THE FINNISH NEWFOUNDLAND ASSOCIATION

1. THE BEGINNING OF NEWFOUNDLAND BREEDING IN FINLAND

The first newfoundland in Finland was sire called "TELLO", who was imported to Finland as early as 1883 from Denmark. Between the first and second world wars some newfoundlands were bought to Finland mainly from Sweden. After the second world war our newfoundland population was very small and the standard of it was very poor.
1952 the Finnish Newfoundland Association was founded. Mr GEROLD BLOMBERG was elected as the first president of the association. From that moment started the quick uprise of the newfoundland breeding in Finland. Mr Blomberg was the president of newfoundland association from 1952 to 1968 and he was also breeding inspector 1952-1975. In 1952 there were about 100 newfounlands in Finland. At the moment we estimate the figure to approx 3.000 and from this amount about 450 goes more or less regularly at dogshows in Finland.

2. BREEDING 1952-1987

The charasteristic feature for the early times of newfoundland breeding was the fact, that only few breeders, mr Blomberg in the first place, and only few dogs determined the direction of newfoundland breeding in our country. The Finnish newfoundland breed has been lucky in that respect that the first breeders were really very good specialists of our breed and that also the first dogs used in the breeding, were excellent represetentatives of breed.
The following two dogs, which mr Blomberg brought from Holland in 1949, were the basic dogs of Finnish newfoundland breeding:

PERE NOBLE VAN NORDWIGE and
THERESIA VAN DE DRIE ANJERS

These two excellent dogs made the foundantion for the whole newfoundland breeding activity in Finland. Mr Blomberg had a GEROGEEST kennel and his dogs were the best at Finnish newfoundland dogshowrings almost the whole 1950-decade. His dogs earned lot of groupvictories and BIS- victories at international dogshows in Finland.

As said, our newfoundland population was only about 100 dogs and therefore the breeding was based almost entirely on imported dogs. Mr Blomberg had very good contacts especially with Holland and in Holland especially with Mr JOHAN PIETERSEN. They had a very intensive letter exchange regarding problems in the newfoundland breeding for many years. However for some reason their good relation broke later.

1952 also two bitch puppies fullsisters: BRITTA VON HAUSE EICK SÖHNE and BIANCA VON HAUSE EICK SÖHNE were imported from Germany.

Their father was German champion BARRY VON ROCKWINKEL, who was one of the best known showdog and breeding sires in Germany. The honorary chairmar of the Swiss Newfoundland Association Mr ERIK BURKHARD had praised Barry to Finnish breeders and asked them to use him often in the breeding. According to mr Burkhard Barry`s big advantage was that his background was partly Dutch. The mother of those two puppies was a famous German showdog SIEGERING TRIA VON DER WILHELMSBÛHE.

At the beginning of 1950`s Dutch newfoundlands were very popular in whole Europe. Mr Burkhard bought from Holland the bitch TRUDORA VAN DER DRIE ANJERS, who was the sister of mr Blomberg`s Theresia van de Drie Anjers and also from the same litter. This bitch won many high trophies in Switzerland, Italy and Germany. Her puppies were exported to Germany, Austria and Italy. Van der Drie Anjers- kennel`s lines are represented besides those countries mentioned earlier also in England, Belgium, Luxemburg, France, USA, Sweden, Argentina and even in Curacao.

How superb the Dutch newfoundlands were in that decade is shown by the fact, that in the Cruft`s dog show in 1953 among the best six newfoundlands were five dogs of Dutch origin and all of them were near relatives to those two Finnish basic dogs of Dutch origin. The mother of those five winning dogs in Cruft´s was BARBALE ANOA, who was the grandmother to Pere Noble and Theresia.

Theresia's and Pere Noble's son GEROGEEST ATTAN and his younger brother GEROGEEST BURRE , both owned by mr Blomberg of course, were the rulers of Finnish showrings between 1953 and 1957.

Three more breeding dames were imported from Holland in 1954: NORMA´S HARMONIA, NORMA´S HORTENSIA and UBELIS ARLETTA. The last important breeding dame from Holland AVALON´S DAPHNE came to Finland 1962.

In 1960`s and 1970`s the newfoundland breeding in Finland was based mainly on the Dutch lines of mr Blomberg. The Dutch dominance slowly disappeared and breeders started to import dogs mainly from Sweden but also some dogs from Germany in spite of the difficult quarantene procedure.

In 1980`s the biggest influence in our newfoundlands had Mrs BIRGITTE GOTHEN with her three newfoundland sires. The first and the most important of them was URSULA´S TAILWIND TAIS, who was bought to Finland in 1980 by Mrs ANNE LOUISE RELANDER, "the Grand Lady " of Finnish Newfoundlands. Mrs Relander is the owner of ALPENHÜTTE -kennel. Tailwind Tais died in 1986 but even now you can see his influence in Finland. Ursula´s Tailwind Tais is the father of 31 Finnish champions and several of his grandchildren are also Finnish champions. Many Finnish newfoundlandowners and breeders think that Finland will never again get a dog like Tailwind Tais.

Second of Mrs Gothen´s dogs was TUCKAMORE´S BIG DIPPER. Big dipper was here only half a year in 1989 in kennel KARHUKUMPU owned by VIRPI PAAJALA. Mrs Gothen bought Big Dipper from USA and during his stay in Finland he had a big success at dogshows. Now when Dipper´s puppies have for some time been in veteran age, we have noticed his real breeding value.

Third dog was Dipper's son URSULA´S GOLIATH THE GREAT. So through his son Dipper had also a big influence in Finland.

We may not forget URSULA'S MACMORTENSEN, who is sire to some really nice puppies.

3. FINNISH NEWFOUNDLAND ASSOCIATION TODAY

Our club has approx 700 members at the moment. We have one speciality show normally in the summer. We have had wellknown judges from allover the word, e.g. Betty McDonnell, Heinz Juan, Sören Wesseltoft, Birgitte Gothen, Esther Denham, Robert Crosbie and Bela Siklosi just to mention few of them. A lot of dogs also participate in water trials.
The association publishes a journal four times a year and a statistical year book. We have also local organisations in the biggest towns of Finland and they are very active in arranging meetings and other programs. Our club is also represented in Internet. In Internet we have a breeder list, a puppy list and a very active chat forum, where all the problems regarding dogs are discussed.

The amount of registered newfoundland dogs is 300-400 dogs yearly and our breed is amongst the most registered 20 breeds in Finland and one of the most popular big size breed together with Great danes, St bernhards and Bernese mountain dogs.

4. BREEDING IN 90'S

In 90´s the genepool had not so narrow as in 80' and earlier. What comes to males used in breeding the very big influence have had e.g these so called "loans" in Finland:
Tuckamore's Big Dipper from Birgitte Gothen, Mariner's Schooner's Reach from Angie DeBryin Canada, Pouch Cove's Patriot of Cayuga from Manlio and Paola Massa Italy, Qashiwas Coastquard from Kerstin Einarsson Sweden, Geminorum Merak Martin from Adriana Griffa Italy, Björnelyst Gordon from Ejnar Paulsen Denmark. We had some "loans" from Italy from Erminio Avanzi like AndI'mGreatToBeBack and Main Tickle Dark Knight.
Finnish breeders have also bought males, who have had and has a big importance at the moment: Seabrook Chancellor for Tabu from USA, New-Fuur-Land's Block Buster from Danmark, Qashiwas Joyful Jack from Sweden, Lejonsundet's Elof van Grodis from Sweden, Nallelandets Raitan Taitan from Sweden, Egebaek's Indiana Jones from Germany (Danish origin), Jehaj Bastian and Jonatan from Danmark, Jydekompagniet's Apple-Jack from Danmark and Alpha Rovi's Crown of Scandinavia from Danmark. Jydekompagniet´s Apple-Jack and Alpha Rovi's Crown of Scandinavia have in their pedigrees something new, but also some old familiar dogs.

Breeders have also used males from Scandinavia like Sikandi Aussie Bear (Australian import to Norway), Nordkjerns Entertainer, Spokinewf's Cariboo Cowboy and Yankee Peddler of Pouch Cove.

5. BREEDING AT THE NEW MILLENIUM

The new millennium's path of breeding has followed the last decade's way. Three young males from Italy, Main Tickle It Happened One Night, Fairweather's A'Great Pretender and Cauyga Ike Marshall of Bonaventura have visited Finland and they have been used for breeding. Ike's offsprings have already achieved the champion value of Finland and some other countries too. Another visitor was Sennetta's Quarter-Back, that left one litter in Finland.
Breeders have also used other foreign dogs like Toad Hall´s Milo (1 litter), Midnight Lady's Especially For You (3 litters), Top Bear´s My Milton (1 litter), Nallebjörnen's Magic Mover (1 litter) and Cannon Bear`s Quentin(1 litter) but those puppies are still very young.

The best producing lines of bitches are also based on these big male leaders of 80's.

It has been imported less producingbitches to Finland than males. We have always have had better producing dames than producing males. If you are studing the pedigrees, you can find behind motherlines our best old Finnish lines as far as Pere Noble and Theresia. It has been good to base our breeding on these relatives and put something new among them.

So the motherlines are Made in Finland.

We want to cherish all that good we have , but of course also improve our dogs. Our newfs have at the moment really good bones, bodies, coats, toplines and character. Some have really nice typical movements.

We want to improve movements, necks, muzzles (the headtype allover: in 80's we had more equal headtypes, real newfheads) and fronts. We remember those fronts ten years ago, today you can't find them anymore in any place of the world. What a pity?

We don't want to cherish those overbuilt heads or anything overbuilt (hanging lips, overangulated behinds etc.). We want those fronts back and keep all that good we have in our pedigrees with new spices. It's a long and windy road, but we know we'll manage with the help of our friends abroad. Friends, who are willing to give their know-how openly.