If you have ever thought about owning one, I can tell you that Newfoundland Retrievers are huge and beautiful and have some of the strangest breed characteristics I have ever seen!

Aside from putting up with the drooling and shedding and snoring like buzz-saws and not being able to swim in the pool without our Newfoundland, Mister, trying to "rescue" us, his average, everyday behavior runs the gamut from exasperating to downright odd!

One of the very first things you will notice a Newfie doing when you meet him, is leaning. As soon as you start to pet them, they turn sideways and lean on you. I have never met one who did not do this. This would be fine for poodles to do, however, Newfoundlands average around 150 pounds! A friendly petting session can quickly wind up with you on your butt.

Another odd quirk seems adorable at first: they give you their paw. This is not something that you need to train a Newfoundland to do. They do it automatically. However, they keep doing it. My Newfoundland will throw his paw at you for days on end if you let him. Every time he sits down he gives us his paw. Every time we sit down, he gives us his paw. He gives us his paw constantly, whether we want it or not. He does not do this lightly or tenderly. He throws his gigantic furry foot at you like he's your sparring partner. They all do this. I once spoke to a lady who shows Newfoundlands who told me that a walking around backstage at a Newfoundland show is like running the gauntlet. As you pass by, one enormous paw after another is thrown at you.

They also form unbreakable attachments to odd things. My first Newf loved my daughter's My Size Barbie Doll. If you have never seen one, it is a Barbie doll that is about three feet tall. He would not be dissuaded no matter where we put her. The top of the bookcase was not high enough. He had to be near her. We would hide her in the closet. He would find her. As soon as he found her, he would grab her by the hair and drag her around the house with him. We would hear "thump, thump thump" as her heels bounced down the stairs. He never harmed her in any way, but she was not built for this overwhelming display of Newfie love. Long after she was gone, we would find him in my daughter's room, rooting around, looking for his lost love.

Another of their dirty little secrets is that Newfoundlands mumble. It's like living with Muttley. Ask somebody who owns one and they will tell you that after being chastised, their Newfoundland will mumble under his breath and complain about being yelled at. Sometimes, my Newf will go find a corner to lay in and continue complaining for several minutes. He usually manages to get the last word in.

Many Newfoundlands have the odd habit of wanting to walk with your arm in their mouth. Not biting or clamping down on it – just holding it. This is not always convenient. Try convincing your Newf of that.

Finally, Newfoundlands nibble. It's odd but true. Both of my Newfs nibbled. I have spoken to other people whose Newfs nibble. When they are feeling particularly playful, they will run up and ever so gently nibble on you! They use just their very front teeth and nibble at you like you are an ear of corn. Mine really likes to nibble on butts. The look on the face of a guest is really priceless when he does this and the screaming and scrambling that follow ususally just serve to get him more riled up and more intent on nibbling. The refrigerator repair man did not think it was funny.

If it was just my current dog that did all of these things, i woul dismiss it his own particular neurotic behavior, but this is my second one and they both did all of these things. Anyone I have ever spoken to that has one, does most, if not all of these things.

i know that every dog breed has been created over time and has been honed down to include the desired characteristics for that particualr breed, but you have to wonder, where in the gene pool does this kind of stuff come from?