THE NEWFOUNDLAND W e have been asked to write about the New- foundland Dog. My name is Kim Griffith, be frantic and jump in after the child or swim around them the entire time. by KIM GRIFFITH
a strong, powerful working dog, with events such as Water Rescue and Draft- ing being a part of the parent club’s activities. Their early history as fishing boat dogs in Newfoundland show them towing boats, or taking a line from a boat to someone on shore to bring the boat in through rocky shoals. They also have an innate lifesaving instinct and are today trained to dive off of boats and pull someone in, and history states that this was one of the other reasons they were taken on the fishing boats, despite their great size. Anyone who has a New- foundland dog around the water knows that your dog does not think you can swim, and will swim with or watch you tirelessly. And if you have young chil- dren, without training they will often
These dogs are athletes and must be well balanced. They should move forward with ease and agility. To carry out their work, they are large, double coated dogs with large bones, strong feet, and built to the Standard. I could repeat the Standard, but I won’t…every- one can read it, but it’s more important to understand the purpose of the Stan- dard. A dog without the correct angu- lation in the front cannot take strong, powerful strokes in the water, and a dog without strong pasterns and good feet cannot pull carts over terrain for any length of time without breaking down. The double coat and texture are important as they were bred to swim in
Owner, Breeder, and Handler of New- foundlands for over 50 yrs. My wife and best friend, Gigi, has lived with the Newfoundland for nearly 40 yrs. I am a member of the Newfoundland Judges Education committee, and we are both mentors. This breed is dear to our hearts, and our experience in the breed is both in working events and in conformation. The Newfoundland is first and fore- most a “people” dog. These dogs love to rest or work beside their owners. They are great caregivers and nurturers of the small and the weak. They are also
S how S ight M agazine , J uly 2017 • 273
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