Newfoundland

Newfoundlands are one of the better choices for a family with children. Expect a big dog that is low-energy, sheds heavily and needs professional grooming on a cycle. The big catch is running cost — this is one of the pricier dogs to keep well.

Source: American Kennel Club breed standard.

Newfoundlands worked alongside fishermen off the Canadian coast, hauling nets and lines and going into the water after people who fell in. They have webbed feet, a water-resistant double coat and a swimming stroke unlike other dogs — and the instinct to rescue is strong enough that a Newf may try to tow a swimming child to shore whether or not the child wants towing. The breed standard specifically calls for sweetness of temperament, and it shows. The costs are physical: this is a very large, very hairy, very drooly dog whose coat needs serious weekly work, who overheats easily, and who at nine or ten years is already old. Nothing about a Newfoundland is low-effort except its mood.

Day to day. Low-energy — short walks and a warm spot to sleep suit this breed fine, which makes it one of the easier dogs to fit around a busy family. On noise, it is quiet.

The coat, honestly. This breed sheds heavily and needs professional grooming on a cycle. A brush a few times a week and the occasional tidy-up keeps it in good order.

Being left alone. Fine alone for a few hours. A few hours is fine; a full working day, every day, is asking a lot.

Training. Trains at an average pace. Consistent, reward-based training from day one does most of the work.

• You want a dog with a reputation for putting up with children
• Your idea of a walk is twenty gentle minutes, not five miles
• You have room for a big dog and a car it actually fits in

• Nobody has budgeted for a groomer every few weeks
• You cannot live with hair on the sofa, the car and your clothes
• A surprise vet bill would be a real problem this year
• Drool on your trousers would bother you every single day
• You are in a flat, or nobody can physically hold this dog on a lead

Every animal is an individual, and plenty of Newfoundlands live long, healthy lives. This is here so nobody is surprised — ask a vet, and ask whoever you get the dog from what they have tested for.

Rough running cost: $$$ (one of the pricier dogs on our list) — because it is a big dog, so food, medicines and anaesthetics all cost more, and the coat needs a professional groom on a cycle, and that is the bill people forget, and the breed has known health issues that can mean extra vet visits.

Those are relative bands, not live prices. For real numbers across every pet we cover, see the pet cost study and the cost calculator.

Rescues do have Newfoundlands and Newfoundland crosses, usually adults whose size, coat and temperament you can see rather than guess at.