The appearance generally should indicate a dog of great strength, and very active for his build and size, moving freely with the body swung loosely between the legs, which gives a slight roll in gait.  This has been compared to a sailor’s roll, and is typical of the breed.

As regards size, the Newfoundland Club standard gives 140 lbs. to 120 lbs. weight for a dog, and 110 lbs. to 120 lbs. for a bitch, with an average height at the shoulder of 27 inches and 25 inches respectively; but it is doubtful whether dogs in proper condition do conform to both requirements.  At any rate, the writer is unable to trace any prominent Newfoundlands which do, and it would be safe to assume that for dogs of the weights specified, the height should be quite 29 inches for dogs, and 27 inches for bitches.  A dog weighing 150 lbs. and measuring 29 inches in height at the shoulder would necessarily be long in body to be in proportion, and would probably much nearer approach the ideal form of a Newfoundland than a taller dog.

In that respect Newfoundlands have very much improved during the past quarter of a century.  Twenty-five years ago, the most noted dogs were stated as a rule to be well over 30 inches in height, but their weight for height would indicate legginess, which is an abomination in a Newfoundland.  A 29-inch Newfoundland is quite tall enough, and even that height should not be gained at the expense of type and symmetry.

The white and black variety are, as a rule, slightly taller, smaller in loin and longer in head, but these differences in the two varieties are being rapidly removed, and at no distant date the white and black variety will probably be as correct in type and symmetry as the black variety now is.

For very many years the black variety has been the better in type; and in breeding, if blacks are desired, it will be safer as a general rule to insist upon the absence of white and black blood in any of the immediate ancestors of the sire and dam.  But if, on the contrary, white and black dogs are required, the proper course is to make judicious crosses between the black and white, and black varieties, and destroy any black puppies, unless they are required for further crosses with white and black blood.  In any case the first cross is likely to produce both black and mis-marked white and black puppies; but the latter, if bred back to the white and black blood, would generally produce well-marked white and black Newfoundlands.

In mating, never be guided solely by the good points of the dog and bitch.  It is very desirable that they should both have good points, the more good ones the better, but it is more important to ensure that they are dissimilar in their defects, and, if possible, that in neither case is there a very objectionable defect, especially if such defect was also apparent in the animal’s sire or dam.

[Illustration:  MRS. VALE NICOLAS’S NEWFOUNDLAND CH.  SHELTON VIKING Photograph by T. Fall]