The Newfoundland is a large, heavily coated, well balanced dog that is deep bodied, heavily boned, muscular, and strong. A good specimen of the breed has dignity and proud head carriage.

The following description is that of the ideal Newfoundland. Any deviation from this ideal is to be penalized to the extent of the deviation. Structural and movement faults common to all working breeds are as undesirable in the Newfoundland as in any other breed, even though they are not specifically mentioned herein.

The Standard was written for a working dog who could double as a giant retriever, as much at home in the water as on dry land. A superior all-purpose dog, the Newfoundland has been used and is still used around the world as a true working dog. Although he is well known for his water rescue work he also pulls carts and sleds and carries packs.

His outstanding character traits are a benevolent disposition and strong lifesaving instincts. Strength and soundness to translate his historical work into effective action require the musculature, coordination, and ability to swim and haul good distances.

Temperament is of primary importance. A sense of dignity, strength, and power are softened by a benevolent demeanor. Any indication of ill temper is especially to be guarded against.

The Newfoundland must have symmetry and balance, so that no part appears exaggerated nor out of proportion with the other parts. The dog should impress the eye with substance, strength, and agility, and should not appear leggy, weedy, or shelly in body.

Large size is desirable, but never at the expense of temperament, type, structure, soundness and correct movement. Size is determined by height and substance; both are of equal importance. A Newfoundland in correct weight is not a fat, soft dog. Excess weight may appear as substance, so it is necessary to feel for good bone, spring of rib, and firm muscle.

It is helpful in judging to have an idea of the proportions of an animal. In the Newfoundland, the following proportions are approximately correct. 1. He is slightly longer than he is tall. 2. The skeletal structure measured from the withers to the lowest part of the chest (brisket) should be at least 50% of the dog’s total height. However, skin, muscle, and coat make this distance appear proportionally greater so that in profile, it appears to be approximately 55%. 3. The distance from withers to elbow is approximately 50% of the total height and from elbow to ground, about 50%. Variations in these proportions become apparent when the dog moves and appears to be "running downhill."

The head is massive, with a broad skull, slightly arched crown, and strongly developed occipital bone. Cheeks are well developed. Eyes are dark brown. (Browns and Grays may have lighter eyes and should be penalized only to the extent that color affects expression.) They are relatively small, deep-set, and spaced wide apart. Eyelids fit closely with no inversion. Ears are relatively small and triangular with rounded tips. They are set on the skull level with, or slightly above the brow, and lie close to the head. When the ear is brought forward, it reaches to the inner corner of the eye on the same side. Expression is soft and reflects the characteristics of the breed: benevolence, intelligence, and dignity.

 While the slope of the stop seems abrupt due to the plane of the muzzle and brow of the skull, examination with your hand will show the slope of the stop to be moderate, not steep. The parts of the head blend together smoothly. A flat skull, too little stop, flat cheeks, snipiness, or a "houndy look" all contribute to lack of type. Keep in mind that the ideal bitch head follows that of the ideal dog throughout. The bitch’s head is slightly smaller in proportion to her size than that of a dog. Lack of breadth of skull or breadth and depth of muzzle are no more acceptable in a bitch than in a dog. 

Eyes that are prominent, bulgy, set too close together, and/or light colored serve to spoil the soft, sweet Newfoundland expression. The shape of the eyes is a major factor in the desirable sweet expression. Light eyes in browns and grays are not penalized per se, but a poor expression, whether due to eye color, shape, or placement, should be penalized in dogs of any coat color

When seen from the front or back, the ears of a Newfoundland should blend with the head. Ears set too high or too low, ears that stand away from the head, or long, Spaniel-like ears are incorrect.

When alert, a Newf raises and brings his ears forward, but with the forward edges still hugging the face. However, in repose or submission, and often in greeting, ears are held back and lowered. Ear leather is ideally heavy, rather than thin or fine.

The muzzle should be in balance with the head of the individual animal, never excessively long, pointed, or snipey. The top of the muzzle is rounded. The Standard calls for a deep and squarish muzzle. Depth of muzzle comes from skeletal structure and a strong underjaw.

Level and scissors bites are equally acceptable. There is no suggestion in the Standard that an incorrect bite is more serious than any other fault. However, a wry mouth or a severely overshot or undershot bite contribute to lack of soundness and should be penalized as such. Dropped lower incisors are found in many specimens of the breed and should be considered only a minor deviation

The neck is strong and well set on the shoulders and is long enough for proud head carriage. The back is strong, broad, and muscular and is level from just behind the withers to the croup. The chest is full and deep with the brisket reaching at least down to the elbows. Ribs are well sprung, with the anterior third of the rib cage tapered to allow elbow clearance. The flank is deep. The croup is broad and slopes slightly. 

Tail set follows the natural line of the croup. The tail is broad at the base and strong. It has no kinks, and the distal bone reaches to the hock. When the dog is standing relaxed, its tail hangs straight or with a slight curve at the end. When the dog is in motion or excited, the tail is carried out, but does not curl over the back.

The neck is muscular and blends into the well laid-back shoulder assembly. The neck of the male is more muscular and thicker than that of the female. A neck too short is generally an indication of poor shoulder placement and puts a Newfoundland out of balance.

From the side, the chest should extend at least to the elbow. From the front, the chest appears deep in brisket (lowest part of the forechest). It is heart shaped, which gives room for the elbows to move and lie properly. The palm of the hand, held horizontally, fits easily between the forelegs.

The prosternum projects beyond the point of shoulder. Rib spring is a factor of substance. Unless the ribs can actually be felt, it is not possible to tell if there is sufficient rib spring, or whether the appearance of substance is due to overweight. The mature dog should be deep in the flank and not excessively tucked up in the belly. The loin must be just long enough to permit suppleness. A dog with too short a loin cannot turn easily without breaking his stride. A dog with too long a loin usually has too much play in the back, thereby losing power of transmission from the hindquarters.

A Newfoundland should not be sway-backed, hollow-backed or soft in the back. He should be neither roached nor camel-backed. The natural coat, or grooming, may make a soft or hollow back appear level, or it can make a level back appear roached or high in rear, so the back must be felt to determine its true conformation and musculature. The croup may also be distorted by coat and should be felt to determine its true slope. A flat croup makes for a high tail set. A too sloping croup throws the hindquarters under the dog and tends to destroy the power that should be developed there. Both conditions spoil the general outline of the dog. The croup should never be higher than the withers.

In motion the tail is usually carried straight out or slightly above the horizontal.

Shoulders are muscular and well laid back. Elbows lie directly below the highest point of the withers. Forelegs are muscular, heavily boned, straight, and parallel to each other, and the elbows point directly to the rear. The distance from elbow to ground equals about half the dog’s height. Pasterns are strong and slightly sloping. Feet are proportionate to the body in size, webbed, and cat foot in shape. Dewclaws may be removed.

Without correct structure of the foreassembly, perfection in all other body structure will suffer in proportion to the failure existing in the front. The shoulder blade should be broad, have hard sinewy muscle, and be firmly placed. The upper arm should be the same length as the shoulder blade and well muscled.. It should lie close to the ribs and should be capable of free movement. With the elbows lying directly below the highest point of the withers, correctly angulated forequarters will place the forelegs well under the body without too much distance between the fore and hind quarters. The better the match in correct angulation between the front and back assembly, the better the dog will move.

Turned-out, turned-in, splayed, or hare feet are incorrect. Dewclaws that are always found on the front legs need not be removed.

The rear assembly is powerful, muscular, and heavily boned. Viewed from the rear, the legs are straight and parallel. Viewed from the side, the thighs are broad and fairly long. Stifles and hocks are well bent and the line from hock to ground is perpendicular. Hocks are well let down. Hind feet are similar to the front feet. Dewclaws should be removed.

Newfoundlands should not be cow-hocked, sickle-hocked, barrel-legged, nor pigeon-toed in the hindquarters. The muscling should be broad and hard.

Well bent stifles and hocks provide flexibility. One should be able to see the entire pads of the rear feet of a dog as he moves away.

From the perspective of the rear assembly, just as from that of the front assembly, rear and front angulation should be in balance. The well balanced Newfoundland will stand comfortably with his rear legs out from under him, with the hocks perpendicular to the ground.

The adult Newfoundland has a flat, water-resistant, double coat that tends to fall back into place when rubbed against the nap. The outer coat is coarse, moderately long, and full, either straight or with a wave. The undercoat is soft and dense, although it is often less dense during the summer months or in warmer climates. Hair on the face and muzzle is short and fine. The backs of the legs are feathered all the way down. The tail is covered with long dense hair.

Examples of some frequently encountered color patterns, all acceptable on black/white or white/black dogs. Any Newfoundland whose coat color is brown and white or gray and white is to be disqualified if white is, without question, the predominant color, a decision to be determined by the judge

Color is secondary to type, structure and soundness.

Recognized Newfoundland colors are black, brown, gray, and white and black.

Solid Colors- Blacks, Browns, and Grays may appear as solid colors or solid colors with white at any, some, or all, of the following locations: chin, chest, toes, and tip of tail. Any amount of white found at these locations is typical and is not penalized. Also typical are a tinge of bronze on a black or gray coat and lighter furnishings on a brown or gray coat.

Landseer- white base coat with black markings. Typically, the head is solid black, or black with white on the muzzle, with or without a blaze. There is a separate black saddle and black on the rump extending onto a white tail.

Markings, on either solid colors or Landseers, might deviate considerably from those described and should be penalized only to the extent of the deviation. Clear white or white with minimal ticking is preferred.

Beauty of markings should be considered only when comparing dogs of otherwise comparable quality and never at the expense of type, structure and soundness.

All acceptable colors have equal status. The bronze tinge or lighter furnishings on a solid color dog are caused by weathering or bleaching from the sun and should not be faulted. Brown may be any shade from dark chocolate to russet.

A rule of thumb for acceptable markings is:

Solid Black

Black with white or white with black

Solid brown or gray. If white is present, it may not be so extensive that either brown or gray cannot be identified as the base color.

White dogs with black markings are described in the Standard as "Landseers" in honor of Sir Edwin Landseer, the 19^th Century artist who featured white and black Newfoundlands in numerous paintings.

It is necessary to know the ideal patterns for solid colored and white with black Newfoundlands when comparing dogs of otherwise equal quality. On a solid colored dog, white which extends onto the feet or up the leg or on the face should be considered a minor deviation. White and black Newfoundlands have a piebald color pattern limited to white as the base color, and black area markings. These markings should be separated by clearly defined white areas of background color. While some minor ticking may or may not be present, excess ticking detracts from the contrast of the white and black coat.

Note that there is no mention of markings. With respect to disqualification, markings are considered only when they are the wrong color.

White is not listed as an acceptable solid color, so white dogs with no black markings would be disqualified. A black and white or a white and black dog may have markings so deviant from the described patterns that it is difficult to tell whether it is a black or a white and black. Such a dog may be shown in either the black or AOAC class and would not be disqualified, since either black with white or white with black is an acceptable combination. However, with other marked solid colors, either brown or gray must be identifiable as the base color to avoid disqualification, since the Standard describes white dogs as having black markings only.

Examples of other disqualifying colors include, but are not limited to: any non-solid base color (or markings) such as merle, roan, or brindle, and black, brown, or gray base coat with markings other than white. Beige, tan, honey, buff, blond, or any pale shade of brown must be disqualified.

Strength and coordination are valued over speed. A Newfoundland is properly shown at a moderate trot. The correct level topline of the dog must not be lost in motion. Soundness is an essential ingredient of type, for without well-coordinated movement, the Newf could not accomplish its purpose. Movement is the crucial test of conformation. There is probably no other point at which so many dogs fail.

It is important to distinguish good ground covering drive from an exaggerated rear action with considerable lift and flexing of the stifle, which lacks actual ground covering forward motion.

Dogs with otherwise good forequarters but who toe in slightly, should be distinguished from dogs with faulty construction who may also cross over with the forefeet, or who are out at the elbow.

Sweetness of temperament is the hallmark of the Newfoundland; this is the most important single characteristic of the breed.

Trim long hair along the edges of the ears and thin or trim long hair on and under the ears using straight edge scissors or thinning shears. Vibrissae (whiskers) need not be trimmed.

Trim feet for neatness following the outline of the foot. Trim the hair on the bottom of the foot even with the foot pad. Keep toenails short.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Barbara Bottaro, Ernest Hart, and Marcia Schlehr, for their art work

This Guide was authored by the Judges’ Education Committee of the Newfoundland Club of America, Inc.