I have Newfoundlands. They are an original breed that Chesapeake s and Labs were bread down from. Newfoundlands are water dogs and have web feet. They are tremendous swimmers with a very thick undercoat. In the old days Saling ships carried Newfies in case someone was washed overboard. The Newfe has a natural instinct to rescue. They are extreamly gentle and loving family dogs. They do require a great deal of care due to there coats. Unless your willing to spend 1 hr a day a Newfie is not for you. Also they suffer in hot weather because of there heavy coat. They are very expensive to own due to there size. Vet bills will run a lot higher. As far as hunting dogs I know of a couple guys who have used there Newfs for Pheasent and Ducks, but then had to spend hrs trying to get all the burrs out. So for a hunting dog I would recomend a Lab.