This blog is primarily about Leonbergers and our late Leonberger Bronco as well as the book I wrote about him and his dog friends. However, sometimes I review other Leonberger books. This time I am reviewing The Dogfather: Dog wisdom & Life lessons: Leonberger book ~ Leonberger gifts Paperback – May 12, 2020 by Alex Luther. This paperback is 285 pages, black and white, ISBN 979-8645268923, item weight 13.4 ounces, dimensions 6.34 x 0.65 x 6.34 inches, so fairly small. You can buy it from Amazon but exist only in paperback format. It is currently $18.99 on Amazon.
We’ve owned many wonderful dogs, but our Leonberger was the most amazing dog I’ve ever come across. He passed away two years ago. Leonbergers were originally bred to be large companion dogs and they are in tune with your feelings, and for that reason they make great therapy dogs. They are double coated and have webbed large paws, making them excellent swimmers, and they are sometimes used for water rescue. They are smart, very strong, they have an excellent sense of smell, they are big, about the same size as a St. Bernhard, and they are excellent guard dogs as well. Our Leonberger became the protector of our smaller dogs. He saved our pug’s life one time. He also found and brought back our hamsters when they escaped their cage. He noticed (smelled) that our Labrador, who had diabetes, was about to have an insulin shock and alerted us to it. One time he chased away a peeping Tom who frequently trespassed on our property and threatened us as well as our neighbors. Contrary to what the trespasser might have believed he did not try to eat him. After that the trespasser never came back. Above all he was very loving, very social, and sensitive to our feelings.
I thought this book looked interesting and might be worth reading at the same time as I expected a lot of sayings I’ve heard before and maybe silly jokes, but as I read on, I found the book to be better than I had expected. It is a very touching collection of sayings that were all new to me and the poetic wisdom words captured the personality of a Leonberger very well. Whoever wrote this must have owned and loved a Leonberger like us. A few examples: “I think Leonbergers are the most amazing creature; they give unconditional love. For me, they are the role model for being alive.” “One reason a Gentle Lion can be such a comfort when you’re feeling blue is that he doesn’t try to find out why.” “The reason a Gentle Lion has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue” and my favorite “Sometimes I think I like Leonbergers more than I like humans. The only time a Gentle Lion has ever betrayed me…was by dying.”
In the middle of the book there are two pages of advertisement and a web link for buying stuff. So, this book is partially advertising. However, I thought that was OK. It was just two pages, and useful in its own way. I believe this book is mainly directed at a young audience, but it is also great for somewhat sentimental adults. I gave it five stars on Amazon, and I recommend it.
Finally, I would like to promote my book about Bronco and Leonbergers. It has a lot of color photos, amusing Leonberger stories, and Leonberger information that has been verified and is also based on personal information.
Below is a list of where you can find the book. Click on the links to go to the respective store. However, if your favorite bookstore is not listed below you can search for it using the ISBN or ASIN numbers.
ISBN number for printed edition: 978-0998084954
ASIN number for the e-book edition: B0B5NN32SR
Leonberger Life 
10 replies on “The Dog Father Leonberger”
“The only time a Gentle Lion has ever betrayed me…was by dying.” That rings so true.
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Yes you are right
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I love the words of wisdom. “One reason a Gentle Lion can be such a comfort when you’re feeling blue is that he doesn’t try to find out why”–what a gift that is! Thanks for the review.
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Yes, and I can add that Leonbergers are bred to be in tune with people’s feelings, and it really showed. When one of us was sad Bronco came to comfort, and naturally without asking questions or coming with suggestions.
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You didn’t get another one? Or waiting?
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Jacqui we certainly would like to get another Leonberger. We talk about it quite often. The problem is that they are big and very social family dogs and you need to be setup correctly to welcome them. That’s why the good (LCA) Leonberger breeders conduct interviews with potential buyers. If your situation does not look good they won’t sell you a Leonberger. Right now we have two little dogs a 14 year old pug, Daisy and a very rambunctious soon 4 year old mini-Australian Shepherd called Rollo. Both Daisy and later Rollo grew up with Bronco, and Bronco was very tolerant with Rollo despite his antics. However, especially Rollo has gotten used to some bad behavior such as being aggressive towards other dogs, begging at the table, and sleeping in our beds. We can’t have a Leonberger sleep in our bed. We’ve been there, done that, and I was on the floor most of the time. Basically we have to fix our situation first or Julie will say no. We know what to do, but we slipped.
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I get it. We have a new puppy–only one dog–and he’s all we can handle. I can see a new Leonberger in your future, though.
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Yes you are right Jacqui. One day the time will be right.
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Another issue is that our old pug Daisy, who has arthritis and is probably approaching the end of her life may not want to deal with a 10 weeks old puppy bigger than her. We need to wait a little and fix out situation.
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Reblogged this on The Writing Life and commented:
Woof woof!
http://www.writencreate.wordpress.com
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