Newfoundland dogs are actually retrievers. With the exception of the Nova Scotia duck-tolling retriever, all the other retrievers and this breed are modifications on the working dog that was once common in Newfoundland. The large Newfoundlands are often quite capable of retrieving from water in much the same way that their retriever cousins do.
All these photos are by Sophia Pirgents of Athens, Greece.
This retrieving Newfoundland is beige, a diluted liver. It is the same color as the ash Chesapeake and the silver Labrador.
There are also a few newfs being used as water rescue dogs http://www.waterrescuedogs.com/water_rescue_dog_who_are_we.htm
– while many of the dogs are labradors, I would suspect that sometimes a bigger dog able to more powerfully pull a swimmer(s) might be an advantage. If more folk would breed newfs to at least be capable of this kind of work, I think we would see less of the sad exaggerations in the conformation ring. It needn’t be necessary work — doing it as a sport still requires the dog to have some physical capabilities and trainabilities that would apply to the real task.
The Newfoundland Club of America has developed Water Trials for the purpose of encouraging people to demonstrate their Newfies’ capabilities. If I remember correctly, there are three levels, from novice to advanced. The tests include a number of exercises, including basic obedience,retrieving an object from under water, retrieving a floating object, towing a boat, rescuing a swimmer in distress, and more.The dogs love it all!