Temperament: The Newfoundland is a dog with an outstanding temperament. This breed is patient, mild mannered, and gentle. This dog is very devoted, loyal, trustworthy, and sweet. It can become so attached to its owner that it cannot adapt to a new home. It is patient, playful, and loving with children; it is a born babysitter. It is intelligent enough to act on its own when needed. It makes a very good watchdog. It can recognize a dangerous situation and will generally act if the family is threatened. This breed is generally good with other animals, though some males may be aggressive with other males. This breed may be slightly difficult to train; it needs calm, patient, balanced training. This dog is very sensitive to the tone of your voice. The Newfoundland loves to swim. The Newfoundland drinks a lot of water and may be messy about it, as it loves to get wet. It tends to drool, though not as much as some other giant breeds. Although as puppy it requires a lot of food, an adult Newfoundland eats only about as much as a retriever. This is a huge dog and tends to move rather slowly; take this into account during training. This gentle giant was used for hauling in nets, carrying boat lines to shore, retrieving anything which fell overboard and rescuing shipwrecked and drowning victims; it was also used to haul lumber, pull mail sheds, deliver milk, and carry loads in packs. This breed will benefit from regular moderate exercise, it should have frequent opportunities to swim and frolic.
