The Newfoundland is one of the few breeds indigenous to the North American continent. Whether his forbears were the big black Bear Dogs of Norway left here by Leif Ericson (A.D. 1000) or descendants of Tibetan Mastiffs that crossed over from the Asian continent is still a matter of controversy. We do know that early explorers in the seventeenth century found large Mastiff-like dogs on the island of Newfoundland. The first mention of the Newfoundland as a distinct breed comes from the journal of Sir Joseph Banks, who in 1700 wrote that "a man from Trepassy had a breed he called 'the Newfoundland Dog'."
The breed was later exported to England, where it became very popular. It is presumed that the Mastiff-like dogs were crossed with the English Mastiff to obtain the size and massiveness which are common to the breed today. It is possible that a cross was made with the white Pyrenees Dog of the Basque fishermen. An early cross with the Springer Spaniel may account for the black and white coloration of the Landseer Newfoundland. The name Landseer was derived from that of the artist Sir Edwin Landseer, who greatly popularized the breed with his many paintings of the black and white variety.
Specimens of the breed were owned by the English Royal Family during this era. A Newfoundland who saved the life of his master lies buried in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
In the United States, the first reference to the breed was in 1639. It stated that a "large, black, wooly dog" was used as an article of trade with the Indians during the bargaining for Gardiner's Island, N.Y. In Revolutionary times, Samuel Adams owned a Newfoundland called "Que Que," who was known to have harassed the Redcoats. From that time on, the breed gradually gained in popularity until in the late 1880's the family life of a country home was not considered complete without a Newfoundland. The dogs were so loved that they were depicted on all sorts of objects. Today the Newfoundland fancier prizes these antique statues, stamps, pins, buttons, pictures, toy banks, and articles of needlework.
The trend toward large or small breeds in the popular fancy varies with the times. Terriers, spaniels, and toy dogs were the fashion for many years. The big breeds are again coming into their own, and the Newfoundland is enjoying a "new day." The average number of Newfoundlands registered with the American Kennel Club during the 1930's was 106, during the 1940's, 190. In the past year, registrations climbed to a new high of 361. This gradual increase in breed numbers is an indication that breeders have succeeded in their aim to maintain those qualities always associated with the breed: disposition, soundness, and intelligence. Quality has never been sacrificed for quantity.
Today there are about ten or fifteen Newfoundland kennels in the United States. Many more puppies are bred by owners of a single bitch who take pride in breeding once a year to a good stud. The resulting puppies are raised with an abundance of loving care. Most responsible breeders feel that disposition and soundness are so fundamental that they guarantee their puppies for disposition and freedom from congenital defects up to the age of one year, with the option of replacing any puppy that does not live up to standard.
In the early 1950's a committee appointed by the Newfoundland Club of America studied the pedigrees of all champions of record of the previous 20 years. It was found that every champion could trace its ancestry to one of the following three English imports: Ch. Baron, Ch. Shelton Cabin Boy, and Ch. Harlingen Neptune of Waseeka. All three dogs were sired by the English Champion Siki.
Newfoundlands today are being bred not only in the United States and Canada but also in England, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Thailand, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, and Australia. Others have been exported to other countries and will undoubtedly be bred in the future.