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  • a.k.a. "Newfie," a dog breed as well as a location. "There are conflicting hypotheses about the origins of the Newfoundland. There are those who claim the breed derives from Nordic dogs brought to Newfoundland in 1600. Others feel the breed has British origins and date its development from the year 1700, when the island of Newfoundland became a British possession. According to this theory, the British brought Tibetan mastiffs to Newfoundland, and the Newfoundland dog was the result of a long period of breeding between these mastiffs and local dogs. The third hypothesis is that the Newfoundland is a close relative of the Labrador. ... In 1919, a gold medal was awarded to a Newfoundland that pulled to safety in a lifeboat some twenty shipwrecked people. It has been called the St. Bernard of the water." (Simon & Schuster's Guide to Dogs, 1980)

    February 21, 2007