Leonberger breed standard – Leonberger Life

Leonberger Club of America

Esther’s writing prompt: October 1st : Club

Just a few minutes before I saw Esther Chilton’s writing prompt “club” I received my annual invoice for our family membership in the Leonberger Club of America. What a great reminder to pay my bill and create a post about the Leonberger Club of America. We haven’t had a Leonberger since the summer of 2020 when our Leonberger Bronco, or Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle passed away. However, we’ve kept our membership because I love their LeoLetter magazine, I know some people, I have this blog, and I wrote a book about our Leonberger and the Leonberger breed after the passing of Bronco (see the side bar on the right or click here for more information).

The Leonberger Club of America

I can add that the Leonberger Club of America, LCA for short, is the official national parent club for the Leonberger breed in the United States (and Canada). It was founded in 1985. Its mission is to preserve and promote the health, temperament, and original type of the Leonberger through education, events, performance programs, and social engagement. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes the LCA as the official Leonberger breed club in the United States.

The Leonberger Club of America make sure that the Leonberger dogs are protected. You are about as likely to find a Leonberger at Petland/Puppy-Mill as you are finding an Elephant for sale there. You typically buy/get a Leonberger dog from an LCA certified Leonberger breeder or from the Leonberger Rescue Pals, and if you don’t that might be a problem. Leonberger breeders interview prospective Leonberger owners and make sure they are a good fit. If you are found to have mistreated a dog in the past, turned one into a shelter, or sold one on an auction, you cannot buy a Leonberger. The breeders are also required to take back the dog if it does not work out. To see the transcript from our Leonberger interview, click here.

Our three months old Leonberger Bronco wearing a red scarf. He is looking straight into the camera. — We bought our Leonberger Bronco (Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle) in 2007 from Julie Schaffert, a certified LCA breeder since 1992. This is a photo of him at three months old.

There are only about 3,000 Leonbergers in North America and about 2,000 Leonbergers in the United States but the Leonberger Club of America has more than 1,000 members. They publish the Leo-Letter, a quarterly Leonberger magazine. So, the Leonberger Club of America has a very prominent place among Leonberger owners. Click here to see a summary of the Leonberger Breed Standard.

A majestic Leonberger in standing on a podium and receiving an award. There are two people in picture, judge and handler. — Photo of a Leonberger from the LCA website

Other clubs associated with the Leonberger Club of America are New Jersey Leonberger Club, Great Lakes Leonberger Club, Greater Bluegrass Leonberger Club, Mid-Atlantic Leonberger Club Of Virginia, Tarheel Leonberger Club, AKC Licensed Specialty Club, The Frontier Leonberger Club Of The Southwest, Leonberger Club Of The Northwest, Northern California Leonberger Club, and the Surf And Sand Leonberger Club Of Southern California. I am a member of The Frontier Leonberger Club Of The Southwest. Other Leonberger clubs are the Leonberger University, Leonberger Health Foundation International, and the Worldwide Independent Leonberger Database. You can learn more about the Worldwide Independent Leonberger Database by clicking here.

The History of the Leonberger Club of America

Leonbergers have a long history in North America and the United States—despite the fact that until 1985, there were only seventeen Leonbergers known to be living in the United States. See: Lusby, Leonberger, page 15.

Front cover of the book Leonberger, Special Rare-Breed Edition, A Comprehensive Owners Guide, Madeline Lusby. It features a photo of an adult Leonberger and a puppy Leonberger. — Leonberger, Special Rare-Breed Edition, A Comprehensive Owners Guide, Madeline Lusby

In the 1870s, Leonbergers were brought to Newfoundland to invigorate the stock of Newfoundland dogs. Around the same time, two Leonbergers named Caesar and Sultan were purchased from Heinrich Essig’s kennel (founder of the Leonberger breed) and transported across the ocean to join the Wellesley-Sterling theater company in the United States as the stars of their productions. Then in 1879, Caesar and Sultan visited President Ulysses S. Grant, who called them the largest and most magnificent dogs he had ever seen and presented them with gold medals. During the years between World War I and World War II, a New Jersey family, the Wolfs, opened their home as a temporary refuge for Jews fleeing Germany: they also imported Leonbergers. Unfortunately, this introduction of the breed into the United States did not last, and it would be another fifty years before the Leonberger appeared in America again.

See: Bliss-Isberg, Leonberger, page 60, page 64, page 101

Front cover of the book Leonberger, A comprehensive guide to the lion king of breeds, by Caroline Bliss-Isberg. It features the face of a large Leonberger. — Leonberger, A comprehensive guide to the lion king of breeds, Caroline Bliss-Isberg

During the late 1970s and the 1980s, a few families—Waltraut and Klaus Zieher, Brian Peters, Manfred and Sylvia Kaufmann, Keri Campbell and Melanie Brown, and Mary and Reiner Decher brought Leonbergers to the United States. The Dechers had started a breeding program and were looking for a mate for their first dam, Viona. By chance their neighbor discovered through a newsletter that there was another Leonberger in the United States, and that led to the families’ finding and connecting with one another. I should add that the Dechers were careful to conform to the German breeding regulations and performed hip X-rays that they then submitted to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). Viona became the first OFA-certified Leonberger in America.

See: Bliss-Isberg, Leonberger, page 152.

On Saturday, November 2, 1985, eight of these Leonberger enthusiasts met at a hotel in Denver, Colorado, to found the Leonberger Club of America (LCA). This group of founders, which has since been dubbed the Denver Eight, appointed a registrar, formulated a breeding acceptability checklist, and instituted various policies, including the requirement that OFA certification is mandatory for breeding. LCA membership grew: it held social gatherings, began publishing LeoLetter, and imported an increasing number of dogs. Now the LCA has thousands of members across the country, and Leonbergers receive high ratings on health tests relative to other large breeds. For example, in 2000, the OFA reported that only 14.6 percent of Leonbergers tested positive for hip dysplasia, compared to 47 percent of Saint Bernards.

See: Bliss-Isberg, Leonberger, page 154, page 176.

Founding of the Leonberger Health Foundation International

Another important historical event was the founding of the Leonberger Health Foundation International (LHFI), in 2000 (it was just called the Leonberger Health Foundation back then). According to its website, the organization was founded by Waltraut Zieher and other memers of the LCA’s health, education, and research committee to “facilitate the solicitation and distribution of donations given to support health related breed-specific research.” The LHFI also administers a program that collects DNA samples from Leonbergers to share with universities and research institutions, and of course it administers the Grey Muzzle Award (long living Leonbergers). Our Leonberger Bronco was a recipient of the Grey Muzzle Award, and we provided them with his DNA.

The Grey Muzzle Award diploma features a photo of Bronco and contains the text “The Grey Muzzle Award. For Leonberger Longevity is Presented with Gratitude By The Leonberger Health Foundation International To Bronco, for offering hope and longer lives for Leonbergers throughout the World.” — Bronco’s Grey Muzzle Award, which he received for being an unusually long lived Leonberger.

LHFI’s global biobank contains DNA samples from more than nine thousand Leonbergers. Among the organization’s notable achievements are the eradication of Addison’s disease among Leonbergers and the raising of nearly half a million dollars for research into conditions that affect canine health, including osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, glaucoma, cardiac diseases, thyroid diseases, and neurological disorders. Its research also supports healthful longevity and aging as well as population diversity. Another success is the fact that since 2011, no Leonbergers with two copies of the LPN1 gene mutation (which causes Leonberger polyneuropathy) have been recorded in LHFI’s biobank. LHFI is one of my favorite charities.

The Dog Wars of America

The end of the twentieth century marked not only the end of the Cold War but also the beginning of what I call the Dog Wars of America. In 1985, the American Kennel Club (AKC) registry comprised one-third of the world’s known dog breeds. But the AKC had recognized only a few new breeds since 1887—a period of ninety-eight years. So, the organization decided to change that policy, but this did not always go smoothly. The members of rare-breed clubs often did not want to be part of the AKC. For example, the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) was very reluctant to join, so a relatively small splinter group, the United States Australian Shepherd Association, was formed and designated the official member club of the AKC, which was not welcome news to the ASCA. The border collie is another example. Charles Krauthammer, the late political columnist, called the AKC the politburo of American dog breeding.

See: Bliss-Isberg, Leonberger, page 159.

Similarly, in 2003, a new Leonberger club was formed—the Leonberger Club of the United States—with the goal of becoming the Leonberger member club of the AKC. This essentially forced the LCA’s hand, so they applied for membership in the AKC, a process that took years to complete. But ultimately the AKC approved the LCA as members in 2010: Leonbergers would officially become part of the Working Group. Fortunately, 90 percent of LCA breeders agreed to continue following LCA regulations regardless of whether the club would remain independent or become part of the AKC. Also fortunately, AKC membership afforded more opportunities for Leonbergers to participate in dog shows, which is important to many owners.

See: Bliss-Isberg, Leonberger, page 187

For more information on the history of the Leonberger starting in 1830’s click here.

On the left there is a color photo of our Leonberger as a puppy. He is wearing a scarf. On the right he is big, old and gray and lying in the grass looking into the camera. — On the left our Leonberger Bronco at three months old. On the right Bronco as an unusually old Leonberger at almost 13.

Bronco is standing on our red leather sofa giving me hug and a kiss. — Bronco our Leonberger is giving me a kiss. He is about one year old and not yet fully grown.

Seven Leonbergers lying or sitting on the sand on a beach. — Seven Leonbergers by the beach. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.

What Is A Dog Breed Standard

A dog breed standard is a description of the characteristics of an ideal example of a dog breed. The description may include physical characteristics, genetic criteria, behavioral characteristics, or criteria of athletic or productive performance. Breed standards are devised by breed associations, and are written to reflect the use or purpose of the dog breed. The Federation Cynologique Internationale regulates breed standards for dogs internationally. However, the American Kennel Club, does not belong to the international body and uses its own breed standard format. In practice the breed standards are very similar.

For the AKC, the breed standard, and any revision thereof, originates with an AKC parent club. For Leonbergers the parent club is the Leonberger Club of America. It was very lucky that it became that way. To read about the history of the history of the Leonberger breed standard, Leonberger Club of America and the great dog wars, click here.

Below is a visual depiction of the physical aspects of the Leonberger breed standard. To find out more click on the image.

Image showing the physical criteria of the Leonberger breed standard. Click on the photo to read more about the Leonberger breed standard. — Physical physical criteria of the Leonberger breed standard. Click on the photo to read more about the Leonberger breed standard.

What is a Leonberger?

The Leonberger breed was originally created by Heinrich Essig (1808–87) in the German town of Leonberg, in what was then the kingdom of Württemberg. According to legend, Essig bred the dog to resemble the lion in the town’s coat of arms. It was bred to be a large companion dog. He registered the new breed in 1846. The Leonberger is often said to be a cross between a Saint Bernard, a Newfoundland, and a Great Pyrenees. However, in reality the story is more complicated. More on that later. One thing is for certain, the history around the interactions between the Leonberger breed and the St. Bernard is quite interesting. Also, more on that in another post. Another interesting fact is that Leonbergers were used in World War I to pull ammunition carts and cannons. Both World War I and World War II was tough on the breed and few survived.

Very few Leonbergers existed in North America until the 1980’s, when a breeding program was established. Saturday, November 2, 1985, the few families owning Leonbergers, the so called, Denver eight, got together to form the Leonberger Club of America. The Leonberger was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2010 as its 167th breed (in the Working group). Today there are more than 2,300 Leonbergers in the United States and a 1,000 in Canada. There are about 30,000+ Leonbergers in the world. Since there are not millions of them you can still consider the Leonberger a rare breed.

Leonbergers are confident and brave gentle giants. They are great with children, very social and good companions and guard dogs. Leonbergers are double-coated, and they have webbed paws, so they’re natural swimmers. They are sometimes used in water rescue operations. But be careful, they are big, full of energy, and can be rambunctious when they’re young.

According to the original purpose of the Leonberger, and the breed standards, the Leonberger is a large, strong, muscular, elegant dog. He is distinguished by his balanced build and confident calmness, yet he has quite a lively temperament. Males, in particular, are powerful and strong. As a family dog, the Leonberger is an agreeable partner for present-day homes and living conditions who can be taken anywhere without difficulty and is distinguished by his marked friendliness toward children. He is neither shy, nor aggressive. As a companion, he is agreeable, obedient, and fearless in all situations of life.

The following are particular requirements of a steady temperament:

• Self-assurance and superior composure

• Medium temperament (including playfulness)

• Willingness to be submissive

• Good capacity for learning and remembering

• Insensitivity to noise

Leonbergers are large and muscular dogs. The height of an adult male is between 28 and 31.5 inches (72 to 80 centimeters) at the withers. The height of an adult female is between 25 and 29.5 inches (65 to 75 centimeters) at the withers. (The withers is the ridge located between the shoulder blades of an animal, on the back right below the neck.) Reputable breeders try to maintain these characteristics.

Leonbergers are sexually dimorphic—that is, there are noticeable differences between males and females. This is not always the case in dogs. Female Leonbergers are usually smaller and look more feminine. Males typically weigh between 120 and 170 pounds, and females usually weigh between 100 and 135 pounds. For comparison’s sake, below are the standard heights and weights for male dogs of other breeds.

• An Irish wolfhound, the world’s tallest dog (when standing on two feet), is 32 inches tall at the withers and weighs between 120 and 155 pounds.

• A Great Dane stands between 31 and 35 inches at the withers and weighs between 110 and 180 pounds.

• A Saint Bernard is between 28 and 35 inches tall at the withers and weighs between 140 and 180 pounds.

• A German shepherd stands between 24 and 26 inches at the withers and weighs between 66 and 86 pounds.

In other words, the Leonberger is right there among the largest breeds in the world.

In the picture below is an overview of the FCI breed standard for Leonberger dogs. I will post the full breed standard in another post.

This photo is a summary of the Leonberger breed standard — Summary of the FCI Leonberger breed standard (Photograph of Leonberger © Shutterstock/Eric Isselee)