The Landseer dog was named after Sir Edwin Landseer, who was inspired by this breed after witnessing it rescue a drowning man. Sir Edwin Landseer portrayed this breed in many of his paintings. The Landseer is a relative of the Newfoundland, but the Landseer is longer-legged and lighter. In Europe, they were called the "poor man's horses," because they were used by travelling salesmen to pull small carts.