Tag: Leonberger

The Interview

There are so many bad dog owners out there. There are owners who mistreat their dogs. There are owners who return their dogs to shelters or worse owners who abandoned their dogs. There are owners who get rid of their dogs when they become old, less fun, more difficult to take care of and have expensive veterinary bills. So many dog owners should never have been allowed to become dog owners. Imagine if prospective dog owners had to go through an interview and sign a contract protecting the dog’s well being before they are allowed to buy a dog. Another problem is substandard breeders and puppy mills.

An old Leonberger dog is lying on the sidewalk.
Bronco our Leonberger was very old in this photo. Almost 13 years old and he had health problems.

The Leonberger Club of America (LCA) and the Leonberger community have taken control of both of these problems. The Leonberger Club of America keeps a list of breeders who follow approved breeding practices (there are inspections), treat the dogs well, and have pledged to take back the dog in the event an owner is unable to care for the dog. The breeder will also stay in contact with the new owners, mentor them, and help them with training and care. I am pretty certain there are no Leonberger puppy mills.

From left to right : A Leonberger in the snow, another Leonberger looking into the camera, our 3 months old Leonberger puppy Bronco, our Leonberger Bronco in a green bush, our Leonberger Bronco sitting in my wife’s lap, he is 167lbs, our Leonberger Bronco in the green grass, our old Leonberger Bronco lying in the green grass.
Leonberger photos. All photos are of Bronco except the two on the far left are from Shutterstock ID:705193912 and ID:46221958.

As a prospective owner you are required to go through an interview with the breeder and to sign a contract. For example, as an owner you are required to return the dog to the breeder if you are unable to care for the dog or transfer the dog to another approved owner in a manner that is endorsed by LCA. If you break the rules, you are never allowed to own a Leonberger again. Caring for a Leonberger is a serious commitment and you can feel it. Leonbergers are dogs that are larger than life. But maybe all dogs are larger than life.

A 167lbs Leonberger sitting in my wife Claudia’s lap. She is disappearing.
Our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle in my wife Claudia’s lap.

Below is the transcript of the online interview that my wife Claudia did with our breeder Julie Schaffert. I’ve posted this before here. However, that post is one my earliest posts, and this is my attempted improvement.

Kennel von der Löwenhöhle Questionnaire Questions are in bold :

Why do you want a Leonberger?

We have a dog book, and while looking at dogs we came across the Leonberger, a gorgeous dog from Germany. We also had the opportunity to meet some Leonbergers, a mother and her puppies, which were wonderful. We have read that Leonbergers are great with children and good guard dogs, which is something we’d like. We have two dogs, but we have not raised them as puppies. We have never had a puppy and would like to have one.

What do you like about the Leonberger and what do you know about its characteristics? Do you prefer male or female? Why?

They are very beautiful and love to swim. We have a huge pool, and my children love to spend their summers swimming. Leonbergers also make wonderful pets and are good guard dogs, and best of all they don’t drool. We don’t prefer a male or a female dog.

Are you aware this is at least a ten-year commitment?

Yes. We have two other dogs, and of course we are aware that they live up to ten years—hopefully more.

Do you have any other pets? Have you had any experience raising a giant-breed puppy?

We have a Lab and a German shepherd. We have two dwarf hamsters, Moldova and Montenegro. My son also keeps a baby ball python in a cage in his room (UGGH). As I said before, we have never owned a puppy, but we met some Leonberger puppies from a breeder who resides in Houston.

Where will your dog be kept—indoors or outdoors? Backyard or kennel?

Our dog would be kept mostly indoors. (We live in Texas, and it would get too hot outside.) At night we take all our dogs for walks and for occasional swims during the year. When the dog is still a puppy, we would keep it in a puppy playpen and take it out every half hour to go to the bathroom (until obedience training). We do have a fenced backyard the puppy can play in, and we have a dog run with a dog door so the dogs can come and go as they please.

Is your yard fenced?

Yes. Our yard has a seven-foot-high solid wood fence all the way around

How many hours will you be out of the house? Where will your Leonberger be while you are gone?

I am a stay-at-home mom, and we would almost always have someone in the house, such as our housekeeper, children, and family. If we are gone for a long periods of time, we have a dog sitter who comes to our house to take care of our dogs.

Do you have children? If so, what are their ages?

We have three kids, ages thirteen, ten, and eight. Two boys and one girl (in that order).

Describe a typical day at your house now. How do you think it will change once the puppy arrives?

On a typical day, the kids go to school, and I like to take a long walk. I go through some paperwork, I prepare dinner, then everyone comes home. On weekends, my younger kids have sports, but my oldest kid stays home (he plays during the week).

I would be with the dog most of the day and would do my shopping while the housekeeper is there. I do not plan on leaving the puppy for any long period of time. I’m sure that having the puppy will be like having another child. We have been told that the puppy will be quite rambunctious for the first three years of its life.

Have you observed any obedience classes in your area? It is very important that Leonberger puppies start obedience classes by sixteen weeks of age. Would you attend such classes?

We have not observed any obedience classes yet. However, we are interested in the International K9 training facility in Dallas and would absolutely attend these classes.

Von der Löwenhöhle puppies start their crate training at our kennel. Will you continue this training? If not, why not?

Yes, we would continue crate training at our home. We will follow your advice and that of our veterinarians in regard to further training.

What plans do you have for your Leonberger—e.g., showing, breeding, obedience, family companion, therapy? If you plan to show or breed, what experience, if any, have you had?

Our major purpose for wanting a Leonberger is to have a family companion.

Please add any other information you feel will help us pick out a puppy for you.

We would like a dog that will fit in well with our family.

On the left is a Leonberger puppy wearing a red scarf. On the right our old Leonberger Bronco lying in the grass and looking into the camera.
Our Leonberger Bronco three months old and almost 13 years old.

The end result was that we were allowed to buy Bronco. We did not follow through with the crate training as we promised because Bronco was whining at night when he was in the crate. So, we let him sleep between us in our bed. A few months later he started pushing me out of bed with his paws. I don’t like sleeping on the floor, so we had to put an end to that. We got him a big dog bed and he accepted that.

What do you think about having dog owners being approved and signing a contract ?

Tears Are Falling in My Heart

This morning at 10:20AM our pug Daisy died. She was 15 ½ years old. She had an enlarged heart, her back legs were giving out, and she had breathing problems. She took lots of different medications. Yet, the breathing crisis she had this morning came unexpectedly. Our veterinary told us it was time. We did not want her to suffer. I was holding her in my arms and my wife, daughter and doctor Sara Thomas petted her. Then when we were ready Dr. Thomas gave her the injections.

A puppy in the arms of our son wearing a red shirt
Daisy came to us a little pug puppy 15 ½ years ago. Our son David, eleven years old at the time, was holding her. Today I held her for the last time.

Daisy was a sweet, friendly and funny pug who loved cuddling, eating and sitting on the sofa. She also loved sunbathing as well as sitting in front of the vent when it was cold. All our dogs loved her, and our Leonberger Bronco saved her life once. He protected her from an attacking young German Shepherd. Our Labrador Baylor and our German Shepherd Baby loved her. Our Japanese Shin loved her more than anything. They were always together. They made mischief together, they escaped together, and they went for walks together and at the dog park Ryu wouldn’t let any other dog be too friendly with Daisy. Later, our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo loved her too. Unfortunately, Rollo is now alone. He is confused and sad like we are.

Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo on the left. Our pug Daisy on the right.
Rollo and Daisy in our red sofa. Rollo was one year old, and Daisy was 11 years old.

I wrote a poem in French, a language I am learning. I am not a poet. I think it is my first poem as an adult in any language. I chose French because everything sounds so much better in French. It rhymes/ I apologize for any errors.

Ce soir, il pleure dans mon coeur. (tonight, tear falls in my heart, pleure & coeur rhyme with fur)

Notre belle carline Daisy est mort (Our beautiful pug Daisy is dead)

Il est temps, dit notre docteur (It is time said our doctor)

Tu es parti dans un coup du sort (You are gone in a twist of fate)

Nous nous souviendrons toujours (we will always remember)

Ta gentillesse. Tes yeux aimants (Your kindness. Your loving eyes)

Tu auras pour toujours notre amour (You will forever have our love)

pour nous tu étais comme un enfant (to us you were like a child)

Below are two YouTube songs that express how I feel. The first one is in French “Je suis malade..” / I am sick without you, I am ugly without you, …. Warning this one is very sad. The second one is your love….to feel your love again… to feel you close once more… (no lyrics in song) by Ennio Morricone.

Je suis malade / I am sick … without you
to feel your love again
Our pug Daisy on top of the sofa. Her legs are dangling over the sofa and her tongue is out.
Daisy on the sofa after an exhausting day of doing nothing.
Our pug Daisy is stranding on the wood floor.
Our pug Daisy when she was young.
Daisy is sleeping in our son’s arms, and he is sleeping on the sofa.
Daisy our new pug puppy with our son David.
Our pug is leaning on vent located close to our wood floor.
Daisy liked to sit in front of the vent when it was cold or alternatively too hot.
Daisy our pug loved lying on her back and bathe in the sun.
Daisy loved sunbathing.
Our pug Daisy is wearing sunglasses.
Daisy in sunglasses.
Our Japanese Shin Ryu is on the left and our Pug Daisy on the right. They are sitting in our red suitcase.
Ryu and Daisy jumped into our suitcase to protest that we were leaving for a trip.
Our Pug Daisy is holding Ryu’s leash in her mouth. Ryu is our Japanese Shin.
Daisy is taking Ryu for a walk.
Our pug Daisy is lying on her back on the patio.
Daisy sunbathing on our patio in the backyard.
Daisy our pug is standing on kitchen floor tiling.
Daisy standing on our kitchen floor.
Daisy our pug is sitting on a red sofa.
Daisy on the red sofa.
Daisy our pug has a tissue box over her head.
Once when we came home Daisy met us in the doorway with a tissue box over her head. She had gotten her head stuck in a tissue box.
Our Leonberger is spread out on our leather sofa and Daisy our pug is walking in front of him.
Daisy decided to leave because Bronco our Leonberger was taking up too much room.
Daisy our pug is sleeping and resting her head on my wife Claudia’s knee.
Daisy resting her head on Claudia’s knee.
From left to right, Bronco, Ryu, Daisy.
Bronco our Leonberger, Ryu our Japanese Shin, and then Daisy our Pug.
Our Pug Daisy is sitting at the table to the left. She is wearing a blue birthday hat. Our Leonberger Bronco is on the right.
Daisy’s 11th birthday.
Daisy is sitting on our bed, and she is looking into the camera.
Daisy is sitting on our bed.
Daisy our pug (left) and Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd (right).
Daisy and Rollo in the sofa.
Our daughter is sitting on her knees on the floor. Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo sits on her left and our Pug Daisy sits on her right.
Our daughter is petting Rollo and Daisy.
Daisy and Rollo are looking out the window. Daisy says : Rollo do you want to hear a joke? Rollo says : OK. Daisy says : Knock! Knock! Rollo says : Woof! Woof!, Woof!. Daisy says : Woof! Woof! Woof!.
Daisy and Rollo barking at the mailman + a joke.
Daisy is wearing a pink party hat. She is sitting in front of a cake and my wife is giving her cake.
Daisy’s 15th birthday.
Daisy is standing on the wood floor. She is wearing blue diapers with black suspenders.
Towards the end of her life Daisy had to wear diapers with suspenders.
Daisy our pug is sitting in a blue stroller.
Towards the end of her life Daisy had a hard time walking so she sat in a stroller during our walks.

Goodbye Daisy

The Day Bronco Wearing a Leg Cast Chased Our Neighbor

An excerpt from my book : The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle

When Bronco was almost eight years old, we discovered a case of squamous cell carcinoma in one of his toes—or, rather, in one of his toenails. It was on his right rear paw.

Photo of a big fluffy Leonberger lying in the grass.
Our Leonberger Bronco, or Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle.

Squamous cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer that certain large-breed dogs, including Leonbergers, are susceptible to. It often grows out from the skin around the nail and can affect the bone and tissue around it. It is typically not very aggressive, but it can spread, and it is painful. It manifests itself as a swollen toe, or you may be able to see a large red papule that looks like a pimple. Sometimes the toenail falls off. The dog is likely to limp and lick the toe and may become reluctant to go for walks, although that was never the case with Bronco.

Close up of a bandage on one of Bronco’s paws with Bronco in the background.
Bandage on Bronco’s paw after a toe amputation.

Primarily because of the pain, but also because of the small risk of metastasis, it is usually recommended that the affected toe be amputated. So we went through with the procedure. When we picked Bronco up the day after the surgery, his paw was in a bandage. But he got some treats, and he was in a good mood. We went back to the veterinary surgical center for a bandage change a few times, and then he was done.

A big barking Leonberger standing in a doorway. Upon close inspection you see a missing toe.
An agitated Bronco stands guard at the back door. Note the missing toe on his left front paw.

Unfortunately, though, we discovered another lesion a year later. This time it was on a large toe on his left front leg. We asked the doctors if the cancer had spread to this toe. We were told no—Bronco was just prone to getting this type of cancer. But the cause could also have been something in the environment. In Texas, the ultraviolet radiation from the sun is significant. We really don’t know why this happened to him, but we were assured that it was not because the cancer had spread.

Bronco our Leonberger Bronco wearing a large soft cone. It barely fit through the doorway.
A cone of shame or as in this case a soft cone typically accompanied a bandage or a cast.

This time around, Bronco’s entire leg was put in a cast, to be replaced by a bandage after ten days. We were instructed to keep him inside during those ten days and keep him as still as possible. We were to make sure he wouldn’t bump the cast. This was, of course, almost impossible to do, but we were going to try.

However, Bronco really wanted to go out, which he showed us in various ways, such as scratching at the front door. After a week or so, Claudia suggested that we take him outside a little bit, just in our driveway. I agreed. When I handed her the leash, she said, “He can barely walk; do you think he’s going to run off without it?” We laughed, and I agreed that it didn’t seem like we needed it this time. So Claudia walked out with Bronco slowly limping beside her.

Illustration of an excited Leonberger towards us. He is wearing a cast on his left front leg (right from our perspective).
Bronco could barely walk with his full leg cast, but when motivated enough he could run. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.

Less than a minute had passed when I heard shouting outside. I opened the door and looked outside to see what was going on. First I saw our neighbor and his two corgis running down the street as fast as they could. Our neighbor was screaming at he top of his lungs, “Get him off me! Get him off me!” Behind him, Bronco was running with his cast going kabonk-kabonk-kabonk as it hit the sidewalk. Behind Bronco ran Claudia, who was also screaming at the top of her lungs. Bronco! Sit! Stay! Stop!” Finally, Bronco stopped, and Claudia grabbed him. Holding his collar, she led him back in.

Illustration of woman dressed in blue pants and pink shirt running.
Claudia running after Bronco. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.

Our red-faced and sweaty neighbor was very nice about it and forgave us. He even forgave Bronco, though Bronco was chasing the corgis, not our neighbor. But still, if I had been chased by a big dog wearing a cast, I would not have gotten over it that easily. Our neighbor is clearly a better man than I am.

Illustration of man with a hat running holding two leashes, each with a corgi at the end.
Our neighbor and his corgis running from Bronco. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.

This was an embarrassing event for all of us, but at the same time it was one of the most surreal and amazing things I’ve ever seen. It was so unexpected, so bizarre, and so funny. I really wish I had had a video camera handy. Talk about a potentially viral video.

When we went back to the veterinary surgical center to have Bronco’s cast removed, we decided not to say anything about the incident to the doctors. We sat in the waiting room and wondered if the episode had caused any permanent damage to Bronco’s paw or leg. But when the veterinary technicians came back with Bronco in a bandage instead of a cast, they told us that everything looked good. Great job, everyone!

We thought they might not have checked his sore carefully enough, so we asked them again: Are you sure everything looks good? The sore, the stitches—did you really look at them thoroughly? They insisted that yes, they looked good. So Bronco got his treats, he looked happy, and we went home.

25 Leonberger Puppies and Other Puppies for National Puppy Day

Today is National Puppy Day. Therefore, I am posting 25 puppy photos. It is mostly Leonberger puppies but there are also puppy photos of some of our other dogs. Most of the photos in this post are mine but I am including a few Leonberger puppy photos from shutterstock. If you want to check out the Leonberger book I wrote click here, or look to the right if you are on a desktop or at the bottom if you are on a mobile.

This is a black and white photo of our Leonberger puppy Bronco at three months old. He is sitting and staring at the camera. He is wearing a silk scarf.
Our Leonberger Bronco at three months old.
This is color photo of our Leonberger puppy Bronco at three months old. He is sitting and staring at the camera. He is wearing a silk scarf.
Our Leonberger Bronco at three months old.
Our black and white Japanese Shin Ryu is on our red sofa. You can see our pug Daisy in the upper left corner.
Our Japanese Shin Ryu when he was young.
Photo of our son David on the sofa holding a little pug puppy in his arms.
Our son David with our pug Daisy when she was a puppy.
Photo of our son David on the sofa holding a little pug puppy in his arms.
Our son David is holding our pug Daisy when she was still a puppy (now she is 15 ½ years old).
Two brown Leonberger puppies lying on a wood floor.
Two Leonberger puppies. Shutter stock Photo ID: 2294202331 by Olga Shusters.
A Leonberger puppy running in the snow.
A Leonberger puppy running in the snow. Shutterstock Stock Photo ID: 2056502327 by Nikky de Graaf.
A Leonberger puppy standing in the snow.
A Leonberger puppy standing in the snow. Shutterstock Stock Photo ID: 2390810457 by VeronArt16.
A Leonberger puppy sitting on a white floor next to pink flowers.
Another Leonberger puppy. Stock Photo ID: 561111403 by Akbudak Rimma.
Ten Leonberger puppies sitting on a sofa. They are brown with black face masks.
Ten Leonberger puppies. My guess is that they are about two months old. Shutterstock-ID:561107710 by Akbudak Rimma.
Leonberger puppy running through green grass. The puppy has its mouth open, and he is looking straight into the camera.
Leonberger puppy. My guess is that he is around two months old. Shutterstock-ID: 629624396 by TOM KAROLA.
Two sand colored Leonberger puppies playing in the snow. The play seems to be a little bit rough. Like all Leonbergers they have a black facemask.
Two light colored Leonberger puppies playing. My guess is that they are three months old. Shutterstock-ID: 2141564415 by AnetaZabranska.
The German Shepherd is lying on the floor and the Leonberger puppy is on his back.
Our German Shepherd Baby playing with our 4 months old Leonberger Bronco.
Our Leonberger Bronco about 9 months old is lying on his back on the floor.
Our Leonberger Bronco about 9 months old is lying on his back on the floor.
Bronco our Leonberger at the dog park. He is about one year old. He is maybe not a puppy but far from an adult. He is an adolescent, which is why he looks so thin and gangly. Our Labrador Baylor is in the background.
Bronco our Leonberger at the dog park. He is about one year old. He is maybe not a puppy but far from an adult. He is an adolescent, which is why he looks so thin and gangly. Our Labrador Baylor is in the background.
Our black and white Japanese Shin Ryu (left) sleeping next to our beige pug Daisy (right).
Our Japanese Shin Ryu sleeping next to our pug Daisy.
Our black and white Japanese Shin Ryu (right) licking our pug Daisy’s ear (left).
Our Japanese Shin Ryu licking our pug Daisy’s ear.
Photo shows a little mini-Australian Shepherd puppy on top. He is looking up at us. Right below him is an English Bulldog puppy.
The day we picked up our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo. He was nine weeks old. The other puppy is an English bulldog puppy.
Our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo is lying on the grass.
Our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo.
Our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo is lying on a blanket.
Our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo.
The photo shows our pug Daisy on the right and our little mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo on the left. They are on the sofa.
Our pug Daisy and our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo.
The photo shows our big Leonberger on the left and our little mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo on the right. They are in the backyard.
Bronco and our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo.
The photo shows our big Leonberger standing behind our little mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo.
Bronco and our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo.
Our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo is playing with an orange volleyball on the green grass.
Our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo playing with an orange ball.
Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo (left) is biting Bronco’s tail and pulling on it.
Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo is playing with our Leonberger Bronco’s tail. Once he even dangled in it like a swing.

.

Happy National Puppy Day

New Portrait of our Leonberger

Today we got a portrait of our late Leonberger Bronco framed. We received the portrait a few days ago. We got it framed at Fast Frame here in Dallas today. We got the conservation glass so that the portrait will last a very long time. The portrait was drawn by Veniceme at Etsy (Natasha Dall’Ara) and it is based on one of our photos. Below is a photo of Bronco’s Grey Muzzle Award on the right and the portrait is on the left.

Left : Hand painted portrait of Bronco by Veniceme / Natasha Dall’Ara at Etsy. Right Bronco’s Grey-Muzzle Award from LHFI.

The Adventures of a Leonberger a Leonberger Guest Post

da-AL was gracious enough to host me via a guest post. It features the story of why I wrote my Leonberger book as well as the story about our Leonberger Bronco’s hamster rescue operation. I would like to direct all comments to her post. See da-AL’s post below.

https://happinessbetweentails.com/2024/03/14/big-dog-fun-by-thomas-wikman-my-library-prizes-podcast/?page_id=448950

25 Waterberger Photos

Today is the two-year anniversary of my blog and this is the 215th post.

Four Leonbergers running in water
Shutterstock-ID: 959582 by Ingvald Kaldhussater

My blog is primarily about Leonbergers, an unusual and fascinating dog breed that is known for its size, affectionate nature, and intelligence. We were lucky enough to live with one for thirteen years. His name was Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle—but we called him “Bronco” for short. I also wrote a book about Leonbergers and about Bronco’s many adventures : The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. If you are on a desktop computer you’ll see the book in the sidebar on the right, and if you are on a phone you have to scroll to the bottom of the page. If you still cannot see the book, you can click here.

Leonbergers love to swim and so did our Bronco. This post features 25 photos of Leonbergers in the water, which is why the title of the post is 25 Waterberger photos. Most of the photos are of our Leonberger Bronco in White Rock Lake in Dallas. He loved to chase ducks and egrets, but catching is difficult. In the end he had no egrets. One of the photos is from a friend and there are a few stock photos. If you want to see Leonberger puppy photos click here, and if you want to see another set of 25 Leonbergers click here, and here is yet another set of 25 Leonbergers.

A Leonberger swimming in lake water
Our Leonberger Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake.
Bronco our Leonberger is standing in lake water
Bronco is standing in the water in White Rock Lake.
A Leonberger swimming in lake water
Our Leonberger Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake.
A Leonberger standing in lake water
Our Leonberger Bronco in shallow water. Still White Rock Lake.
A Leonberger standing in water
Digory a Leonberger in the water. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.
Leonberger standing in a blue kiddie pool
Young Bronco (maybe one years old) standing in a kiddie pool.
Leonberger standing in a blue kiddie pool
Young Bronco standing in a kiddie pool.
A Leonberger standing in lake water
Bronco standing in White Rock Lake.
A Leonberger swimming with a ball in his mouth
Leonberger swimming with a ball. Stock Photo ID: 720242263 by Christian Mueller
A Leonberger standing in beach waves
Leonberger on the beach. Stock Photo ID: 1110805445 by Lolostock
Two Leonbergers swimming next to each other
Two Leonbergers swimming. Stock Photo ID: 1989806678 by Taibomaus.
Leonberger standing in water
Leonberger standing in river. Photo by Stephanie Lucero on Unsplash.
Our Leonberger standing in a blue kiddie pool
Our Bronco in a kiddie pool.
Our Leonberger standing in a blue kiddie pool
Another photo of our Bronco in a kiddie pool
Leonberger dog swimming in a lake
Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake, Texas.
Leonberger dog swimming in a lake
Another photo of Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake, Texas.
Leonberger dog standing in a lake water
Bronco standing in White Rock Lake, nearby Dallas, Texas.
Leonberger dog in lake water
Bronco again
Leonberger dog walking out of a lake
Bronco coming out of White Rock Lake
Leonberger dog walking into water. There is a canoe in the background.
Bronco walking into White Rock Lake
Leonberger dog walking out of a lake. There is a canoe in the background.
Bronco coming back out of White Rock Lake
Leonberger dog walking out of a lake
Bronco coming out of White Rock Lake on a different day.
Leonberger dog walking out of a lake
Bronco coming out of White Rock Lake
Leonberger dog walking out of a lake
Bronco in White Rock Lake

National Love Your Pet Day with Leonbergers and Other Dogs

Today, Tuesday, February 20, 2024, is National Love Your Pet Day. So, I thought I would show some photos of our current dogs and dogs from the past, naturally including our late Leonberger Bronco. I think the photos I am displaying show some of our love for them.

Photo of a Leonberger puppy looking into the camera
Our Leonberger Bronco when he was a three-month-old puppy.
A yellow lab on the left and the dark brown German Shepherd on the right
On the left our Labrador Baylor and on the right our German Shepherd Baby. Baby took care of and protected Bronco when he was a pup, just like a good mother.
Our Leonberger Bronco is standing on our red sofa and giving me a hug and a kiss
Our young Leonberger Bronco is giving me a hug.
Jessica is on the left and she is giving our Leonberger Bronco a kiss
Our niece Jessica giving Bronco a kiss
Our 167-pound Leonberger is sitting in my wife’s lap and she is disappearing behind him.
Our Leonberger Bronco sitting in my wife Claudia’s lap. He was the perfect lap dog.
Our Japanese Shin Ryu is sitting in the middle of the floor
Our Japanese Shin Ryu
Our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy is lying on a blanket on the floor while turning his head and looking into the camera.
Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo as a puppy.
Our 20-year-old daughter is sitting in between our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo (left) and our pug Daisy (right) while petting them both
Our daughter petting Rollo and our pug Daisy
Our pug Daisy’s 15th birthday.
Our dogs are sitting on a very nice leather sofa chair. Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo is sitting on the left and our pug Daisy on the right. They are looking into the camera.
Rollo and Daisy own the best furniture.
Photo of 32 Leonberger faces
The 2019-2020 Grey Muzzle Awardees. Bronco is on the second row from the top and second from left. Click on the picture to visit the YouTube video. Bronco is at two minutes.
Video showing 32 2019 & 2020 Grey Muzzle Awardees (Leonbergers). Bronco at two minutes in.

Another 25 Leonberger Photos and Illustrations

My blog is primarily about Leonbergers, an unusual and fascinating dog breed that is known for its size, affectionate nature, and intelligence. I know a lot about Leonbergers because we were lucky enough to live with one for thirteen years. His name was Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle—but we called him “Bronco” for short. I also wrote a book about Leonbergers and about Bronco’s many adventures : The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. If you are on a desktop computer you’ll see the book on the right, and if you are on a phone you have to scroll to the bottom of the page. You can also click here.

This post features 25 photos and illustrations. Most of the photos are of our Leonberger Bronco, a few are photos by friends and the illustrations were created by Naomi Rosenblatt. If you want to see another set of 25 Leonberger photos click here. If you want to see Leonberger puppy photos, then click here.

This is a black and white photo of our Leonberger puppy Bronco at three months old. He is sitting and staring at the camera. He is wearing a silk scarf.
Our Leonberger Bronco at three months old.
Photo of a Leonberger swimming in a lake.
Bronco our Leonberger is swimming in White Rock Lake.
Bronco our Leonberger is standing in lake water.
Bronco is standing in the water in White Rock Lake.
Photo of a Leonberger lying on a leather sofa with my book leaning towards his chest.
A Canadian Leonberger called Mak with my book. Photo by Debbie Ireland.
Photo of our Leonberger lying on his back and taking up all the room in the sofa
Our Leonberger Bronco is sleeping on our big leather sofa.
Our Leonberger Bronco is lying on top of our red leather sofa as our Pug Daisy is walking next to him and away from him
Bronco with our Pug Daisy. They were sharing the sofa until Daisy decided to move.
Illustration showing our daughter lying on the ground while holding onto a leash. Our Leonberger Bronco is dragging her.
Bronco is pulling our daughter along the ground as she is desperately trying to hold on to him. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.
Colorful illustration showing a big dog wearing a cast on his front left leg and running with it.
Illustration showing Bronco running down the street while wearing a cast. He was not supposed to bump the cast. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.
The photo is showing a beige pug on the left and next to her a black and white Japanese Shin and to the right of them both our Leonberger Bronco.
Our Leonberger Bronco with two small dogs, our Japanese Shin Ryu and our pug Daisy.
The photo shows our Leonberger Bronco wearing a cone shaped party hat.
It is Bronco’s birthday.
Two Leonbergers standing next to each other and wearing party headwear typical for a carnival.
Digory and Obi two Leonbergers. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.
The photo shows a Leonberger in a bathtub.
Digory Jen O’Keefe’s Leonberger. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.
The photo shows a Leonberger standing in water.
Swimming time for Digory Jen O’Keefe’s Leonberger. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.
The photo shows two Leonbergers sitting next to each other.
Digory got bone cancer, had an amputation, and this photo is two years later. He lived long for a Leonberger with this condition. Here is with a Leonberger friend. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.
The photo shows a Leonberger standing and looking into the camera.
Bronco our Leonberger is standing in front of our hallway. He is pretty old in this photo.
Our Leonberger Bronco is lying in the grass in the front yard.
Bronco in our front yard.
Photo shows our Leonberger Bronco standing in the backyard as a sun ray shines down upon him.
Bronco saved our pug’s life. He is a saint.
Photo shows our Leonberger Bronco standing next to my wife Claudia. She is holding the grey-muzzle award.
Bronco lived very long for a Leonberger. The typical lifespan is 8-9 years. The Leonberger Health Foundation International gives out a grey-muzzle award to Leonbergers who has lived 12 years or longer. Here Bronco is receiving his grey-muzzle award.
The Grey Muzzle Award states “For Leonberger longevity is presented with gratitude by the Leonberger Health Foundation Internation To Bronco for Offering Hope and Potential for longer Lives for Leonbergers throughout the world.
The Grey Muzzle Award.
The photo shows our big Leonberger on the left and our little pug Daisy on the right.
Bronco and our pug Daisy.
The photo shows our big Leonberger on the left and our little mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo on the right.
Bronco and our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo.
The photo shows our Leonberger Bronco lying in our backyard in front of our broken fence. He has a plastic bag over his foot where he has a bandage.
A tornado ravaged our neighborhood. Several of our neighbor’s houses were destroyed. Our house stood but the chimney, roof, attic, garage, and fence were severely damaged. It was a tough time for Bronco. He had just had a toe amputation due to cancer; he had ulcerous sores on his foot, then came the tornado and less than a week later he had a heart failure. He is not in good shape in this picture.
The photo shows our Leonberger Bronco wearing a large soft cone. He has just pulled the content on a table off the table onto the floor.
Bronco is walking around the house with his giant soft cone and pulling things off tables.
A very old Bronco lying in the grass and looking straight into the camera.
One of the last photos of Bronco.
The illustration shows a mini-Australian Shepherd on the right, a pug on the left, and a Leonberger in the middle. The mini-Australian Shepherd says, “They still talk about you”. The Leonberger answers “I know”
We will always remember Bronco. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.

Another Canadian Leonberger with My Book

With today’s post I just wanted to show a photo of a beautiful Leonberger called Mak with my book. Debbie Ireland allowed me to use the photo, which I took from her post on Facebook. Another post showing another Canadian Leonberger (Hachi) with my book can be seen here.

A Leonberger sitting lying on a sofa with my book resting on his chest.
Photo of Mak a Leonberger in Canada. Photo by Debbie Ireland.