Leonberger

The Leonberger is one of the world's largest canines. Legend has it that it was bred primarily to mimic the look of lions in the town crest of Leonberg. In the past, it has served as a livestock guardian, pulled carts, and kept nobility company. In its home country of Germany, it is one of the most beloved breeds. The average height of the Leonberger is 25to 32 inches, depending upon the sex. While the average weight of an adult is 110 to 170 pounds, with the males being quite a bit bigger than the females. The males are markedly masculine in appearance, and the females possess obvious femininity. This breed has a long (sometimes called "medium"�) double coat is wavy and feathered, especially around neck, tail and legs. It is composed of a top coat that is coarse and very weather-resistant, and a bottom layer that is woolly, thick and has insulating properties. The entire coat is very dense but lies flat, with some feathering around the legs and a ruff around the neck; on the male, this ruff is so pronounced as to resemble a mane. The coat color may be yellow, golden, red, reddish-tan (fawn) or brown, and there are often black tips. The coat is shed seasonally at least once a year. The Leonberger is stocky and heavily muscled, and still maintains many of the mastiff features. However it is extremely agile for such a large dog and can be so quick-moving as to participate often in agility trials. The Leonberger has webbed feet to better maneuver in the water. As do other mastiff types, it has large jowls and drooping eyelids; it has very kind, dark eyes. This breed does not drool. It has a wide, massive head with a broad, deep forehead and deep-set eyes. This dog sports a black mask. The Leonberger was developed by crossing several big working dog types that owe their ancestry to the dogs that traveled with the Roman army as it moved north into Europe. In the early decades of the 19th century, a breeder named Heinrich Essing from the region of Wurttemberg, desired to breed a type of dog to look like a lion. Eventually, he crossed the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, the St. Bernard, and the Newfoundland (Landseer type) to achieve his goal. His early dogs achieved the size and coat he favored, but were parti-colored. Subsequent breedings created the darker coat, free of white, that we see today. It is believed that when the Roman army had passed through the area it brought with it a dog that was the ancestor of the modern mastiff type: this large, powerful dog traveled with the army, guarding camps at night and hauling equipment by day. Likely, some of these dogs were left in the valley near the pass and were crossed with local dogs called the Sunnenhund the Swiss Mountain Dog, a breed used for guarding livestock, hunting, rescue, and hauling. This new cross created a very large dog for guarding homestead and livestock and doing heavy farm work the birth of the St. Bernard. Elsewhere in Europe the mastiff type was crossed with shepherds to create the Great Pyrenees, a massive livestock guardian. And others crossed the Atlantic to develop into the Newfoundland, another large dog that was developed for work in water.The Leonberger was registered in Germany as a distinct breed in 1846. Essing exported 300 to promote the breed, and he gave many as gifts to nobility around Europe. In his position as City Council member in the town of Leonberg, he promoted the dog as the town symbol. The Leonberger soon gained wide popularity due to its exceptional temperament, which is often described as "unflappable"�, and for its usefulness in a variety of capacities. Leonbergers were owned by many of the crowns of Europe, including Umberto of Italy, Napoleon, Edward VII of England, and the Czar of Russia. Reportedly, the Empress Elisabeth of Austria owned seven! As happened with many of the dogs of Europe, and particularly the large breeds, advancing technology and then two world wars had a devastating effect on the population of the Leonberger. When many owners fled or were killed, the big dogs were abandoned to fend for themselves. At the end of WWI, a group of fanciers hunted to find remaining individuals that could be bred, and five were located. These were successfully bred to save the breed, but then the ravages of WWII nearly undid their good deed. Today's Leonbergers are all traced to only eight that were collected after the Second World War. By and large, Leonbergers are an unusually healthy breed, but can carry many of the same health issues that many of the large dog breeds do: hip and elbow dysplasia, osteosarcoma (bone cancer), and bloat (a sudden, emergency life-threatening condition where the stomach becomes twisted). Individuals of this breed have shown Addison's disease and polyneuropathy. The average lifespan of the Leonberger is 7 to 10 years. The Leonberger should be brushed regularly and thoroughly in order to remove dead hair and keep skin healthy. Baths may also be given as necessary. This dog lives well in a house and is generally well-mannered indoors; it has a moderate activity level. A fenced in yard is recommended for daily romps, and this breed needs three long walks per week. With these measures taken the Leonberger will receive adequate exercise and it will avoid resorting to destructive behavior born of boredom. Coming from the proper breeding, the Leonberger is known to be a very gentle dog. Although it has great value as a guard dog, its effectiveness lies in its intimidating size and and equally frightening bark. It is rarely aggressive. This breed can be a wonderful family dog, but the owner must begin its training while it is very young; the Leonberger rapidly grows to a size that could become uncontrollable unless good habits are instilled early in life. The Leonberger has long been known in Europe as the "nanny dog"� for its love of children.

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