[spid]

Never actually met one before - he was gorgeous and I'm now in love.. :001_wub::001_wub::001_wub::001_wub::001_wub::001_wub::001_wub: This could be our next dog in a couple of years time!!!!!!!!

 

[shutterspeed]

Start saving, they eat a lot
They are cute aren't they? I used to meet a girl with one every now and then, has been a while though.

 

[Guest]

They are special dogs :thumbup:

 

[Acacia86]

I was looking at getting one as my next puppy! Great dogs i will always have soft spot for them!!

 

[Fleur]

I love 'em to
So gentle and loving.
If we were to have a large breed this would definately be one I'd choose :thumbup:
A lot of brushing though

 

[spid]

I'm sure they do!!!!! He was only 6 months old and HUGE! But then I like big dogs anyway. Once the Jinx has calmed and settled we may go for another dog. He was so gorgeous and huggable and hubby liked him too, he's always been into fluffy GSD's (which I'm not keen on to own - don't know why! No offense to those who own) and this one reminded him a bit of a soft fluffy GSD he knew as a kid but much larger. I can do brushing. Do they shed massively too?

 

[Jackie99]

Ha, I think I was a bit like you a few weeks ago when I saw my first one to. Having admired then online etc for a while I was a bit in awe and thought I may even be seeing things but they truly are beautiful, elegant dogs and I would really consider having one in the future when the time is right.

 

[spid]

Anyone knew the cost for a health tested puppy? Just so I know how much to save up?

 

[Tanya1989]

A leo.... £1000

 

[cavmad]

My Indie sheds properly twice a year and i then have soft undercoat everywhere the rest of the time she isnt too bad. A word of warning they love water and swimming and in the summer i find my van smells doggy all the time. They can do water trials i tried with my first Tasha but she went out to rescue people when they had a treat with them if they didnt they could drown fancy going swimming without dog treats!! They are super dogs and they are gentle mine always got on well with other dogs Indie loved my chi Ike she was never rough with him letting him sleep on her.

 

[Tanya1989]

They are incredibly loyal, and many owners will tell you that they wouldn’t change breeds for the world. The leonberger is a faithful companion and will fight for your attention day in and day out. They are happy to be a lazy dog sprawled out by your feet or an active dog accompanying you on long walks. One thing is for certain a Leo is at their happiest when they are by your side.

Day by day a Leo will entertain you with their regular antics. The most favourable thing is to lie on their back, exposing everything to the world and smiling. This is how most Leonbergers sleep, usually by propping themselves up by kitchen cabinets, settees, stairs etc. Leonbergers also like to laugh at you. Make no mistake I am deadly serious about this. When they get excited they throw their head back, mouth wide open and launching their feet off the floor. This is an incredible sight and those who are not used to seeing a sight like this is bound to be in stitches with laughter, it resembles a nutty kangaroo!

Leonbergers are well known for their kind, sensitive, caring temperaments. They are intelligent and amenable. Many Leos today partake in agility and obedience trials, and of course not forgetting water trials! There are many as Pets As Therapy Dogs, just showing how gentle and solid tempered this breed really is if trained correctly.

However, as wonderful as this breed is, they do have their drawbacks, and it is important as a potential owner that you become aware of these before you consider buying a puppy.

· Leonbergers are big. Not the shock of the century as you are probably aware, but Leos don’t realise just how big they are. Also, Leos are clumsy. They can clear a coffee table in one swoop of their tail and not know until they hear the breaking of cups, mugs, glasses etc, hitting the floor.

· Leos can knock grown men to the floor. Although this will not be intentional, one swing from their backside could easily push someone off their feet, so if you have small children or elderly relatives regularly visit, a Leo may not be the dog for you.

· Leos have big feet. Combined with a clumsy 10st critter, these feet cause tremendous amount of pain when they stand on you. Also, a Leo will “slap you” to get your attention. This is cute as a puppy, but soon can become dangerous when they do this to a child and scratch their face.

· Leonbergers love water! They will lie, dig, and play in water all day long given the chance. This means ANY water. A Leo will drink for the sake of drinking, not necessarily because they are thirsty, but because they love to play with it. Expect your kitchen floors to be permanently wet. This is not an exaggeration! Even from raised bowls, a Leo WILL spill half the contents of its water on the floor!

· Leonbergers always look clean. This is because all the mud they have brought in from the garden has dried to their coat. They then come in the house and the dust drops out all over your floors, walls, ceilings, you name it, it’s covered in muddy dust. If you are house proud, a Leo may not be the breed for you. Also, Leos love to dig and chew, not a huge problem for a small dog, but a Leo is not small, meaning anything chewed or dug is going to be huge!

· Leos attract attention. If you are the sort of person that doesn’t like stopping to talk to strangers every time you leave the house with your dog then a Leo may not be the breed for you. Be prepared to answer the same questions over and over again about your Leo. What breed is that? What is your German Shepherd crossed with? You want to get a saddle for that! He looks like a lion, bear, donkey etc... These are some of the things you will hear every 10 minutes whilst out walking with your beloved best friend.



With all this being said, I have not yet found a breed to compare to this majestic giant. They are addictive.... ONE IS NEVER ENOUGH!!! Trust me on that one!

 

[spid]

£1000 isn't bad - I can manage that - now all I need to do is look into lines, health tests and get on a waiting list for 2 years time ish (need Jinx to grow up a bit first). I'm going to do loads of research now.

 

[Tanya1989]

Let me know if you need any help...

 

[spid]

They are incredibly loyal, and many owners will tell you that they wouldn’t change breeds for the world. The leonberger is a faithful companion and will fight for your attention day in and day out. They are happy to be a lazy dog sprawled out by your feet or an active dog accompanying you on long walks. One thing is for certain a Leo is at their happiest when they are by your side.

Day by day a Leo will entertain you with their regular antics. The most favourable thing is to lie on their back, exposing everything to the world and smiling. This is how most Leonbergers sleep, usually by propping themselves up by kitchen cabinets, settees, stairs etc. Leonbergers also like to laugh at you. Make no mistake I am deadly serious about this. When they get excited they throw their head back, mouth wide open and launching their feet off the floor. This is an incredible sight and those who are not used to seeing a sight like this is bound to be in stitches with laughter, it resembles a nutty kangaroo!

Leonbergers are well known for their kind, sensitive, caring temperaments. They are intelligent and amenable. Many Leos today partake in agility and obedience trials, and of course not forgetting water trials! There are many as Pets As Therapy Dogs, just showing how gentle and solid tempered this breed really is if trained correctly.

However, as wonderful as this breed is, they do have their drawbacks, and it is important as a potential owner that you become aware of these before you consider buying a puppy.

· Leonbergers are big. Not the shock of the century as you are probably aware, but Leos don’t realise just how big they are. Also, Leos are clumsy. They can clear a coffee table in one swoop of their tail and not know until they hear the breaking of cups, mugs, glasses etc, hitting the floor.

· Leos can knock grown men to the floor. Although this will not be intentional, one swing from their backside could easily push someone off their feet, so if you have small children or elderly relatives regularly visit, a Leo may not be the dog for you.

· Leos have big feet. Combined with a clumsy 10st critter, these feet cause tremendous amount of pain when they stand on you. Also, a Leo will “slap you” to get your attention. This is cute as a puppy, but soon can become dangerous when they do this to a child and scratch their face.

· Leonbergers love water! They will lie, dig, and play in water all day long given the chance. This means ANY water. A Leo will drink for the sake of drinking, not necessarily because they are thirsty, but because they love to play with it. Expect your kitchen floors to be permanently wet. This is not an exaggeration! Even from raised bowls, a Leo WILL spill half the contents of its water on the floor!

· Leonbergers always look clean. This is because all the mud they have brought in from the garden has dried to their coat. They then come in the house and the dust drops out all over your floors, walls, ceilings, you name it, it’s covered in muddy dust. If you are house proud, a Leo may not be the breed for you. Also, Leos love to dig and chew, not a huge problem for a small dog, but a Leo is not small, meaning anything chewed or dug is going to be huge!

· Leos attract attention. If you are the sort of person that doesn’t like stopping to talk to strangers every time you leave the house with your dog then a Leo may not be the breed for you. Be prepared to answer the same questions over and over again about your Leo. What breed is that? What is your German Shepherd crossed with? You want to get a saddle for that! He looks like a lion, bear, donkey etc... These are some of the things you will hear every 10 minutes whilst out walking with your beloved best friend.

With all this being said, I have not yet found a breed to compare to this majestic giant. They are addictive.... ONE IS NEVER ENOUGH!!! Trust me on that one!

This is brilliant - thank you! Green blob coming.

Jinx does the water thing too!!!!! She plays in it more than drinks it - and she is tiny compared to a Leo. I lurve talking about my dog when I am out so no problem there. No young children and the elderlies are all passed on. I would just have to move anything breakable out of reach - though we are fairly unbreakable here anyway - Jinx has made us move everything up and out and I needed to declutter again! I'm not terribly houseproud and just do what I have to do. Not too sure about the digging that would have to be controlled in the garden - I suppose providing a special place to dig would work (it has for Jinx) and the chewing would have to be confined to Kongs and bones etc (not into my door frames being eaten). But as I don't really work I could stop behaviour as it starts.

DO you crate a dog this large at all - I would imagine my downstairs toilet is the size a crate would need to be!!!!!! Do they manage with smaller dogs around - Jinx is a BC and I'd hate for her to be constantly flattened - the one we met today loved her and was so so gentle.

 

[spid]

Let me know if you need any help...

thank you -- off to check out your website now.

 

[Nicky10]

I'd love one too stunning dogs and they sound like great dogs too

 

[Tanya1989]

This is brilliant - thank you! Green blob coming.

Jinx does the water thing too!!!!! She plays in it more than drinks it - and she is tiny compared to a Leo. I lurve talking about my dog when I am out so no problem there. No young children and the elderlies are all passed on. I would just have to move anything breakable out of reach - though we are fairly unbreakable here anyway - Jinx has made us move everything up and out and I needed to declutter again! I'm not terribly houseproud and just do what I have to do. Not too sure about the digging that would have to be controlled in the garden - I suppose providing a special place to dig would work (it has for Jinx) and the chewing would have to be confined to Kongs and bones etc (not into my door frames being eaten). But as I don't really work I could stop behaviour as it starts.

DO you crate a dog this large at all - I would imagine my downstairs toilet is the size a crate would need to be!!!!!! Do they manage with smaller dogs around - Jinx is a BC and I'd hate for her to be constantly flattened - the one we met today loved her and was so so gentle.

I have a BC too... the BC was here first too he doesn't get flattened, he's too quick and Leos are pretty good at knowing when they should be rough and when they should be gentle. This is something they learn with age.

I don't crate as such... but for the first 6 months he had the room under the stairs for night time and quiet time after dinner, but the BC was there too, just separated by a baby gate so he had company.

If anything, the BC flattens the Leo in most cases as he is much quicker on the turns.

We only had one chewing incident, but we were lucky and it happened at 10 months came out of nowhere lol. And that was part of a door frame. But it only happened once.

Thanks for the green blob... it has taken me up to 5 bars! :thumbup:

 

[dexter]

we walk with a leo, he's about 9 now. still suffers from selective hearing lol. He's a dear ole thing, but over weight despite me hinting to its owner.

 

[spid]

It's sounding very positive -- just need to wait now for time to pass (so Jinx can grow) and get on a waiting list at some point. As, I've said in the next 2/3 years - when should I go on a list -what is the average wait? I don't want to 'apply' too early or too late.

 

[Tanya1989]

I would get yourself on a list after you have chosen a breeder... providing that you let them know you are waiting a couple of years and the reasons why (will go in your favour). Also gives you chance to build a relationship. There are a couple of breeders I wouldn't touch with a barge pole, but many are good breeders. Have a look at

U.K. Leonberger Studbook.
This has a list of breeders and show results

Independent Leo Gazette
Foreign paper, but very useful due to the small genepool

International Leonberger Union

Leonberger Dogs Database

Worldwide Independent Leonberger Database - online

International Leonberger Database|Database for Leonberger Dogs

leonbergerclub.co.uk

If you PM me your email I'll forward you on information I put together for my prospective puppy buyers (no obligation lol.... just health concerns and such like within the breed