Even abuse will not make these loyal animals turn against a master, although they have been known to run away from a cruel one. A story is told of a man who, while rowing a boat, pushed his Newfoundland dog into the stream. The dog followed the boat for some time but, growing tired at last, tried to get back into the boat. The man pushed him away several times, finally pushing so hard that he overturned the boat and was about to drown. The good dog, however, caught hold of his coat and held him above water until help came.
In the island of Newfoundland these dogs are used much as we use horses, and are very valuable. With them duty is first. We often hear of one of these dogs carrying a basket of meat, a paper, or some other thing for his owner, and bearing any amount of annoyance from other dogs until he has delivered his charge safely; then he promptly goes back and punishes the offenders in such a way that they dare not interfere with him again.
These dogs are noble animals indeed. Their lives are devoted to man, though their devotion is not always appreciated as it should be.
Lord Byron writes:
"In life the firmest friend,
The first to welcome, foremost to defend;
Whose honest heart is still his master's own;
Who labors, fights, lives, breathes for him alone.
The rich man's guardian, and the poor man's friend."
No wonder Sir Edwin Landseer loved to paint these noble animals. Their intelligent look and, better still, their brave and noble deeds render them almost human, lacking only the power of speech. It seems sometimes as if they really do talk, and the owners of such dogs declare that their actions prove that the dogs understand every word said to them.