[ Sporting Magazine ]
The Sporting Magazine (1792 - 1870) is considered the first general sporting magazine, though in its later decades it gave considerable emphasis to fox hunting. But it published all manner of sporting-related material, from news stories to poetry to calendars of upcoming sporting events. The subtitle of this magazine was "Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chace, and every other Diversion interesting to the Man of Pleasure, Enterprize and Spirit." [more at Wikipedia]
The July, 1858, issue featured an article, "The Proposed Exhibition of Dogs" by "Harry Hieover" (a pseudonym used by Charles Bindley [1795/6 - 1859], an English writer on sporting topics who was a fairly regular contributor to this magazine), that examined the idea of holding dog shows, which at this point had not happened on a large, formal scale, though one was scheduled for the following year.
While noting that small-scale, informal "shows" of sporting dogs had been going on for years, the author registers a somewhat qualified and grudging support for dog shows, though he makes a point of declaring his utter disdain for "pet" dogs, and suggests that the breeds favored by "ladies" should be exhibited separately from sporting and working breeds so that women "would not be liable to hear remarks that, though proper enough among men, would be sadly out of place in the hearing of ladies." (26)
The author then discusses various breeds; here's what he has to say about the Newfoundland:
We will now look to what are termed Newfoundland dogs. Very handsome, noble-looking animals, many of these are. Their fidelity is admitted and admired by all. Their courage is also lauded; but this is only shown under peculiar circumstances. They would leap into the sea from a vessel going ten knots an hour, to save their master, or indeed any "man overboard;" instinct, and perhaps attachment, will lead them to do this; it is not courage; for, to define courage, it is shown where real or fancied danger stares man or quadruped in the face: the Newfoundland faces no danger that appears as such to him; the water presents little, if any, more than the land; but let a cow chase him, he would run away with his tail between his legs till he got to a place of safety; all the hallooings of his master would not stop him, still less would any encouragement or "setting on" induce him to face that which he felt boded him harm. Again, it is brought forward really as an act of magnanimity, that he seldom or ever attacks a small cur; this merely arises from his not fearing so puny an object, consequently he has no inducement to attack him. It will be found, odd as the assertion may appear, fear is often the inducement to animals to attack: they hope by this to get rid of an antagonist they fear, without being driven to the necessity of entering into a prolonged combat. The cat thus flies at the dog, or uses such threatening aspect as she thinks likely to intimidate him from attacking her. I do not wish to impeach the courage of the Newfoundland further than placing it in, as I think, a right point of view. We know he will faithfully protect his master, and in his cause will attack with considerable courage; but I have proof, from personal experience, that his attack could be repelled; whereas in the same predicament with a game dog I should probably have gotten by far the worst of it.
Be these dogs' attributes what they may, I shall much further surprise many when I unhesitatingly affirm that the noble-looking animals we frequently see in our streets, and called "Newfoundlands," are not Newfoundlands at all. The true breed are seldom larger than a very large setter, but stronger made, and are in most cases black. The enormous dogs we see have possibly originally descended from them, but have been forced by early and constant high feeding into the size we see. They have been crossed with some dog of a large size; and hence, and from the effect of climate, their change in point of colour, as well as size. (29 - 30)
Like some other sporting writers in the early- and mid-19th Century, "Hieover" believes the term "Newfoundland" is properly applied to dogs that we today we recognize as Labrador Retrievers, or an ancestor thereof. See, for example, the 1814 book Instructions to Young Sportsmen by Peter Hawker, discussed here at The Cultured Newf.