This blog feature amusing and heartwarming stories about our late Leonberger dog Bronco, as well as other Leonbergers. It also has a lot of information about the Leonberger breed, the history, care, training, Leonberger organizations, etc. I also wrote a Leonberger book, which I am featuring in the sidebar.
Today we got a portrait of our late Leonberger Bronco framed. We received the portrait a few days ago. We got it framed at Fast Frame here in Dallas today. We got the conservation glass so that the portrait will last a very long time. The portrait was drawn by Veniceme at Etsy (Natasha Dall’Ara) and it is based on one of our photos. Below is a photo of Bronco’s Grey Muzzle Award on the right and the portrait is on the left.
Left : Hand painted portrait of Bronco by Veniceme / Natasha Dall’Ara at Etsy. Right Bronco’s Grey-Muzzle Award from LHFI.
Today is the two-year anniversary of my blog and this is the 215th post.
Shutterstock-ID: 959582 by Ingvald Kaldhussater
My blog is primarily about Leonbergers, an unusual and fascinating dog breed that is known for its size, affectionate nature, and intelligence. We were lucky enough to live with one for thirteen years. His name was Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle—but we called him “Bronco” for short. I also wrote a book about Leonbergers and about Bronco’s many adventures : The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. If you are on a desktop computer you’ll see the book in the sidebar on the right, and if you are on a phone you have to scroll to the bottom of the page. If you still cannot see the book, you can click here.
Leonbergers love to swim and so did our Bronco. This post features 25 photos of Leonbergers in the water, which is why the title of the post is 25 Waterberger photos. Most of the photos are of our Leonberger Bronco in White Rock Lake in Dallas. He loved to chase ducks and egrets, but catching is difficult. In the end he had no egrets. One of the photos is from a friend and there are a few stock photos. If you want to see Leonberger puppy photos click here, and if you want to see another set of 25 Leonbergers click here, and here is yet another set of 25 Leonbergers.
Our Leonberger Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake.Bronco is standing in the water in White Rock Lake.Our Leonberger Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake.Our Leonberger Bronco in shallow water. Still White Rock Lake.Digory a Leonberger in the water. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Young Bronco (maybe one years old) standing in a kiddie pool.Young Bronco standing in a kiddie pool.Bronco standing in White Rock Lake.Leonberger swimming with a ball. Stock Photo ID: 720242263 by Christian MuellerLeonberger on the beach. Stock Photo ID: 1110805445 by LolostockTwo Leonbergers swimming. Stock Photo ID: 1989806678 by Taibomaus.Leonberger standing in river. Photo by Stephanie Lucero on Unsplash.Our Bronco in a kiddie pool.Another photo of our Bronco in a kiddie poolBronco swimming in White Rock Lake, Texas.Another photo of Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake, Texas.Bronco standing in White Rock Lake, nearby Dallas, Texas.Bronco againBronco coming out of White Rock LakeBronco walking into White Rock LakeBronco coming back out of White Rock LakeBronco coming out of White Rock Lake on a different day.Bronco coming out of White Rock LakeBronco in White Rock Lake
Today, Tuesday, February 20, 2024, is National Love Your Pet Day. So, I thought I would show some photos of our current dogs and dogs from the past, naturally including our late Leonberger Bronco. I think the photos I am displaying show some of our love for them.
Our Leonberger Bronco when he was a three-month-old puppy.On the left our Labrador Baylor and on the right our German Shepherd Baby. Baby took care of and protected Bronco when he was a pup, just like a good mother.Our young Leonberger Bronco is giving me a hug.Our niece Jessica giving Bronco a kissOur Leonberger Bronco sitting in my wife Claudia’s lap. He was the perfect lap dog.Our Japanese Shin RyuOur mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo as a puppy.Our daughter petting Rollo and our pug DaisyOur pug Daisy’s 15th birthday.Rollo and Daisy own the best furniture.The 2019-2020 Grey Muzzle Awardees. Bronco is on the second row from the top and second from left. Click on the picture to visit the YouTube video. Bronco is at two minutes.
Video showing 32 2019 & 2020 Grey Muzzle Awardees (Leonbergers). Bronco at two minutes in.
My blog is primarily about Leonbergers, an unusual and fascinating dog breed that is known for its size, affectionate nature, and intelligence. I know a lot about Leonbergers because we were lucky enough to live with one for thirteen years. His name was Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle—but we called him “Bronco” for short. I also wrote a book about Leonbergers and about Bronco’s many adventures : The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. If you are on a desktop computer you’ll see the book on the right, and if you are on a phone you have to scroll to the bottom of the page. You can also click here.
This post features 25 photos and illustrations. Most of the photos are of our Leonberger Bronco, a few are photos by friends and the illustrations were created by Naomi Rosenblatt. If you want to see another set of 25 Leonberger photos click here. If you want to see Leonberger puppy photos, then click here.
Our Leonberger Bronco at three months old.Bronco our Leonberger is swimming in White Rock Lake.Bronco is standing in the water in White Rock Lake.A Canadian Leonberger called Mak with my book. Photo by Debbie Ireland.Our Leonberger Bronco is sleeping on our big leather sofa.Bronco with our Pug Daisy. They were sharing the sofa until Daisy decided to move.Bronco is pulling our daughter along the ground as she is desperately trying to hold on to him. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.Illustration showing Bronco running down the street while wearing a cast. He was not supposed to bump the cast. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.Our Leonberger Bronco with two small dogs, our Japanese Shin Ryu and our pug Daisy.It is Bronco’s birthday.Digory and Obi two Leonbergers. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Digory Jen O’Keefe’s Leonberger. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Swimming time for Digory Jen O’Keefe’s Leonberger. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Digory got bone cancer, had an amputation, and this photo is two years later. He lived long for a Leonberger with this condition. Here is with a Leonberger friend. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Bronco our Leonberger is standing in front of our hallway. He is pretty old in this photo.Bronco in our front yard.Bronco saved our pug’s life. He is a saint.Bronco lived very long for a Leonberger. The typical lifespan is 8-9 years. The Leonberger Health Foundation International gives out a grey-muzzle award to Leonbergers who has lived 12 years or longer. Here Bronco is receiving his grey-muzzle award.The Grey Muzzle Award.Bronco and our pug Daisy.Bronco and our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo.A tornado ravaged our neighborhood. Several of our neighbor’s houses were destroyed. Our house stood but the chimney, roof, attic, garage, and fence were severely damaged. It was a tough time for Bronco. He had just had a toe amputation due to cancer; he had ulcerous sores on his foot, then came the tornado and less than a week later he had a heart failure. He is not in good shape in this picture.Bronco is walking around the house with his giant soft cone and pulling things off tables.One of the last photos of Bronco.We will always remember Bronco. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.
First, check out my Leonberger book and consider purchasing it. It features amusing and amazing stories about our truly remarkable Leonberger Bronco, as well as information about Leonbergers. It is a great book for all dog lovers. All royalties/proceeds from sales are donated to the Leonberger Health Foundation International. To check out my book click on the book cover images on the right.
This post has 25 photos and illustrations. Most of the photos are of our late Leonberger Bronco (Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle) but there are also Leonberger photos by friends as well as a few Shutterstock photos. The illustrations are from my book. The illustrations for my book were made by Naomi Rosenblatt (I don’t know how to draw).
On the left our Leonberger Bronco three months old. On the right Bronco as an unusually old Leonberger at almost 13.Bronco our Leonberger is giving me a kiss. He is about one year old and not yet fully grown.Bronco’s direct ancestor on the male side Leo von der Sagmuhle in Germany about 100 years ago (18 generations).Our Leonberger Bronco sitting in my wife’s lap. He was 167 pounds at the time.Hachi a one-year-old Canadian Leonberger with my book. The owner and photographer is Brenda Saito and her husband.A majestic Leonberger. Shutterstock-ID: 731020957 by Peter Josto.Bronco is chasing off a peeping Tom who was terrorizing the women in the neighborhood including my wife. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.Bronco’s puffy cheeks hold two hamsters he probably was trying to save. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.Bronco accidentally pushed our German Shepherd Baby into a storm drain. I am trying to drag Baby out of the storm drain while holding Bronco as he is very excited about a dog across the street. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.Leonberger puppy. My guess is that he is around two months old. Shutterstock-ID: 629624396 by TOM KAROLA.Our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo is biting Bronco’s tail. He even swung it in as if it was a swing.Bronco got into the kitchen, and he grabbed a gingerbread house. He and our pug Daisy are sharing the gingerbread house.Bronco is getting a bath in the kiddie pool.Leonberger standing in snow. Shutterstock-ID: 705193912 by Eric Isselee.Amie a Leonberger in Sweden who was at the top of a mountain that we hiked up to (Skule Berget). She must have been very athletic.Seven Leonbergers by the beach. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Digory and Obi two Leonbergers. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Five Leonbergers including Digory on 4th of July 2023. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Bronco and Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd.Close up of Bronco about 12 years old. Leonbergers typically live 8-9 years.Bronco our Leonberger kept following me around while he was recovering from a couple of sores that took a long time to heal. They get a very attached when they are not feeling well. Here he is barging into the bathroom. Rollo was terrified of the huge cone.Six Leonbergers and a birthday celebration. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Sitting Leonberger. Shutterstock-ID:1333669760 by Britta Paasch.Leonberger and pug running in the snow. Shutterstock- ID:1659034960 by AnetaZabranska.Overview of the physical aspects of the Leonberger breed standard.
This post features ten Leonberger photos. First there are two photos of our Leonberger Bronco from when he was three months old. Then there are three shutter stock photos of Leonberger puppies, who are probably about two months old. We did not take many photos of Bronco when he was a little puppy so that’s why I am including three puppy photos from shutter stock. Then there are five photos of our Leonberger Bronco between the ages 4-5 months to around one year old. He is bigger in those photos but still not an adult.
Bronco our Leonberger three months old.Bronco our Leonberger three months old.Ten Leonberger puppies. My guess is that they are about two months old. Shutterstock-ID:561107710 by Akbudak Rimma.Leonberger puppy running in the grass. My guess is that he is around two months old. Shutterstock-ID: 629624396 by TOM KAROLA.Two light colored Leonberger puppies playing. My guess is that they are three months old. Shutterstock-ID: 2141564415 by AnetaZabranska.Our German Shepherd Baby is playing with young Bronco. Bronco is perhaps 4-5 months old in this photo. He is getting bigger, but he has not yet filled out and does not have a lot of fur.Bronco less than one years old. He is a Leonberger teenager. He fell asleep on the floor.Young Bronco at the dog park. Our Labrador Baylor is in the background. Bronco does not yet look like an adult Leonberger. He will fill out and get more hair.Bronco is still young, but he is getting close to being an adult. In the photo he just gave me a kiss and he loved to dance on his back legs.Bronco, our Leonberger, is young but not yet an adult, which we can see from his swanky back. Leonberger sometimes have a swanky back before they are done growing. We had a gate to the kitchen to prevent Bronco from raiding the kitchen. The gate lever had a lock on it because he knew how to lift levers with his nose and open gate doors. The hat he is wearing is a pilgrim hat, the kind of hats the pilgrims wore. Well at least that’s what the pilgrims looked like in our children’s books.
It was a rainy day today, but we didn’t just sit here all day. In the morning my wife Claudia and I had a French lesson. It was over zoom. We discussed tourism including tourism to cities. I spoke about my visits to Paris and Aix-En-Provence. Daisy, our Pug sat and slept under the computer desk during the class. Her snoring was audible to the rest of the class. Rollo, our mini-Australian Shepherd is very afraid of the sound that rain makes on the roof and on our skylights, so he was very nervous.
Falling in mud
After the class it was no longer pouring, but it was still raining. However, Rollo still wanted to go for a walk so I took them for a walk. Daisy is old, 15+ years old, and she has a problem walking. Therefore, I put her in our pet stroller and raised the hood of the stroller over her. It was wet and muddy and after walking a quarter mile I slipped badly, feet straight up, and landed on my behind and back in a muddy puddle. Daisy’s stroller fell over but luckily, she did not fall out. I was not so lucky though. I was soaking wet; it was cold and my back and behind was covered in mud. I tried to nudge Rollo to go home, but he insisted on continuing. I was worried about what people who saw me would think but we took a long walk.
My muddy jacket and jeans after the walkWet pup at the doorRollo after the walkDaisy in her stroller
A little video of Rollo by the door.
Behold, the vaccine is killing us all
When I came home, I had a text from one of my Swedish aunts. She thanked me for a Holiday Card I had sent, and that she had just gotten. What’s wrong with the post office? She also warned me about the covid-19 vaccine (Pfizer)s, which she claimed have killed 17 million people and given 567 million people injuries for life. In other words, one in ten people who received the vaccine worldwide was injured for life. I know about people in my circle who died from Covid-19, but I don’t know of anyone who died from the covid-19 vaccine. I don’t even know anyone who was injured by it. How is that statistically possible? In addition, my family doctor, who is an extremely good and caring doctor, recommends it, and thinking about it, so does every doctor I know. Most importantly, there are no reliable sources backing up her claim. Her claim was bunk of course.
So, I told her that her information was false and not to worry. When I was young, I did not want to contradict people, but I’ve come to realize that we are drowning in misinformation, and it is very common that people blindly believe whatever seems to support their preexisting beliefs. Therefore, it is important to contradict misinformation when we know that it is false. It is a public service.
Daisy after an exhausting day of doing nothing.
We don’t pick up dead animals
After doing the laundry I noticed that the city had picked up our recycling, finally. They are supposed to pick it up once a week, but it took them three weeks. Last week I tried to file a report about the missed pick up. I was not able to do that using the city’s cryptic website, and search yielded nothing useful. I know you can file a report because I’ve done it before. Therefore, I started the chat, and I got a chatbot.
The bot: How can I help you?
Me: The recycling has not been picked up and I would like to make a report.
The bot: We don’t pick up dead animals.
End of chat……
So, the chatbot was useless. It seems like they are always useless. I’ve gotten restricted on Facebook several times, for selling beer outside the marketplace and without stating the price, when all I did was write a beer review in a beer review Facebook group. When Facebook still employed people for those tasks I could complain, get the restriction revoked and an apology. Once all that remained were bots that ended.
It was Daisy’s birthday (pug in the middle). Rollo is growling at Oslo sitting at the end of the table. It is an old photo.
After I gave the dogs dinner Rollo came to sit next to me on the sofa. He loves sitting next to me and pushing his back towards my side. It seems very cozy, but there’s a problem. Rollo is very possessive and jealous, and he gets aggressive towards others he thinks may threaten his position. Yesterday, he started showing his teeth and growling at Daisy as he was snuggling with me, and I immediately put him down on the floor. He screamed like a choleric two-year-old as I did that. This is one major reason we are hesitating to get another Leonberger. We don’t know how that would play out with Rollo. We have a behavior problem with Rollo that we need to solve. We also set up another baby jail for Rollo.
Rollo’s Baby JailPhoto from the past. Our Leonberger Bronco is sharing the sofa with Daisy.
Towards the end of the day Rollo and I played with his duck, and then he asked for a belly rub. When Rollo wants a belly rub, he lays down on the floor on his side , a couple of legs up, and then he barks one time and then he waits. If no one comes he loudly barks one time and then he waits. Eventually he gets his belly-rub.
With this post I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year and remind everyone that Fireworks is not appreciated by many dogs. Our Leonberger Bronco did not mind fireworks. Our Labrador Baylor did not mind fireworks and our Pug Daisy does not seem to mind either. However, our Japanese Shin Ryu was terrified of fireworks and so was our German Shepherd Baby. Our mini–Australian Shepherd Rollo is more than terrified of fireworks, and he was traumatized by a rouge bottle rocket that was launched in the middle of the neighborhood against the rules. Kids having fun can do a lot of damage to a puppy.
Fireworks are beautiful but not appreciated by all dogs. Photo by Rakicevic Nenad on Pexels.com