The Newfoundland Club has been established many years and has worked well in the interest of the breed. It has drawn up a description of the breed on the lines given below: -

Symmetry And General Appearance

The dog should impress the eye with strength and great activity. He should move freely on his legs, with the body swung loosely between them, so that a slight roll in gait should not be objectionable; but at the same time a weak or hollow back, slackness of the loins, or cowhocks should be a decided fault.

Head

Should be broad and massive, flat on the skull, the occipital bone well developed; there should be no decided stop, and the muzzle should be short, clean cut, rather square in shape, and covered with short fine hair.

Coat

Should be flat and dense, of a coarsish texture and oily nature, and capable of resisting the water. If brushed the wrong way, it should fall back into its place naturally.

Body

Should be well ribbed up, with a broad back. A neck strong, well set on to the shoulders and back, and strong muscular loins.

Fore Legs

Should be perfectly straight, well covered with muscle, elbows in but well let down, and feathered all down.

Hindquarters And Legs

Should be very strong ; the legs should have great freedom of action, and a little feather. Slackness of loins and cowhock are a great defect; dew-claws are objectionable, and should be removed.

Chest

Should be deep and fairly broad and well covered with hair, but not to such an extent as to form a frill.

Bone

Massive throughout, but not to give a heavy, inactive appearance.

Feet

Should be large and well shaped. Splayed or turned-out feet are objectionable.

Tail

Should be of moderate length, reaching down a little below the hocks; it should be of fair thickness and well covered with long hair, but not to form a flag. When the dog is standing still and not excited, it should hang downwards, with a slight curve at the end ; but when the dog is in motion, it should be carried a trifle up, and when he is excited, straight out, with a slight curve at the end. Tails with a kink in them, or curled over the back, are very objectionable.

Ears

Should be small, set well back, square with the skull, lie close to the head, and covered with short hair, and no fringe.

Eyes

Should be small, of a dark brown colour, rather deeply set, but not showing any haw, and they should be rather widely apart.

Colour

Jet black. A slight tinge of bronze, or a splash of white on chest and toes is not objectionable.

Height And Weight

Size and weight are very desirable so long as symmetry is maintained. A fair average height at the shoulders is 27m. for a dog and 25m. for a bitch, and a fair average weight is respectively : dogs, 1401b. to 1501b.; bitches, 110lb. to 120lb.

Other Than Black

Should in all respects follow the black except in colour, which may be almost any, so long as it disqualifies for the Black class, but the colours most to be encouraged are black-and-white and bronze. Beauty in markings to be taken greatly into consideration.

Dogs that have been entered in Black classes at shows held under Kennel Club Rules, where classes are provided for dogs Other than Black, shall not be qualified to compete in Other than Black classes in future.

Black dogs that have only white toes and white breasts and white tip to tail are to be exhibited in the classes provided for Black.

We may very well mention here a variety of dog that is occasionally met with at shows in this country and that is undoubtedly a combination of the Newfoundland and some other breed, probably the Great Dane. The dog referred to is the Leon-berg. Though not very highly thought of in England, yet upon the Continent there is at least one club that fosters the breed. In colour it is reddish, and the head is well shown in the illustration (Fig. 29), prepared from a photograph kindly placed at our disposal by Mr. W. H. Fawkes, of the Vicarage, Harrogate. The head has the occipital bone well developed, the eyes are of medium size, brown, expressive, and intelligent-looking. The ears are set on high and carried slightly forward. White patches on the body are not admissible; but a little white upon the breast and feet (as seen in some Newfoundlands) is tolerated by those that regard the dog as a distinct variety breeding true to type. Anything, however, suggestive of a St. Bernard cross is not tolerated.

Fig. 29. - Head of Leonberg Dog.