Gunner

This sweet dog was well-represented in the movie Peter Pan and is the definition of “man’s best friend.” Newfoundlands are sweet, gentle, and devoted to their families. They love exercising (including swimming with their webbed feet), but their favorite activity is snuggling up next to you at the end of the day. Full-grown, they typically weigh 100-150 pounds and stand 26-28 inches tall.

Newfoundlands are generally excellent with children of all ages. Newfoundland dogs are about as sweet and friendly as they come. This breed will be a good companion to any dog, animal, child, or visitor. They're relatively quiet and don't bark much.

Newfoundlands are active pups that need to get their blood flowing often. They enjoy lots of exercise, particularly if it involves swimming, pulling, or playing in cold weather. The Landseer Newfoundlands may need even more activity than the other varieties. Overall, their exercise needs are moderate.

The Newfoundland has a dense, greasy coat that is medium length or long and resistant to water. They can be black or black and white (called “Landseer’”after Edwin Landseer, an English artist whose paintings made this variety popular). You also may see Newfoundlands that are brown or gray, but those varieties are less common. Grooming-wise, this breed is moderate.

Newfoundlands are best suited for a home with a yard, though they can adapt to apartment life with enough exercise. Newfoundlands don’t enjoy outdoor life or warm climates, so keep them indoors where they can stay cool and comfortable. Speaking of comfort, they’re known to grow attached to their home and don’t adapt easily to new environments. They are moderately trainable with consistent effort.

Despite their big, brawny bodies, the Saint Bernard’s heart is much bigger than their bite. They may be one of the largest and heaviest breeds around, but all these family-friendly dogs want is to love and be loved in return. Full-grown, they typically weigh 120-180 pounds and stand 26-30 inches tall.

Saint Bernards are generally excellent with children of all ages. Saint Bernards are friendly with children, other dogs, and pets. They are quite large, even as puppies, so it’s wise to keep an eye on them around small kids and dogs to prevent accidents. They're relatively quiet and don't bark much.

Saint Bernards need daily exercise but not as much as you might think. A walk or run each day will keep them satisfied, but exercise should definitely be part of their routine to keep them from getting obese. When walking your Saint Bernard as a puppy, teach them not to pull on the leash. Overall, their exercise needs are moderate.

The Saint Bernard’s coat is typically white with black, red, brindle, and/or tan markings. Most dogs have black ears, and show dogs may have white hair on their legs, chest, collar, tail tip, and blaze (the vertical line between their eyes). Saint Bernards shed twice a year to get rid of their summer and winter coats. Grooming-wise, this breed is low-maintenance.

Saint Bernards are best suited for a home with a yard, though they can adapt to apartment life with enough exercise. Because of their size, Saint Bernards are better suited for homes with large yards instead of apartments, and they prefer to be indoors. They can develop bad habits (like barking, digging, and stealing food from the table) if they’re bored or left unsupervised for too long, so keep an eye on them even when they’re inside. They are moderately trainable with consistent effort.