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By Acolyte Karen LeeAt the further end of the village, and tolerably disengaged from the rest of it, stood the parsonage, a new-built substantial stone house, with its semicircular sweep and green gates; and, as they drove up to the door, Henry, with the friends of his solitude, a large Newfoundland puppy and two or three terriers, was ready to receive and make much of them. ~ Volume II, Chapter XI The Newfoundland Puppy
There are many conflicting stories as to the origin of the Newfoundland. It may not have originated in Newfoundland, though skeletons of giant dogs have been discovered in Indian gravesites in Newfoundland dating from the 5th century, AD. One of the more appealing speculations rests on the legend that when Leif Erikson discovered North America about 1000 AD, he had aboard his boat a large black dog resembling a Newfoundland, called "Oolum." It is recorded that early in the 19th century some Norwegians kept and used Newfoundland-like dogs for bear and wolf hunting. The first record of the Newfoundland dog on the island whose name he bears dates from 1732 when an unknown author wrote, "The Bear Dog of a very large size is very watchful, his business is to guard a court or house, and has a thundering voice." It is possible, too, that some Great Pyrenees were bred to this Newfoundland dog by the Basque fishermen sailing between Newfoundland and their homeland. The breed as we know it today was developed largely in 19th century England and America. The Newfoundland is an ancestor of the present day Labrador and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, which follow the Newfoundland in their natural swimming ability. The rough-coated St. Bernard owes its coat to the Newfoundland. English visitors to Newfoundland took specimens back with them in the late 1700's, having been very impressed by the working ability of these dogs. One such visitor was Able Seaman Aaron Thomas. These excerpts are from 'The Newfoundland Journal of Aaron Thomas, 1794', which is the diary kept by Able Seaman Aaron Thomas during a voyage from England to Newfoundland and back to England in 1794-95. "October, 1794: A Banker [a fishing vessel] is not a little proud of his Dog at Sea. This Creature exhibited his dexterity and usefulness to a surprising degree. In addition to what I have stated before in the History of Newfoundland Dogs I shall mention the following trait as a good quality in their composition. The Fishermen, when they hooked a Fish, in drawing the line up {find} the Fish sometimes disentangled themselves. The Fish may sometimes float on the Water. The Dog, observing this, dasheth into the Sea and brings the Fish alongside. They then throw a Rope out and the Dog, with the Fish in his mouth, puts Head into the Noose of the Rope and Fish and Dog are hauled into the Vessel together. At Sea those Dogs often pursue and kill Water Fowl. I have heard of a Dog who was absent from a Ship on the Grand Bank for Two days, on the Third he returned with a Hegdown [a sea bird] in his mouth. These Dogs have also been seen to dive after Porpoises but without success." The breed was popularized in England by Lord Byron, who was unabashed in his praise of his Newfoundland dog, "Boatswain". Boatswain died in 1808. Lord Byron had a monument erected to his dog with the following inscription, which have become the most famous lines ever written about a dog: NEAR THIS SPOT The Terriers
The Newfoundland puppy reveals something very likeable in Henry Tilney's nature and one might expect its presence in Northanger Abbey to have been deliberate effort by Jane Austen to render his character even more personable to the reader. The terriers were useful in and of themselves and would be a normal sight at any country home, but as Henry Tilney was not a waterman his acquisition of a breed which had no practical purpose on a country estate shows that he valued his dogs for their companionship and not just as working animals. Copyright © 2000 by Karen Lee. All Rights Reserved. Portrait of Landseer Newfoundland, "The Distinguished Member of the Humane Society" by Sir Edwin Landseer, 1838. Picture of Wire Fox Terriers Courtesy of JoyJac Wire Fox Terrier Kennels.
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There is much uncertainty about the origin of the Newfoundland, but there is little debate that the breed was developed in England from stock brought from Newfoundland in the late 1700's and early 1800's, placing its arrival in England squarely in the period of Northanger Abbey. Henry Tilney must be therefore considered among the early fanciers of this breed in Britain. The "Newfie" is a large, heavy-boned dog with a bearlike appearance. An outstanding swimmer, his thick coat is of medium length and has excellent insulating properties. The breed comes in two colors, solid black, and particolor (black and white). The particolor variety is termed "Landseer" after the famous English painter, Sir Edwin Landseer, who made the particolor Newfoundland one of his favorite subjects. It is likely, based on portrait evidence of Newfoundland dogs in England from the early 1800's, that the breed was primarily particolor in England at that time and that the current dominance of black Newfies was a later development. Therefore, it can be rightly considered that Henry Tilney's Newf puppy was what we would term today a "Landseer". Newfoundlands have earned a well-deserved reputation of being a lifesaving breed with many famous water rescues to their credit. But their gentle nature makes them an ideal family pet for people who desire a large breed of dog and don't mind a certain amount of dog slobber. They are not, generally, a long-lived breed. 
As for Henry Tilney's terriers, it is likely they were related to a black and tan variety which was called the Derbyshire Terrier (now extinct). Terriers reached their greatest perfection in the hands of English landowners and were in fact remarkably useful animals, keeping vermin such as rats and mice to a minimum. In the days before refrigeration, fiberglass, and Tupperware this was a significant contribution to the welfare of rural families. The Derbyshire terrier was a rough-coated black and tan or black, tan, and white terrier which is most similar to the modern day Wire Fox Terrier. The English terriers were noted for intelligence, hardiness, gameness, and a physical courage which far exceeded their modest size. 