Preserving Ancient Skills

The life your dog saves may be your own

At 66, Hilda Madsen is the grand dame of Newfoundland dog breeders. For more than 20 years, her kennels have produced dogs that embody the standard for the breed: big (28 in. high, 120 lbs. to 150 lbs.), strong-boned and richly coated. In 1968, she paraded three Newfoundlands before the tuxedoed judges at the Westminster Kennel Club show in New York and walked out of the ring with three winners--a rare triple in the nation's most prestigious show. But Hilda Madsen is also a revolutionary. She is one of a growing number of dog breeders seeking to rewrite what have become often conflicting goals in their sport--meeting the flashy physical requirements of the show ring and preserving the instinctive and temperamental qualities of the old-fashioned working dog.

Thus Madsen could be found not long ago up to her waist in a chilly Pocono Mountains lake, putting a nine-month-old puppy through a series of tests to develop his lifesaving instincts and skills. "He's an enthusiastic kid," Madsen told TIME Sports Editor B.J. Phillips. "He loves the water. I don't think he's been dry four days in the last three months." As one judge shivered in a windbreaker and another strode the shore line in brogans, the pup, Aesirsson, bounded out of the water and sprayed everyone within five feet with a single, massive shake of his double-layered coat. It was a far cry from Madison Square Garden and the fine grooming --human and canine--of the Westminster show ring. "But Newfs weren't put on this earth just to look good," says Madsen. "They are born to swim, and water rescue is in their genes. It's up to breeders to see that it stays there."

The Newfoundland Club of America's junior-and senior-division water tests were originated four years ago as a device to ensure the survival of the breed's genetic instincts. Such survival is by no means guaranteed: more than one breed has been destroyed for field purposes by specialized breeding aimed at conforming to the exacting--and too often substantially different--standards of the show ring. Cocker spaniels, for example, were once superior bird dogs; years of overbreeding have resulted in spaniels that cannot tell a pigeon from a pothole. Says American Kennel Club Field Representative Bob Bartel:

"What has happened with many breeds is that two separate strains or genetic pools have evolved--good lookers v. good workers. Seldom do the twain meet. Now breeders are starting to say, 'He looks good, but what can he do; what is the breed supposed to do?' They are getting down to the basics, exploring the dog's historical role. Then they not only appear handsome but perform well too."

The Newfoundlands plunging into Pennsylvania's Lake Harmony carrying a life preserver to a "victim," or towing a boat along the shore, were re-enacting their breed's tasks of another century. Newfoundland fishermen used the dogs to gather nets spread in rich offshore fishing grounds. With a double coat similar to an otter's, the dogs withstood long exposure in the icy waters. Newfs are also strong swimmers whose webbed front paws arc out in a powerful breast stroke: no ministroke dog paddle for these canines. In the 19th century, it was rare to find a sailing ship that did not carry a Newfoundland for rescue work on the high seas. Lloyd's of London once presented a medal to a Newf who swam ashore with a line from a vessel foundering on the Nova Scotia coast, helping rescuers haul passengers and crew to safety. Newfoundlands are still used as lifeguards on beaches in France. Their fitness for such work was proved on no less a near drowning victim than Napoleon.

The water tests are a skillful blend of obedience training and instinct gauging. The first simply requires the dog to go into the water and return to shore on command from a handler. "It looks so easy," said Breeder-Handler Cardel Verbruggen, "but it's actually an acid test. The dog has to be willing to swim to go in, and not every dog--even some Newfs, unfortunately--is eager for the water. And once he's in, he can't just swim around for the fun of it and still be a rescue dog. We're striving for controlled instinct, and the balance is crucial." Other tests involve retrieving objects from the lake bottom, ferrying lines and hauling simulated victims ashore. After six hours of being put through their strokes, only two dogs passed the junior level requirements, and none was able to complete the more demanding senior rescue test.

With the work completed, owners and dogs splashed around for the fun of it. A few continued to go through the test exercises, getting in some additional practice for the final 1977 water test next month outside Detroit. Elaine Lehr, a Mount Holly, N.J., breeder who spends an hour a day training her handsome Landseer Newfoundland, Sebastian, explained the sport's appeal: "Newfoundlands are smart with sweet dispositions. Training them isn't work. Besides, they are among the few dogs you can train to do something that still has a place in this world. As long as people swim, there will be a job for Newfs. How many sheep need herding in New Jersey?"

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