The Landseer is a dog breed

Dog breed

Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....

. Many kennel club

Kennel club

A kennel club is an organization for canine affairs that concerns itself with the breeding, showing and promotion of more than one breed of dog...

s consider the Landseer to be simply a black-and-white variant of the Newfoundland

Newfoundland (dog)

The Newfoundland is a breed of large dog. Newfoundlands can be black, brown, gray, or black and white. They were originally bred and used as a working dog for fishermen in the Dominion of Newfoundland, now part of Canada. They are known for their giant size, tremendous strength, calm dispositions,...

, but the Fédération Cynologique Internationale

Fédération Cynologique Internationale

Fédération Cynologique Internationale is an international federation of kennel clubs based in Thuin, Belgium. The English language translation, World Canine Organisation, is not often used.Its goals are described in Article 2 of their regulations:...

 recognizes it as a separate breed. This separate breed is called Landseer European Continental Type (E.C.T.).

The breed was named after the British painter Sir Edwin Henry Landseer

Edwin Henry Landseer

Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, RA was an English painter, well known for his paintings of animals—particularly horses, dogs and stags...

, because in 1838 he created the painting A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society

A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society

A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society is a 1831 oil on canvas work by English painter Sir Edwin Henry Landseer. The original was damaged in a flood whilst on loan in America, and was returned to public view for the first time in 50 years after it was restored in 2009.-Background:The dog in...

, which shows a dog of this breed.
The Landseer Newfoundland dog is known for its sweet disposition, gentleness, and serenity.