[EarthSpirit]

Im considering the leonberger as my first dog (not for another two years though) and Im trying to find as much information about them as I can. Theyre a somewhat rare breed and so information is limited. I was just wondering if anyone owns or has had any experience with this breed? What are their exercise requirements? Are they easy to train? Are they recommended for first time owners? Thanks!

 

[avietar]

No personal experience as in that I don't own one or know people who own one.

I've met dozens at dog shows though and they were HUGE and friendly. Incredibly huge. One male stood before me and laid his head on my chest. And I'm not that small in terms of height. And their coat is so soft! It was heaven touching that voluminous coat.

If I ever want a huge dog, I'll look into Leonbergers. However... I also encountered a Leonberger in a nearby neighborhood once who was going berserk at the mere sight of me and my dog and the owner could *barely* hold him back. So I guess I'll give a word of caution there.

Good luck finding more info.

 

[Foresthound]

The ones I've seen where very friendly,they also seem a bit more agile and driven than a lot of other giant dogs,although still mild mannered in comparison to most smaller dogs. I've seen two do agility,although the larger male broke one of the weave poles running through them,so maybe not the most graceful.
They also are not as drooly being they are more tight lipped. They are actually considered one of the best dogs with children,and haven't meet a aggressive one personally myself.

Even though I had a Newfie mix before if I wanted another giant hairy dog I would just might go for a Leonberger instead.

 

[kelly528]

Never had the pleasure, but I understand that they bear many personality traits of the molosser group:

Not a 'biddable' breed oriented toward taking direction from humans such as retrievers, sporting breeds, shepherds and herding breeds. They are an independent dog bred for independent jobs. But temperament? Fantastic so long as you are socializing them normally. Very gentle, laid back, and they tolerate a lot of crap from other humans and dogs. Strangers are a non-issue so long as owners are around and/or the dog has some sense that the person has legitimate business being there. As far as trainability... they are independent and a bit bull-headed but really not difficult. Not in the way that a super hyper, intelligent or driven dog can be. An excellent family dog, and you will sleep easier knowing that a dog the size of a small horse is watching over your household.

The one thing that you really want to do right with giant breeds is leash-training and socialization from an early age, as it is difficult to manage/train them when they are fully grown.

 

[EarthSpirit]

Thank you so much for the replies everyone! Im looking forward to when ill be able to meet one

 

[Tilden]

I once met a pair of Leonbergers at, of all places, a fairly large and crowded sidewalk arts festival. They were not local but owned by a couple who were just passing through town on vacation. Despite the crowds and the fact that they were in a strange place, they behaved beautifully and attracted quite a lot of attention, which they handled amiably. Now, I know that you can't judge any breed based on just two dogs, but those particular two dogs were lovely in pretty much every way possible.

Oddly, while I was standing there petting one, a woman asked me what I kind of dog they were, and when I responded, having just been informed by the owner, she started to laugh, because the woman with her was named LeAnn Berger.

 

[Sugarbread]

I had a Leonberger named Pandy for a brief period. She was a great dog, loved people, but she didn't like other dogs, which is why we rehomed her. She was a very docile, friendly girl otherwise. I shaved her down so that she looked like a lion when I first got her, she had gotten sprayed by a skunk and was all matted, she came from a farm and had free roam, lol.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[Flaming]

I want a Leonburger in the future but it'll take some convincing for my husband Lee...
Lee on burger. Rofl

Sent from Petguide.com Free App

 

[plantiebee]

Hi there! I am a leonberger owner, and I can tell you they are wonderful dogs
Yes they are very big, and very strong! But they are very loving. We have 3 small children and our Leo is super patient and sweet with them.
Pretty easy to train, but there is a lot of hair keep in mind. Hair everywhere, and will be everywhere all the time. You'll have water all over your floor because they never keep their mouths closed after drinking! Things will never feel very "clean" at home
She is expensive, we live in Sweden but I am sure the cost will be about the same anywhere. They are slow growers and take 3 years to get to their full stature, so your Leo will be on puppy food for quite awhile.

In general, it is my favorite dog breed. She is very attached to her family, kind, gentle, patient and attentive. So long as you have the time, space, and finances it is a wonderful dog breed!

 

[JudyG]

Hi there! I am a leonberger owner, and I can tell you they are wonderful dogs
Yes they are very big, and very strong! But they are very loving. We have 3 small children and our Leo is super patient and sweet with them.
Pretty easy to train, but there is a lot of hair keep in mind. Hair everywhere, and will be everywhere all the time. You'll have water all over your floor because they never keep their mouths closed after drinking! Things will never feel very "clean" at home
She is expensive, we live in Sweden but I am sure the cost will be about the same anywhere. They are slow growers and take 3 years to get to their full stature, so your Leo will be on puppy food for quite awhile.

In general, it is my favorite dog breed. She is very attached to her family, kind, gentle, patient and attentive. So long as you have the time, space, and finances it is a wonderful dog breed!

What a great description! your dog sounds lovely

 

[plantiebee]

Thanks Judy! She certainly is lovely.
I think it should be mentioned that a dog like this doesn't like to be left alone for long periods of time. I am really lucky to be able to work from home - but it's not a dog imo that can be left 10 hours a day alone in a house.

I wish you a lot of luck finding the Leo for you!

 

[avietar]

About what I said before, about the leo going berserk at the sight of me and my dog?

Met them again today (without my dog). Turned out it wasn't a leonberger, it was a Caucasian ovcharka. Lol, no wonder.

So now I've officially never met a bad leonberger.

 

[Blue Topaz]

We have a raw food shop not too far from me and she breeds and keeps Leonbergers. They are lovely looking dogs, but I haven't met them myself.

Here is a link to her breeding site: Heronview Leonbergers - Heronview Leonbergers

 

[CharliGirl]

They are very large dogs - looking at pictures is one thing, while meeting one in person is another!

A Leonberger came in once at the grooming shop I used to work at. I'm not sure if this was a super large specimen of the breed, but he was larger than most of the Newfies, Pyrenees, and Saints that would come in. He was too long to turn around in our large bath tubs, and could not fit on any of our tables, so he had to be groomed on the floor. He was a super sweet dog and did very well for grooming considering his size. I remember the person grooming him was a slight girl, and at one point he sat down on her lap - it was pretty funny!

They do have a lot of hair, and getting them groomed is quite necessary (and expensive). I can only imagine what it must cost to feed them!

 

[BedlingtonBabe]

Hi,
I don't know much about Leonbergers, but you could find a complete dog breed review on www.yourpurebredpuppy.com and all of the AKC breeds. There are also great book and article recommendations. You might want to look at a Leonberger breeder near you on the Leonberger club for your country. If you are in the US I believe it is the Leonberger club of America.

If you want some information on dogs in general, just take a look through DF! You will find splendid information as there are many people here who are looking to help others. Just click on the section that you want to look at and then, just read the threads. If you have any questions that you aren't sure are on here, just search them. If you don't find anything, just post it in the appropriate section.

I have a smaller dog, (Bedlington Terrier, so not super small) so I can't give you the costs that it would take but, if you need information on costs just try to find a thread that is about costs, and then tailor it to the amount of food a Leonberger will need.

I believe that there is a current thread up with some costs, so I would look through the index for something like that.