Canadian fisherman long relied on Newfoundlands as peerless shipboard working dogs who specialized in dramatic water rescues. Newfs are born swimmers, complete with partially webbed feet, and strong enough to save a grown man from drowning. Their prowess as rescuers is the stuff of legend: What Saint Bernard is to the Alps, the Newfoundland is to the icy waters of the North Atlantic. Newfs also earned their keep by hauling fishing nets to shore and carting the day’s catch to market. Although the Newf’s career as a seagoing deckhand is mostly a thing of the past, the breed is still considered the premium water-rescue dog and is employed in that role the world over.
The Newfoundland was taken to England where he became popular and was bred extensively. One well-known reference to a Newfoundland is Lord Byron’s tribute to his dog Boatswain, whom he described as “one who possessed Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, and all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.” In America, a Newfoundland named Seaman, acquired for $20 (a great sum at the time) accompanied explorers Lewis and Clark as they mapped the great expanse -- all the way to Oregon -- that comprised Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase. Lewis named a northern tributary of the Blackfoot River “Seaman’s Creek.” Perhaps the Newfie liked to swim there.
Newfies are portrayed as lifesavers in art and literature for good reasons: they are life savers. A Newfoundland named Rigel went down with the Titanic and swam next to a lifeboat for three hours in the icy water, apparently looking for his owner, who had gone down with the ship. The people in the lifeboat were nearly run down by the steamship Carpathia because the crew couldn’t hear their weak cries, but Rigel's bark drew notice and the people and dog were saved.
The Newfie is moderately popular today. He ranks 44th among the breeds registered by the American Kennel Club, up from 53rd in 2000.
