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.
This is a Leonberger blog but sometimes I post about books that I want to promote. This post is a review and a promotion of a very good and important book called “The Winding Road: A Journey of Survival” Paperback – July 30, 2022 by Miriam Hurdle.
Click on the image above to go to the paperback version of her book on Amazon
The paperback version of the Winding Road, which is what I bought, is 148 pages, ISBN 979-8842330812, item weight 9.9 ounces, dimensions 6 x 0.34 x 9 inches. You can buy The Winding Road from Amazon, as a paperback, hardback or e-Book. The paperback version is currently $6.99 on Amazon, and the hardback is $25.28. The Kindle version is $1.99 or free if you are part of Kindle Unlimited.
About the Author
Miriam Hurdle is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She published four children’s books at twenty-six years old. Her poetry collection received the Solo “Medalist Winner” for the New Apple Summer eBook Award and achieved bestseller status on Amazon. She has a Doctorate of Education from the University of La Verne in California.
This book is the gripping story of Miriam Hurdle’s fight to survive an aggressive cancer. She is an accomplished author, and therefore she was able to tell her traumatic story with intelligence, clarity and honesty. The organization of the book, the storytelling, book design, editing, it is all very professional at the same as the story is personal and deeply touching.
During a hysterectomy in the summer of 2008 a mass was discovered, and it turned out to be melanoma. Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer that usually does not appear in internal organs, at least not initially. This made the situation both unusual and quite dangerous. In 2007, melanoma in the female organ had less than 300 cases reported worldwide.
Survival was not the only thing that Miriam had to fight for. There were also insurance issues, her work situation, finances, etc., that weighed heavily on her mind and the minds of her family. Add to that the brutal but necessary treatment. She fought courageously with a lot of resolve, and her family and her community gave her a lot of support. The book makes it clear how important this is in this kind of situation. The people around you can make a big difference making sure you don’t lose hope.
I can add that my mother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, another aggressive cancer, and it was not discovered early. She died at the age of 56. Miriam’s story resonated with me because I recognized a lot of things from her story even though her and my mother’s cancer were not the same. For example, I’ve seen the brutal effects of chemotherapy. What Miriam went though is extremely difficult. I am originally from Sweden, which has national healthcare, so unlike Miriam we were spared from having to deal with insurance issues.
This book is about the power of resilience, courage, hope, community and faith in the face of a cruel disease, which unfortunately many of us will face during our lifetimes. Miriam is a great writer whose genuine and lucid writing could serve as a guide for all of us as we prepare to face unknown traumatic situations. I highly recommend this book to everyone. We should all learn something about the journey before we face it.
The video below from animal watch feature 15 fierce and dangerous dogs including Dogo Argentino, Rottweiler, the pit bull and others. But which dog is the most fierce and dangerous dog? There is a dog that is more fierce and powerful than any lion; the most dangerous dog in the world, the #1 on the list, the lion dog, it is the Leonberger. Yes, if you read some of the posts on this blog you will laugh. The most dangerous dog in the world is the goofy, friendly and happy Leonberger, the big teddy bear that every child loves to hug. There is some truth to it though, Leonbergers are very strong and powerful and will protect you and your home fiercely. Our Leonberger Bronco saved the neighborhood from a peeping Tom terrorizing the neighborhood. This is a long video but to see the segment on Leonbergers fast-forward to 19:38. That’s just one and a half minute.
The fiercest and most powerful dogs in the world. Which one is #1?
Like the video says, if bored they tend to chew on things and they have very powerful jaws among the most powerful jaws in the dog world. We lost our wedding album. My wife was so mad that our Leonberger chose to destroy the wedding album instead of let’s say encyclopedia Britannica.
To be honest though, I think that the most dangerous dog in the world is our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo (see below). Don’t mind the stroller, that’s just to avoid scary snakes and frogs. Wouldn’t you want to avoid scary snakes and frogs? Quacking ducks scare him, but not much else. OK maybe everything else scares him too, but he is still the fiercest dog according to some opinions.
This post is mostly photos of our late Leonberger Bronco and our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo. As you may know Bronco was a remarkable and brave Leonberger who saved the lives of our other dogs on two occasions, rescued run away hamsters, and liberated my wife and the women in our neighborhood from a nightly peeping Tom. Well, he also did a lot of less desirable but funny things. Bronco lived a long life for a Leonberger and was therefore awarded the Grey Muzzle Award and the Leonberger Health Foundation International wanted his DNA.
We got Rollo four years ago. Our little Rollo and Bronco were best buddies. Rollo climbed all over Bronco, bit his tail and even dangled in it like a swing one time. Rollo wanted to play with Bronco all the time and Bronco was very accepting of his rambunctiousness. Unfortunately, Rollo lost his buddy when Bronco passed away. Things have not been the same since then, but Rollo is still thriving. Below are some photos of them two.
Our Leonberger Bronco (Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle) at the age of three months.Our Leonberger Bronco at a young age, jumping up to give me a hug.Bronco is all grown up and sitting in my wife Claudia’s lap.Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo when we picked him up at the breeder. 8 weeks old. The other puppy is an English Bulldog.Rollo is finally home, still a bit scared.Bronco welcoming the new puppy.Bronco and Rollo in the kitchen.RolloRollo wants to play with Bronco.Rollo jumping up and biting Bronco’s tail. Once he even dangled in it like a swing. Luckily Bronco was tolerant.Two of our kids and two of our dogs.The Artist and his Art. Those were my nice shoes.Rollo with a volleyball.Rollo with a soccer ball. Rollo rolls things.Rollo wants a belly rub.Rollo (grown up) wants to play with Bronco.Rollo gives Bronco a kiss.Rollo gives Bronco a kiss.Rollo gives Bronco a kiss.Rollo and Bronco in our backyard.Rollo and Bronco in our backyard. That’s my grill to fly off in a tornado a few months after this photo.Rollo and Bronco lying on the floor in our house. Bronco has a bandage on his foot because he just had a toe amputation because of Squamous Cell Carcinoma.Rollo is overseeing Bronco’s bandage change. Rollo was extremely interested in everything that happened during the bandage change.Rollo on the sofa.St. Bronco in our backyard. He is St. Bronco because he rescued our runaway hamsters, saved our pug Daisy’s life, sniffed out an oncoming insulin shock in our Labrador Baylor, and saved the women in the neighborhood, including my wife, from a nightly peeping Tom.
This blog is primarily about Leonbergers, especially our late Leonberger Bronco, or as his full name was, Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. I also review Leonberger books and sometimes I review books that are not about Leonbergers, books I love and want to promote. This is one of those posts. Today I am reviewing Vampire of The Midnight Sun – January 28, 2023 by Priscilla Bettis. It exists as a Kindle edition with a print length of 55 pages, ASIN B0BS9N5VR1. It is $2.99 on Amazon.
Priscilla Bettis (embedded from Amazon author page)
Even though I am not the traditional vampire aficionado, because of the implausible vampire mythology surrounding vampires, for example, they burn up in sunlight, they turn into bats, all their victims also turn into vampires. It seems silly and evokes questions. I should say I still prefer traditional vampires over zombies. Zombies are boring. However, Priscillas vampire tale is not a traditional vampire story, it is a lot more plausible and modern.
I should say that I have some connection to vampires. That’s because I went to Transylvania with my son and the water polo team, he was part of. Together with another parent, Jim, I was a chaperone. The coach was a native of Transylvania and he decided to make the trip about Dracula, or as his real name was Vlad II Dracul or Vlad II Tepes the Impaler. We visited Dracula’s grave on Snagov island, his birthplace in Sighisoara, the Bran Castle, and the Poienari Castle. I can add that the Bran Castle is the most famous castle and a tourist trap, but there’s no evidence he was ever there. The Poienari Castle on the other hand, was a castle he restored and lived in.
When we visited the Snagov island and the Snagov monastery Dracula’s monk decided to initiate me and my son into Dracula’s covenant. We drank water from Dracula’s well and participated in a ritual and voila, here we are protectors of Dracula. Therefore, I might as well launch into my review of Priscilla’s horror stories.
Two engrossing horror stories that you’ll never forget
Can vampires live under the sun, the midnight sun? Can vampires be blood thirsty but not evil? The first story in Priscilla Bettis “Vampire of the Midnight Sun” story collection certainly implies this and it makes vampires a lot more plausible and interesting than the helpless and evil vampires who are poff-gone under the slightest ray from the sun.
Two friends, Billy and Frasier, are river rafting in Alaska. They end up in the cold river water and have to hike back to safety, wet and without provisions. That’s how a very difficult but interesting hike begins. However, unbeknownst to Frasier, Billy is not a normal mortal. Billy’s special condition turns out to be an advantage to both of them but also the cause of confusion and mounting tension and a gruesome surprise. You don’t need evil for horror, you just need what is otherworldly and bizarre. I found Billy to be quite fascinating and more believable than all the vampires that I’ve come across in other stories. The story was captivating, and the unique narrative was refreshing, and the descriptions of the surrounding beautiful scenery was breathtaking.
“Vampire of the Midnight Sun” also contain a second short story called “the fire witch and the cowboy”. It takes place in an old wild west town called Dusty Bend in Texas during the wildfire season. The town has a secret. There are dark old sins to atone for and as a result there’s wild fire, lots of fire, fire from hell arising from supernatural forces. In the story there are cowards and heroes, witches, ghosts, revenge and death. It is a spellbinding horror story that gave me goosebumps.
I highly recommend this collection of two great horror stories.
Today I and Jacqui Murray the author of Natural Selection, the third and last book in the Dawn of Humanity series – October 18, 2022, will compare our giant dogs Bronco and Ump. Bronco is our late Leonberger about whom I wrote a book, the life and times of Le Bronco, and Ump is the loyal and brave fictional canine in the Dawn of Humanity trilogy. As Jacqui has pointed out, Ump and Bronco are separated by a couple of million years and Ump is more of a wolf than a domesticated dog. Yet they have a lot in common. They were both big, loyal, strong and brave and I can add that Bronco was also accused of being a wolf.
Below are the questions that we both will answer:
Quick one-sentence intro to our friend. Include a picture.
Life with a large dog.
How does Bronco hunt?
How does Bronco show he’s part of his human pack?
A story about loyalty.
To see the three first questions and our answers please visit this link (note if the link does not work in the subscriber email open the actual post).
These are the last two questions and our answers:
#4 how does Bronco show he’s part of his human pack?
Ump: Actually, in Lucy’s story, Dawn of Humanity, Ump sees no difference between the human pack and his proto-wolf one. They were killed so early in his life, he doesn’t remember them, just knows Lucy as his Alpha and pack leader.
Bronco: Leonbergers were bred to be companion dogs as well as working dogs. They love people, they are sensitive to your feelings, they are excellent therapy dogs, and they don’t like it when there’s an argument. Whenever, someone was upset or sad Bronco tried to comfort them by pushing his head into their side and licking their face. He wanted everyone in the family to be together and to be happy. When we went for a walk as a family, he would not accept that one of us was leaving and going a different way. He also liked to sit with us on the sofas, and sleep in our bed, which we only allowed him to do for some time because he took up too much room.
#5 A story about loyalty
Ump: Ump’s kind knows no attitude other than loyalty to his pack. There is no option and he doesn’t want one. His pack is what makes life work. One example that most wouldn’t think of is that Ump often shares his food with Lucy and her tribe. There are times they can’t hunt or forage enough food for their needs, but Ump rarely experiences that. He can always come up with a hare or rat he then happily shares with his hungry packmates.
Bronco: Leonbergers are loyal and protective. Once we were attacked by an unleashed German Shepherd who first went after Daisy our Pug. Bronco who was old at the time stepped in between and, in the process, he got bit in the leg where he had just had surgery. He saved Daisy’s life.
Now I would like to focus on Natural Selection, which is one of the most captivating and fascinating historical fiction books that I’ve ever read.
Summary
In this conclusion to Lucy’s journey, she and her tribe leave their good home to rescue former-tribe members captured by the enemy. Lucy’s tribe includes a mix of species–a Canis, a Homotherium, and different iterations of early man. In this book, more join and some die, but that is the nature of prehistoric life, where survival depends on a combination of our developing intellect and our inexhaustible will to live. Each species brings unique skills to this task. Based on true events.
Set 1.8 million years ago in Africa, Lucy and her tribe struggle against the harsh reality of a world ruled by nature, where predators stalk them and a violent new species of man threatens to destroy their world. Only by changing can they prevail. If you ever wondered how earliest man survived but couldn’t get through the academic discussions, this book is for you. Prepare to see this violent and beautiful world in a way you never imagined.
A perfect book for fans of Jean Auel and the Gears!
Book information:
Title and author: Natural Selection by Jacqui Murray
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice, a columnist for NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics.
The Canis’ packmates were all dead, each crumpled in a smeared puddle of blood, Upright killing sticks embedded where they should never be. His body shook, but he remembered his training. The killers’ scent filled the air. If they saw him—heard him—they would come for him, too, and he must survive. He was the last of his pack.
He padded quietly through the bodies, paused at his mate, broken, eyes open, tongue out, pup under her chest, his head crushed. A moan slipped from his muzzle and spread around him. He swallowed what remained in his mouth. Without a pack, silence was his only protection. He knew to be quiet, but today, now, failed.
To his horror, a departing Upright looked back, face covered in Canis blood, meaty shreds dripping from his mouth, the body of a dead pup slung over his shoulder. The Canis sank into the brittle grass and froze. The Upright scanned the massacre, saw the Canis’ lifeless body, thought him dead like the rest of the decimated pack. Satisfied, he turned away and rushed after his departing tribe. The Canis waited until the Upright was out of sight before cautiously rising and backing away from the onslaught, eyes on the vanished predators in case they changed their minds. And fell.
He had planned to descend into the gully behind him. Sun’s shadows were already covering it in darkness which would hide him for the night, but he had gauged his position wrong. Suddenly, earth disappeared beneath his huge paws. He tried to scrabble to solid ground, but his weight and size worked against him and he tumbled down the steep slope. The loose gravel made gripping impossible, but he dug his claws in anyway, whining once when his shoulder slammed into a rock, and again when his head bounced off a tree stump. Pain tore through his ear as flesh ripped, dangling in shreds as it slapped the ground. He kept his legs as close as possible to his body and head tucked, thankful this hill ended in a flat field, not a river. Or a cliff.
When it finally leveled out, he scrambled to his paws, managed to ignore the white-hot spikes shrieking through his head as he spread his legs wide. Blood wafted across his muzzle. He didn’t realize it was his until the tart globs dripped down his face and plopped to the ground beneath his quaking chest. The injured animal odor, raw flesh and fresh blood, drew predators. In a pack, his mate would purge it by licking the wound. She would pronounce him Ragged-ear, the survivor.
Ragged-ear is a strong name. A good one.
He panted, tail sweeping side to side, and his indomitable spirit re-emerged.
I live.
But no one else in his pack did.
Except, maybe, the female called White-streak. She often traveled alone, even when told not to. If she was away during the raid, she may have escaped. He would find her. Together, they would start over.
Ragged-ear shook, dislodging the grit and twigs from his now-grungy fur. That done, he sniffed out White-streak’s odor, discovered she had also descended here. His injuries forced him to limp and blood dripping from his tattered ear obstructed his sight. He stumbled trying to leap over a crack and fell into the fissure. Fire shot through his shoulder, exploded up his neck and down his chest. Normally, that jump was easy. He clambered up its crumbling far wall, breaking several of his yellowed claws.
All of that he ignored because it didn’t matter to his goal.
Daylight came and went as he followed White-streak, out of a forest onto dry savannah that was nothing like his homeland.
Why did she go here?
He embraced the tenderness that pulsed throughout his usually-limber body. It kept him angry and that made him vicious. He picked his way across streams stepping carefully on smooth stones, their damp surfaces slippery from the recent heavy rain, ignoring whoever hammered with a sharp rock inside his head. His thinking was fuzzy, but he didn’t slow. Survival was more important than comfort, or rest.
Ragged-ear stopped abruptly, nose up, sniffing. What had alerted him? Chest pounding, breathing shallow, he studied the forest that blocked his path, seeking anything that shouldn’t be there.
But the throbbing in his head made him miss Megantereon.
Ragged-ear padded forward, slowly, toward the first tree, leaving only the lightest of trails, the voice of Mother in his head.
Yes, your fur color matches the dry stalks, but the grass sways when you move. That gives away your location so always pay attention.
His hackles stiffened and he snarled, out of instinct, not because he saw Megantereon. Its shadowy hiding place was too dark for Ragged-ear’s still-fuzzy thinking. The She-cat should have waited for Ragged-ear to come closer, but she was hungry, or eager, or some other reason, and sprang. Her distance gave the Canis time to back pedal, protecting his soft underbelly from her attack. Ragged-ear was expert at escaping, but his stomach spasmed and he lurched to a stop with a yowl of pain. Megantereon’s next leap would land her on Ragged-ear, but to the Canis’ surprise, the She-cat staggered to a stop, and then howled.
While she had been stalking Ragged-ear, a giant Snake had been stalking her. When she prepared her death leap, Snake dropped to her back and began to wrap itself around her chest. With massive coils the size of Megantereon’s leg, trying to squirm away did no good.
Ragged-ear tried to run, but his legs buckled. Megantereon didn’t care because she now fought a rival that always won. The She-cat’s wails grew softer and then silent. Ragged-ear tasted her death as he dragged himself into a hole at the base of an old tree, as far as possible from scavengers who would be drawn to the feast.
He awoke with Sun’s light, tried to stand, but his legs again folded. Ragged-ear remained in the hole, eyes closed, curled around himself to protect his vulnerable stomach, his tail tickling his nose, comforting.
He survived the Upright’s assault because they deemed him dead. He would not allow them to be right.
Sun came and went. Ragged-ear consumed anything he could find, even eggs, offal, and long-dead carcasses his pack normally avoided. His legs improved until he could chase rats, fat round ground birds, and moles, a welcome addition to his diet. Sometimes, he vomited what he ate and swallowed it again. The day came he once again set out after what remained of his pack, his pace more sluggish than prior to the attack, but quick enough for safety.
Ragged-ear picked up the female’s scent again and tracked her to another den. He slept there for the night and repeated his hunt the next day and the next.
Everywhere he traveled, when he crossed paths with an Upright, it was their final battle.
In this post I am just posting one video “THE GIANT LEONBERGER – DANGEROUS LION DOG?” from Animal Watch. I think it is a great video. It is 15 minutes long, which is I admit a bit long. However, all you need to do is watch one minute of it, at a random place to get an idea of how Leonbergers look like and how they interact. I did not take any videos of our Leonberger Bronco (that will change with the next Leonberger we get) so for videos I have to rely on the work of others, and I think this video is great (I’ve got plenty of photos though).
I think this video is bypassing the usual myths about Leonbergers and it is being more honest about the history of Leonbergers than most books and websites I’ve come across, so I like it. Yes, even Wikipedia is getting Leonberger history wrong. First, the creator of the Leonbergers breed, Heinrich Essig, was a politician, a councilman of the town of Leonberg, but never the mayor, as claimed by the majority of Leonberger books and Leonberger websites. This is confirmed by this video. The legend says that Heinrich Essig created the Leonberger to resemble to lion in the town of Leonberg’s coat of arms, which essentially means that Germans were pretty bad at drawing lions back then. Maybe Germans know how to draw lions now a day.
A lot of books state that the average lifespan of Leonbergers is 6-8 years, I stated 8-10 years in my book because their health had improved due to research by the (Leonberger Health Foundation International). A few other books also state 8-10 years, like mine. This video stated 10-12 years. It is the first time I hear that number, but it is believable because LHFI is doing their job. I should say that all royalties from my book goes to the Leonberger Health Foundation International. I can also add that work of the Leonberger Health Foundation International benefit not only Leonbergers but also other giant breeds as well as humans who are at risk for cancers that are very rare in humans but common in giant breed dogs such as, Hemangiosarcoma. However, it makes me wonder what will happen to the Grey Muzzle Award in the future. So if you buy my book you help Leonbergers, giant dog breeds, and people unlucky enough to get certain rare cancers common in some dogs.
The video stated that 22 breeding Leonbergers survived World War II and with respect to World War II I said that “that the Leonberger has twenty-two founder animals, or animal ancestors unrelated to one another (ten males and twelve females).” Both this video and my book thus disputed the very common claim that only 8 Leonbergers survived World War II (~80-90% of the books). So the agreement between the video and my book was very high despite the larger lifespan claim in this video.
Another item is that Heinrich Essig claimed to have used St. Bernards, Newfoundland dogs and Pyrenees dogs to create the breed. This is typically translated into, Heinrich Essig used St. Bernards and Newfoundland dogs to create the breed, or Heinrich Essig used St. Bernards, Newfoundland dogs and Great Pyrenees dogs to create the breed. I pointed out that Pyrenees dogs were probably not Great Pyrenees dogs but another breed called Pyrenee Mastiffs, that no longer exists. I also pointed out that Heinrich Essig did not keep a record and therefore we don’t know if what he said was even true. This video brings to out attention that Essig (without stating so) might have used the local farm dogs in his breeding, dogs which would have been the ancestors of the German Shepherd. That later part was news to me, and something that was never suggested in any of the 20+ Leonberger books that I’ve read. However, it makes sense. Leonbergers have some German Shepherd traits and our German Shepherd, we called her Baby, thought our Leonberger Bronco was her puppy, and raised him, and protected him with her life.
My book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger” feature 58 photos and 16 illustrations, all in color. The illustrations were made by Naomi Rosenblatt. Some of the stories in my book I think are funny, exciting, or touching but like it is for most people, the best moments you don’t record with photos or video. You miss them. Some of the stories in my book I believe would have gone viral if they had been recorded, but they weren’t, and that’s why I needed someone who knew how to create an illustration of the events (without charging too much). I don’t know how to draw so I couldn’t do it. I think she did a good job.
This is my 100th post since I started my Leoberger blog back in March 2022. I think showing the 16 illustrations made by Naomi Rosenblatt is a good 100th post. I also included links to stories related to the illustrations of the event if I’ve made a blog post about it, usually in the form of an excerpt from my book. To read the stories related to the illustrations that does not have a link, you’ll have to get my book. Anyway, I’ll hope you will enjoy the illustrations below.
My wife was harassed by a peeping Tom at night. In fact, he was harassing women all over the neighborhood. I hired private detectives to catch him but to no avail. Can you guess who solved the problem? To read about it click here or here.
Peeping Tom by our bedroom windowBronco saving the neighborhood.Oops! What happens when a Leonberger doesn’t listen to you? See the book for the story.
Leonbergers have an excellent sense of smell. Our Leonberger Bronco sniffed out and found our run away hamsters on a number of occasions. He had a hamster search and rescue operation going, On one occasion his special superpower became somewhat embarrassing. Please don’t tell anyone. The victims still don’t know what happened. Click here or here to find out what happened.
Don’t worry he didn’t eat the hamsters. He most likely saved them.Wouldn’t you be somewhat distressed if a big dog put you in his mouth? Hamster CPR was needed but the hamsters were just fine. Again, please don’t tell the owners of the hamsters.
Bronco’s attack on the laptop made the Best Buy Geek Squad technicians’ day. It was something e had never seen before. You shouldn’t ignore your dog while playing computers games, it’s upsetting and what if he crushes or eats your computer. To read about it click here.
That’s the best story I’ve ever heard. With a good story the warranty will always apply. Remember that!
I can’t believe Bronco did this to me. Pushing our German Shepherd into the storm drain while barking and acting like crazy because he saw a dog across the street. The man lifted up his dog and fled down the street and left me with a mess. To read this crazy story click here.
Our German Shepherd Baby in the storm drain. Me trying to handle the situation. After this Baby decided that I had to walk her separately from Bronco. She loved Bronco very much, but I guess she had some misgivings after this event.Rabbits are fun to chase, aren’t they? Some people think watching such games is hilarious.Our Labrador left us tragically and unexpectantly. Evidence that we humans our cruel.Sometimes not thinking things through is cruel. Watch your emotions. We could have done better for our brave German Shepherd Baby.Sometimes Bronco gave you a reason to run as fast as you could.One time Bronco had to wear a full leg cast that could not be bumped. Well, he turned into a cast wearing monster chasing people and dogs around the neighborhood. Never mind not bumping the cast.Run for your life, yes run for your life dear. On the rare occasions that Bronco was not well behaved it was better to flee.Our smart little angel was unlucky with cancer and I was not there for him.Bronco lived a very long life for a Leonberger. Giant breeds don’t live long. The Leonberger Health Foundation International is trying to fix that. Bronco’s longevity is an inspiration for all Leonbergers and giant breeds around the world. Hopefully his DNA sample will be of some help.The paw prints that dogs leave in your heart are eternal.
Our Leonberger Bronco (Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle) grew up with several dogs, one of them being our Pug Daisy, which we still have. Bronco and Daisy were good friends and on one occasion Bronco saved Daisy from an attacking lose German Shepherd. We’ve owned a very well-behaved German Shepherd, they are good dogs, but this particular one wasn’t.
Bronco stepped in between the German Shepherd and Daisy and got bitten in the leg in the process. Leonbergers are about double as strong as German Shepherds and almost double as massive and they have more powerful jaws. However, Bronco was old and had just had surgery in the leg in which he was bit, so it was certainly a sacrifice on his part. I was mad and I ran after the German Shepherd and tried kicking him and between mine and Bronco’s efforts he ran off. I cursed at the owner of the German Shepherd for letting him run lose in a public space. Maybe I shouldn’t have, but in the end Daisy our innocent sweet Pug was alive. What a day that was. Anyway, in this post I am showing a few photos I took of Bronco and Daisy.
Daisy (Pug) and Bronco (Leonberger)Bronco raided a gingerbread house, but he is sharing with Daisy.Daisy and Bronco in the backyard
Above Daisy and Bronco on our large wide leather sofa.
Daisy’s birthday
Finally, I also would like to highlight the Dawn of Humanity series written by Jacqui Murray once again. I loved this series and I highly recommend it. Below I am posting some information about the Dawn of Humanity series.
Our Leonberger Bronco (Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle) had an issue with recurring squamous cell carcinoma in his toes requiring surgery. Each time Bronco had toe surgery, he needed to wear a so-called cone of shame to prevent him from licking the site of the amputation. In the beginning, we used a standard hard plastic see-through cone. They are very practical and work well, but they don’t seem comfortable. Then we tried a Comfy Cone and a pillow cone. A Comfy Cone is shaped like a standard cone of shame, but it’s made of a soft material that’s comfortable to lean your head on. A pillow cone is an inflatable ring-shaped pillow that you put around a dog’s neck. In terms of comfort, this was probably the best solution. But in Bronco’s case, it wasn’t practical. He was just too big, and he could reach around even the largest size available. For him the best solution was the Comfy Cone.
The Comfy Cone came in the extra-large size that Bronco needed. However, the large size of the cone came with its own issues. As Bronco walked around the house his very large Comfy Cone was swinging back and forth knocking things over. Another problem was that the big swinging cone scared the living day lights out of our mini-Australian Shepherd. To him Bronco probably looked like a Dilophosaurus or Triceratops with a giant frill. However, they loved each other. See Rollo lick Bronco’s face in the picture below.
When Bronco wore his Comfy Cone, he sometimes accidentally cleared the coffee table as he walked by.
Bronco was getting old, and he was having issues with his toes, and I believe that is why he also became a bit clingy. He often followed me around the house, and he did not want to be alone. When I went to the bathroom, I closed the door on him, and he waited for me outside the bathroom. I took the photo below after opening the bathroom door and he just barged in, cone and all.
Bronco barging into the bathroom with cone and all after I opened the bathroom door.Our mini-Australian Shepherd licking Bronco’s face. They loved each other.
Finally, in this post I also would like to highlight the Dawn of Humanity series written by Jacqui Murray. This captivating series is about the adventures of a group of pre-historic humans who live 1.8 million years. The books also include a pre-historic canine called Ump. He is affectionate, loyal, brave, and big, just like our Bronco was, which was another endearing aspect of these books. I highly recommend this series. Below I am posting some information about the series.
In this post I am stating and correcting ten Leonberger myths that I’ve seen on various websites and in various Leonberger books. Websites featuring incorrect information include Wikipedia. It is always good to remember that googling is not research and that a lot of information on the internet is wrong. In the list below I avoid stating the myth and then correcting it. Instead, I am trying to implicate the myth as a myth from the start or begin the sentence with the truth. The reason for doing this is psychological. Research has shown that if you state something false and then correct it, people tend to remember the first thing they saw, which was the myth, instead of the truth.
This embedded old historic photo of a Leonberger is from the AKC website.
To correct many of the myths regarding Leonberger history I am referring to the book Leonberger by Caroline Bliss-Isberg. If I am not specifically stating the source in a listed item it is from her book. Caroline Bliss-Isberg is a recipient of the Heinrich Essig Award and the Leo Heart Award and a very prominent leader in the Leonberger community. With the help of other prominent leaders of the Leonberger community as well as expert researchers she attained documents, illustrations and photos never before published and from it she created the most extensive (several hundred pages) and accurate account of Leonberger history.
Leonberger, by Caroline Bliss-Isberg. Click on the image to go to my review of Leonberger.
If you want to spay or neuter your Leonberger it is best to wait two years, so do NOT spay or neuter a Leonberger at six months as some erroneously state. The neuter at six months claim is not very common, so it is perhaps not a real myth in that sense. However, I’ve seen it in some books and there are some organizations that insist on spaying./neutering even giant breeds. To learn about the reasons and the research behind the two years wait for Leonbergers click here.
Heinrich Essig was NOT the mayor of the city of Leonberg. Heinrich Essig was a prominent citizen of the town, and he was a successful businessman, farmer, innkeeper, horse and dog trader, large-dog enthusiast, dog breeder, and town councilman, but he was never the mayor of Leonberg. About half the Leonberger websites and books that I’ve come across get this wrong and the other ones get it right. However, it is the research by Caroline Bliss-Isberg that sets this straight as can be seen on page 20 of her book.
More than two dogs were used for creating the Leonberger. It was not just a St. Bernard and a Newfoundland dog as a few Leonberger books I’ve come across erroneously claim. See next list item for more information.
It is not entirely true that the following three dogs were used to create the Leonberger; the St. Bernard, the Newfoundland dog and the Great Pyrenée dog. This is a common claim based on the Essig’s claim that he bred the Leonberger from long haired St. Bernards, the Newfoundland dog and the grey-yellow wolfhound from the Spanish Pyrenees. However, the Pyrenean wolfhound is not likely to be what we call a Great Pyrenée dog. Moreover, these dogs did not look like they do today and there was a lot of breeding back and forth going on and Essig did not keep records. Therefore, the story is likely to be a lot more complicated. The bigger story is explained on the pages 23, 41, 45, 48-49 Caroline Bliss-Isberg’s book but it is also more briefly explained in my Leonberger History page on this website.
There were definitely more than five Leonbergers alive after World War One despite several Leonberger books and websites erroneously claiming only five survived. I should say that many of the more reliable websites get this right. It is true that World War I was tough on the breed. It didn’t help that Leonbergers were used to pull ammunition carts and cannons. However, more than five Leonbergers survived the war. After the war, Karl Stadelmann and Otto Josenhans, worked hard to save the breed, and they were able to find twenty-five Leonbergers whose owners were willing to cooperate in reestablishing the breed. Of these, only five were suitable for breeding. That is still a pretty significant genetic bottleneck.
There is a common erroneous claim associated with World War II as well, stating that only eight Leonbergers survived World War II. There was indeed a “genetic bottleneck” of Leonbergers in the 1940s. This was largely because people repeatedly bred the dogs they thought were the best specimens in a misguided attempt to improve the breed. Scientific pedigree analyses demonstrate that the Leonberger has twenty-two founder animals, or animal ancestors unrelated to one another (ten males and twelve females). Again, that is a little bit different from “only 8 survived”.
Another World War II myth is that Leonbergers were used for pulling ammunition carts in World War II just as in World War I but there is no proof of that.
Another incorrect claim that I’ve seen on websites and some books is that the Leonberger dog first appeared in North America in the 1970’s. As Caroline Bliss-Isberg describes in her book in several places, Leonbergers were introduced in the United States and Canada on several occasions during the 19th century and at the beginning of the the 20th century. However, it was typically just a few Leonbergers and the population was not maintained. It was not until the 1970’s that Leonbergers a permanent population was established in North America.
The lifespan of a Leonberger is on average 8-10 years not 6-8 years or 7 years, which is old data still reported by some websites. The Leonberg Health Foundation International have been successful in eradication several detrimental genes in the Leonberger breed. I should say the reliable websites typically have this information correct.
I’ve come across a few Leonberger books which grossly understate the size and weight of Leonbergers, for example, claiming that a male Leonberger weigh between 45 and 60 pounds. The weight of a male Leonberger is 120 to 170 pounds. Luckily the vast majority of books and websites get this information correct.
Leonberger Life 