INTRODUCTION

The Leonberger is a breed of dog originating in Germany, named after the German town of Leonberg in Baden-Württemberg, where it originated.

It is a long-haired, brown molosser, derived from crosses of large breeds such as the St. Bernard or the Great Pyrenean, produced at the beginning of the 19th century.

THE ORIGIN OF THE LEONBERGER

The coat of arms of the city of Leonberg depicts a lion standing on its hind legs and breed lore has it that this noble beast inspired this majestic, tousled-coated dog which soon became popular with the aristocracy.

Unlike many breeds that originated and became established by accident (a job had to be done and a random dog stood out in it because it had a certain size, shape or colour), the Leonberger was a very intentional creation. The man who gave birth to the breed was Heinrich Essig, a politician, businessman and dog trader during the 19th century in Leonberg.

Using St. Bernards and Newfoundlands, among other great working breeds, Essig's aim was to breed a majestic pet for European royalty, a true dog fit for a king.

From the 1680s, Leonberg's market square became famous for its horse market, so the citizens of Leonberg in the mid-19th century were accustomed to the buying and selling of livestock, and dogs were considered just that.

For his part, Essig was a shrewd merchant and salesman, selling more than 300 dogs a year. In breeding his first litter of Leonbergers in 1846, which is generally accepted as the year the breed was founded, Essig is said to have crossed a Landseer, a Newfoundland and a shorthaired St. Bernard. Later, he reportedly added a dose of Great Pyrenees, although there are no records to confirm any of this.

Large dogs with a rich coat owned by farmers were common in southern Germany at this period and had many names. But it was Essig who had the vision, not to mention the salesmanship, to formalise them into a popular breed.

By gifting dogs to high-profile figures to help establish their prestige and lending them to popular illustrators to use as models, Essig sold Leonbergers to a number of prominent 19th century figures. Owners from around the world included royalty such as King Umberto I of Italy; Tsar Alexander II of Russia; the Prince of Wales of England, who later became King Edward VII; and Empress Elisabeth of Austria. The Leonbergers also honoured the estates of leaders such as Napoleon II and III and Otto von Bismarck; composers Richard Wagner and Sergei Rachmaninoff; and Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi.

Despite their majestic beginnings, Leonbergers have long been used as versatile working dogs on farms, pastures and coasts. They are surprisingly agile and are excellent swimmers.

Like any successful commercial enterprise, there were imitators. But Essig painstakingly nurtured his ‘brand’, sending the most elegant and substantial dogs as far afield as Japan, Russia and the United States. In the early years of the breed, Essig tried to produce white dogs because they were popular. It was not until after his death in 1899 that the tawny reddish coat with mane and characteristic black mask became indelibly fixed and associated with the Leonberger.

Apart from the variation in colour and appearance, Essig emphasised a trait which is universal in the breed, even to this day: an affectionate and stable temperament which is irresistible to all who have the pleasure of meeting him. Dogs of this imposing size needed to be exemplary, never shy or aggressive towards people or other dogs. Gentle and playful in direct proportion to their formidable size, Leonbergers temperamentally resemble a teddy bear more than the mighty lion that was supposedly their inspiration.

While the Leonberger was a resounding success with owners, its reception by Victorian canine authorities was not the most favourable. Essig's refusal to write a standard or accurately recall pedigrees led to continued rejection by the authorities guarding the dog shows. Leonbergers were dismissed in some quarters as St. Bernard contenders, and at dog shows they were often lumped in with other breeds, or not allowed to be shown at all.

Given this hostility from the burgeoning dog show world, it is a miracle that the Leonberger survived beyond Essig's lifetime. But survive it did, even through the challenges and hardships of two world wars.

The first Leonberger imports were exhibited at the famous Westminster show in New York City during the 1880s, and the breed has been continuously present in the United States since the 1970s.

Although the standard was slow to be defined in both size and coat colour, the unique characteristics that made this animal so highly valued in mountain rescue work were finally formally established.

THE STANDARD OF THE LEONBERGER

GENERAL APPEARANCE: In keeping with its original purpose of use, the Leonberger is a large, strong, muscular and at the same time elegant dog. He is characterised by his harmonious body structure and poised calmness, self-conscious with a very lively temperament. The male is particularly powerful and robust.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: Ratio of height at withers to length of body = 9:10; depth of chest corresponds to almost 50% of height at withers.

HEAD: As a whole it is deeper than broad and appears longer than plump; the ratio of muzzle to cranial region is about 1:1. The skin is adherent throughout and does not form frontal folds.

CRANIAL REGION:

SKULL: Seen in profile and from the front it is slightly arched; it is strong corresponding to the body and limbs, but does not have a heavy appearance. The posterior region is not much broader than the region where the eyes are located.

STOP: Clearly perceptible and moderately marked.

FACIAL REGION:

NOSE: Black in colour.

NOSE: Long, but never ending in a point. The muzzle is correspondingly broad, never sunken, but rather slightly arched (ram's nose).

LIPS: Close fitting, black in colour, with closed corners.

JAWS / TEETH: Powerful jaws with a complete, regular and perfect scissor bite with good adaptation of the upper incisors to the lower incisors, leaving no space. The teeth are set vertically in the jaw, showing 42 sound teeth according to the dental formula (missing M3 tolerated). A pincer bite is permitted; in the lower jaw there should be no narrowing of the canines.

CHEEKS: Underdeveloped.

EYES: Light brown to as dark as possible, medium sized, oval, neither deep set nor protruding, neither too close together nor too wide apart. Eyelids close fitting, not showing the conjunctiva. The whites of the eyes (visible part of the dermis) show no redness.

EARS: Set on high and set not too far back, pendant, of medium size, close fitting and fleshy.

NECK: It forms a slight curve which continues without interruption to the withers. Longer than broad; no loose skin or dewlap.

BODY:

CROSS: Pronounced, especially in the male.

BACK: Robust, straight, broad.

LOIN: Broad, powerful, well muscled.

Croup: Broad, relatively long, smoothly rounded, in progressive transition to the root of the tail, never higher than the back.

CHEST: Broad, deep, reaching at least to elbow level; not barrel-shaped but rather oval.

BOTTOM LINE : Only slightly tucked up.

TAIL: Well furnished with plenty of hair. When standing, the tail is carried hanging straight down; also during movement it is only slightly bent without going beyond the line of the back.

LIMBS: Very strong, especially in the male.

FOREQUARTERS: Straight, parallel, not closed.

Upper arm: Long, obliquely placed, forming a not too obtuse angle to each other. Well muscled.

ELBOWS: Close to the body.

Pasterns: Strong, firm, straight when viewed from the front and almost vertical when viewed from the side.

HANDS: Straight (without deviations inwards or outwards), rounded, compact; well arched toes; black pads.

HINDQUARTERS: Seen from behind, not too closely set; parallel; tibiotarsal joints and feet neither turned in nor out.

HIP: Oblique in position.

Upper thigh: Rather long, set obliquely, strongly muscled. The thigh and lower thigh form a fairly pronounced angle.

TIBIO-TARSIAL JOINT: Powerful, with a marked angle between the lower thigh and the metatarsus.

FEET: Straight, only slightly elongated; toes arched; pads black.

GAIT / MOVEMENT: Ground covering, balanced in all gaits; good drive and forward movement; both at walk and trot, seen from front and rear, leading limbs in a straight line.

COAT

HAIR: The coat should be slightly soft to harsh, fairly long, close fitting and never forming a parting; in spite of having a lot of undercoat, it is possible to recognise the shape of the body structure. The coat is smooth, although slightly wavy is permissible; on the neck and chest (especially in the male) a mane is formed; there are visible feathering on the forelegs and marked ‘breeches’ on the hindlegs.

COLOUR: Yellow (lion colour), red, reddish-brown, also sand-coloured (pale yellow, cream-coloured) and all combinations thereof, but with black mask. Black tips are permitted; however, black must not be the basic colour of the coat. The paleness of the basic colour on the underside of the tail, on the ruff, on the feathers of the forelegs and on the ‘breeches’ of the hind legs must not be exaggerated so as not to disturb the harmony of the basic colour. A small white spot or a thin white stripe on the chest and white hairs on the toes are tolerated.

SIZE

HEIGHT AT WITHERS

MALES: 72 - 80 cm, ideally 76 cm,

FEMALES: 65 - 75 cm, ideal size 70 cm.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Aggressiveness or extreme shyness.
• Any dog showing clear signs of physical or behavioural abnormalities.
• Severe anatomical faults (e.g., noticeable cow-hocked limbs, pronounced carp back, very much overdue back, exaggerated outward deviation of the front feet, absolutely insufficient angulation of the shoulder, elbow, knee and tibio-tarsal joints).
• Brown nose.
• Excessive depigmentation of the lips.
• Lack of teeth (except M3), prognathism of upper and lower jaw; other faults in the bite.
• Eyes without brown colour.
• Ectropion, ectropion.
• Tail too curled or carried too high and curled.
• Brown pads.
• Coat curled or too curly.
• Lack of colour (brown with brown nose and brown pads; black with tan; silver-black; deer-coloured).
• Total lack of mask.
• Too much white (reaching from toes to carpus, patch on chest larger than a hand, white elsewhere).
  
  

N.B.:

Males should have two apparently normal appearing testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation, should be used for breeding.

THE HEALTH OF THE LEONBERGER

The life expectancy of the Leonberger is usually around 9 years. It is characterised by being a breed that is very well behaved, as long as they are given the necessary care and attention to certain issues, however, being a large breed there are illnesses that can affect their health to a greater or lesser degree.

• GASTRIC TORSION: Frequent especially in large dogs, it occurs when a large intake or accumulation of gas in the stomach causes the intestine to twist and interruption of the blood supply. It is fatal if not treated immediately.
  
  

• HIP DYSPLASIA: A hereditary, degenerative bone disease that occurs during the development of the pelvis, causing the head of the femur not to fit properly into the hip.
  
  

• ENTROPION: Hereditary disease in which the eyelids fold inwards.
  
  

• ECTROPION: an inherited condition in which the eyelids fold outwards.
  
  

• LEONBERGER'S POLYNEUROPATHY: A neuromuscular disease that reduces the ability to exercise, affecting the muscles of the hind legs.
  
  

THE LEONBERGER'S PERSONALITY

When it comes to temperament and personality, the Leonberger is truly unique. These affectionate giants are known for their loving and affectionate nature. They are incredibly loyal and have an innate ability to bond with their family. Don't be surprised if your Leonberger insists on being your shadow, they just want to be by your side, soaking up all the love and attention you can give them. Despite their imposing size, they have a calm and patient demeanour that makes them excellent companions for children and families alike.

CONCLUSION

Before you start looking for Leonberger breeders, make sure you have thoroughly researched this breed and can provide them with the lifestyle they need to keep them happy and healthy.