More information about Leonbergers?

The Leonberger is a large breed of dog. The breeds name derives from the city of Leonberg in south-west Germany. Due to this breed's large size, its love of muddy water, and the amount of attention and exercise it needs, the Leonberger is not commonly seen in large cities or towns.

Appearance

General

According to his original purpose, the Leonberger is a large, strong, muscular yet elegant dog. He is distinguished by his balanced build and confident calmness, yet with quite lively temperament. Males, in particular, are powerful and strong.
Unlike most large breeds, they have a dry mouth and don't drool.

Size

Height at the withers:
Dogs: 28.5 to 31.5 inches (72 to 80 cm)
Bitches: 25.5 to 29.5 inches (65 to 75 cm)

The female Leonberger can weigh up to 132 lbs (60 kg) and the male up to 200 lbs (90.9 kg) but most of them are lighter.

Coat

The Leonberger has a medium length soft to coarse double coat that is very water resistant. Males often have particularly thick fur on the neck and chest creating the appearance of a mane. There is distinct feathering on the backs of the front legs and thighs. Coat color can range from lion yellow, red, reddish brown, and sandy. Black hair tips are permitted, but black must not determine the dog's basic color. All Leonbergers have a black mask. The Leonberger sheds very heavily.

Temperament

Leonbergers are very loving and great with children. They are very large and don’t necessarily need a big yard and house to roam around. They are adaptable and don’t take up much more space when curled up to sleep than any other medium to large dog. Like any dog they ask for nothing more than to have a daily walk and bit of brain stimulation. Aggression comes with improper training when young or bad experiences that they may have had. Treat them right and you have a wonderful, loyal, loving friend. Since World War II, the numbers and popularity of Leonbergers have been growing, and in Britain alone there are over 2,000 registered Leonbergers.

History

Heinrich Essig, a dog breeder and seller from Leonberg in southwestern Germany, originally bred the Leonberger from the Newfoundland, Saint Bernard, and Pyrenean Mountain Dog in the early 1800s. The popular legend is that it was bred to resemble the coat-of-arms animal of Leonberg, the lion, but in fact the earliest Leonbergers were predominantly white and the coloring of today's Leonbergers, brown with a black mask, was developed during the 19th century, probably by introducing other breeds into the mix.

Leonbergers were seriously affected by the privations of the two world wars. During World War I most Leonbergers were left to fend for themselves as breeders fled or were killed. Only five Leonbergers survived World War I and were bred until World War II when, again, almost all Leonbergers were lost. All Leonbergers today trace their ancestry back to eight dogs that survived World War II.

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