The Leonberger - A Large and Friendly Pet Dog
81Leonbergers, or “Leos”, have a reputation for being gentle giants. They are intelligent, friendly and playful dogs, loving and loyal to their families and patient with children. Leos are also good watchdogs. A well-trained and socialized Leonberger makes a wonderful addition to the family.
Creation of the Breed
The Leonberger breed was created in the mid 1800’s by Heinrich Essig, a politician, businessman and dog breeder in the town of Leonberg, Germany. He reportedly wanted to breed a dog that looked like the lion on the town’s crest. He began by crossing a Landseer Newfoundland female with a male Saint Bernard. As he continued to develop his new breed he added a Great Pyrenees into the mix. Eventually the Leonberger was created.
Differences Between Males and Females
Adult Leonbergers have a regal appearance. They usually have long yellow-brown hair, but some dogs have a reddish-brown or a cream coat, or a coat with a combination of colors. There may be black tips to the body hairs, and there is a black mask over the face. By the time they are about four years old, male Leos have longer hair on the neck and chest, which is known as a mane. Females may have a mane too, although it is less noticeable. The coat is water resistant. An adult female weighs around 100 to 130 pounds while an adult male weighs about 130 to 170 pounds. Females may reach 29 inches high (measured at the highest point of their back) while males reach around 31 inches in height.
Training
Since adult Leonbergers are so big, it’s very important to train Leos while they are young. A boisterous, untrained adult won’t fit into a family very well and will be hard to handle. Aggressive Leos are rare, but as in any other breed of dog the chances of aggression increase if a dog is inadequately socialized or easily frightened. Consistent and gentle but firm training is important from an early age. Leos don’t respond well to harsh corrections. Attending dog obedience classes would be helpful for educating a young Leo. Leonberger puppies should be exposed to a wide variety of people, animals, places and situations.
Exercise Requirements
Despite their size, Leos do not require a lot of exercise but should have a daily walk. Taking a Leonberger for a walk is a good way to meet people, since they will frequently stop you to ask what type of dog you have. Leos generally love to swim and to get muddy. They make great water rescue dogs. Most Leonbergers are not natural retrievers. Some Leos do enjoy retrieving, but it requires a lot of effort to train most of them to return a thrown ball or stick. They just don’t see the point of fetching things! Leonbergers can be trained to pull carts, but they must be at least eighteen months old and in good physical condition before they start pulling weights. They also make good trackers. Some Leos compete in obedience trials and some compete in agility events, but although they are powerful animals they are not as fast as many other breeds. Some Leo owners find agility events to be hard on their dog’s joints.
Other Requirements
Leos don’t require as much living space as you might expect. An apartment might be too small for them, but a house with a good-sized, fenced yard would be just fine. Leos enjoy being part of the family’s activities and receiving attention and affection. A Leonberger should not be left alone for long periods. He or she will become bored, and boredom can lead to behavior problems. Leos also don’t need as much food as might be expected.
Grooming
Leonbergers shed their coat and require regular brushing. Twice a year they go through a heavier molt as the seasons change. Grooming is not only a physical requirement but is a great way to bond with your dog. A grooming session can be a pleasant and relaxing time for both you and your Leo.
Some More Leo Facts
Some Leos like to lean against their owner’s legs, giving them the nickname of “lean-on-bergers.” They generally don’t drool, but they may be messy drinkers, with water dripping out of their mouths as they leave the water bowl. Leonbergers make good therapy dogs due to their friendly nature.
Health and Longevity
Unfortunately, like other large dogs Leos generally have a shorter lifespan than smaller dogs, although this is not always true. It’s hard to predict how long an individual Leo will live. Some Leonbergers have lived for as long as fourteen years, while some have lived for as little as seven years. The average lifespan seems to be somewhere around nine to ten years.
Leos are susceptible to a number of health problems, including hip dysplasia, bloat and cancer. Occasionally Leos suffer from bone disease and eyelid defects.
Should You Get a Leonberger?
Leonberger puppies are very cute and look like fuzzy teddy bears. However, a puppy will grow into a handsome but very large adult. Before you buy a Leo ask yourself the following questions. Do you have the money for the purchase price and training classes? Can you afford the ongoing expenses of dog food and vet bills? Do you have the time and energy for regular training and attention? Do you have a fenced yard which is larger than a tiny enclosed space? Will your Leo have company during the day if you work? If your answer is no to any of these questions, don’t get a Leo. If your answers are yes, research Leonberger breeders, choose an accredited one and check out references from the breeder’s previous clients. Then bring your new Leo home and welcome him or her into the family!
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Hi, Nell. Yes, Leonbergers are lovely dogs. We had a female a few years ago and have a male at the moment.
Hi I loved this hub and the information about these beautiful dogs. Dogs have always played a big part in my life and I never tire of reading about them.
Take care .
Thank you Eiddwen. I love dogs too. They have been part of my family for many years.
Where can i get one of these dogs? They are pretty cool dogs. I have a great dane/lab mix right now. If he was to ever pass(hopefully never), i would need another big dog. I will definitly consider this breed. Thanks
Hi patdmania. We got our female from a breeder in Alberta and our male from a breeder in British Columbia. You could do an Internet search for Leonberger breeders in your area. It's important to find a good breeder. I know what you mean about hoping that your dog never dies! It would be great if dogs lived as long as we do.
AliciaC. Hi. What an absolutely great hub with some excellent information on these beautiful Animals.
They sound like an extremely smart dog, not using unnecessary energy if they don't have to.
Are they a similar dog to the breed that Farmers use to guard their sheep.
The Photographs are adorable .
Thank you for sharing these wonderful Dogs with us. I loved reading it. Voted up. :) :)
Hi, oliversmum. Thank you for the comment and the vote! Yes, Leonbergers are sometimes used to guard sheep or other farm animals, but they are more commonly used as companion dogs.
Leos are lovely dogs! I do love them, they are such gentle, funny and wise friends! Unfortunately my leonberger past away a few years ago, and I still miss him. This is a great hub, you have described this lovely breed exactly!
Thanks for your comment, thougtforce. I agree – Leos are lovely dogs! Our female Leo passed away a few years ago, so I can understand how sad you must have been to lose your dog. We have a male Leonberger at the moment.
I never heard of this breed. They are so pretty!
Hi, Wendy. Yes, Leonbergers are pretty - especially when they are puppies!
I want to adopt a Leo! -nberger! I wish I could. :)
I hope that one day you are able to have a dog, jantamaya. They are wonderful companions.
AliciaC~~ thanks for broadening my knowledge of dog breeds~~ what a very sweet dog/ the puppy pictures are so precious...!
Hi, marcoujor. Thank you very much for your comment!
Alicia just got my answer to a question I asked on your surprising facts hub. Leo's are wonderful! I worked for a breeder of Leo's. You may know her Gail Bishop in Ontario.
Hi, Just Ask Susan. Yes, Leonbergers are wonderful! Our Leos actually belonged/belong to my sister, but since we live in the same house, we're all one family! Scala (a female) came from a breeder in Alberta and Ryan came from a breeder in British Columbia. My sister may have heard of Gail Bishop when she was researching Leonberger breeders, but I know that she wanted to get a puppy that didn't have to be shipped to us and that we could bring home ourselves.
Glad to learn about Leonbergers, and glad you included the last paragraph. They are beautiful animals who deserve to be taken care of!
Hi, RTalloni. Some people don't realize what a big undertaking it is to own a dog, and as you say, dogs need to taken care of! Thank you for your comment.
i am only 12 at the moment but i can not wait to get leo!!!! :)
Hi, christa. I hope that you enjoy your Leo when you get one! They are lovely dogs.
Hi Alicia,
I love this hub on this gorgeous breed. I am finding very hard at the moment due to the fact that we are not allowed to keep any pets in our rented bungalow.
Although I do borrow my daughter's staffie called Rocky from time to time.
I vote this one up without a doubt.
Take care
Eiddwen.
Hi, Eiddwen. I hope that you're able to have a pet in the future. At least you can borrow a dog! I would hate to have no dog in my family. Thank you very much for the comment.
Oh, these dogs are so beautiful!! I had heard the name of course but I didn't know too much about the breed's background. This was a fascinating insight into these awesome animals. Many thanks for sharing - and the photographs are stunning!
Voted up + awesome!
This was such an informative hub. I had never heard of this huge breed that looks so cuddly. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much for the comment and the votes, Seeker7. All the photos in this hub show Leonbergers that are or have been in my family. They are certainly lovely dogs!
Hi, Esmeow12. Thanks for the comment. Yes, Leonbergers are very cuddly - and very friendly too, if they are brought up correctly!
One very important fact about male Leonbergers, these dogs are "EXTREMELY" powerful animals. Young males during trianing can at times really be a handful.Due to their great size at a very early age most dogs they encounter are put off by them. Their puppy enthusiasm with an 80 ++++ lb. puppy can be difficult for an unexperienced owner.
This phase passes with time and training but a potential owner must be made aware of it.
Yes, druffo0421, as I point out in the "Training" section of my hub it's very important that Leonbergers are trained from an early age so that they don't become boisterous and hard to handle. If this is done they grow up into lovely dogs!
I saw a Leonberger for the first time a couple years ago, just before they were moved from the AKC miscellaneous class to the working group. They were very beautiful and well-mannered dogs. Thanks for sharing this information. :0)
Thanks a lot for the comment, Nature by Dawn. I think that Leonbergers are beautiful dogs too, and they're also well-mannered, as you say, provided they are properly trained.
One more thing potential Leonberger owners must know. The "Giants" mature "Very" slowly. On the outside they become very big, very fast but on the inside they are fragile. Their bones stay pretty pliable until a minimum of one year old and even older. Stairs, jumping and even constant running on hard surfaces can cause lifetime problems.
It is now recommended that neutering of a Giant breed male not be done earlier than 14 months old, 18 months being the optimum time. This has to do with bone growth plates maturing.
We have an 8 month old male Leonberger, Buck, he's 30 1/2" at his shoulder and weighs 101 lbs. aleready. Sometimes it's hard to keep remembering he's
"JUST A PUPPY"
Thank you for the comment and the important information, Daniel!
hi i was wondering what are the differences between male and female leonbergers?
For instance, do the females get on with other dogs better than the males?
Does one sex tend to be more clingy than the other?
Do the males require more grooming?
Hi, Amy. My family has owned only two Leonbergers - one male and one female. The first two photos in this hub show them as adults. I think that the breeding background and the socialization training of a Leonberger may be more important than gender in determining many of the dog’s characteristics.
However, in my family’s experience - although both our dogs were/are wonderful pets - the female was less clingy than the male, the female was friendly but more picky about what strangers she would greet, both dogs got/get on well with other dogs, including puppies and small dogs as well as big dogs, and after spaying or neutering the female had thicker hair and the male (who is part of our family now) has finer hair. Each dog came from a different breeder, which may have caused the differences between them, and we were careful to get both dogs used to people and other animals from an early age. I hope this helps you!
OUR MV.ALE LEONBERGER "BUCK" IS NOW 10 MONTHS OLD, HE IS 32" IN HEIGHT AT HIS SHOULDERS AND WEIGHS 115 LBS ALREADY! AND IS ON THE SLENDER SIDE. HE IS A WONDERFUL FAMILY DOG AND LOVES TO GET ON THE COUCH AND SQUEEZE BETWEEN MY WIFE AND I WHILE WE ARE WATCHING TV. HE VERY RARELY LETS US OUT OF HIS SIGHT. IT IS ALMOST LIKE HAVING A GIANT SHADOW FOLLOWING YOU AROUND.
LEONBERGERS LOVE KIDS AND OTHER PETS. WE HAVE A SMALL CAT AND THEY ARE BEST OF FRIENDS. IT IS CUTE TO SEE THIS 115 LB.HULK PLAYING WITH A 6 LB.CAT WHO GIVES AS MUCH AS SHE TAKES.
Hi again, druffoO421. Yes, my family's Leonberger gets on very well with our three cats and with our birds, who are often out of their cage. Leonbergers are lovely dogs (if they are trained properly)!
LEONBERGERS ARE EXTREMELY AGILE DOGS ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THEIR GIANT SIZE. I'VE SEEN OUR PREVIOUS LEO, LAZARUS ( LIVED TO 11 YEARS OLD ) OUT MANUVER ONE OF OUR CATS WHEN OUTSIDE. PLUS THEY CAN BE VERY FAST RUNNERS. I'VE READ STORIES OF LEONBERGERS OUT RUNNING A DEER AS A GAME THEY WERE PLAYING. NOT TO HURT THE DEER MORE OR LESS AS A RACE.
LEONBERGERS ARE PEOPLE MAGNETS WHEREVER YOU GO. BECAUSE OF THIS OWNERS HAVE AN ADDED RESPONSABILITY OF ALWAYS KEEPING THEIR LEO LOOKING GOOD, CLEAN AND GROOMED. THIS NOT ONLY MAKES YOUR DOG LOOK AND FEEL PROUD BUT YOU AS AN OWNER WILL SHARE IN THIS PRIDE WHEN PEOPLE COMMENT WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DOG YOU HAVE. AND THEY WILL !
WE COMB OUR BOY EVERYDAY BEFORE WE GO OUT IN PUBLIC,IT ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES, THE DOG WILL LOVE THE ATTENTION HE GETS AND SO WILL YOU. EVEN PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT DOG LOVERS USUALLY WILL GIVE YOU AND YOUR DOG A COMPLIMENT.
I never knew they were such friendly dogs! AWWW!
At the mo, i'm not allowed a dog because the landlord said there too noisy.
Anyay, thanks for the information! :D
On CRUFTS yesterday (11/03/12), a leonberger won. I strongly disagreed because the Siberian Husky was lovely, but the Leonberger was cute.
(GET TO THE POINT!) I love, Dogs and counted I have over 15 dog books. Please can you write a comment about your dogs, if you have any.
5 STAR!
Hi, Ellienellie. Thanks for the comment. I hope that you'll be able to get a dog at some time in the future.
Thank you for the comment and the information, Ellen. All the photos in this hub are of Leonbergers that have been in my family. The first photo shows our present dog. He's a big, playful and gentle boy!
Does anyone know what the average size of a male leonberger is at say 4 months or 5 months?I have been looking for a chart to compare.I have a leo/lab mix and am curious as to wether he may be taking after his leo blood in size more than his lab.He is currently 16 weeks and 46lbs and growing like a weed.Anyone have any suggestions for stopping countersurfing.I tried black pepper as trainer suggested ,it worked for a week and now he just goes past it.Thanks.
Hi, Lorna. I can't remember exactly how much my family's male Leonberger weighed at 4 months, but I know that he was already big, and almost certainly weighed considerably more than 46 pounds! I know what you mean about counter surfing - a Leonberger's head can easily reach a countertop! What has always worked for us - besides making sure that tempting things are kept off the countertop - has been to give a firm "No!" or "Bad dog!" and then sternly tell the dog to go to his room (the room where he sleeps). We leave the door of the room shut for a while, and then eventually open the door and forgive the dog.
I'VE OWNED 3 DIFFERENT BREED MALE GIANTS OVER THE PAST YEARS.
MY GROWTH RECORDS SHOW THAT A GOOD RULE OF THUMB IS ABOUT 10 lbs per month up until about one year old. Then their weight gain should slow down to about 2-5 lbs per month depending on the season.
Also much of their size is geneticaly determined by the parents.
You must let them grow at their own pace, don't rush it. An overweight giant puppy can have skeletal problems for the rest of their life. Just stand back and enjoy your dog. He / she will grow up fast enough.
Thank you for the information, DRUFFO.
This hub reminds my childhood companion,Tuty, the dog. He is no more.
Oh! what a dog he was!The good ones go to heaven very early.May he rest in peace.
Hi, rajeevelamkulam. I know how you feel. It is so sad when a dog dies, and we miss them so much. I've always wished that dogs had a longer lifespan. Thank you for the visit.
Just the other day someone asked me what were Leonbergers actually bred for. After thinking awhile I was able to give him a multitude of reasons.
1, Family guardians ( especially females and children) and property protector.
2, Water rescue ( when properly trained ) Leonberger's are used today as life saving aids in many Coastal countries
3, Avalanche rescue dogs
4.)Therapy dogs
5) Velvet mouth, I've only read this a couple of times but Leonberger's have a Velvet mouth. This means that when trained properly they can be use as a bird,hunting dog.
6) Just a "WONDERFUL" all around family dog !
Such beautiful dogs! I met a Leonberger once, and have never forgotten him. They are amazing dogs. We lost our beloved Golden Retriever to cancer two years ago, and are finally ready to welcome a puppy into our family. I'm considering a Leon, but have a question about stairs. We live in a tall old house, so our dog - presuming she would sleep in our bedrooom - would end up going up and down two flights of stairs every day. The stairs are steep. Our golden managed them fine, but she did come down in a bit of a rush since they're steep and she was of course on all fours. A friend with a similar house who had a Bernese Mountain Dog had the misfortune of her dog falling and breaking her leg on the stairs. So I am a bit worried about how a large dog like a Leonberger manages on stairs. Can you help me with this question? Thank you so much!
Laura, my last dog was a golden retriever. I loved him dearly, but I lost him to cancer too. I'm sorry that you had to go through the same experience. In answer to your question, I live in a house where the front door leads into the basement and the rooms in which we live are upstairs. Neither of our Leonbergers seem (or seemed) to have any problem with going up and down the stairs. However, our vet warned us to carry the dogs up and down the stairs when they were puppies, which we did for as long as we could handle their weight!
Leonberger's are "Giants" due to this fact they physically mature very slowly. Their weight gain for the first year happens very fast but the muscle and bones do not. Because of this you have a very large dog without very much muscle control and soft bones.
Constant stair climbing for a young, immature Leo can cause problems. It puts a lot of stress on their joints, both going up and coming down.
Our boy is now 14 months old and I still, never let him go downstairs without me being infront of him, just in case plus I;ve made sure he understands the words
"GO SLOW"
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas, Druffo.
Alicia and Druffo - Thanks so much. It sounds like it would be better for our dog to learn to sleep in the living room, rather than in our bedroom. But I know our Golden would have been so sad at that prospect! Maybe as long as we carry the puppy for as long as possible? But Leons can't be carried up a stairs after six months old, I'm sure. I like the idea of always going in front of them and training them to go very slowly.
Hi again, Laura. Yes, my dogs have always slept in the bedroom! Carrying your Leonberger puppy up and down stairs for as long as you can and then travelling in front of him or her on the stairs, forcing the dog to go slowly, should be a good strategy. You could also ask some Leonberger breeders what they recommend. Good luck with your new puppy, whatever you decide to do.
Nell Rose Level 8 Commenter 19 months ago
Hi, wow! I had never heard of this dog before, what a gorgeous dog! thanks for the information, and I want that puppy now! lol cheers nell