Newfoundlanders
Zvonko Springer (zzspri@COSY.SBG.AC.AT)
Thu, 4 Apr 1996 22:39:27 +0200
To : MEMORIES@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU
For : tddynew@cruzio.com \ Ruth Landmann \
From : zzspri@cosy.sbg.ac.at \ Zvonko Springer \
Date : Thu, April 4, 1996
Subj.: Re: Dogs and the war - Sat, 23 Mar 1996
Ref. : MEMORIES.E25
Lines: 70
Hello Ruth Landmann somewhere in USA!
I have checked on several records and data about dogs which were
used for military purposes during recent wars. However, I couldn't find
anything about NEWFOUNDLAND dogs whose characteristics obviously wouldn't
match for the real military purposes.
Therefore, I would like give you a summary of information collected
from different sources. What mainly distinguish a NEWFOUNLANDER from other
dog breeds? First, NEWFOUNDLANDER is rather tall or big breed; a dog should
preferably have 80 cm of shoulder height. The dog is elegant, vigorous and
fast as well as lively and attentive. The most striking Newfoundland dog's
characteristic is the talent having a very strong bond towards "his family".
Newfoundlander's loyality is uncondional. These dogs are patient and friendly
children's playfellows and are their reliable protectors too. Newfoundlanders
do have a natural severity which is well needed for protection or guarding
but which one should never try to emphasize by an additional training though.
Also, one should not chain this dog at all. Such attitudes towards a NEWFDER
would only spoil its obliging character and demoralize it completely. There
are many possibilities of utilization for this breed too but a Newfoundlander
lives exclusively for "his family".
The Newfoundlander, also known as LANDSEER, is one of the less well
known breeds and is rarely encountered now-a-days too. It's about 200 years
ago when the European fishermen, who had visited Newfoundland's fish rich
seas, had brought few of these big dogs back to England. The dogs with their
black and white markings have been so much admired by the puvlic. Soon, the
dog breeders attended to improve the dog's general appearence and outlook.
The English painter Sir Edwin Landseer liked this breed so much that he had
produced several paintings which was a promotion for that breed too. The
black & white markings and dog's eyes expression (as painted by Sir Landseer)
were considered similar to human's ones. This impression was one of the main
fancy of Newfoundlanders. Soon, the breed became known as the LANDSEER for
the painter's name and who could look so deep in the animal's soul.
As the demand grew, one could get enough of these large dogs on
Newfoundland anymore. However, there were other dogs of a smaller variety
which have been completely black furred. There very many of these dogs help-
ing the fishermen in their work too. These dogs have neither objected water
nor seas at all and were used to pickup and pull on boot or net lines etc.
The dogs were content with fishermen's leftovers eating any sea-food with
delight and stayed happy in outside shelters too. Therefore, somebody got
starting to export these smaller and black dogs to England instead of the
larger ones becoming scarse then. The new dog breed got fast onto public's
interest and attention so the breeders. They turned their efforts to the
new public's fancy and Newfoundlander's black variety ousted the larger
one more or less completely. The black & white dog's variety vanished from
the farmyards where it was so common in England. One could find some of
exemplares of black & white Landseers in Germany and Switzerland only. It
is a real wonder that the LANDEERS - black & white Newfoundlanders - did
survive as a breed up to day.
Well, that's all what I tell you about Newfoundland dog breed now.
I regret that I don't have a direct access to Web which is a Homepage with
URL to tell where one could find some pictures of this two dog breeds. I'm
sure that you'ld find more about that breed and get some pictures too by
browsing through appropriate Web sites. Good luck and many regards from
Zvonko of the Oak Hill alias Croatian Soldier .
End of MEMORIES.E25 .