
Newfoundland
The Newfoundland dog is best described as being a gentle giant. They are large and heavy in both bone and coat. As puppies they look like a cuddly teddy bear but this stage does not last long as they grow very quickly.








The Newfoundland breed can suffer from:
- Hip dysplasia
- Elbow dysplasia
- Gastric dilatation volvulus
- Panosteitis
- Cystinuria which is where a substance called cystine builds up in the urinary tract and can lead to the formation of bladder stones.
- Osteosarcomas which are a serious type of bone cancer.
- Entropion and/or ectropion which are painful conditions where the eyelids turn inwards or outwards, this happens as a result of excessive skin around the eyes.
- Dilated cardiomyopathy which is a condition where the heart muscle becomes progressively weak and cannot beat properly.
Priority Kennel Club health schemes and testing:
- Hip dysplasia screening scheme
- DNA test for cystinuria which tests whether or not a dog has the potential to be affected by this condition,.
- Elbow dysplasia screening scheme
Newfoundlands have the most delightful temperaments being gentle, docile, patient, friendly and devoted. They love everyone and so make wonderful family dogs - although they can easily over-heat in a centrally heated home and they do drool.
The reputation of the Newfoundland as being the perfect dog with children was immortalised by J M Barrie in his book Peter Pan where the childrens’ nanny was a Newfoundland called Nana.