Newfoundlands on Cape Ann: the giant that lives for the water

A grown Newfoundland outweighs most of the dogs in the building, and it plays by leaning. It walks into a group, presses its shoulder against a friend, and lies down in the pool. At the free evaluation our handlers place it with the big, steady dogs: Bernese, mastiff mixes, older Labs, a circle of 7 to 10 that wants company more than chase. Puppies and bouncy adolescents are kept out of that group, because a playful paw from a Newfoundland lands like a shove.

The adolescent Newfoundland is the one to watch. At ten months it can weigh 90 lb and still think it is a puppy, and it will try to wrestle a 20 lb doodle. That dog spends its first weeks with us in a calmer group while it learns where its body ends. Our handlers also plan for the drool. A Newfoundland shares it freely with every dog it leans on, and the playgroup gets a wipe-down and a fresh water bowl more often than usual.

Half days suit this breed better than most people expect. A Newfoundland is not built to run for nine hours; two hours of leaning, a swim in the pool and a long nap on the cool floor is a good day. A half day is $33, a full day $42, and the report card tells you whether your dog spent the afternoon asleep.

From October the Newfoundland comes into its own. Wingaersheek takes dogs on odd-numbered days from October 1 to April 30 at the time of writing, and a Newfoundland will swim there in December without hesitation; the coat sheds the water and the dog walks out steaming. Snow on our yard is a bed to this breed. On the days a nor'easter closes the roads, the Newfoundland is the one dog in Gloucester that would rather be outside. Halibut Point requires a leash, which matters when a dog this strong sees the quarry.

Summer is the clock. The AVMA's heat guidance applies to every dog, but a black double-coated giant reaches the limit first: heavy panting, thick drool, a dog that lies down and will not get up. On the hot days our handlers run the big groups in the first block after the 6:30 AM drop-off, keep the pools full, and move them to the indoor floors before the turf heats. A Newfoundland that arrives at 9:30 in August gets a short outdoor block and a long indoor one.

Off the property, the same rule holds. Walk before 8 AM or after 7 PM in July, keep off the sand until the hot-sand rule lifts, and skip the midday crowds on Main Street. A Newfoundland cannot tell you it is overheating until it is.

Grooming needs no evaluation, so a Newfoundland can start with the $95 bath and blow-out before it ever joins a group. Book it onto a daycare day and the dog spends the morning in its circle, the afternoon in the tub and under the dryer, and goes home dry. For daycare, the Academy or an overnight stay the free evaluation comes first, weekdays between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, with Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella on file and a current city dog license.

For an overnight stay the suite is $78 a night, and the Deluxe bundle at $15 more is worth it for this breed: the upgraded orthopedic memory-foam bed takes the weight off the elbows, and 15 percent off grooming covers a bath before pick-up. The Pup Van runs at $10 each way in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea; ask the front desk whether the van suits a dog this size before you book it.