This blog feature amusing and heartwarming stories about our late Leonberger dog Bronco, as well as other Leonbergers. It also has a lot of information about the Leonberger breed, the history, care, training, Leonberger organizations, etc. I also wrote a Leonberger book, which I am featuring in the sidebar.
This 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.
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.
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 againDaisy on the sofa after an exhausting day of doing nothing.Our pug Daisy when she was young.Daisy our new pug puppy with our son David.Daisy liked to sit in front of the vent when it was cold or alternatively too hot.Daisy loved sunbathing.Daisy in sunglasses.Ryu and Daisy jumped into our suitcase to protest that we were leaving for a trip.Daisy is taking Ryu for a walk.Daisy sunbathing on our patio in the backyard.Daisy standing on our kitchen floor.Daisy on the red sofa.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.Daisy decided to leave because Bronco our Leonberger was taking up too much room.Daisy resting her head on Claudia’s knee.Bronco our Leonberger, Ryu our Japanese Shin, and then Daisy our Pug.Daisy’s 11th birthday.Daisy is sitting on our bed.Daisy and Rollo in the sofa.Our daughter is petting Rollo and Daisy.Daisy and Rollo barking at the mailman + a joke.Daisy’s 15th birthday.Towards the end of her life Daisy had to wear diapers with suspenders.Towards the end of her life Daisy had a hard time walking so she sat in a stroller during our walks.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Our Leonberger Bronco at three months old.Our Leonberger Bronco at three months old.Our Japanese Shin Ryu when he was young.Our son David with our pug Daisy when she was a puppy.Our son David is holding our pug Daisy when she was still a puppy (now she is 15 ½ years old).Two Leonberger puppies. Shutter stock Photo ID: 2294202331 by Olga Shusters.A Leonberger puppy running in the snow. Shutterstock Stock Photo ID: 2056502327 by Nikky de Graaf.A Leonberger puppy standing in the snow. Shutterstock Stock Photo ID: 2390810457 by VeronArt16.Another Leonberger puppy. Stock Photo ID: 561111403 by Akbudak Rimma.Ten Leonberger puppies. My guess is that they are about two months old. Shutterstock-ID:561107710 by Akbudak Rimma.Leonberger puppy. My guess is that he is around two months old. Shutterstock-ID: 629624396 by TOM KAROLA.Two light colored Leonberger puppies playing. My guess is that they are three months old. Shutterstock-ID: 2141564415 by AnetaZabranska.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.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 Japanese Shin Ryu sleeping next to our pug Daisy.Our Japanese Shin Ryu licking our pug Daisy’s ear.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.Our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo.Our pug Daisy and our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo.Bronco and our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo.Bronco and our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo.Our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo playing with an orange ball.Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo is playing with our Leonberger Bronco’s tail. Once he even dangled in it like a swing.
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.
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.
Today is the two-year anniversary of my blog and this is the 215th post.
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.
Our Leonberger Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake.Bronco is standing in the water in White Rock Lake.Our Leonberger Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake.Our Leonberger Bronco in shallow water. Still White Rock Lake.Digory a Leonberger in the water. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Young Bronco (maybe one years old) standing in a kiddie pool.Young Bronco standing in a kiddie pool.Bronco standing in White Rock Lake.Leonberger swimming with a ball. Stock Photo ID: 720242263 by Christian MuellerLeonberger on the beach. Stock Photo ID: 1110805445 by LolostockTwo Leonbergers swimming. Stock Photo ID: 1989806678 by Taibomaus.Leonberger standing in river. Photo by Stephanie Lucero on Unsplash.Our Bronco in a kiddie pool.Another photo of our Bronco in a kiddie poolBronco swimming in White Rock Lake, Texas.Another photo of Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake, Texas.Bronco standing in White Rock Lake, nearby Dallas, Texas.Bronco againBronco coming out of White Rock LakeBronco walking into White Rock LakeBronco coming back out of White Rock LakeBronco coming out of White Rock Lake on a different day.Bronco coming out of White Rock LakeBronco in White Rock Lake
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.
Our Leonberger Bronco when he was a three-month-old puppy.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 young Leonberger Bronco is giving me a hug.Our niece Jessica giving Bronco a kissOur Leonberger Bronco sitting in my wife Claudia’s lap. He was the perfect lap dog.Our Japanese Shin RyuOur mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo as a puppy.Our daughter petting Rollo and our pug DaisyOur pug Daisy’s 15th birthday.Rollo and Daisy own the best furniture.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.
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.
Our Leonberger Bronco at three months old.Bronco our Leonberger is swimming in White Rock Lake.Bronco is standing in the water in White Rock Lake.A Canadian Leonberger called Mak with my book. Photo by Debbie Ireland.Our Leonberger Bronco is sleeping on our big leather sofa.Bronco with our Pug Daisy. They were sharing the sofa until Daisy decided to move.Bronco is pulling our daughter along the ground as she is desperately trying to hold on to him. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.Illustration showing Bronco running down the street while wearing a cast. He was not supposed to bump the cast. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.Our Leonberger Bronco with two small dogs, our Japanese Shin Ryu and our pug Daisy.It is Bronco’s birthday.Digory and Obi two Leonbergers. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Digory Jen O’Keefe’s Leonberger. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Swimming time for Digory Jen O’Keefe’s Leonberger. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.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.Bronco our Leonberger is standing in front of our hallway. He is pretty old in this photo.Bronco in our front yard.Bronco saved our pug’s life. He is a saint.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.Bronco and our pug Daisy.Bronco and our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy Rollo.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.Bronco is walking around the house with his giant soft cone and pulling things off tables.One of the last photos of Bronco.We will always remember Bronco. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.
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.
Photo of Mak a Leonberger in Canada. Photo by Debbie Ireland.
So today (or rather yesterday) Saturday February 3rd, 2024, 1:00PM – 3:00PM I was participating in a book signing in Southlake Texas. It was an independent author’s book sale at “Your CBD Store, Sunmed” in South Lake. It was a friend of mine from another independent author’s book sale event at a library who invited. It was well done but a little slow. However, I still sold a few books, and I donated one to the very nice store manager Julia. Above all it was fun. I also bought a book from the woman sitting across from me (Tanya Taylor Morris) and it turned out to be a very poignant and eye-opening book that I am really glad that I came across. More on that later.
To check out and maybe buy my book visit the Amazon or Barnes and Noble location for the book. You can do that by clicking on the book cover images to the right if you are on a computer or at the bottom of the page if you are on a mobile. As you know if you’ve followed my blog the proceeds from my book sales are donated to the Leonberger Health Foundation International.
Leonberger Life 