76 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



greater size than an English Mastiff, have a 

 fine close fur, and the colour is of various 

 kinds ; but black, which is the most approved 

 of, prevails. The smooth, short-haired dog 

 so much admired in England as a New- 

 foundland dog, though a useful and saga- 

 cious animal and nearly as hardy and 

 fond of the water, is a cross-breed. It 



It is somewhat difficult to reconcile these 

 remarks concerning Newfoundlands in Eng- 

 land with what is known from other sources 

 about the same time, and it is contradicted 

 as regards the smooth-coated dogs by 

 Landseer's picture. The smooth-coated dogs 

 referred to were probably of the Labrador 

 breed, and this view is confirmed bv Youatt 



MISS E. GOODALUS CH. GIPSY PRINCESS 



BY WOLF OF BADENOCH NUMBER PEERESS. 



Photograph by Russell. 



seems, however, to inherit all the virtues 

 of the true kind. A Newfoundland dog 

 will, if properly domesticated and trained, 

 defend his master, growl when another 

 person speaks roughly to him, and in no 

 instance of danger leave him. This animal 

 in a wild state hunts in packs, and is then 

 ferocious, and in its habits similar to the 

 Wolf. They are fond of children and much 

 attached to members of the house to which 

 they belong, but frequently cherish a cross 

 antipathy to a stranger. While they will 

 neither attack nor fight dogs of inferior 

 size, they are ready to fight courageously 

 with dogs of their own size and strength. 



" So sagacious are these animals that they 

 seem to want only the faculty of speech to 

 make them fully understood, and they are 

 capable of being trained to all the purposes 

 for which almost every other variety of the 

 canine species is used." 



in his Book of The Dog, published in 18J5, 

 in which he states : " Some of the true New- 

 foundlands have been brought to Europe, 

 and have been used as Retrievers. They 

 are comparatively small and generally black. 

 A larger variety has been bred, and is 

 now perfectly established. He is seldom 

 used as a sporting dog, but is admired on 

 account of his stature and beauty, and the 

 different colours with which he is often 

 marked." 



Some twenty-five to thirty years ago 

 there was considerable discussion among 

 owners of Newfoundlands in this country 

 as to the proper colour of the true breed, 

 and there were many persons who claimed, 

 as some still claim, that the black variety 

 is the only true variety, and that the white 

 and black colouring indicates a cross-breed. 

 Again Landseer's picture is of value, 

 because, in the first place, we may be almost 



