Newfoundland: The Canadian Province With Its Own Dogs!

Sixty years ago today, Newfoundland entered the (then) Commonwealth of Canada as its 10th province.

On the left, a Newfoundland dog is pictured against a backdrop of shoreline at what looks like spring breakup.

To the right, is a Labrador (Retriever) , also pictured in his homeland. Today, Labrador and Newfoundland are merged to be one Canadian Province and the designation is Newfoundland Labrador (NL).

These two breeds are indigenous to Canada and they are well-suited to the craggy terrain of Canada's most easterly province - which is an island, by the way.

In particular, the Newfoundland dog is known for his rescue work. He is a good swimmer and will go out into the water and pull you back to shore. He is easily able to navigate rough terrain which is common to this province.

(The Labrador Retriever has been number one in popularity in North America for about a decade because he makes such a good family dog. He fits in well with children and can be trusted with them. He is an even-tempered, self-confident, happy dog. I just wanted to point out that this breed is also originally Canadian, like myself!)

Now, the Newfoundland is a gentle giant. Many people who first see a "Newfie" up close are surprised at his mere size: particularly his head is enormous!

The Newfoundland makes a great family pet IF you have lots of land where he can run and if you can ensure clear coffee tables and lots of space between chairs and sofas in your home. (While the Newfoundland is a graceful picture as he gaits around the ring at a dog show, it is fair to say he needs lots of room to maneuver around a household.)

I have seen Newfoundlands stand tall at the kitchen sink and drink directly from the faucet. (Yes, a human turned on the tap but I imagine he could be trained to open some taps.) It takes a certain sense of humor to engage a Newfoundlander as a household pet.

It is fair to say that Newfoundland is a maverick province and most North American families would have to think very carefully about engaging the province's namesake for their family pet. Today, it is called Newfoundland & Labrador.

Why Another Blog - Just About Dogs?

This is Buddy, our Lhasa Apso, who - as you see - does not have any confidence problems!

I have learned from writing my blog, Yonge Street Texan, that the topic of dogs is very popular! Generally more people read my blog on the days when the content is about dogs. If that is what people like to read, I am happy to tackle this new blog!

This year, the Canadian Kennel Club has made me a Life Member and that makes me feel very proud because I have been studying dogs for a long time! I have written about dogs for magazines - dog and general publications - and I edited the bulletin for the Canadian Shih Tzu Club for several years. Additionally, I did PR and Promo for dogs and dog shows in the Toronto area.

I have owned, bred and/or shown Boxer, Scottish Terrier, Lhasa Apso and Shih Tzu.

I had to learn about as many breeds as possible when I married International All-Breed Dog Show Judge, John Devlin in 1977. (John died in 1995.)

Whenever I was at a dinner or a dog show, I would find myself seated next to someone with yet another breed. As I am a naturally outgoing person, I wanted to know about as many breeds as possible, so I could "talk dogs" with anyone.

You don't have to be involved in the Dog Fancy to enjoy dogs and almost everyone likes dogs. Dogs are great companions! They bond with their "owners" and generally fit well into the home environment.

There are currently more than 160 breeds of purebred dogs recognized by the American Kennel Club. For each dog, there is a written standard which sets out what we are looking for in a individual dog. In this blog, I will go over some of the more popular breeds and help you understand some of the breeds a little better. Families with young children should be looking for a different type of dog than say, seniors like Hubby Keith and me. Buddy, the Lhasa is right for us, but he would not be my preferred choice for a typical family of four with two young children.

At a Dog Show, at the first (breed) level, each individual dog is being judged to the standard set out for that breed. Then, later at the Group level, the judge is also looking at each dog - for example, the Lhasa - to see if it is closer to the Lhasa Apso Standard than, say, the Standard Poodle compares to the its standard.

Why is this new blog called Fifi and Fido? Well, when I would be writing about dogs in general, I fiame up with those as sort of typical names designating a feminine, dainty sort of dog and a big boy dog. Simple!

I hope you will enjoy reading this new blog and I know I will enjoy writing it!