Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle – Page 9

My Leonberger Blog Goals for 2023

I launched this Leonberger dog blog in March of 2022. The purpose of the blog was to promote my upcoming book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, stories and tips from thirteen years with a Leonberger” and to spread the word about Leonbergers, a rare but very special breed of dog. They are very large, friendly, unafraid but sensitive and loving, protective and strong, energetic and funny, especially when they are young.

Photo of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle at three months old. — Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle at three months old.

In addition, Bronco was a very special Leonberger. Purebred Leonbergers typically live 8-10 years, but Bronco lived almost 13 years. He was two weeks short of 13 when he died from heart failure. Therefore, he received an award for longevity from the Leonberger Health Foundation International and we donated his DNA for research. I can add that I donate all royalties from sales of my book to the Leonberger Health Foundation International. It is a great organization that has improved the health of Leonbergers and other giant dog breeds substantially.

Image showing Bronco’s Grey Muzzle Award presented by the Leonberger Health Foundation International. He received this award because he lived longer than 12 years. — Bronco’s Grey Muzzle Award presented by the Leonberger Health Foundation International. He received this award because he lived longer than 12 years.

My on-line friend Alex Diaz-Granados, who is an experienced blogger (see “A certain point of view”) helped me get started. He suggested that I use wordpress.com, and here we are. I can add that Alex and I have been on-line friends for a long time. It started with epinions.com, a review site that paid reviewers for writing reviews. I joined epinions.com in 2008. He had joined a few years before that. I focused on software, travel, books, computer hardware and electronics. He focused on books, film, travel, and I think on-line stores and a few more topics. He can fill me in. I can add that sometimes epinions.com paid pretty well, so after a while it became more than a hobby for me. It became a source of supplementary income. I joined twitter and Facebook in 2010 and he was already there, and we both eventually joined Instagram. Unfortunately, epinions.com went belly up in 2014.

In March of 2022 I invited friends and Facebook friends to visit and follow my blog if they wished to do so, and many did. I had some traffic and comments in the beginning but then it died down, and it didn’t seem like search engines picked up my blog. In July of 2022 I released my book in honor of Bronco’s birthday on July 3^rd. In the beginning I sold many books, well for a Leonberger book anyway, and I also had more visitors to my blog, but after a while the activity on my blog as well as book sales died down.

Alex suggested that I visit, comment and like the posts of other bloggers and in August I started doing that using Alex’ blog as a starting point and now I was getting more visitors and a lot more comments and likes, and search engines started to pick up my blog a lot more. Lately I even had a couple of posts go sort of viral with thousands of visitors in a couple of days. Those unknown visitors tend not to leave comments (or likes) but other wordpress bloggers do. That was not the best part though. The best part was meeting other bloggers and authors on-line, reading their blogs, reading their books, typically great books. This was fun. Blog visits and book sales became secondary. Blogging is now a hobby.

Photo of Bronco in my wife Claudia’s lap. — Bronco in my wife Claudia’s lap.

Photo of Bronco a few weeks after his first heart failure heading towards the end of his life. — Bronco a few weeks after his first heart failure heading towards the end of his life.

So, what are my goals for my Leonberger blog in 2023?

Continue my Leonberger blog and keep promoting my book on the blog for at least six more months.
Virtual Book Blast For Natural Selection with Jacqui Murray on February 13 2023.
I still have a lot to learn more about wordpress.com. I don’t know how to do inline images, I don’t know how to store images for later use, I don’t know how to make those little icons, hearts and clover, etc., that people put in comments, I only know the basics of the 20/20 template, I don’t know other templates. I have a wordpress book that I am planning to read. I need to learn more.
I will read more books by authors I know online. Knowing an author and reading their book(s) is a completely different feeling compared to reading someone you’ve never talked to (I have a long TBR list).
Post 20-30 book reviews on my blog. I don’t post all my book reviews on my blog. Most of my book reviews are only for Amazon (or Goodreads). On my blog I just post reviews for Leonberger books and reviews for books by fellow bloggers that I love and want to promote.
I want to start a second blog that is about facts and insights that could have a high impact on someone’s worldview and yet may not be well known, understood, believed or are controversial, yet are fully backed by the expertise in that field. As someone who have studied modern physics, loves gapminder, and have read a ton of books on all kinds of topics, I’ve come across quite a few, and I have radically changed my view of the world several times. However, I am hoping for good suggestions from visitors so I can expand the collection. I can be in charge of the fact checking, at least to begin with.

Image showing the Leonberger breed standard from the Féderation Cynologique Internationale. — In case you are interested. This is an overview of the Leonberger breed standard from the Féderation Cynologique Internationale.

I wish you all a Happy New Year and a Great 2023!

She and The Wolf

This blog is primarily about Leonbergers, especially our late Leonberger Bronco, or Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, which was his full name. I also review Leonberger books and sometimes I promote books that I love and this post is one of those. This time I am reviewing She & The Wolf: A Flash Fiction Collection Paperback – August 19, 2018 by Sara Kjeldsen. This paperback is 46 pages, ISBN 978-1719801263, item weight 2.88 ounces, dimensions 6 x 0.12 x 9 inches. You can buy it from Amazon, as a paperback or e-Book. The paperback version is currently $9.99 on Amazon. The Kindle version is $3.99 or free if you are part of Kindle Unlimited.

This book is a fascinating collection of historical fiction and fantasy short stories. I wrote a review on Amazon, which can be found here (Beautiful Stories That Will Stay With You), as well as on my social media.

This is a photo of the front cover of the book She & The Wolf by Sara Kljeldsen. Click on the image to go to the Amazon location for She & The Wolf. — Front cover of the book She & The Wolf by Sara Kljeldsen. Click on the image to go to the Amazon location for She & The Wolf.

Below I am posting my Amazon review for She & The Wolf a flash fiction collection.

Beautiful Stories That Will Stay With You

This book is a collection of 15 short stories mostly about women but also men living during dramatic times in the past, or more recently, as well as people and creatures living in imaginary worlds. The American Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars are examples of historic settings in the book. She & the Wolf, the last story, is an example of an imaginary setting. The focus of the stories isn’t so much the time or the location, or even the events. The stories are about the emotions of the characters living through complicated and extreme experiences. The emotions are often dark, there’s depression, hostility, loss, tragedy, and death, but also hope, compassion and reconciliation (Pacific Ocean, 1814).

The stories are intriguing, poetic and above all beautiful. The characters are fascinating, and they are quite relatable despite their extreme situations. You really feel for them and with them. It’s a book that leaves you with feelings and thoughts about our existence. I highly recommend this unique collection of short stories.

Photo of the back cover of the book She and The Wolf by Sara Kjeldsen. — Back cover of the book She and The Wolf by Sara Kjeldsen.

The Many Faces of Natural Selection, Big Dogs and Humans

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 here as well as books that I love and want to promote. This time I am reviewing Natural Selection, the third and last book in the Dawn of Humanity series – October 18, 2022, by Jacqui Murray. This paperback is 283 pages, 978-1942101628, item weight 1.09 pounds, dimensions 6 x 0.64 x 9 inches. You can buy it from Amazon, as a paperback or e-Book. The paperback version is currently $15.99 on Amazon. The Kindle version is $4.99 or free if you are part of Kindle Unlimited.

This book is truly great historical fiction, and it features a pre-historic canine called Ump who reminds me of our late Leonberger Bronco. So, I feel there is a special connection. Reading this book was a great joy. I wrote a review on Amazon, which can be found here (The Many Faces of Natural Selection), as well as on my social media.

Photo of the Front cover of the book Natural Selection, book 3 in the dawn of humanity trilogy by Jacqui Murray. Click on the image to go to the Amazon location for Natural Selection. — Front cover of the book Natural Selection, book 3 in the dawn of humanity trilogy by Jacqui Murray. Click on the image to go to the Amazon location for Natural Selection.

Below I am posting my Amazon review for Natural Selection.

The Many Faces of Natural Selection

The survival of the fittest is an important theme in this book. Keen senses, intelligence, strength, speed, cooperation, and health all help you survive, but as the sixth paragraph on page 240 clearly shows, so does empathy. Read what Vex says. Empathy and caring for others, is not a weakness, even in brutal and treacherous times. It encourages loyalty and cooperation that in turn create strong groups. Strong groups have a better chance of surviving and that is natural selection. Natural selection seems to be a cold and cruel process, and maybe it is, but it created humans with compassion and the ability to empathize and care for others.

The main character is a pre-historic homo habilis woman who lived 1.8 million years ago. She is brave, a great hunter, a healer (using various herbs), and she cares about others. She is the wonder woman of the early Paleolithic age. The premise of the story is that Lucy’s group of homo habilis is enslaved by a cruel but strong group of Homo Erectus, the man-who-preys. Lucy and a few others are able to flee and so begins their long and perilous journey through Africa. Along the way Lucy assembles a very diverse group around herself. However, it turns out that even though diversity can create challenges, especially with respect to communication, it also creates strength.

Other important characters include Xha, an initially cruel Homo Erectus leader whose character develop in interesting ways, and Ump, Lucy’s canine companion. Ump is a large pre-historic canine who is friendly, brave, and very protective of his group. Ump is able to communicate with the hominids using body language in a manner that is similar to how dogs do it today. Ump reminded me of my late Leonberger dog. He was smart, strong, had a keen sense of smell and hearing, he was fierce, yet compassionate, and loving and above all very protective. He saved the members of the group on several occasions, just like our Leonberger protected us and his fellow dogs on a number of occasions.

This book, like the previous two in the series, is filled with action-packed adventure and interesting subplots. You never know what is going to happen next and you have to find out. In other words, it is a real page turner. Without giving anything else away I can say that the book ends on a quite satisfying note but with some twists and turns that you may not expect.

I loved this book, just like I loved the previous two books in the series. It is enjoyable, fun, action packed, the stories are creative and fascinating, and the book is very well written. It is possible to read this book on its own, but I recommend reading the other two books first. Reading the entire series will give you a more complete sense of why the plots are evolving the way they do. I highly recommend this book as well as the whole series.

Photo of the back cover of the book Natural Selection, book 3 in the dawn of humanity trilogy by Jacqui Murray — Back cover of the book Natural Selection, book 3 in the dawn of humanity trilogy by Jacqui Murray

The Leonberger Is a Rare Breed

The worldwide dog population is estimated to be 900 million, including 471 million dogs kept as pets, 200 million stray dogs. There are also village dogs, federal dogs and there are many millions of wild dogs such as wolves, coyotes, jackals, dholes, foxes (35 species). In the United States, 65.1 million households own at least one dog. There are at least 3 million Labradors around the world. The AKC currently recognizes 197 dog breeds. A close cousin of the Leonberger, the St. Bernard comes it as the 53rd most popular breed in the United States whilst the Leonberger comes in at place 102. This is a link featuring additional statistics.

Below is an excerpt from my book

According to an estimate prepared by BioMed Central, there were around 30,000 Leonbergers in the world in 2020. See Anna Letko et al., “Genomic Diversity and Population Structure of the Leonberger Dog Breed,” Genetics Selection Evolution 52, no. 61 (October 2020)

There are around 3,300 Leonbergers in North America, 2,300 in the United States and 1,000 in Canada. The five countries with the most Leonbergers, in order, are France, with nearly 8,000; Germany, with more than 4,000; and Great Britain, the United States, and Sweden, with approximately 2,300 each. The country with the highest number of Leonbergers per capita is Finland, with nearly 2,000 Leonbergers among a population of 5.5 million people. (Information from the October 2018 LeoLetter).

In summary, the Leonberger is a rare breed. However, a few times in history the Leonberger was not just a rare breed but close to extinction.

Photo of a Leonberger pulling a cart with guns and ammunition — Leonberger pulling a cart with guns and ammunition

World War I was tough on the breed. Some Leonbergers were used to pull ammunition carts and small cannons during the conflict, and others were left to wander unattended. Often, these dogs starved to death. But after the war, two Leonberg businessmen, Karl Stadelmann and Otto Josenhans, worked hard to save the breed. They scoured the countryside looking for Leonbergers who were still alive. They were able to find twenty-five of them whose owners were willing to cooperate in reestablishing the breed. Of these, only five were suitable for breeding. None of the Leonberger clubs had survived, so they founded a new one in 1922 called Deutsche Club für Leonberger Hunde (DCLH), and Stadelmann created an updated version of Albert Kull’s breed standard.

I’ve read that World War II was even more devastating to the breed. Supposedly there were only eight Leonbergers left in the world after the end of the war, and all Leonbergers today are descendants of those eight surviving Leonbergers. That’s once again a fascinating and simple story that’s easy to remember and spread, but the truth is rarely simple.

The Leonberger, like so many other dog breeds, was devastated by World War II—kennels were destroyed; dogs were left unattended or used for food—but Leonbergers weren’t used in the war effort itself, and there were more than eight left afterward. However, there was indeed a “genetic bottleneck” of Leonbergers in the 1940s, meaning that the population was greatly reduced in size, limiting the genetic diversity of the species. This was largely because people repeatedly bred the dogs they thought were the best specimens in a misguided attempt to improve the breed. Of course, for breed (and species) health, you need diversity. Scientific pedigree analyses demonstrate that the Leonberger has twenty-two founder animals, or animal ancestors unrelated to one another (ten males and twelve females).

Photo of our Leonberger Bronco at 3 months old, in black and white — Our Bronco at 3 months old, in black and white

Photo of Leonberger in a snow covered forest — Leonberger in snow (purchased from shutterstock ID:705193912 by Anna Krivitskaya.)

Good News Regarding Cancer for Leonbergers and Other Dogs

Cancer is the most common killer of purebred dogs: in fact, nearly half of them die from some form of cancer. Overall, the most common form is skin cancer. In Leonbergers, bone cancer and hemangiosarcoma are the most common forms. As in humans, early detection can save or extend the life of your dog. Warning signs of cancer include:

weight loss,
bleeding or discharge from a body cavity,
bumps or lumps that keep growing,
persistent stiffness or lameness,
breathing difficulties,
bad breath or bodily odors,
difficulty with defecation or urination,
difficulty with eating or swallowing,
lesions that won’t heal,
sores that recur or won’t heal, and
loss of appetite

Naturally, not every one of these signs and symptoms is applicable to all types of cancer. The only sign of Bronco’s squamous cell carcinoma was a lesion that wouldn’t heal.

Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is an aggressive cancer of the blood vessels. It often appears as a mass in the spleen, liver, or heart but can also be found elsewhere. It is challenging to diagnose and equally difficult to treat. It is most common in golden retrievers, German shepherds, and Labrador retrievers but can occur in Leonbergers as well. In addition to genetic factors, certain toxins are associated with this cancer. Fortunately, there is a promising blood test (called the Shine On Study, or SOS) that identifies features of rare cells linked to this cancer and a novel drug therapy called eBAT (EGF bispecific ligand targeted angiotoxin). Both SOS and eBAT are still in the clinical-study phase at the time of this writing, but they offer hope for early detection and treatment.

Illustration showing Bronco our Leonberger running with a full leg cast. He just had a toe amputation. — Bronco’s cancer problem was Squamous cell carcinoma which luckily is not an aggressive cancer, but he needed toe amputations. He got this cancer once a year starting at the age of eight.

Photo of Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd helping us change our Leonberger Bronco’s bandage after he had a toe amputation. — Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd is helping us change Bronco’s bandage after he had a toe amputation.

Below is another piece of good news regarding cancer in dogs that a friend of ours alerted us to. I don’t know if it is related to the SOS study mentioned above. You can watch the video by clicking here.

Todays Dog Stroller Mishap

I don’t think there are any pet strollers that could accommodate a grown Leonberger, but there are certainly pet strollers that accommodate pugs and mini-Australian shepherds. We bought a stroller, for our old pug Daisy. She’s got arthritis and in addition she easily get tired. Our mini-Australian shepherd Rollo frequently wants to sit in the stroller too but not because he is tired, its because he heard a strange sound and feels safer in the stroller.

Left: Wolf who is not sitting in a stroller. Right: Rollo sitting in Daisy’s stroller. The photo contains text.

Text on the left: Canis Lupus, the grey wolf is a fearsome and courageous hunter in nature.

Text on the right: Canis Lupus familiaris, the dog, a close relative to the grey wolf, is sometimes less brave. This specimen prefers to sit in a stroller when he hears strange sounds. — Left: Wolf who is not sitting in a stroller. Right: Rollo sitting in Daisy’s stroller.

This morning our stroller broke. The front wheel suddenly caved, and the stroller took a nosedive with Daisy in it. Daisy slid from the back of the stroller to the front but luckily, she did not fall out. She was fine. Rollo, who was watching the misadventure, was not fine. Seeing the stroller capsizing with Daisy in it really scared him and he let out a scream, eeeeek!

Photo of a pug (Daisy) in a pet stroller — Daisy in her stroller at a time when the stroller was in better shape

I left the broken stroller on the sidewalk and walked home with the dogs, carrying Daisy part of the way. After I dropped off the dogs, I took my car and returned to where I left the stroller to pick it up. However, it was gone. Who would steal a broken stroller? I had been gone for maybe 15 minutes. I had also left a bag of dog feces in the stroller basket. I always pick up after my dogs. So, I don’t think the stroller thief got a good deal.

Daisy and Rollo both like to sit in the stroller, but the stroller is really for Daisy.

Announcement Leonberger Book Deal on Black Friday

This post is just an announcement. For Black Friday throughout the weekend and Cyber Monday the Kindle version of my book, “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”, stories and tips from 13 years with a Leonberger, will sell for only $2.99.

If you would like to learn about more about my book and find out where to buy it, click here or here.

If click you on any of the images below you will be taken to the Kindle version of my book.

Photo of Bronco three months old. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com Kindle location for the book. — Bronco three months old. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com Kindle location for the book.

Photo of Bronco the lapdog. He is sitting in my wife's lap all 167 pounds of him. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com Kindle location for the book. — Bronco the lapdog. He is sitting in my wife’s lap all 167 pounds of him. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com Kindle location for the book.

Image of the Grey Muzzle Award given by the Leonberger Health Foundation International. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com Kindle location for the book. — Bronco lived unusually long for a Leonberger or for any giant breed. Bronco’s was awarded the Grey Muzzle Award given by the Leonberger Health Foundation International. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com Kindle location for the book.

Photo of Bronco 12 years old going on 13. He is out for a walk and laying in the grass. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com Kindle location for the book. — Bronco 12 years old going on 13. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com Kindle location for the book.

Turkey Stealing Labradors and Leonbergers Who Share Their Loot

Our Labrador Baylor was a stealthy, opportunist and quick food thief. Food tended to disappear around him as if it never was there. Our German Shepherd on the other hand never stole food and took it upon herself to guard the entrance to the kitchen to the chagrin of Baylor. If she could have spoken, she would have said “you shall not pass”.

Photo of Baylor and Baby — Baylor and Baby

Our Leonberger Bronco was our biggest dog, and he could eat a lot. Once we had prepared a big plate with five pounds of roast beef for a dinner party. Bronco finished those five pounds of roast beef with astonishing speed. I saw him do it, but I was not quick enough to stop him. Luckily, he thoughtfully left us the carrots, the broccoli and the dip, so the guests had something to eat. All our dogs were, and are, great dogs, but many dogs have this vice, food theft. I should say that Bronco often willingly shared his loot with other dogs. He was not selfish. Below I am including a few excerpts from my book concerning food theft.

Labrador food theft stories

In addition to his hatred for mailmen, Baylor had one more vice, and that was stealing food. He was always hungry, and he was pretty good at culinary theft. On one occasion, I was standing in the kitchen holding a sandwich in my hand. Suddenly the sandwich disappeared from my fingers as if it had been teleported. I didn’t feel a thing—no pull, no touch, no wet nose. It just vanished. I turned around, and behind me stood Baylor, swallowing something. He looked at me, wagging his tail. Was he innocent? Did Captain Kirk beam my sandwich to another dimension? How could I be mad at him when I didn’t have proof?

On another occasion, Baylor jumped up on top of the kitchen table using a chair as a step stool and cleared it of the desserts that Claudia’s grandmother had brought for the kids and the family. That’s how I learned that she had a swear-word vocabulary—and that it was substantial. Fortunately, the kids weren’t nearby. On yet another occasion, Baylor emptied a tray of baklava that had been sitting on the kitchen counter.

His most notable food raid was probably when he stole the Thanksgiving turkey and ran off with it. We salvaged most of it, but knowing that Baylor had been all over it, we decided not to eat what he left us. It wasn’t very appetizing.

Leonberger food theft stories

Photo of our Leonberger Bronco. He is ready for dinner. — Our Leonberger Bronco is ready for dinner

I believe dogs have empathy, and sometimes they want to share, at least Bronco did. There was a time when we were in our home eating take-out food and Bronco stole one of our dinners, including meat, vegetables, and a baked potato. He started eating the meat, then he glanced at Daisy, who was sitting in the middle of the floor looking sad. Immediately he took the baked potato in his mouth and carried it over to her and dropped it right at her feet. I was going to get mad at him for stealing, but when I saw his kindhearted and unselfish act, I let it be.

On another occasion, Rachel made a gingerbread house and left it on the kitchen counter. I had forgotten to lock the kitchen gate, and the photograph above shows what greeted me when I got home. Guess who ate half the gingerbread house. I should say that Bronco shared some with Daisy. He was always very generous.

Photo of our Leonberger Bronco and our Pug Daisy sharing a gingerbread house in the kitchen. — Bronco and our Pug Daisy sharing a gingerbread house

On yet another occasion, Bronco got hold of a box of chocolates in the shape of small gnomes. Each gnome was filled with liquor—some with gin, some with vodka, some with whiskey, and some with rum. It was a gift from Rachel, who had just come back from a visit to China. She had bought the present for us at the airport in Hong Kong. But Bronco ate the entire thing—tinfoil wrappers, chocolate, liquor, and all. We were afraid he might get very sick, and we carefully monitored him, ready to rush him to the emergency clinic if necessary. Fortunately, nothing happened, except he threw up a little bit of tinfoil. I guess he had a stomach of steel.

So, for this Thanksgiving watch your dogs so they don’t run off with your Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate

Where to get my Leonberger Book

I typically end my blog posts with a promotion of my book that includes a few images and a list of links to places where you can get it. I’ve come to realize that doing this takes away from the blog post itself. One image with a link is not too much but the full length three images and a list with 13 links is too much. This piece of repeated information often takes up half the post. So, I decided to make a book promotion post to which I will be linking to instead of repeating every time. By the way, I will delete this paragraph later on.

This post is a promotion of my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”, stories and tips from 13 years with a Leonberger and it lists the places where you can get the book. I can add that the price of the Kindle version is temporarily reduced to $4.99.

In the book you can read about some of our Leonberger Bronco’s amazing feats: the night he scared away a prowler; the day he performed a hamster search and rescue; the time he stumped the Geek Squad; and the late night he snuck into the kitchen and ate a two-pound bag of dog treats, a box of pastries, a loaf of bread, a grilled chicken, and a Key lime pie, all in one sitting. You’ll also read about his unflappable calm during a north Texas tornado and his stoicism as he endured health challenges in his later years.

In addition to entertaining stories, these pages contain a wealth of practical guidance, including

a history of the Leonberger breed;
advice for the care of very large dogs;
breed-specific health and genetic information;
training and feeding tips;
suggestions for finding a breeder;
the official breed standard; and
an extensive resource guide.

Bronco’s fearlessness, tolerance, and affectionate nature warmed the hearts of everyone who met him, and his sometimes uncanny adventures with his human and canine companions will bring a smile to the face of every dog lover. The book has a lot of color photos, amusing Leonberger stories, and information about Leonbergers that has been verified.

I can add, I am donating the proceeds from the sale of this book to the Leonberger Health Foundation International.

The image shows the front cover of my book "The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle". Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger. The cover is beige and brown and it has the face of an old Leonberger in the middle. Author is Thomas Wikman. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com paperback location for the book. — The front cover of my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com location for the book.

This is an image of the back cover of the book "The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle". Click on the image to go to the Amazon.se location for the book. — This is the back cover of the book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.se location for the book.

This is an image showing the endorsements for the book. Click on the image to got to the Barnes and Noble location for the book.

The endorsements are:

“A wonderful tribute to the author’s beloved Bronco. The stories are heartwarming as well as informative—a true glimpse into life with a Leonberger. The adorable illustrations are icing on the cake.” —D’Nae Wilson, President, Leonberger Health Foundation International

“A lovely tribute to Bronco, with lots of resources for general Leonberger information.” —Julie Schaffert, Leonberger Club of America breeder since 1992 — These are the endorsements for the book. Click on the image to got to the Barnes and Noble location for the book.

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

Dog Meat a Horror Story set in a Society from Hell

As you know this blog is primarily about Leonbergers and Leonberger books but sometimes I write a review for a book or story that I find to be exceptional and therefore want to promote. Last Friday I read a horror story called “Dog Meat” by Priscilla Bettis. I wrote an Amazon review on Saturday morning. It was a gruesome and morbid story, like a good horror story should be, and it was a real page turner. Therefore, I would like to promote this book. I bought the paperback version since I prefer that over Kindle. The Dog Meat paperback version currently cost $12.99 on Amazon and is 111 pages. The kindle version cost $3.99 and is 120 pages. It was released October 30, 2022. The paper version is 6 x 0.28 x 9 inches, and the ISBN number is 978-1951840617. The ASIN number for the Kindle Edition is B0B8QG79DK.

Photo of the front cover of Dog Meat. Dog Meat is a dystopian fiction / horror story that takes place in an imaginary totalitarian state. Click on picture to go to the paperback version page on Amazon. — Dog Meat is a dystopian fiction / horror story that takes place in an imaginary totalitarian state. Click on picture to go to the paperback version page on Amazon.

Photo of the back cover of Dog Meat. Dog Meat is a dystopian fiction / horror story that takes place in an imaginary totalitarian state. Click on picture to go to the kindle version page on Amazon. — Dog Meat is a dystopian fiction / horror story that takes place in an imaginary totalitarian state.

Below is my Amazon review of Dog Meat

The monstrosity of not being free to choose

You are not free to choose. Government officials will decide your profession for you based on a placement exam. They know best, what could go wrong? Everyone is equal, there are no castes. Kalb Ward is forced to slaughter dogs, in a cruel manner, to satisfy the customers of a specialty restaurant. He is a sensitive and feeling man who hates having to be cruel to the dogs so much that he often dissociates from his body while doing his job. He attempts to quit his job with gruesome consequences.

His life story is a dramatic, insane and a very dark tale. His situation reminded me of “Bödeln” in the Swedish movie “Bödeln och skökan”, in which a blacksmith is innocently condemned to death for stealing silver but is able to escape execution by becoming the executioner himself. Ward’s luck in life also reminded me of Arthur’s in the movie Joker, but Kalb Ward is not a sociopath.

The Colony, the imagined country where Ward lives, is an authoritarian plan economy, perhaps a totalitarian society. It reminded me of east Asian countries such as North Korea, China, and the southeast Asian countries in the 80’s. The fact that the Colony won five gold medals in the Seul Olympics in 1988, just like China did, is telling.

It is a dark and dystopian story, but with some quite interesting subplots and surprises. It is a real page turner. Once you start reading you have to find out what is going to happen to Ward next. Above all I think it carries some important messages, including the importance of being free to choose. The freedom to choose your own destiny in a society is essential to happiness. Another message is the importance of compassion. People who lack compassion create Hell.

This book is going to stay with me for a while, like both the movies that I mentioned did. It is a dark fantasy but with so much meaning for our real world. I highly recommend this book. Note, I read the paperback version as I tend to prefer that to eBooks.

Photo of Hyper Fast Jelly Fish beer and beer cans and beer boxes. I read Dog Meat on Friday, while drinking a beer with a horror theme, “hyper fast Jellyfish”. — I read Dog Meat on Friday, while drinking a beer with a horror theme, “hyper fast Jellyfish”

I highly recommend this book