Newfoundland dogs: Newfoundland puppies for sale! Very quiet. Excellent guard dog. Very obedient, sweet tempered & docile. Excellent swimming dogs. Gentle giant. Lifespan 8 - 10 years. Large dog. Family dogs. Children friendly pet.

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The Newfoundland or "Newfie," as it is affectionately known, is of the Mastiff variety of dog, along with the English Mastiffand Saint Bernard. The breed has short, stout legs for its size, but is a very massively built large dog. Typically, adult males reach 130 to 150 pounds in weight, and females 100 to 120 pounds, standing 25 to 29 inches at the shoulder.

Despite this massive size, though, there's nothing to fear from a Newfoundland. These gentle giants are so sweet and even-tempered that they have been called "Nanny Dogs," because they are incredibly docile and can handle even rambunctious children with aplomb, making it an ideal children-friendly pet and excellent family dog. It's probably no mistake, for example, that the author of “Peter Pan,” James Barrie, chose the Newfoundland for the children's companion dog, Nana.

History
As its breed name suggests, the Newfoundland was original to the country of Newfoundland. Likely, the original Newfoundland dogs were bred with Mastiffs that Portuguese fishermen brought to the island beginning in the 16th century. Many Saint Bernard dogs share Mastiff characteristics and have Newfoundland dog ancestry in their own pasts. Beginning in the 18th century, Newfoundlands were introduced to the Saint Bernard breed to bolster the breed when the population was threatened with an epidemic of distemper. Newfies also share characteristics of mountain dog breeds like the Great Pyrenees.

In the 1880s, explorers and fishermen from England and Ireland came to Newfoundland and described two kinds of working dogs they found there. The larger of the two, the Newfoundland, was massive, with a long coat and heavy build. This dog was originally known as the greater Newfoundland, or the Newfoundland. The smaller working dog was of medium size and had a smooth coat. The lesser Newfoundland, or Saint John's Dog, is the predecessor to most modern retrievers.

Modern Newfoundlands also get part of their ancestry from the Leonberger and Moscow Water Dog; the latter is now extinct. Ultimately, the Newfoundland was brought to England and bred extensively there, such that today's modern Newfoundland has many ancestors in England as well as from its original home of Newfoundland.

Appearance
The Newfoundland is a large, powerful dog who is as at home in the water as it is on land. Newfoundlands are excellent swimming dogs, and Newfoundland dogs’ bravery makes them perfect rescue dogs. There are many stories of Newfoundlands rescuing drowning men. The outer coat is generally black, long, thick, and straight; its oily sheen gives protection against the water. A thick, oily, woolly undercoat also gives excellent protection against frigid waters and frigid winters as well.

The first thing you probably think of when you look at the Newfoundland is that this is a powerful giant--and indeed, this extremely strong and sturdy dog has been bred to work hard. He or she has endurance and the ability to pull heavy loads and do other difficult, physically demanding work, and is utterly indefatigable in the face of hardship.

This powerful dog can stand nearly 30 inches high at the shoulder and weighs up to 150 pounds or even more in adulthood. Standard colors for the dog are black, brown, gray, and a coat called "landseer," which is a white coat with black markings. Although Newfoundlands typically have both an oily, straight outer coat and a thick, oily, woolly undercoat, Newfoundlands who live largely indoors year-‘round may lose their undercoats.

Newfoundlands have large, thick, droopy jowls similar to the Saint Bernards’, and can have the same kinds of drooling problems typical of the Saint Bernard.

Temperament
There's a reason the Newfoundland is called the "gentle giant." Your pet is a large dog, true, but it absolutely lives to please you. This very obedient dog is also incredibly loyal, and very sweet-tempered and docile. Especially if training is started when Newfies are puppies, they are very easy to train and obey commands readily.

It should be noted that your pet is very, very sensitive, and will be highly attuned to your tone of voice as well. Many owners have said that all they have to do is to speak sharply to their pets to make them obey--if the Newfoundland is indeed disobedient at all. This is among the most easily trained of all dogs, and your pet will truly want to please you. Therefore, a firm and gentle demeanor is usually all that's necessary from an owner to ensure an obedient pet. Establish rules and enforce them calmly but firmly; your Newfoundland dog will be only too happy to oblige.

The Newfoundland is also one of the most intelligent breeds; your pet will instinctively know who is good and who is bad, and will make an excellent guard dog. However, Newfoundlands are not violent attack dogs. Instead, these sociable, gentle canines are much more likely to use their massive bodies to block an attacker, cornering him or her until you can summon help.

If you have rambunctious children, the Newfoundland can make the perfect pet. Your dog will be gentle and very patient with small children (making an ideal children-friendly pet ), although you should take care that he or she doesn't knock down very small children simply by accident. Although the Newfoundland is not a rambunctious dog at all, his or her massive size can prove problematic around very small children until he or she knows to be very careful.  When it comes to dogs as pets, you would be hard-pressed to find a breed more suitable to your family.

Proper Environment
Surprisingly, the Newfoundland will do well even in a relatively small apartment as long as you give him or her proper exercise. Your large pet is very quiet, gentle, and tame, and will not be a bit destructive even in the smallest of spaces. That said, of course, a large rambunctious family with a large house is also a perfect environment for this docile family member and protector.

Perhaps not surprisingly given its calm and gentle nature, the Newfoundland can become lazy and overweight very easily if not given enough exercise. Therefore, it's imperative that you take your pet on a daily walk and give him/her plenty of chances to run, play, and even swim.

Newfoundlands are cold-climate dogs, and they don't like the heat. Give your pet plenty of cold water to drink, avoid particularly strenuous physical activity on hot days, and make sure there's a shady place to lie on hot, sunny days.

Grooming
Newfoundlands can shed quite profusely, especially twice a year; in spring and fall, Newfoundlands who spend lots of time outdoors completely shed their thick undercoats, with the heaviest shedding occurring in the spring. Be sure to brush your pet with a hard brush very thoroughly on at least a daily basis. Avoid bathing your pet if at all possible, since the protective oil coating will be stripped away if you do so. Dry shampoo is acceptable if you must bathe your dog.

Health
Newfoundland puppies will grow up to be hardy, muscular, powerful, and sturdy dogs but, like most large dogs, they have relatively short lifespans. You can expect your pet to live 8 to 10 years on average. They are also prone to a genetic problem called sub valvular aortic stenosis (SAS), which makes Newfies' heart valves defective, so be sure to grow accustomed to going to your local veterinarian for checkups. Dogs with severe SAS can die suddenly at young ages; actual disease is classified as mild, moderate or severe.

Dogs with mild SAS can live normal lifespans without complications. Unfortunately, although genetically inherited, it's difficult to test for. Typically, in Newfoundland puppies a murmur begins to appear at between 6 to 8 weeks of age; if there is no murmur, Newfoundland puppies are considered healthy and free of SAS. There's also something called an "innocent heart murmur," in which a Newfoundlandpuppy will develop a murmur only to have it disappear at between 12 to 14 weeks of age. These Newfoundland puppies, too, will be considered free of heart problems once murmurs have disappeared. Therefore, you can be relatively sure your pet will not develop SAS if he or she is free of heart murmurs at 12 to 14 weeks of age.

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