ORIGIN
The Leonberger was named after the small town called Leonberg near Stuttgart in Germany. In the middle 1800's The Mayor Heinrich Essig wanted to create a dog that represented the Town's Crest, which was of a Lion. He had a great love of large breeds and they roamed his property freely. {these days he would be classified as a puppy farmer}  The first mating was said to have been with a Female Landseer Newfoundland and a Male Saint Bernard. The resulting pups were all black & white, good temperaments, loyalty and with good guarding instincts. He continued to inbreed for another few generations. He swapped some of the pups for another St. Bernard from the Hospice in Switzerland. The monks were very impressed by the puppy's, saying they were stronger and harder workers than the Saints. Heinrich wanted to see a lot more white on the breed, he then introduced the Great Pyrenean Mountain Dog a few more years and the Leonberger was born. The coat would vary in colour, the favoured being the golden yellow with dark points. Essig's new breed made their first debut at an exhibition in Munich. The dogs had a lion like mane, rugged beauty, size and an even temperament that impressed the people. Their popularity grew and grew and the Leonberger became highly sought after by Royalty, the rich and famous. Unfortunately many Leonbergers died during both the World Wars and they went into rapid decline. Only a few remained until 1945 when Lovers of the breed got together to help re establish the Leonberger.

APPEARANCE.
The Leonberger is a large and strong breed. The males have a masculine and very impressive head, with a kind gentle expression.  He stands between 72 -80cm at the shoulder, and weighs in as much as 70 kilos. The females are somewhat smaller and have a more feminine head. Height 65 - 75cm weights up to 50 kilos.  Their coat
colour ranges from a golden-yellow, white, cream, red and brown, with the occasional white. All must have the characteristic black mask.

TEMPERAMENT
With its gentle, loving nature, guarding qualities, its need to be with you and great love for children, the Leonberger makes a terrific family dog. The Leo as it is fondly named, as a tremendous amount of patient, preferring to wonder away than show any signs of aggression. They are a stable and calm breed and cope very well with lots of noise and a busy household.  Having webbed feet is a sure indication for their great love of water and MUD!!  They make excellent guard dogs but not aggressive, as their size and bark would deter most intruders. Contrary to its size the Leo is quite agile and inside the home it is extremely careful of its surroundings.  Being so amiable and willing to please, training can be a relatively easy task, which is a must for obvious reasons. This is not the breed for you if you live in a flat/unit, or cramped conditions, a large dog needs room to move and run. Nor do they fair to well without human companionship or locked in a kennel. They need lots of socialising when younger as there is a strong possibility of them becoming quite shy in adulthood.
Researching the breed and finding a reputable breeders is the key to obtaining the right leo for you.

contact your local canine association for information.