Leonbergers – Page 2 – Leonberger Life

The Sense of Smell in Dogs

This evening around 7:45PM my daughter came to me and said that my wife, Claudia, and her, wanted to take Rollo for a walk. I said that I had told Claudia that I would go with her and Rollo for a walk at 8:00PM, and that I was in the middle of something right now. We had an argument, which ended with my daughter and my wife taking Rollo for a walk at around 7:50PM, and I stayed home to finish what I was doing. The reason we are walking him late in the evening is because here in north Texas it is pretty hot, so you need to wait until twilight.

They left, but at 8:00PM I decided to join them, so I went after them. However, I could not find them. When I reached an intersection, I called my wife on her phone to find out which way they went. She did not answer because she had left her phone at home. The same was true for my daughter. But then I thought I heard Rollo barking, so I went that way. It turned out it was another dog. I turned around and started walking home. I had about a mile back home.

Soon after I had rounded a corner in an intersection, I heard a bark. I turned around and there was Rollo running towards me with my daughter running behind him holding the leash. She explained that Rollo had picked up a scent about half a mile back and had started running. She thought he had smelled another dog and along the way they passed a dog. However, he just ran passed the dog without acknowledging the dog. He was obviously after something else. She was wondering what he was running after, and she found the answer as they rounded the corner and saw me.

He had smelled my scent and had started running to find me from half a mile away. It wasn’t like I stank to high heaven. I took a shower today. How could he smell me, just from walking around the neighborhood? The sense of smell of dogs is amazing. Clearly Rollo’s sense of smell was better than my hearing. According to this article (and this) a dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times more acute than that of a human. You can read more about Rollo here and here and here. Below are a few photos of Rollo.

A mini-Australian Shepherd puppy lying on a blanket and looking into the camera. — Close up of Rollo as a puppy.

The photo shows a mini-Australian Shepherd puppy biting an orange volleyball. — Rollo playing with a volleyball.

The photo shows a mini-Australian Shepherd biting a Leonberger’s tail. — Rollo frequently bit our Leonberger Bronco’s tail, and he even swung in it like a swing. He climbed all over Bronco. Bronco was very patient with him.

The Day Our Leonberger Bronco Sniffed out an Insulin Shock

According to the article that I mentioned above “Dogs’ powerful noses are being used in medicine to detect diseases, sniffing them out in a less invasive manner than the currently available diagnostic tests”. For example, dogs have been able to accurately detect cancer, predict seizures and identify people with low blood sugar just by using their noses. This is exactly what I am going to describe below.

We used to have a Labrador called Baylor who had diabetes. Well, more exactly he was ¾ Labrador and ¼ Rhodesian Ridgeback. I used to give him insulin shots after every meal. We also had a Leonberger called Bronco. This was a large dog. Leonberger are related to Saint Bernards and about the same size.

One day as we had just gone to bed our Leonberger Bronco started barking while looking intently at Baylor, then he looked at us, then he turned his head toward Baylor and started barking again. He did this a few times—not aggressively, but to get our attention. It became clear to us that Bronco wanted us to look at Baylor. I examined Baylor but saw nothing wrong at first. Then I looked again. This time I saw that his back legs were shaking slightly. It quickly got worse. His gait became wobbly, then within perhaps fifteen seconds he fainted. He had gone into insulin shock. “Insulin shock” is another name for severe hypoglycemia, a condition where blood sugar (glucose) is dangerously low. Exactly, what dogs can smell out according to the article above. We rushed him to the emergency clinic, where fortunately the doctors were able to revive him.

Bronco detected a problem with Baylor before we could see anything wrong. His warnings gave us that little bit of extra time we needed to save Baylor’s life. Imagine if we had gone to bed, fallen asleep and not noticed the problem. I can add that Leonbergers have a very keen sense of smell. We had never taught Bronco to detect insulin shock or any other condition. It was entirely his own instinct. This was one of the amazing superpowers Bronco had. I should say that we didn’t know this at the time, but giving a dog sugar, or something sweet, can bring him out of insulin shock. To read more about this incident click here or here. Below are some photos of Bronco and Baylor.

Close up photo of Baylor our Labrador Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. He is looking into the camera. — Baylor is young in this photo. The photo is from around 2005 or 2006. Baylor had a smile that would warm the coldest hearts.

Our Leonberger is standing on the large red leather sofa giving me a kiss. — Me and our Leonberger Bronco when he was young.

Bronco our Leonberger is standing in front of me and he is looking into the camera. — Our Leonberger Bronco is ready for dinner

Leonberger Guiness World Record

With this post I just wanted to highlight a fun Leonberger YouTube video regarding a Leonberger who succeeded in creating a new Guiness World Record on the Britain Got Talent show. If you don’t know what a Leonberger is; it is a big fluffy, fun and friendly family dog originating in Germany. It was registered as a new breed in 1846 in the town of Leonberger by a prominent businessman named Heinrich Essig. Leonbergers are related to Saint Bernards, Newfoundland Dogs, and allegedly Great Pyrenees (or Pyrenean mastiffs). You can read about the history of the Leonberger here. I am sorry I realized now that the page is full of typos. I have to fix that at some point.

At the end of this page, I put a fun YouTube video of Leonberger named Hagrid who created a new Guiness World Record. Since I created my Leonberger history page when I had just launched this blog in 2022 and had very few followers many people may have missed the Hagrid movie, so here it is. I can add that I have also added some photos of our late Leonberger Bronco at the end of this post.

Leonberger Hagrid

Photos of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle

A Leonberger puppy wearing a red scarf. — Bronco our Leonberger at three months old.

My wife is sitting on a red sofa. Our Leonberger Bronco is sitting in her lap and she practically disappearing behind him. — Bronco the lapdog. He is sitting in my wife’s lap, all 167 pounds of him.

A big fluffy brown dog lying in the grass — Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle or Bronco as we called him.

On the left our Leonberger Bronco. On the right our Pug Daisy. Both are looking into the camera. — Our late Leonberger Bronco and his sister, the pug Daisy.

On the left a large Leonberger sniffing a small mini-Australian puppy on the right. — A new puppy arrives, Rollo, a mini-Australian Shepherd. Hello Rollo!

On the left is a black and white mini-Australian Shepherd biting the tail of a Leonberger who is on the right. — As Rollo got older, he liked to tease Bronco. He pulled and even swung in Bronco’s tail. He also walked over him and sat on him. Bronco was very patient.

Leonberger Chance Encounters

We just came back from a trip to Baltimore. Our oldest son and his wife are having a baby, a son, due in September. He will be our first grandchild. On Saturday they held a baby shower. That is Saturday yesterday or two days ago depending on your time zone. Our son and his wife had organized a barbeque for about forty people. It was what they called a Baby-Q. They have a smoker and had smoked brisket throughout Friday-Saturday night.

I was talking to our daughter-in-law’s mother when she mentioned a recent chance encounter with a Leonberger. It was at her mother’s nursing home. I can add that Leonbergers are great therapy dogs because of their calm temper, friendly disposition, intelligence and trainability. They are therefore frequently found at hospitals, nursing homes, and similar places.

Two women behind a large Leonberger. The woman on the left is an elderly woman sitting in a wheelchair. — Our daughter-in-law’s mother is on the left and her mother is on the right. She gave me permission to use this photo. The Leonberger is in the middle front.

A Therapy Leonberger Called Scout

As I mentioned, Leonbergers are great therapy dogs and are often used in hospitals. Below is a video about a Leonberger called Scout by CBC news in Canada. This Leonberger is helping residents at Hamilton mental health hospital. He was bred by Concorde Ridge Leonbergers. They have a website and a blog which I follow. You visit my post about Scout here. The 8-minute video is shown on the website below.

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/1.6835161

The Leonberger at the top of Skull Mountain

Speaking about Leonberger chance encounters, one very unexpected Leonberger encounter happened to us at the top of a mountain in northern Sweden. My wife, my daughter, my brother and his wife and children were hiking/climbing up to the top of a mountain in the high coast region of northern Sweden. This is a coastal region of Sweden that is quite mountainous and feature fjords, like in Norway. This is the region where I was born and where I grew up. The name of the mountain was Skule Berget, or Skull Mountain. We did it for the adventure, the views, and to visit a famous cave. Below is the view from the top of Skull Mountain in the High Coast.

The photo shows cliffs at the bottom of the photo and in the distance, you can see mountains surrounding a fjord. — View from the top of Skule Berget.

At the top of the mountain, we met a man who had brought his dog, and it was not just any kind of dog, it was a female Leonberger Named Amie. The owner told us that Amie was nine years old, which is old for a Leonberger. It was quite a hike to the top of the mountain so the dog must have been in good shape despite her age. Well, the man we too were in good shape too. You can read about our Skull Mountain adventure here.

As soon as we them, we shouted, “look a Leonberger”, and Amie started wagging her tail and running towards us. She obviously loved attention. Her owner let us pet her and take a few photos of her. Amie was very playful; she rolled around and wanted to be petted. She was very friendly. She reminded us of our late Leonberger Bronco, but being a female, she was a little bit smaller and more feminine looking. Below, are a couple of photos of Amie.

A photo of the Leonberger Amie standing on top of a wooden bench on top of the mountain. — Amie at the top of Skule Berget.

About the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle

Finally, I would like to mention that I am currently is running a promotion for my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger”. It is to celebrate Bronco’s birthday and his memory. I should say the book features the amusing adventures of our Leonberger Bronco and his dog friends, and information on how to train and care for Leonbergers and other large breeds, as well as breed history, breed standard, Leonberger organizations, and a resource guide. I can add that all photos and illustrations are in color.

The price of the Kindle version of my book is now only $2.99 and the price of the paperback version is 17.95 (normal prize is $19.95). You can read more about the promotion here. I will keep the promotion going for a few more days.

This is the front cover of the book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”. Click here or on the image to go to the United States Amazon location for the paperback version of the book.

The back cover in gold and beige features a photo of a Leonberger in a snowy forest and an introduction to the book. — This is the back cover of the book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”. Click here or on the image to go to the Amazon.com location for the kindle version of the book.

The endorsements say “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. D'Nae Wilson, President, Leonberger Health Foundation International.” and “A lovely tribute to Bronco, with lots of resources for general Leonberger information. Julie Schaffert, LCA breeder since 1992.” — Again, these are the endorsements for the book by some very prominent members of the Leonberger community. Click here or on the image to go to the location for the book Amazon in Canada.

Promotion Of the Life and Times of Le Bronco Von Der Lowenhohle

BUY HERE

Our late Leonberger Bronco’s birthday was on July 3^rd and therefore I am holding a promotion. The price of the Kindle version of my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle” is now only $2.99 and the price of the paperback version is 17.95 (normal prize is $19.95). I will keep that price until Jul 31st. The prices in all other countries, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Australia, etc., are lowered by the same amount. Below is some information about my book as well as four reviews from four different countries.

The gold and beige book cover features the face of our Leonberger Bronco and the text "The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger." — This is the front cover of the book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”. Click here or on the image to go to the United States Amazon location for the paperback version of the book.

Advance Praise for the book

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

Amazon’s description of : The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger by Thomas Wikman

If you’re thinking of getting a Leonberger, or if you’ve already owned one and know how rewarding the experience can be, you’ll want to read the story of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, called Bronco, who came into the lives of the Wikman family of Dallas, Texas, in 2007. Bronco, a recipient of the Leonberger Health Foundation International’s Grey Muzzle Award, lived an unusually long life for a Leonberger—almost thirteen years. His human family is convinced that what helped him exceed his breed’s normal life expectancy was his brave and loving heart.

Here you’ll read about some of 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 author is donating the proceeds from the sale of this book to the Leonberger Health Foundation International

Thomas Wikman is a retired automation, robotics, and software engineer and inveterate dog lover who emigrated from Sweden to the United States, where he and his wife raised three children. Their cherished Leonberger, Bronco, crossed the Rainbow Bridge in 2020. The Wikmans live in Dallas, Texas, with their two dogs—a pug and a miniature Australian shepherd.

Review from Amazon.com by Pete Springer

The Story of One Family’s Love for Their Leonberger

Having been around big dogs my entire life, I was very much looking forward to reading about Bronco, a large breed of dog known as a Leonberger. Thomas Wikman has penned a wonderful memoir about his family’s 12+ year journey with Bronco. As I read this story, I realized this was no ordinary breed or dog. Bronco and the rest of the Wikmans’ dogs become like family members. The part of the story I enjoyed the most were the engaging and entertaining anecdotal stories. Wikman gives a very honest account and describes the wonderful parts and challenges of owning a Leoberger. It was fascinating how the smaller dogs quickly accepted Bronco into the fold and became pals.

In addition, the author includes lots of general information about Leonbergers including the extensive process involved adopting one of these dogs. I learned too much to describe here, but Wikman doesn’t miss anything from their history, diet, disposition, health challenges and quirks. It’s obvious how much research and energy went into writing this comprehensive book. I was thoroughly impressed and learned a great deal about these loving giants. I would recommend this book for anyone who loves dogs.

Review from Amazon in Canada by Brenda Saito

A must read for any Leonberger owner or anyone considering a Leonberger

We became Leonberger human parents in October 2022. We knew very little about the breed so I searched online. I found a reference to Thomas Wikman’s book and was instantly intrigued given that the book was a personal experience of life with a Leonberger. This book has proven to be the best book about Leonbergers that I have purchased and I have purchased quite a few.

The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Lowenhohle is a heartwarming story of Bronco’s life with the Wikman family and their other canines. This book also contains a wealth of well researched and experienced information about Leonbergers, both good and bad. Also the bonus in this book is at the back where Thomas Wikman has included 2 Appendices which provided me with the Leonberger database and a Resources and References section.

This book has helped my family through the first amazing year with our male Leonberger, Hachi. We look forward to many more years with him and we keep Thomas Wikman’s book near by for any help we may need.

A young Leonberger is lying down on the floor and there is a book leaning on his side. — Photo that the reviewer submitted with the review. It is a Leonberger with the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger by Thomas Wikman.

Review from Amazon in Sweden by Anders Pikas

Heartwarming story about a great dog and his family

It was a joy to follow the life of a Leonberger with a fascinating personality, and episodes with the other dogs and people in the same family.

Review from Amazon in the UK by Annika

Heartwarming & funny stories plus facts galore about Leonbergers! Excellent!

Maybe I should start this book review by clarifying that I’ve never owned a dog! I do like them and enjoy their presence when visiting family and friends. So why did I pick up this book about Bronco, a Leonberger, which is one of the world’s biggest dogs?

What I do love is stories and Thomas Wikman’s book is a terrific series of stories about one of the most affectionate, friendliest and gentle giant of personalities – Bronco. He just happens to be a massive dog, sometimes even mistaken for a bear!

The author is a natural storyteller and his fluid conversational writing style pulls the reader immediately into his family world and their dogs (yes, there are more than Bronco!) A family who care deeply for each other and their pets. It’s a book about character, perseverance, enjoying life to the full, of kindness and of giving. A book that encompasses love and warmth.

‘The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle’ is a terrific combination of storytelling of the life of Bronco along with factual expert information.

The book explores how Bronco came to the family (there is drama in that alone!), with hilarious and laugh-out-loud tales of his antics as well as some of his heroic deeds. Bronco was a superhero as he rescued two escaped hamsters — by putting them in the cheeks of his mouth! Luckily quick thinking Claudia, Thomas’s wife, performed CPR and they recovered. There were a few hilarious incidents when Bronco proved just too strong on the lead then on one occasion he successfully scared away a nighttime prowler as well as saving the life of another family dog. Bronco was a gifted escape artist and the scientist Thomas, not seeing any way this was possible, decided the dog had discovered ‘quantum tunnelling’.

The book is also a detailed and superlative reference and resource book for any owners or prospective owners of Leonbergers. The information includes the history of this rare and unusual breed, medical conditions etc in separate chapters as well as information panels regarding their care, diet, etc. Even as a non-dog owner, I found these all interesting and always enjoy learning something new. For example, Leonbergers were a favoured breed for many of the royal courts in Europe at one time and it was mind-boggling to read that after World War Two there were only eight Leonbergers left in the whole world. The medical conditions include many I recognise from human diseases and illness and not something I would associate with dogs. My learning curve was steep when reading these facts.

The numerous photos of Bronco (and some of the other dogs) are adorable and I was smitten with the captivating and beautiful illustrations which are interspersed throughout the book and these capture many of the humorous moments perfectly.

The addition of a small quiz was a welcome surprise and even this non-dog owner didn’t disgrace herself — although not quite acing it!

Just as Bronco becomes an integral part of the family he also became an important member of the local community. At one stage he proved too popular with the football players’ at the daughter’s local matches. Poor Bronco was asked to leave as the players attention was not on the game. The sense of community extended to the Leonberger groups around the globe and the Leonberger Health Foundation International awarded him the treasured Grey Muzzle Award, which is given to any Leonberger aged 12 by which time Bronco was a veritable canine centurion.

The chapters regarding Bronco’s failing health are particularly poignant and moving. By now the Bronco had won a place in my heart and I was tear-eyed as I read of these difficult times for him and the family.

‘The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle’ is a gem of a book which shines bright with humour, love and positive energy, the stories carrying the reader away with them while the expert facts are fascinating and informative. A book I highly recommend.

Finally, it should be noted that the author is donating his proceeds from book sales to the Leonberger Health Foundation International, an organisation that supports research aimed at improving the health of large dogs.

Again, these are the endorsements for the book by some very prominent members of the Leonberger community. Click here or on the image to go to the Barnes and Noble location for the book.

Getting My Book in Other Places

You can also get my book in many other places including Amazon in every country where Amazon exists, for example Canada, and other bookstores such as Chapters Indigo, Apple, etc. To see a list of the options visit my Book Page by clicking here.

25 Leonberger Pictures with People

This is another post with the “25 Leonberger photos” theme. This time the theme is “25 Leonberger Pictures with People”. I’ve selected photos and illustrations of our late Leonberger Bronco that also feature people. A few of the photos are stock images from Shutterstock but most of the pictures are mine. Below is a list of the previous posts using the theme 25 Leonberger photos.

Also, if you have not checked out my superfactful blog yet feel free to do so.

25 Leonberger Pictures with People

The family is in the living room, and we are facing the camera. Our Leonberger Bronco is lying on the floor. — This is a photo of our family. It is a few years old. From left to right, our oldest son, our Japanese Chin Ryu, my wife Claudia and I am standing behind her, our Leonberger Bronco, our younger son, and our daughter with our Pug Daisy. I would like to add that since then I’ve gotten in better shape.

Our Leonberger is standing on a red leather sofa stretching to give me a hug. I am standing behind the sofa. — Our one-year-old Leonberger Bronco wants to give me a hug. He wanted to give hugs all the time. We also danced a lot. He was a good dancer.

Old black and white photo showing a man holding a Leonberger with a leash. — Bronco’s direct ancestor on the male side Leo von der Sagmuhle in Germany about 100 years ago (18 generations). I got this information from the World Wide Leonberger Database.

Illustration showing our daughter lying on the ground while holding onto a leash. Our Leonberger Bronco is dragging her. — Leonbergers are muscular, big and strong. Bronco is pulling our daughter along the ground as she is desperately trying to hold on to him. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.

Brown big dog chasing a man running. — Bronco is chasing off a peeping Tom who was terrorizing the women in the neighborhood including my wife. The trespassing peeping Tom never came back. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.

An illustration showing me lying on the street. I am trying to pull up our German Shepherd Baby from a storm drain while holding onto our Leonberger Bronco who is jumping up and down and barking. — This illustration depicts an occasion when Bronco was not so well behaved. We saw a dog across the street and our Leonberger Bronco became wild. He started barking and jumping around and he accidentally pushed our German Shepherd into a storm drain. I had to get her out while holding onto an agitated Bronco. The man across the street lifted his dog and ran as fast as he could down the street. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.

This is an illustration showing our neighbor (wearing a hat) running down the street with his two corgis. Bronco our Leonberger is running after him, and my wife Claudia is running after Bronco. — Once Bronco had a toe amputation due to cancer and the doctor put a full leg cast on him. He told us that he should not bump the cast, and that he should not go for walks for ten days. But Bronco was begging to go out, so my wife finally took him for a walk. She did not use the leash because she thought that he could barely walk. A few minutes later I heard screaming, and I opened the door and saw this. Bronco was chasing our neighbor and his two corgis as Claudia was running after him and screaming at him to stop. The cast went bump, bump, BUMP, in the sidewalk. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.

Claudia my wife sitting in a red sofa with our very big dog in her lap. — Our Leonberger Bronco got tired of watching the kids play games all day long. So, one day he calmly walked over to their laptop and bit the laptop hard. That was the end of the laptop. You could see the bite marks on the laptop. I took it back to Best Buy where the Geek Squad guy really wanted to know what happened. He said he had never seen anything like it. Luckily, they replaced the laptop. It is written Nerd Brigade instead of the Geek Squad in the illustration because of potential copyright issues. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.

A young gangly Leonberger with a bandage on his knee is next to a little Chihuahua. The two owners of the little dog are a lady in blue jeans and a lady in white pants. The lady with white pants is also wearing a bandage on her knee. — Our Leonberger Bronco at the dog park at five/six months old. He is wearing a bandage on his knee because he got a condition from growing too fast. The two ladies are the owners of the little dog.

Claudia my wife is sitting in a red sofa with our very big Leonberger dog in her lap. — Our Leonberger Bronco is sitting in my wife’s lap. He was 167 pounds at the time. Silly Bronco thought he was a lap dog.

On the left our Leonberger Bronco. On the right my wife holding his Grey Muzzle Award diploma. — My wife Claudia with Bronco’s Grey Muzzle Award. Leonbergers typically don’t live long and therefore Bronco’s long life was unusual. The Leonberger Health Foundation International awards Leonbergers who live longer than 12 years with an award called the Grey Muzzle Award.

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. As mentioned above, the Leonberger Health Foundation International gives out a grey-muzzle award to Leonbergers who have lived 12 years or longer. Here Bronco is receiving his grey-muzzle award.

The photo shows a Leonberger lying on the floor on his back sleeping. Two children, a boy and a girl, are sitting at a table in the back of the room playing Jenga. There’s a big bookshelf and two computer screens in the background. The sleeping Leonberger is in the foreground. — Photo of our Leonberger Bronco when he was very young. Less than one years old. He is sleeping on the floor. The kids are playing in the background.

Our Leonberger Bronco and our niece Jessica are lying on the floor. Jessica is giving Bronco a kiss. — Our niece Jessica is giving Bronco a kiss.

Our son is petting our Leonberger. The sofa is partially covered by a black and white blanket. — Our oldest son and our daughter are sitting in the sofa. Our Leonberger Bronco is in the foreground. In the back is our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo.

My wife Claudia and our Leonberger Bronco is sitting in a sofa. Claudia is on the right and Bronco on the left. They are sitting close and Bronco has his paws in her lap. Claudia is petting Bronco. — My wife Claudia with our Leonberger Bronco.

Our Leonberger Bronco and me are lying on the ground looking into the camera. I am wearing a mask. I am wearing a blue polo short. — Me and Bronco during Covid-19 times.

Claudia is standing on green grass in front of White Rock Lake. She is holding onto our Leonberger Bronco and our pug Daisy. — Claudia with Bronco and our pug Daisy down by White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.

You can see the arms and the hands of the nurse changing the bandage on our Leonberger Bronco’s paw and lower leg. — A nurse is putting on a bandage on Bronco’s paw. This was because he had a toe amputation due to a cancer cyst on his toe. The cancer was not aggressive and did not spread. The toe amputation took care of it. First, he had a cast. Then he had bandages.

Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo on the left giving our Leonberger Bronco a kiss. Our son is partially visible behind them. — Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo is giving Bronco a kiss. Our son is overseeing and petting them both.

Young Leonberger standing on his hindlegs putting his paws on a woman’s shoulders and giving her a hug. — Young Leonberger, probably less than a year old. Leonbergers aren’t fully grown until they are close to two years old. Stock Photo ID: 2089116934 by cynoclub.

Young woman dressed in a red shirt and blue ripped jeans. A Leonberger puppy is leaning over the woman. — Young Leonberger and woman in front of white background Asset id: 2022376910 by cynoclub.

On the left is a young boy, maybe two or three years old. He is dressed in blue. He is standing, bending down, in front of a Leonberger lying on the ground. — A little boy is playing with a giant dog in the garden Asset id: 1044912799 by Lolostock – by Apex Studios.

The photo shows a young blond woman running with a Leonberger in a leash. There are tents and other people in the background. — RONNEBY, SWEDEN – JULY 05, 2014: Blekinge Kennelklubb international dog show. A Leonberger dog and a female handler running in a show ring. Asset id: 204221011 by Imfoto

100000

At about 8:00AM Central Standard Time my Leonberger blog surpassed 100,000 views. At the moment of this writing, I have 55,000+ visitors, 10,600+ comments, 16,800+ likes, and 326 posts. I am very grateful for all of your visits, likes and comments. Thank you so much!

I started this blog to promote my Leonberger book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger” (see picture below). That was a bit more than three years ago. I can add that the three-year anniversary of the release of my book is coming up in July. Click here to read more about my book.

Since the launch of my blog, my blogging has evolved and in addition to Leonbergers my blog has become a personal blog featuring book reviews, travel stories, and other topics. In other words, I am using my blog for my personal entertainment, in addition to on occasion promoting my Leonberger book.

The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Lowenhohle

These are the endorsements for the book. Click here or on the image to go to the Barnes and Noble location for the book.

Three Leonberger Photos

A photo of a Leonberger puppy wearing a red scarf. — This is a photo of our Leonberger Bronco when he was three months old. It is the photo I’ve used the most throughout this blog. Click here to visit the blog which organizes and lists all of my 300+ posts.

A Leonberger is lying on the floor, and my book is leaning against the dog. — Hachi a Canadian Leonberger featured with my book. He was one year old when this photo was taken by Brenda Saito and her husband. Click here or on the photo to visit the paperback version for the book on Canadian Amazon.

A Canadian Leonberger called Mak with my book. Photo by Debbie Ireland. Click here or on the photo to visit the page for the book on Chapters Indigo.

The Life and Times of Le Bronco Von Der Lowenhohle is on Smorgasbord Today

Please go and check it out. Thank you so much Sally

Smorgasbord Book Promotions 2025 – Share an Excerpt from one of your published book #Doglovers – The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger by Thomas Wikman

25 Silly Leonbergers

This is another post with the “25 Leonberger photos” theme. This time the theme is “25 silly Leonbergers”. The post feature Leonbergers looking silly or being in funny situations. A lot of the photos are of our late Leonberger Bronco but there are also Leonberger photos provided by friends as well as a couple of Leonberger stock photos. Below is a list of the previous posts using the theme 25 Leonberger photos.

Also if you have not checked out my new superfactful blog feel free to do so.

25 Silly Leonbergers

The first photos are not really silly, but they are photos of Leonberger puppies and they are cute and act silly. The first photo is of our Leonberger puppy at three months old. It was a chore to get him to sit still.

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.

Leonberger puppy giving a Chihuahua kiss, but the Chihuahua does not look happy. The Leonberger puppy is much bigger than the Chihuahua. — The silly Leonberger puppy is kissing a chihuahua who is getting annoyed. Stock Photo ID: 2166660069 by cynoclub.

A black-brown German Shephard is playing with a young Leonberger lying on his back. — Baby our German Shepherd is playing with our four months old Leonberger Bronco. Baby loved Bronco as if it was her own puppy. They were playing all day long. Silly dogs.

A Leonberger in Action Illustrated

For a couple of weeks there was a peeping Tom who trespassed on our property and sat outside our bedroom window shouting obscenities and threats primarily at my wife. As it turned out the peeping Tom was doing the same thing to a lot of other women in the neighborhood. He had been quite busy looking through bedroom windows at night.

The police were not able to do anything about it, so I hired private detectives. The plan was that they were going to catch him in the act and turn him into the police. They sat in our backyard behind the bushes with a whole bunch of instruments, cameras, recording devices, and metal detectors. They also hid in a dark car parked nearby our house. My father-in-law was surprised that I was able to find the detectives. He did not think people like them existed and he asked me “how did you find them?”. I found them in the phone book (phone books still existed back then). They reminded us of the Ghost Busters with their enthusiasm, dress, and all their instruments.

Unfortunately, Ghost Busters, I mean the detectives did not catch the peeping Tom, so I had to let them go. However, that’s when Bronco stepped in. One night we heard a shuffling outside the house, and I sent Bronco out to chase him. It worked. The peeping Tom was really frightened, and he never came back. Bronco probably just wanted to say hello and lick him, but the peeping Tom did not know that. Bronco saved the entire neighborhood. Well Bronco was not the one who was silly this time, but everyone else was including the detectives.

Back when Bronco our Leonberger was young, the kids had pet hamsters—Moldova and Montenegro. The hamsters escaped from their cages sometimes, but Bronco usually helped us find them whenever they did. Claudia would tell him, “Bronco, find the hamsters,” and he would go around the house sniffing until he found them. One time he found them in the linen closet; another time he found them on a shelf in the living room.

On one occasion, a friend of David trusted us with his two hamsters while he and his family went on vacation. A couple of days later, Claudia noticed that the two hamsters were missing from their cage. The next thing she noticed was that Bronco’s cheeks looked puffy, so she said, “Bronco, drop it!” Out came the two hamsters, both unconscious.

In a panic, Claudia started performing CPR on the unconscious hamsters. She put one hamster at a time in her hand and gently compressed each tiny chest using the finger of the other hand. Fortunately, one hamster revived right away. The CPR didn’t seem to be working on the other hamster, but Claudia put both of them back in their cage, and soon the second hamster also woke up. We decided to keep the incident to ourselves. Hamsters don’t squeal. In this case I think Bronco was silly, even though he might have been a hero.

Leonberger with puffy cheeks. — Bronco’s puffy cheeks hold two hamsters he probably was trying to save. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.

On yet another occasion Bronco was really silly. He had a toe amputation, and we were instructed to keep him inside for 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.

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 the 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. This time Bronco was really silly.

Colorful illustration showing a big dog wearing a cast on his front left leg and running with it. — This is an illustration showing Bronco running down the street while wearing a cast. He was not supposed to bump the cast. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.

Another time that Bronco was silly was when he started barking and jumping around when he saw a dog across the street. In the process he accidentally pushed our German Shepherd baby into a storm drain. I had to lay down on the ground and lift Baby out of storm drain all while holding onto Bronco. The owner of the other dog lifted up his dog into his arms and ran as fast as he could down the street. That was embarrassing and stressful. Silly Bronco.

Additional Silly Leonberger Photos

Bronco our Leonberger is shown standing in a kiddie pool. — Bronco our Leonberger get washed off at a fairly young age. He liked water.

Our Leonberger Bronco is standing by the kitchen gate. He is wearing a round hat. It is the kind of hat that pilgrims wore. — Bronco standing by the kitchen gate. The kitchen gate was there to keep him from going inside the kitchen and do counter surfing.

Our big Leonberger dog Bronco is lying on the sofa, and our pug Daisy is walking right by him. — Bronco and our Pug Daisy. Daisy is leaving because she thinks Bronco is hogging the sofa.

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’s head is sticking up above the bushes. — Our Leonberger Bronco in the bushes.

Our Leonberger Bronco is standing in our backyard as a sunray is shining on his head. He looks like a saint. — Our Leonberger Bronco in the backyard. He was a saint. This time it is me, the photographer, who is silly.

A photo of our Leonberger dog wearing a blue party hat. — It is Bronco’s 11^th birthday.

The photo shows a table with nothing on it. There is a pile of books and papers on the floor. Bronco is standing behind the table. He is wearing a big cone around his head. — After a toe amputation due to toe cancer, Bronco needed to wear a cone, a big soft cone. Unfortunately, he frequently cleared tables as he swung the cone back and forth. Here he has just pushed a pile of books and papers off a table.

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. Bronco is nicely welcoming our new puppy, but the size difference is silly.

In the photo below it is really our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo who is being silly. But he is very silly pulling Bronco’s tail. He even swung in it like a swing.

The photo shows our mini-Australian Shepherd biting Bronco’s tail and pulling on it as Bronco is trying to ignore him. — A rambunctious Rollo is biting Bronco’s tail. Bronco was very patient. One time Rollo swung in his tail as if it was a swing.

Below is a photo of silly gingerbread stealing dogs.

The photo shows our pug Daisy on the left and our Leonberger Bronco on the right. They are both looking into the camera. Pieces of the gingerbread house are lying on the floor. — Bronco our Leonberger with Daisy our Pug in the Kitchen. Bronco says, “look what Daisy did to the gingerbread house that stood on the counter”. Actually, what really happened was that Bronco grabbed the gingerbread house and shared it with Daisy.

Two Leonbergers standing next to each other and wearing party headwear typical for a carnival. — Digory and Obi are two Leonbergers. Digory was a very brave Leonberger who fought cancer. He was featured in the Leo-Letter a Leonberger Magazine Photo by Jen O’Keefe. Jen is a friend in the Leonberger community.

Five Leonbergers lying in the grass. They are wearing hats showing the American flag. — Five Leonbergers including Digory on 4^th of July 2023. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.

Six Leonbergers with celebration hats are looking straight into the camera. — Six Leonbergers celebrating a birthday. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.

Todays Mail the LeoLetter Badlands and Reunion Coda

Today I received interesting mail. In addition to the usual junk mail and a couple of bills I got the LeoLetter, the Leoberger magazine, and I got a box from Amazon containing two brand new books that I am very excited to read.

The LeoLetter

The “LeoLetter : Great Dogs, Great People,” is the official quarterly publication of the Leonberger Club of America. You can read about the history of the Leonberger Club of America here. What makes today’s LeoLetter special to me is because I have an Ad in it for my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger”. To visit the Amazon location for my book, click here.

The Ad features the front cover of the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle as well as information and praise for the book. — This is my ad for my book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger. Click on the picture to visit the Amazon location for the book.

Badlands

Next, I opened the box in it was two books. One of them was Badlands (Savage Land) by Jacqui Murray. I bought the paperback version. I have only read the beginning, and it is very exciting. It is book two in a trilogy about prehistoric man. I read the previous book Endangered Species, a book I loved, and you can read my book tour post here and my review here. There is an ongoing book tour for Badlands, and you visit the five first book tour posts here:

The front cover features a volcano and a woman surrounded by wolves. — Front cover of Badlands by Jacqui Murray. Click here or on the picture to visit the Amazon location for the paperback version.

Below is Amazon’s Overview of the Badlands

Savage Land is the third trilogy about prehistoric man in the series, Man. Vs. Nature.Written in the spirit of Jean Auel, Savage Land explores how two bands of humans survived one of the worst natural disasters in Earth’s history, when volcanic eruptions darkened the sky, massive tsunamis crossed the ocean in crushing waves, and raging fires burned the land. Each of the tribes considered themselves apex predators. Neither was. That crown belonged to Nature and she was intent on washing the blight of man from her face. Join me in this three-book fictional exploration of Neanderthals. Be ready for a world nothing like what you thought it would be, filled with clever minds, brilliant acts, and innovative solutions to life-ending problems, all based on real events. At the end of this trilogy, you’ll be proud to call Neanderthals family.

In Badlands, Book Two, the tribes must split up, each independently crossing what Nature has turned into a wasteland. They struggle against starvation, thirst, and desperate enemies more feral than human. If they quit or worse, lose, they will never reunite with their groups or escape the most deadly natural disaster ever faced by our kind.

The back cover features the overview of the book. — This is the back cover of the book Badlands by Jacqui Murray.

Reunion Coda

Another nice surprise in the box was Reunion: Coda: Book 2 of the Reunion Duology by Alex Diaz-Granados. I also read parts of this book so far, and I loved it. It also has a lot of nice pictures to support the story. The end of the book features my interview with the author, which you can read here. You can read my review for the first book in the duology (Reunion) here <<Link-10>>.

The front cover features a photo of New York at night taken from above. — Front cover of Reunion: Coda: Book 2 of the Reunion Duology. To visit the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book you can click here or on the picture.

Below is Amazon’s Overview of the Reunion Coda

In Reunion: Coda, Jim Garraty’s journey continues as he navigates the intricate dance between past regrets and present hopes. Now a successful history professor, Jim’s life is a tapestry of unspoken love, haunting memories, and the pursuit of emotional closure.

As Jim reflects on his high school years and the profound impact of his relationships, he grapples with the lessons learned from missed opportunities and the unpredictable nature of life. Through introspective moments and heartfelt letters, Jim uncovers the strength to confront his deepest fears and embrace new beginnings.

Reunion: Coda delves into the complexities of love, loss, and the enduring power of memory. It also explores the significance of friendship and the unpredictable turns that shape our lives. This poignant novel is a heartfelt exploration of the choices that define us, the connections that sustain us, and the hope that guides us on the journey of self-discovery.

The back cover features the Amazon overview of the book. — Back cover of Reunion: Coda: Book 2 of the Reunion Duology.

What if we get it right?

However, before I finish the two books above I will finish another good book that I am reading for my book club called “What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson”.

The front cover features the title and author and an illustration of the sun in the upper right corner and a blue planet in the lower left corner. — Front cover of What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. You can visit the hardcover version of the book by clicking here or by click on the picture.

Below is Amazon’s Overview of What If We Get It Right?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “With a thoughtfully curated series of essays, poetry, and conversations, the brilliant scientist and climate expert Ayana Elizabeth Johnson has assembled a group of dynamic people who are willing to imagine what seems impossible, and articulate those visions with enthusiastic clarity.”—Roxane Gay

Our climate future is not yet written. What if we act as if we love the future?

A SMITHSONIAN BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Sometimes the bravest thing we can do while facing an existential crisis is imagine life on the other side. This provocative and joyous book maps an inspiring landscape of possible climate futures.

Through clear-eyed essays and vibrant conversations, infused with data, poetry, and art, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson guides us through solutions and possibilities at the nexus of science, policy, culture, and justice. Visionary farmers and financiers, architects and advocates, help us conjure a flourishing future, one worth the effort it will take—from every one of us, with whatever we have to offer—to create.

If you haven’t yet been able to picture a transformed and replenished world—or to see yourself, your loved ones, and your community in it—this book is for you. If you haven’t yet found your role in shaping this new world or you’re not sure how we can actually get there, this book is for you.

With grace, humor, and humanity, Johnson invites readers to ask and answer this ultimate question together: What if we get it right?

The back cover features a brief introduction to the book, a list of names of people who contributed to the book, and a blue planet in the lower right corner. — Back cover of What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.

Our Leonberger ChatGPT and Google AI

Today I was having fun with ChatGPT and Google AI. I asked ChatGPT the following question : Was there a Leonberger called Bronco?

The answer is shown below

The picture is a screenshot. The ChatGPT answer is below. — I took a screenshot of the answer.

If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is the answer ChatGPT gave.

Yes, there was a Leonberger named Bronco. Bronco, officially named Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, lived with the Wikman family in Dallas, Texas, from 2007 until his passing in 2020. Notably, he lived an unusually long life for his breed, reaching almost thirteen years, surpassing the typical life expectancy of Leonbergers, which is around nine years. His story is detailed in the book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle” by Thomas Wikman, which shares anecdotes of Bronco’s adventures and provides insights into caring for Leonbergers.

I think that sounds right.

Confusing ChatGPT

Next, I asked ChatGPT the following question : Did the Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle rescue Hamsters?

I can add that Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle is a unique Leonberger name. There is a Leonberger database called the Worldwide Independent Leonberger Database featuring more than 172,000 Leonbergers. It covers most Leonbergers in the world back until the beginning of the 20th century and only three of them were named Bronco including Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, which is the only Leonberger named exactly that. As you can see below ChatGPT is confusing our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle with another dog.

If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is the answer ChatGPT gave.

Yes, Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, a Leonberger, is known for his heroic act of rescuing a group of hamsters! This event gained attention when Le Bronco, who was living in Germany, saved several hamsters from a fire in 2011. The hamsters were trapped in their cages, and thanks to Le Bronco’s quick thinking and bravery, he managed to alert his owners and helped rescue the small animals.

His actions were recognized as a remarkable act of kindness and heroism, showing the intelligence and sensitivity that dogs, particularly the Leonberger breed, can possess.

I’ve noticed that ChatGPT is sometimes wrong. For example, when you ask questions on a topic for which there is sparse information ChatGPT frequently gets the answer wrong. Another way to confuse ChatGPT and get bad answers is to ask vague questions or ask questions that cannot be answered precisely. ChatGPT relies on internet data and may base its answers on people’s biases and cliches rather than accurate information.

Google AI on Bronco

Interestingly enough, Google AI gave more extensive and interesting answers to my questions, and unlike ChatGPT it answered both of them correctly and provided links to the sources.

First, I asked : Was there a Leonberger called Bronco?

This is what I got :

The picture is a screenshot. The Google AI answer is below. — Screenshot of answer.

If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is what the screenshot says.

Yes, there was a well-known Leonberger named “Bronco” (Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle) who lived with the Wikman family in Dallas, Texas, and was the subject of a book and blog called “Leonberger Life”.

Here’s a more detailed look at Bronco and his story:

As I scrolled down there was more

If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is what the screenshot says.

Owner:

Thomas Wikman, a retired automation, robotics, and software engineer, and his wife raised three children, and later lived with their two dogs—a pug and a miniature Australian shepherd.

Book and Blog:

Thomas Wikman wrote a book, “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle” and a blog, “Leonberger Life” about his Leonberger, Bronco.

Longevity:

Bronco lived a relatively long life for a Leonberger, receiving the “Grey Muzzle Award” for living longer than 12 years.

Notable Incidents:

Bronco was known for his bravery and protective nature, saving Daisy’s life and potentially Baylor’s life, as well as scaring off a trespasser.

Death:

Bronco passed away in 2020.

On the right side there are references to two of my blog posts and one post by Annika Perry.

If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is what the screenshot says.

Thomas Wikman had Bronco, a 167-pound Leonberger who, by all accounts, was an extraordinary dog with a remarkable owner.

This is followed by a link to the People Newspapers a Newspaper that published a review of my book.

How did Google AI do on the second question?

I asked Google AI the same question : Did the Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle rescue Hamsters?

If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is what the screenshot says.

Yes, the Leonberger, Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, is known for a story where he “rescued” two escaped hamsters by carrying them in his cheeks, though they were later revived by Claudia, Thomas’s wife, performing CPR.

Here’s a more detailed account:

If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is what the screenshot says.

The Hamster Escape Artist:

The kids had pet hamsters named Moldova and Montenegro, who occasionally escaped their cages.

Bronco’s Unique Skill:

Claudia would tell Bronco, “Bronco, find the hamsters,” and he would sniff around the house until he located them.

Examples of Bronco’s “Rescues”:

One time he found them in the linen closet.

Another time he found them on a shelf in the living room.

On one occasion, a friend of David trusted them with his two hamsters, and Bronco later “rescued” them after Claudia noticed they were missing from their cage, with Bronco’s cheeks looking puffy.

The “Rescue” Incident:

Claudia noticed Bronco’s cheeks were puffy, and when she said “Bronco, drop it!”, two hamsters, both unconscious, fell out.

CPR Attempt:

Claudia panicked and performed CPR on the unconscious hamsters, and one hamster revived right away.

Second Hamster’s Revival:

The CPR didn’t seem to work on the other hamster, but Claudia put both back in their cage, and soon the second hamster also woke up.

Keeping the Secret:

They decided to keep the incident to themselves, as “hamsters don’t squeal”.

Google Search for Leonberger

Finally, I did another experiment. I typed in “Leonberger” in Google Search and my blog came up on the first page following the Wikipedia entry for Leonberger, the “People also ask” section, the American Kennel Club web page on Leonbergers, the Things to Know section and the What people say section and then comes my Leonberger Life blog followed by 7 more sites on the first page. Interestingly my blog is ahead of PetMD, the Leonberger Club of America and the United Kennel Club.

The screenshot shows the entry for Leonberger Life … The Origins of the Leonberger Dog …. The Leonberger breed was originally created by — The screenshot shows the Google result for “Leonberger”

In conclusion, I was not that impressed by ChatGPT but I was impressed by Google AI and thought the Google search of Leonberger was fun to see.

Additon : A blogger friend of mine, Miriam Hurdle found the following information, which explains the result. Thank you so much Miriam.

Google AI has a larger database of all the information out there. Probably that’s the reason it has the details of your book and your blog. BBasically Google indicates that ChatGPT is good at idea generation and writing, etc. I think that’s why it doesn’t know the details of your book.