THE NEWFOUNDLAND. 



79 



conform to the same standard. The head 

 should be broad and massive, but in no 

 sense heavy in appearance. The muzzle 

 should be short, square, and clean cut, eyes 

 rather wide apart, deep set, dark and small, 

 not showing any haw ; ears small, with 

 close side carriage, covered with fine short 

 hair (there should be no fringe to the ears), 

 expression full of intelligence, dignity, and 

 kindness. 



The body should be long, square, and 

 massive, loins strong and well filled ; chest 

 deep and broad ; legs quite straight, some- 

 what short in proportion to the length of the 

 body, and powerful, with round bone well 

 covered with muscle ; feet large, round, and 

 close. The tail should be only long enough 

 to reach just below the hocks, free from 

 kink, and never curled over the back. 

 The quality of the coat is very important ; 

 the coat should be very dense, with plenty 

 of undercoat ; the outer coat somewhat 

 harsh and quite straight. A curly coat is 

 very objectionable. A dog with a good coat 

 may be in the water for a considerable time 

 without getting wet on the skin. 



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 no 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 con- 

 dition 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 for a New- 

 foundland 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. One 

 dog of years ago, named Mayor of Bingley, a 

 well-known prize-winner, was stated to be 

 32^ inches at the shoulder and 142 lbs. in 

 weight, while his length was 50 inches (ex- 

 cluding tail). It is interesting to compare 

 that dog with Champion Shelton Viking, 

 who is illustrated in this chapter. His 

 height is 29I- inches, weight 154 lbs., and 

 length of body 48 inches. To be approxi- 

 mately of the same comparative proportions 

 for his height Mayor of Bingley should have 

 weighed at least 180 lbs. That, I think, 

 would be too heavy for a Newfoundland, and, 

 in fact, he was too tall. A 29-inch New- 

 foundland is quite tall enough, and even that 

 height should not be gained at the expense of 

 type and symmetry. 



The following table gives figures as a 

 guide to what the writer considers should 

 be about the measurements of a full-sized 

 dog and bitch : 



It does not follow, of course, that a 

 dog with these measurements will neces- 

 sarily be a good show dog ; but it will 

 be found that the measurements compare 

 fairly well with those of the most typical 

 black dogs and bitches. 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 re- 

 moved, 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. 



