Modern Newfoundlands are slooooow swimmers. Why? They are big dogs with lots of bone, lots of coat, and substance.
Compare their swimming to this flat-coat, which is a breed with some feathering but no coarse bone:
Now, both of those dogs have a common ancestor. I highly suspect that if the flat-coat were taken to Newfoundland in the eighteenth century, it would be put to work immediately on the fishing fleet. If the Newfoundlands in the youtube video were taken to Newfoundland in eighteenth century, I think the fishermen would leave them on the dock!
I thought it might be interesting to train a modern Newfoundland dog as a retriever, but I’m sure it could never be trial quality.
I used to have Leonbergers. Leonbergers are allowed to compete in the NCA’s water rescue trials — and they are Budweiser boats compared to the Newfies. My boy used to leave wakes when they went after a bumper!
They were also quite noticably taller and leaner than the Newfies.
Sadly, now that the Leonberber is an AKC breed, that is changing quickly. Look for more bone, bigger heads and more coat in the breed now.
Leonbergers have Landseer in them.
Landseers are a separate breed in the FCI countries, such as Germany, and they are required to be leaner and taller than the standard Newf.
When my Flatties hit the lake to fetch their rings they make enough of a wake that you’d think you could water ski on it. Imagine that ;-)
The newfs in the video are simply enjoying thier time in the water, when i water work my newfoundlands they are much faster than this beacause they are doing it as a working task and not merely for fun.
also newfies need to be big and heavy as they are life saving dogs and not just retrievers, they need thier size to be able to pull in drowning people and fully laden boats from the rogh sea. If small retriever type dogs were used in newfoundland to pull in the heavy nets and swim for hours on end they would deffo be left on the dock, as they would be to small and not strong enough or have enough stamina to perform the immense tasks.
If retrievers could do half of what newfoundlands can do, retrievers would be twice the size they are now.
How many Newfoundlands have 1. worked as guide dogs 2. service dogs 3. herding dogs (Chesapeakes can herd), 4. Kiwi conservation dogs 4. Schutzhund dogs (Labs and Chessies only), 5. Liveguard dog– in Italy I think the Labrador has replaced the Newfoundland.
Big size is useless in a working retriever. How many hunters today would drop all the other retrieving breeds to get a Newfoundland? The answer: No one.
I’m not pulling facts out of the air. In the late nineteenth century, retriever people actually decided to breed out the Newfoundland influence (from the big dogs) out of their strains. Check out my post on Zelstone: http://retrieverman.wordpress.com/2008/11/30/zelstone-the-newfoundland-that-was-a-flat-coat/
Zelstone was either a Newfoundland, a long-haired St. John’s water dog, or a wavy/flat-coated retriever. He wound up in the bloodline of all golden and almost all flat-coated retrievers and more than a few Labradors. He progeny were so coarse and lumbering, that they decided to breed out that type in retrievers, which succeeded until recently.
sure, a retriever can bring back a dead bird, but can it save a life. answer, no.
If i was drowning i would pray to god that there was a newfie coming to get me and not a retriever, i would want a dog substantial enough to pull me through the water!
any way, i refuse to get into this silly bickering about which is better etc, i love newfs you love retrievers, end of.
I also have friends in torino who own three newfies, and the last time i viseted i didnt seem to notice any retrievers guarding the waters.
you obviously dont like newfoundlands, where as i love all breeds, including the retriever type dogs, i just happen to think that newfies excell in all water and draught work, and i think they are one of the most noble and wonderful breed of dog, and i am honoured to have had them be apart of my life for so long.
If you don’t think that retrievers have ever saved someone from drowning, you really don’t know what you’re talking about.
You’re just trolling.
i am not trolling i am merely commenting on info i believe to be false.
i did not say that retrievers have never saved people, thier is just more documented accounts of newfoundlands doing so, as this is what they were orrigionally bred for. you say that us newfie lovers exagorate the truth about the history of the newf, being a life saver and a fishermans second hand, but i think you are slighty jealos or annoyed that newfs have such a magnifiscent story behind them and that they are known as life saving dogs and fantastic swimmers and draught workers. and retrievers just retrieve.
It is unfortunate for you that you seem to dislike the great newfoundland so much, where-as i love all breeds of dog, great and small i just happen to know and support the fact that newfoundland dogs excell in water work an with thier life saving abilities.
You’re way off.
You are putting words in my mouth, and I find that VERY perturbing.
Well, on the Italian Riviera, there are Labradors that work with Newfoundlands as live savers.
The original purpose was not to be a life guard, but to be a multi-purpose working dog, that hauled nets, carts, and retrieved things. Just like the related Portuguese water dog. If it rescued someone, it did so as a fringe job.
it makes me smile that your so addiment about all you say. it is good that retrievers are used with newfies as life savers, but i would still place my money on the newfs saving more lives.
and yes newfies were bred for lots of tasks, and they were also specificly used as life saving dogs on ships and docs, and did not do this merely as a “fringe job”. If retrievers are used as life savers they do this as a fringe job, as they are retrivers, bred to retrieve.
Are you in high school?