dogage.co
GiantWorking Group

Newfoundland

The Newfoundland was developed on the Newfoundland coast as a water-rescue and draft dog, with webbed feet and a water-repellent double coat adapted for cold North Atlantic conditions.

Calculate Newfoundland age
Lifespan11 yrrange 10–12
SizeGiantWorking Group
Weight100–150 lb45.4–68 kg
Senior at5 yrgeriatric at 8

Gallery (3)

About

About the Newfoundland

The Newfoundland was developed on the Newfoundland coast as a water-rescue and draft dog, with webbed feet and a water-repellent double coat adapted for cold North Atlantic conditions. Adult males routinely exceed 130 pounds; the breed is among the five heaviest AKC breeds.

Aging

How Newfoundlands age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 11.0 years (n=2,162). Subvalvular aortic stenosis is the defining breed cardiac concern — screened by pedigree echocardiogram — with dilated cardiomyopathy and GDV secondary late-life killers.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 11 yr · range 10–12Senior careSenior at 5 · geriatric at 8Common health issues9 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
100–150 lb(45.4–68 kg)
Height
26–28 in(66–71.1 cm)
Coat type
Double
Colors
BlackBrownGrayWhite & BlackBeigeBlack & TanWhite & Brown
Temperament

Temperament

How Newfoundlands tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

sweetpatientdevotedgentle
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Osteochondritis Dissecans

    Description and veterinary guidance for Osteochondritis Dissecans land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Newfoundlands are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

Compare

Compare Newfoundland to another breed

Pick any of the 200 breeds in the library and we'll open a side-by-side comparison.

Start typing a breed name.

References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.