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The orgin of the Newfoundland has been debated. It is definitely one of the older breeds of dogs still in existence today. One speculation has the
Newfoundland being bred to the Great Pyrenees that were brought to Newfoundland by Basque fisherman. Another account has the breed originating from
a dog that was indigenous to the island of Newfoundland that later became known as the St. John's Dog. It is speculated that the size of the
breed was the result of being bred to mastiffs that were brought to the island by Portuguese fisherman that had been coming there to fish since the
1400's. In the late 1800's a heavy built, long coated dog was described as the Newfoundland breed we know today along with a smaller, smooth-coated water
dog that was the forerunner of the Labrador Retriever having developed from the St. John's Dog.
One legendary tale has the breed being brought to North America by Leif Erikson of Viking fame around 1000 AD. A dog called Oolum accompanied Leif
Erikson on his boat. Records show that 19th century Norwegians used a dog similar in description to the Newfoundland for wolf and bear hunting.
The Newfoundland breed as we know it today was bred mainly in 19th century Britain and the United States. The breed has been a working dog for
centuries pulling carts, wagons, sleds, and hauling loads. In Newfoundland, the dog helped fisherman pull in their nets and accompanied sailors on
ships. They also pulled dairy carts and delivery wagons of various sorts. The dog has been honored with a likeness of the Newfoundland being printed
on a Canadian postage stamp.
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