NEWFOUNDLAND - THE MOST REGAL OF DOGS Articles | Dogs

By: Guy Starbuck

Indeed, the dogs, which get their moniker from the Newfoundland Island, fascinate all dog enthusiasts. Today, there are two recognized types, the white & black and the black. In addition, bronze-colored dogs, too, are there, but they are uncommon. The black Newfoundland variety is basically black in color; however, this does not signify that no other shades are present, for a good number of black Newfoundland dogs have a couple of white indications.

A white spot on the chest actually is considered to be characteristic of the real breed. A patch of white on the body or head would set the dog outside the black variety category. The black color desirably should be of a muted jet look, which appears nearly brown. In the category outside the black variety, there may be bronze, white & black, and black & tan.

The white & black color dominates, and in this shade, attractiveness of marking is extremely vital. It should have a black head and a white blaze and muzzle, and it should have white legs and body with huge black patches on the quarters and saddle, with perhaps other tiny black marks on the legs and body.

Barring color, the Newfoundland types should meet similar criterion.

It should have a large and enormous head, but it should not seem bulky in look. It should have a short, square, and sharply etched muzzle, quite widely spaced, deeply set eyes, tiny and dark, not displaying any haw; tiny ears having close side carriage, coated with delicate short hair (the ears should not have any fringe), and with a wise, regal, and benevolent look.

It should have a long, square, and huge body, sturdy and full loins; a wide and deep chest; fairly upright legs, a bit short in relation to its body length, and sturdy, with round bone completely enclosed with muscle; big, round feet set close together. Its tail should be just sufficiently long to hang merely below its hocks, kink free, and at no time arched over its back. The coat texture is extremely vital; the coat must be awfully thick, with lots of undercoat; its outer coat should be rather coarse and pretty straight.

Normally, the look should point toward a dog of immense strength, and extremely energetic for his body and size, moving about without restraint with the body swaying slackly between its legs, which provides a little swing in its way of walking. With respect to size of this dog, the Newfoundland Club criterion gives 120-140 lbs. weight in respect of a dog, and about 110-120 lbs. in respect of a bitch, with average shoulder height being 27 inches & 25 inches respectively; however, it is uncertain if dogs in good condition do meet both conditions.

When raising puppies, they need to be given soft, easily digestible food, like fully boiled rice as also milk, the moment they start to lap, and, soon after that, scraped tender meat. Newfoundland puppies need lots of meat to promote suitable growth. Now, the puppies should put on weight of about 3 lbs. per week, and this requires lots of bone, flesh, and muscle-building food, ample quantities of meat, raw as well as cooked. Milk, too, is excellent, but it needs to be fortified with casein. The key to raising full-developed dogs with lots of bone and flesh is to start off on the right note from their birth, proper feeding, warm, dry accommodation, and lack of restrictions on the puppies to walk around and exercise themselves in the manner they like. Compulsory exercise may have an effect on their legs. They do not need to take medicines unless they suffer from worms, and the pups must be checked for these presently after weaning and once more when they are 3-4 months old, or sooner in case they aren’t thriving. In case they are worm-free, Newfoundland puppies are rather robust, and, under ideal food and living conditions, they are not difficult to tend to.