Dog ancestry – Leonberger Life

There is a World Wide Independent Leonberger Database (WILD) which features more than 166,000 Leonbergers. That is a lot considering that there are 30,000 Leonbergers in the world and if you go back in time there were many fewer. In fact, genetic research has shown that there are only 22 founder animals (the ancestors of all living Leonbergers) who lived soon after the Second World War. By selecting the search item from the menu and then typing in the name of your Leonberger you can most likely find your dog in the database. If your Leonberger’s entry does not have a photo you can email them a photo, which I did.

Home page for Cthe World Wide Independent Leonberger Database (WILD). It's blue with 12 menus. It is in three languages, Dutch, French and English. — Click on the image to visit the World Wide Independent Leonberger Database (WILD).

Another update I requested and had approved was an update to Bronco’s name. We wanted to name our Leonberger Bronco. It was our son’s choice. However, the Leonberger community and breeders have rules about how to name your dog. My wife Claudia was told that Bronco would not work because the litter Bronco was part of needed to have names beginning with an ‘L’. You can see the full sibling screenshot below. So, Claudia said “Let’s do Le Bronco”. Imagine our surprise when his birth certificate stated that his name was “Lets Do Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”. Well, “Lets Do Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle” begins with an ‘L’. His birth certificate name including the unexpected preamble “Lets Do” made its way into the database. Fortunately, the World Wide Independent Leonberger Database recently updated his full name to “Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle” upon my request.

The is the old data base entry for Bronco has his name miss spelled as "Lets Do Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle" — This is the old data base entry for Bronco. Lets Do Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle.

This is a screenshot for the corrected data base entry for Bronco. The nameis correct "Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle". There is also registration number, birthdate, birthplace, and health related information. — This is the corrected data base entry for Bronco. Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. Click on the picture to visit Bronco’s database entry.

I should explain that the database entries feature not only name, birthdate and birthplace, kennel, etc. It also contains health related information including important tests, genetic defects and inbreeding coefficients (COI). Note that Bronco lived in Dallas, Texas, but he was born at Kennel Löwenhöhle outside Vancouver, Canada.

Right below Bronco's entry is his father and mother's name and a list of his full siblings (litter).
Sire: Priamos von Dreiburgenland
Dam: Justus Aria von Drevas
Full siblings: Little Jonah von der Löwenhöhle, Love Ryan von der Löwenhöhle, LRV's Moose von der Löwenhöhle, Lakeisha Makita von der Löwenhöhle. Note, the database uses von der Lowenhohle instead of von der Löwenhöhle. — Bronco’s four full siblings (same litter). You don’t call it twins for dogs but that’s what they were. Notice that all their names start with an ‘L’.

The database entry for Bronco’s father Priamos von Dreiburgenland includes a photo. He had 54 offspring. — The database entry for Bronco’s father.

The database entry for Bronco’s mother Justus Aria von Drevas includes a photo. She had 35 pups. — The database entry for Bronco’s mother.

The database entry for Bronco’s grandfather Aquino-Zep Lowe von Vogtland included a photo. He had 201 offspring. — The database entry for Bronco’s grandfather. Notice that he had 201 offspring. This was a kennel in Germany.

I followed Bronco’s ancestors back on his father’s side 22 generations. The last one with a photo was 17 generations back, born in 1922. However, ancestry is not a straight line along the father’s and the grandfather’s line. It is an ever-growing ancestry tree involving 2, then 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, etc., ancestors, so Bronco has many ancestors with photos.

The entry for Bronco's great grandfather 17 generations back included a photo. He had 44 offspring and he was born in 1922. — This is Bronco’s great great great father etc., 17 generations back. Leo von der Sagamuhle. He was born February 20th 1922.

There is a big Leonberger in the middle of the photo and behind is his handler a man with a moustache and a hat. — Close up of Leo von der Sagamuhle, Bronco’s straight back ancestor on his father’s side, 17 generations (great great …. grandfather).

A screenshot of a database entry with a photo of a female Leonberger. — Alma von der Niederhaid, a female ancestor on Bronco’s mother’s side from 1957.

A screenshot of a database entry with a photo of a male Leonberger anno 1927. — Leo von Hailtingen born in 1927, another of Bronco’s ancestors.

A screenshot of a database entry with a photo of a male Leonberger anno 1904. — Pasha von der Haardt born 1904, the farthest back Bronco ancestor I found that had a photo.

What about you? Do you know your dog’s or cat’s ancestry tree? How about photos, illnesses, and inbreeding coefficients? How about your own lineage?