Lifesaver with a sense of family

He is big, white and black and loves the water. He is said to have saved numerous people in need from this. The Landseer has many other characteristics. The dog, originally from Newfoundland, loves his family more than anything, saves people's lives in emergencies - with the appropriate training - and lends himself to numerous other shared activities.

Family is his everything. For them, he joyfully gets up from his XXL dog bed in the morning and falls asleep contentedly close to his loved ones in the evening. The dog, which is up to 80 centimeters tall and weighs up to 60 kilograms, prefers to be at the side of its people in all activities, although given its impressive size it is not necessarily suitable for every activity. It therefore stands to reason that keeping a Landseer should be accompanied by a Landseer-specific basic attitude. This includes, among other things, integrating white-black beauty into your entire life whenever possible.

Calm and balanced in the house

A house with a garden offers ideal conditions if the Landseer is allowed to move freely in both areas. Daily walks are also part of the well-being program and are particularly nice when they offer the playful and extremely attentive dog space for varied interaction. This also strengthens the relationship and trust between humans and dogs. Variety motivates the Landseer and makes him a calm and balanced roommate in the house who is alert but does not bark for no reason. The Landseer treats strangers with appropriate attention, whereas he usually greets familiar friends and relatives of the family with joy.

Grooming routine

The Landseer's white and black coat is an eye-catcher and requires appropriate care if you value a flawless appearance. Regular brushing and combing are therefore part of the anti-felt routine, although the naturally slightly greasy coat is quite dirt-repellent. Once dry, dirt falls out of the hair on its own. Nevertheless, it makes sense to clean the dog of coarse dirt after every walk in order to reduce the subsequent use of the vacuum cleaner to a manageable level. Overall, the care required for the Landseer is limited, but you should be prepared for the fact that a dog of this size will carry more dirt into the house and car than a smaller four-legged friend.

“I’m here for you”

Self-confidence is one of the Landseer's breed characteristics, as is calmness. A good-natured nature and a pronounced affection, which can also extend to several family members, are further characteristics of this old breed, whose origins lie in Newfoundland. Landseers are not “one-man dogs” but like to distribute their affection to all family members. If you say that Labrador Retrievers have an innate “will to please”, the Landseer’s need to be needed by his people is what sets him apart. Completing tasks is a joy for the clever dog, who is equipped with excellent intuition.

Distinctive coloring

The Landseer's coat, typical of the breed, should be long, plain and dense - with the exception of the head. The top coat, which feels fine, is interspersed with an undercoat, but not as dense as is the case with the black Newfoundland. To check that the hair texture is correct, brush the fur against the grain. It then has to fall back into the correct position on its own. Landseer are striking not only because of their size, but also because of their striking coloring. The clear white base color is interrupted by torn black plates on the trunk and croup area. The neck, forechest, belly, legs and tail are white. The head is black; A white snout area and a symmetrical, continuous blaze serve to consolidate breeding.

Pretty big

As far as the size of the Landseer is concerned, the official FCI standard stipulates an average shoulder height of 72 to 80 centimeters for male dogs and an average shoulder height of 67 and 72 centimeters for female dogs, with minor upward and downward variations being tolerated. Overall, the Landseer gives the impression of a large, strong and harmoniously built dog, whose legs - especially in male dogs - are higher than those of the Newfoundland.  

During the growth phase of the Landseer, particular care must be taken not to overtax it, but rather to utilize it according to its level of development. Even if he looks like a “finished dog” at the age of six to eight months, he is still far from fully grown.

Upbringing

While physical stress on young dogs should be kept to a minimum, loving, consistent training plays a role from day one. Puppy play lessons and basic training courses are recommended. Landseers from responsible breeding are usually affectionate, willing to learn and sociable, which makes their training quite pleasant. The legacy of its livestock guardian dog ancestors - such as the Pyrenean mountain dog - brings with it not only vigilance but also an independence that requires extensive socialization so that the dog learns that territorial and social responsibility does not lie with him, but with his human.

Excellent swimmer with a sense for more

Since the breed has a lot of temperament and enthusiasm for work, dog sports are ideal. The excellent swimmer particularly enjoys working in the water. But there are also numerous ways to demand a Landseer outside of water work. He loves searching and retrieving tasks, excels at man trailing and is even suitable as an avalanche search and therapy dog. Due to its size and weight, it is less suitable for extreme physical stress such as long bike rides or long periods of jogging.

How we became what we are

The history of the Landseer began in distant Newfoundland. There, the ancestors of today's Landseer found a wide range of uses among fishermen (collecting nets), lumberjacks (transporting wood) and other settlers in the coastal region. In the 18th century, French and English sailors discovered the impressive white and black dogs and brought some of them back to their European homeland. One of these dogs, Paul Pry, became famous for allegedly saving the life of his shipwrecked master and then living on the London docks. Even more famous are the works of the painter and namesake of the breed, Sir Edwin Landseer (1802 – 1873), who immortalized the Landseer on canvas and even explicitly gave him the seal of approval “An honorable member of our society” in 1831. All of this happened around 20 years after the British poet Lord Byron honored the Landseer in one of his poems: "Of one who had beauty without vanity, strength and arrogance, courage without savagery and all the virtues of man without his vices." In Germany began targeted Landseer breeding in 1903. There has been a separate breeding book for Landseer since 1952. The breed was officially recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) in 1959. The Landseer's circle of enthusiasts has been growing since the mid-1970s.

Error

Sir Edwin Landseer (1802 - 1873) never bred the dog breed named after him himself. Rather, he drew and painted dogs that were still called Newfoundland Dogs in his time. Since his works enjoyed international recognition, the dogs he depicted also became famous far beyond England's borders. As the black Newfoundland became more and more popular from 1870 onwards, the cynologist Dr. Gordon Stables gave the name of the painter to the large white and black dog circa 1880, who depicted these dogs with great joy and skill.

Watchful kinship

Landseers are vigilant dogs that will protect their territory and their family when danger threatens. They share this characteristic with herd protection dogs such as the Pyrenean mountain dog, whose genes were incorporated into the Landseer breed to consolidate the white and black coloring. For the same reason, the Kuvasz also played a role in the creation of today's Landseer.

(Source: Report from the Association for German Dogs e.V. on Facebook from May 11, 2024)