I recently finished The Complete Guide for Leonberger: The essential guide to being a perfect owner and having an obedient, healthy, and happy Leonberger Paperback – September 15, 2021, by Bailey Lopez. As far as I can see there is only a paperback version, which is 133 pages. The dimensions are 6 x 0.34 x 9 inches, and the weight is 9.1 ounces, ISBN 979-8477891214, and it currently costs $15.23 on Amazon in the US.

This is another strange Leonberger book. I believe the information in the book is very helpful and interesting assuming you are looking for a book on dog behavior, concerning any type of dog. Even though the word “Leonberger” is used quite frequently there is not much Leonberger specific information in the book.
Below I am posting my Amazon review of The Complete Guide for Leonberger by Bailey Lopez. Click here to see my original Amazon review. BTW I gave the book three stars.
The Complete Guide to Dog Behavior
If the title of this book had been “The Complete Guide to Dog Behavior” I would have given the book a four or five star rating. The book gives a good overview of dog behavior and psychology, puppy behavior, adoption issues, training and commands, and a few health tips. I found some good tips in the book that we are going to implement for our mini-Australian Shepherd. I also think that there is some enlightening information in the book that I have not seen in other dog books (Leonberger books or not). The author also understands dogs and their behavior well. He is a true dog behavior specialist.
Unfortunately, it is not really a breed specific book despite the frequent use of the word “Leonberger”. Replace “Leonberger” with “dog” and the veracity of the information does not change, which means that it is not a Leonberger book. On a bit more than half a page he is explaining how to interpret the movement of ears, for example, “ears stretched upwards may also show dominance”, etc. The problem with that is that Leonberger ears are floppy, fleshy, hanging down and they can’t point up. Interestingly he points out at the end of the ear section, essentially invalidating everything he just wrote. The book is missing Leonberger specific behavior, Leonberger characteristics, breed standard stuff, Leonberger history, genetic illnesses common in Leonbergers, life span, nothing about Leonberger organizations, Leonberger awards, sports or activities, and anything specific about Leonbergers. It is all missing and there is not a single picture of a Leonberger in the book. The book also has a substantial number of typos.
I would think a book like this would sell well if it were marketed as a dog behavior book. Why pick a rare breed and essentially replace the word dog with the word Leonberger everywhere? I am glad I read it because of what I learned about dog behavior, but you won’t learn anything specific about Leonbergers by reading this book, which is why I am rating it three stars.

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Finally, if you would like to learn about more about my book and find out where to buy it, click here or here. You can also click the image below to buy it from Amazon.

21 replies on “The Complete Guide for Leonberger is Really a Complete Guide for Dog Behavior”
It seems like people are doing this a lot, writing a dog book and slapping “Leonberger” on the cover. Rather disappointing that people would do that.
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Yes that seems to be the case. There are 70,000 dog books on Amazon and I think these authors mistakenly believe that adding a rare breed to their book is going to make it stand out. Well it isn’t working because there are 40 real Leonberger books written in English on Amazon (as far as I have counted) and if you include books such as children’s books, logbooks, notebooks, with a Leonberger in them, and Leonberger books in foreign languages you get around 1,300. Considering that there are only around 3,000 Leonbergers in North America, a pretty small audience, they are not getting an edge. They are just fooling readers.
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Thanks for your review! I will pass on this book.
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Thank you Brenda. In the near future I am going to make a list of all the Leonberger books I’ve read.
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Considering what I’ve learned about Leonbergers through you–that they are a special breed with unique needs–an all-purpose dog behavior book sounds a bit off the mark. It’s good you’ve pointed that out.
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Yes you are right. You can always write a generic dog book and say it is a Leonberger book but the reader isn’t going to get much useful information out of it assuming he wants to learn about Leonbergers, and it can even be misleading.
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This kind of “generic book about dog behavior published as a guide to X breed” is one of the worst things about self-publication or even publishing a book through a “vanity press.” There’s little to no quality control, and since there’s no professional editor to curb an author’s actions, lazy and/or unscrupulous actors can and do put out subpar books like the one being reviewed here.
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That’s a major problem with the self-publishing business. The cheats are giving self-publishing a bad name and harming self-published authors who are really great.
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Unfortunately.
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And this is all really sad, because as you say, they author knows dogs. He probably felt he had to specialize to get noticed. How many dog-training books are out there? It could have been more helpful if he’d been true to his strengths.
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Yes I think you are right. He tried to specialize to get noticed. Maybe he thought there weren’t many other Leonberger books. However, it did not work. His book is currently #8,506,714 in Books on Amazon.com (US Amazon) and sinking fast and he has only one review. I don’t know if he would have been more successful making it a dog behavior and training book but at least it would have been honest and the content would have fit the title. The competition is stiff.
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Thanks for your eloquent review! That is really interesting how you mentioned that he contradicted his whole part with the ears. Great post!
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Thank you Natalie. Yes I agree a bit strange.
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Hey there! We truly appreciate dog blogs and the heartwarming content that creators like you share . As a proud dog owner myself, I know firsthand the unconditional love that our furry friends can bring into our lives. My own dog Teddy, a spunky Pomeranian, loves to go for walks and is always up for a good belly rub. Your blog is a fantastic resource for stories on how to care for our furry companions, and we’re excited to learn more from your experiences. Keep writing , because your stories can make a lasting impact on the world of dogs and their owners. Woof woof! #DogLove #BloggingCommunity #ManBestFriend
Thanks – TheDogGod – https://pomeranianpuppies.uk/
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Thank you so much for your kind comment DogGod. Your Pomeranian is very cute.
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So cute.
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Thank you Vijay
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Thank you for the great introduction to a wonderful breed. We’re border collie folks, ourselves. In fact, time to go outside now for some vigorous ball-throwing… followed by watching her run and run and run on a wide track she’s created on our property.
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We’ve never had a border collie, but I understand they are very energetic and intelligent. We have a mini-Australian Shepherd named Rollo, and he is also energetic. While our Leonberger Bronco was still alive Rollo and Bronco were best friends despite the difference in size.
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From what I’ve heard, Australian Shepherds are quite similar to border collies. My wife and I both grew up with lovable mutts, but when we were stationed in the U.K. we got our first BC and her intelligence and obedience spoiled us.
I love it when the pet members of our family get along so well. In fact, I love seeing all sorts of species living in peace and harmony.
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Yes, they are both herding dogs. When our Rollo was a puppy, he used to follow me around when I was doing yardwork. He was running back and forth behind me as if he was herding me, together we got the work done. Maybe we should have taken him to one of those places where dogs can herd sheep just for fun. I agree with you that it is great when the dogs in the household get along. Luckily our dogs always got along well. Rollo and our Leonberger Bronco were best buds despite their quite substantial difference in size.
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