[ Barton / The Dog in Health, Accident, and Disease ]
Frank Townend Barton (1869 - 1948?) was an English veterinarian and prolific writer on animal topics, principally dogs and horses. This book, apparently first published in London in 1907, is a general treatise on dog care and dog selection and has brief discussions of a number of breeds. The Newfoundland discussion is as follows, and is taken from the 1908 edition (Philadelphia: Henry Altemus).
This variety of dog has never attained the popularity of the St. Bernard,[note] and there does not appear any likelihood that he ever will. Newfoundlands are large, handsome dogs, either altogether black, or black-and-white, the latter being often spoken of as the Landseer Newfoundland, because this animal figures in a picture by Landseer. Inferior specimens of Newfoundlands are very prevalent, and the inferiority is mostly in want of size and general massiveness. The coat should be flat and dense, and of a water-resisting nature. Small dark-coloured eyes, deeply set, small closely-set ears, and large feet are typical of good breeding. The average height for a dog is 27 inches, and the weight from 120 to 150 lbs., with an average of 135 lbs. In retrievers and certain other breeds which are black in colour, raven blackness of coat constitutes an important point, but in the Newfoundland this remark does not apply, a rusty or bronze tinge, with or without a splash of white on chest or toes, not being looked upon with disfavour. In a black-and-white Newfoundland even distribution of the markings is important, and judges usually pay a good deal of attention to this. The skull should be massive, broad, and flat, and the muzzle square. The forearms, first and second thighs, must be big in the bones; in fact, massiveness throughout the whole conformation expresses the general build of a Newfoundland. The faults are: curly coat, curly tail, cow-hocks, want of massiveness in head, body, or limbs, bad temper, etc. There is a Newfoundland Club, and this body allots 34 per cent, of points for the head. These dogs make excellent companions, and as a rule they are very good-tempered; make good yard dogs, but are inclined to become savage if kept too much on the chain. It is their nature to be fond of water, therefore they are easily trained to retrieve from it; in fact, the Newfoundland has attained a notoriety — in all probability a good deal overestimated, and largely of a pictorial nature — as a life-saving dog, and the Humane Society have distributed awards to Newfoundlands for meritorious conduct of this kind. [ note ] Puppies are easy to rear, and thrive admirably in cold climates, whilst excellent specimens can be bought at prices ranging from several guineas up to fifteen or twenty, whilst more than treble the latter sum is occasionally paid for a show dog. (35 - 37)
There are a few other incidental mentions of Newfs in this volume:
Such dogs as Mastiffs, St. Bernards, Great Danes, Newfoundlands, etc., become sluggish to
a degree, without a sufficiency of muscular exercise. (9)
[Great Danes] are powerfully-built dogs, but quite unlike the St. Bernard, Mastiff or Newfoundland, being built upon racing lines. (37)
The retriever is not an old variety of dog, and no doubt contains a good deal of the Newfoundland element in his blood, as will be seen in many inferior specimens. (64)