Description. The Landseer is a big dog standing some 28½-31½ inches for the male dog and 26½- 28½ inches for the female bitch, with a weight of 130-150 pounds for the dog and the bitch a little lighter at 100-120 pounds. They are a broad and muscular dog that looks powerful and tall. They have a large head with a short, broad muzzle and pendant type triangular ears, which are comparatively small. They are good swimmers and have webbed feet to assist them in this. They have a double coat which is thick and oily with a dense undercoat that is waterproof. Indoor dogs may shed the undercoat. Their overcoat is soft to the touch but is quite oily, for waterproofing, and very thick. Their main color is white with a variety of defined black patches.

History. The origins of the Landseer trace back to Germany and Switzerland. There are some countries that class the Landseer as the same as the Newfoundland. There are a lot of European countries that see them as two separate breeds. This is probably due at least in part to the European Landseer having noticeably longer legs than the Newfoundland. The origin of this breed is thought to be as a result of crossing Newfoundland's with Pyrenean mountain dogs and the first litter was born in 1893 in Holland with a second litter being born in 1902 in Switzerland. The FCI recognized the Landseer as a separate breed in 1960. Since this time the breed have gained great popularity and can be seen across most of Europe and a few other countries.

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Temperament. The Landseer is an exceptional breed; they are intelligent, courageous, naturally brave, and very gentle, with a great sense of loyalty to their family. They have a peaceful nature and do not look for trouble. They tend to be peaceful and dignified with a very forgiving and understanding nature. This is a breed that protects by placing themselves between the family and the threat and they do not attack but they will defend with heart and soul. They have an excellent perception and tend to be able to predict evil intent; if a first time visitor arrives at your house and is of friendly intent the dog tends to greet them. However if a thief turns up the dog will try to chase them off, or at least bark and growl at them. If the dog doesn’t like them then you probably need to keep an eye on the visitor. Early training with this breed is vital, as a large dog they can do damage when not taught to behave properly. You must be the alpha and socialize the Landseer well. They are very good with children but remember how big the dog is, accidents can happen and the dog will probably be at least as upset as anyone else, but they are quite slow in movement so as long as there is plenty of space while playing they are not too liable to knock anyone over.

Health issues. As with lots of big dogs the Landseer is prone to hip dysplasia, to reduce the risk keep strict dietary control. They can suffer a genetic heart condition, but this can be tested at 8-12 weeks of age. If buying this breed ensure the SAS test has been carried out. They have an average lifespan of less than 10 years.

Grooming. They need brushing at least once a week but dependant on their activities maybe more often, even daily. The Landseer sheds twice a year and stripping is needed during these periods. Do not bath unless absolutely necessary, try dry shampooing now and then.

Living conditions. Whilst they are large and need a lot of exercise they are quite happy to live in an apartment. The Landseer will require a yard or garden and of course they prefer colder regions.

If you can't find a local breeder in your area don't worry, many breeders are using the major airlines like American, Delta, Continental and Northwest airlines for shipping their puppies.

At this time the airlines will ship puppies to the following States: Alabama AL - Alaska AK - Arizona AZ - Arkansas AR - California CA - Colorado CO - Connecticut CT - Delaware DE - Florida FL - Georgia GA - Hawaii HI - Idaho ID - Illinois IL - Indiana IN - Iowa IA - Kansas KS - Kentucky KY - Louisiana LA - Maine ME - Maryland MD - Massachusetts MA - Michigan MI - Minnesota MN - Mississippi MS - Missouri MO - Montana MT - Nebraska NE - Nevada NV - New Hampshire NH - New Jersey NJ - New Mexico NM - New York NY - North Carolina NC - North Dakota ND - Ohio OH - Oklahoma OK - Oregon OR - Pennsylvania PA - Rhode Island RI - South Carolina SC - South Dakota SD - Tennessee TN - Texas TX - Utah UT - Vermont VT - Virginia VA - Washington WA - Washington, D.C. - West Virginia WV - Wisconsin WI - Wyoming WY - Hawaii HI.