Newfoundland dog

Choose a Newfoundland for patience with children and a deep love of water; the breed worked alongside fishermen and is still trained for water rescue. Living with one means a heavy double coat that sheds hard twice a year, drool on the walls and a soaked dog in the car after every lake. Hip and elbow dysplasia are both common and the breed carries an inherited heart defect, subaortic stenosis, so ask for parental scores and heart checks. Around 9 to 11 years is typical.