Newfoundlands are giant dogs that can make excellent family pets.
These powerful working dogs can weigh up to 150 pounds and reach a height of up to 28 inches.
Their size alone makes the Newfoundland dog a striking breed that will grab your attention.
However, the Newfoundland breed have a number of different coat colors to add to their eye-catching appearance.
In this article, we’re going to take a close look at the possible Newfoundland coat colors, while examining what the American Kennel Club’s breed standard has to say about Newfoundland appearance.
With the introduction over, let’s take a closer look at Newfoundlands.
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What Is A Newfoundland?
Newfoundland dogs were initially used as working dogs by Canadian fisherman.
These natural-born swimmers specialized in water rescues and were strong enough to save a grown man from drowning, according to the AKC.
While they were expert rescuers, Newfoundlands were adept at hauling fishing nets to shore and carting the day’s catch to market.
They were exported to England before being bred extensively to populate the breed around the UK and the world.
Nowadays, the Newfoundland is a treasured family pet thanks to their calm and loving personalities.
The American Kennel Club ranks the Newfoundland as the 40th most popular dog breed in the United States.
With a sweet temperament and extremely patient nature, Newfoundlands can make great family pets in spite of their size.
Newfoundland Appearance
As we mentioned at the start of the article, Newfoundlands will usually weigh between 100 and 150 pounds and 26 and 28 inches.
With a big head and a facial expression that is friendly and inviting, Newfoundlands are considered a breed with a sweet temperament.
They’ve got a flat and coarse coat that is designed to keep these dogs warm and protected from the weather conditions of their native Newfoundland.
These noble giants have webbed feet that make them proficient swimmers.
Recognised by the American Kennel Club, the organization sets out a breed standard that Newfoundland breeders are trying to adhere to.
Let’s see what the breed standard has to say about general appearance.
The Newfoundland is a sweet-dispositioned dog that acts neither dull nor ill-tempered. He is a devoted companion. A multipurpose dog, at home on land and in water, the Newfoundland is capable of draft work and possesses natural lifesaving abilities. The Newfoundland is a large, heavily coated, well balanced dog that is deep-bodied, heavily boned, muscular, and strong. A good specimen of the breed has dignity and proud head carriage.
Now that we have a general overview of Newfoundland colors, let’s look a little more closely at Newfoundland color.
Newfoundland Breed Standard Colors
The Newfoundland’s breed standard, as listed by the AKC’s website, has a section dedicated to Newfoundland color.
Recognized Newfoundland colors are black, brown, gray, and white and black.
The AKC go on to state with regards to Newfoundland dogs with a solid color.
Blacks, Browns, and Grays may appear as solid colors or solid colors with white at any, some, or all, of the following locations: chin, chest, toes, and tip of tail. Any amount of white found at these locations is typical and is not penalized. Also typical are a tinge of bronze on a black or gray coat and lighter furnishings on a brown or gray coat.
There is also Landseer Newfoundlands, which get a mention in the breed standard.
White base coat with black markings. Typically, the head is solid black, or black with white on the muzzle, with or without a blaze. There is a separate black saddle and black on the rump extending onto a white tail.
8 Newfoundland Coat Colors
The AKC’s website lists four breed standard colors and four non-breed standard colors.
Black
Newfoundland dog portraits in the water (Photo: Adobe Stock)
One of the accepted coat colors under the Newfoundland’s breed standard, black Newfoundlands have a jet black coat.
Brown
Brown Newfoundland dog (Photo: Adobe Stock)
A trademark coat color for the Newfoundland, they’ve got a solid chocolate-like coat. They may have some streaks of lighter brown or darker brown.
Gray
Gray Newfoundland dog (Photo: Adobe Stock)
The rarest of the four Newfoundland colors accepted under the breed standard, the gray Newfoundland has a black coat that looks diluted to give it a lighter appearance.
White & Black
Black and white Newfoundland (Photo: Adobe Stock)
You can get white and black Newfoundland dogs that have a solid black color with white markings.
Beige
Beige Newfoundland (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Listed on the AKC’S website but not in the breed standard, beige Newfoundlands have a brown coat that is diluted. Effectively, it’s lighter than brown Newfoundlands.
Black & Tan
Black and tan Newfoundland dog (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Again, not an accepted color according to the Newfoundland’s breed standard. They’ve got a solid black color with tan markings on their face, chest, legs and tail.
• White & Brown
• White & Gray
Patterns
Irish Spotted
Irish spotted Newfoundland (Photo: Adobe Stock)
The Irish Spotted Newfoundland has a solid black coat with white markings. The white markings are usually found on the muzzle, chest, paws and tail.
Website My Brown Newfies explains that Irish Spotted is a term used but not a color.
Landseer
Landseer Newfoundland (Photo: Adobe Stock)
We touched upon the Landseer coat pattern above. They’ve got a white base coat with black markings. The AKC write that typically the head is solid black with a black saddle and rump.
Anything Else To Consider
The price of your Newfoundland can vary depending on their coat color.
For instance, black or brown Newfoundland puppies will usually cost less than black and white or gray Newfoundland puppies.
You should contact multiple breeders if you’re looking for a Newfoundland puppy before deciding which breeder is the best fit for you.
Wrapping Up – Our Final Thoughts
We’ve reached the end of our article on Newfoundland coat color.
There are four acceptable colors, according to the AKC’s breed standard. Newfoundlands can have a black, brown, black and white or gray coat.
The AKC’s website add that other possible colors not listed in the breed standard but sometimes seen are beige, black and tan, white and brown and white and gray.
