About five minutes after we decided to adopt Lucy, Chad joked that he thought she was part Newfoundland. I was not pleased with his wisecrack. I agreed to steer clear of a tiny dog but I did not agree to a massive one.
Tonight, Chad took Lucy to softball practice, where a girl on the team suggested that Lucy is definitely part Lab, but also part Newfoundland. So, we looked into this a bit more.
Let me tell you about some of the most fabulous findings about Newfoundlands. I have underlined in this description what fits Lucy to a tee.
The Newfoundland is a stately, strong, and massive dog with a broad heavy head. Elegant, harmonious, agile and hardy. The wide muzzle is rather short and squared-off. The small triangular ears are pendant. The small eyes are dark brown; the conjunctiva should not show as it does in the St. Bernard. The nose is generally black except on bronze-colored dogs, which have brown noses. The feet are webbed for better swimming. Dewclaws should be removed on the hind legs. The tail hangs down. The water-repellent long outer coat is flat, oily and slightly wavy with a thick oily undercoat. The coat most often comes in black, (sometimes with a little white on the feet, end of the tail, or chest). These dogs have a sweet temperament. They are often referred to as the "gentle giant." They have deep barks, are easy to train and are known as guardians, watchdogs and good with children.
Oh, and female Newfoundlands range between 100-120 pounds (compared to 55-70 pounds for a lab). They are so strong that one Newfoundland was given a bronze star for saving a boatful of people in the early 1900s by pulling it to shore.
If we ever capsize, at least we'll be taken care of.
No comments:
Post a Comment