good with children, and does best with a family that includes it in daily routines rather than leaving it alone for long periods.746

The story where it all began

The breed took shape on the island of Newfoundland off Canada's east coast, where it worked alongside fishermen. Its exact roots are debated: the FCI points to local dogs mixed with mastiff-type dogs brought by Norse visitors after about 1100, later influenced by dogs of European fishermen, and notes the type was largely fixed by the time colonisation began in 1610; other writers suggest links to Great Pyrenees dogs brought by Basque fishermen. On the island, the dogs hauled nets and pulled carts of fish, logs and even mail, and pulled people from the sea. Early records describe a larger 'Greater Newfoundland' and a smaller St. John's water dog, the latter being an ancestor of modern retrievers such as the Labrador. The breed was taken to England in the 1700s, where it may have been made larger, and 19th-century paintings by Sir Edwin Landseer made the black-and-white form so famous that it now carries his name. The AKC recognised the Newfoundland in 1886, and today it still works as a water rescue dog on some European beaches and as a therapy dog.152946

Recognised by the official bits

FCI

Standard no. 50, Group 2 (Pinscher and Schnauzer, Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs), Section 2.2 Molossoid, mountain type; standard published 29.10.1996; country of origin Canada.1

AKC

Recognised in 1886; Working Group. Current standard approved 8 May 1990, effective 28 June 1990.12

The Royal Kennel Club

Listed in the Working group; not classed as a vulnerable native breed.6

Popularity Ranked 46th of AKC-registered breeds in 202513