Tag: Pug

Leonberger Facebook Groups Are the Nicest Dog Groups I Have Found

I’ve been, or am, a member of several Facebook dog groups. I’ve found that most of them are awful. Take for example the Pug groups. I’ve joined a few Pug groups so that can post about Daisy. What I’ve found is that almost all of the Pug groups have preapproval turned on for all posts. Most other groups (Leonberger groups, beer groups, discussion group, etc..) do not. It would not be a bad thing if it wasn’t for the fact that the administrators/moderators of several of the Pug groups take weeks before they approve a post, all while shamelessly doing constant self-promotion, promoting products, and spamming the group they are supposed to moderate. I am a moderator or administrator in several groups, and I certainly don’t behave that way.

Another thing that annoys me is that they copy the photos that members post and then repost them in multiple places and multiple groups without attribution. Look at my photo from Daisy’s birthday below. That photo was copied (not shared) without attribution in lots of groups, multiple times, receiving several thousand reactions and thousands of comments, which is something I only found out about by accident. Who knows how far and wide the photo was spread. Unless someone explained it to you, you would think that it was their pug and that it was they who took the photo. I assume they do this because they want to get attention and be social network influencers. I’ve never complained, that probably would get me banned from the groups in question. However, I don’t think that is the way to run a group. I have not yet found a decent Pug group.

Photo of our Pug Daisy being fed a pupcake.
Photo from Daisy’s 15th birthday on October 22. This photo has been spread all over Facebook without attribution.

This brings me to the seven Leonberger groups that I am a member of (there are many more). I’ve listed them below. Only one group does post pre-approval and they typically approve posts within a few hours. None of moderators/administrators of these groups spam their groups, try to push products, or copy members photos/posts without attribution. People have friendly informative discussions, and they get to know each other. The Leonberger community is smaller, and the owners/administrators/moderators of the groups are more mature and responsible. I think it makes a difference that Pug groups tend to be run by attention seeking youngsters. I wish I could find a Pug group that was more like a Leonberger group.

  • Leonberger’s All Colors Worldwide
  • LEONBERGER
  • Leonberger Double Digit Double Club
  • Leonberger Forum
  • Global Leonberger Lovers
  • Leonberger Lovers
  • Frontier Leonberger Club of the Southwest

I think my favorite Leonberger group is the Leonberger Double Digit Club. It is a group for Leonberger owners with Leonbergers who ten years are old or older. Leonbergers tend not to live very long so that is why this is an exclusive club. It was one of the former administrators (and founder) of this group who suggested to me that I write a book about our Leonberger Bronco.

Below I am posting a few screenshots of my posts from the Leonberger Double Digit Club.

Photo of our Leonberger Bronco and our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo in the lower right corner. Both close up to my face.
Our Leonberger Bronco standing in the kitchen. Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo is behind him.
This photo is from Bronco’s 12 years and 8 months birthday. He demanded a greenie by slamming his paw in the floor. Daisy our Pug and Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd are looking on from behind.
Bronco our Leonberger just got his grey muzzle award, which is given to all Leonberger (who’s owner apply) older than 12 years old. Being older than 12 years old is rare among Leonbergers. The photos show Bronco with my wife holding his diploma.

Jacqui pointed out to me in a comment below that you can take action when people are using your stuff without attribution. A photo that took me a second to take may not be a big deal, even though it is bit rude to use it as if it is yours. However, when people copy artwork, as had happened to a few commentors below we have a more serious situation. So anyway, here is the link that Jacqui posted in her comment. (You can also visit the comment).

Send them a DMCA take-down order (https://www.dmca.com/FAQ/What-is-a-DMCA-Takedown) or turn them into Facebook for copyright infringement.

A Food Theft Warning Has Been Issued Over Thanksgiving For All Owners of Large Dogs

Large dogs are sometimes expert counter surfers. Our Leonberger Bronco sometimes stole food, and he could certainly eat a lot. Once he sneaked into the kitchen during the night and ate a 2lbs bag of dog treats, a box of pastries, bread, a grilled chicken, a container of mash, a key-lime pie, and whatever was on that empty plate. He still wanted breakfast. I should mention that he was on a diet, and that’s when stuff like this happens.

A photo of Bronco our Leonberger. He is looking into the camera. It is a screenshot from my Facebook page so my writing is displayed as well.
A screenshot from my Facebook
Photo of Bronco our Leonberger and Daisy our Pug standing in the kitchen and looking at the camera. There are remains of a ginger bread house on the floor.
Bronco and our Pug Daisy are sharing a gingerbread house. Bronco opened the gate to the kitchen using his paws and nose.

But how about Thanksgiving and large dogs?

Thanksgiving is a day of thanks, and a day of temptation for large dogs. Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Our Labrador Baylor could not eat as much as Bronco, but he was an extremely skilled food thief. Combining speed, patience, stealth, and the element of surprise, he could steal almost any food. Once he made off with the Thanksgiving Turkey. As soon as I realized what had happened, I went looking for him in our backyard. I chased him around and was able to get the Turkey from him. I cleaned it off and asked my wife what the best way would be to serve it after what happened. She told me to forget about serving the remaining Turkey.

A close up photo of our Yellow Labdrador Baylor. He is looking into the camera.
A close up of our Labrador Baylor

 Would you have served a Turkey half eaten by a dog?

Happy Thanksgiving

Todays Wag the Dog Adventure

Walking our Pug Daisy and our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo is often an adventure and so was today’s promenade. Daisy, who is fifteen years old and has arthritis walks very slowly and cannot walk far. Therefore, I let her sit in a pet stroller on our walks. However, I let her walk a little bit, go to the bathroom, well the grass, and sniff around a bit. She also has incontinence problems and wears a dog diaper inside the house. I take it off for our walks.

Daisy our pug in her blue and black pet stroller
Daisy in her pet stroller

Rollo our mini–Australian Shepherd, on the other hand, is very energetic and fast, and unfortunately very misbehaved. He is the worst behaved dog that we’ve ever had, and he growls and barks aggressively at every dog we meet. Yes, I know that is our fault and we need to fix this problem, but it requires some time and discipline. He also does not seem to understand that he is too small to take on large dogs like Bernese Mountain Dogs. Perhaps, he acquired that belief because our Leonberger Bronco was so patient with him.

Rollo, our mini-Australian Shepherd bites our Leonberger Bronco's tail. Bronco just ignores him.
Rollo pulling Bronco’s tail. Once he even bit it and swung in it like a swing. Bronco’s patience with him was great.

So, what happened today?

During our walk I stopped to let Rollo go to the bathroom and I also let Daisy down, who also went. Right at that moment a woman with her two Bernese dogs approached us and Rollo went crazy. He barked loudly and the Bernese dogs barked loudly back. As Rollo ran towards them Rollo’s leash got stuck around the stroller wheel and he tipped the stroller over. As I tried to fix it, I made it worse, and the stroller tipped upside down. Luckily, when the woman saw this, she turned and went a different way.

Our neighbor Dave, who is a nice guy, had watched the commotion from his window and came out  to help. As he ran towards me, he shouted, “Thomas are you OK?”, “are you OK?”. I thanked him and I was able to turn the stroller over and I put Daisy back in the stroller. As I did this Daisy peed all over me, but other than being wet and in need of a shower, I was back in business. I was annoyed with Rollo, but I did not say anything. I wonder what will happen on tomorrow’s walk.

Finally, a few words about Daisy’s pet diaper. It is a diaper with a hole for the tail. I think it is a great idea. Dogs eventually get old, and they may have bathroom problems. You cannot get angry with the dog when they pee on the floor or the carpet, they already feel bad about it. A diaper will solve the problem and make them feel better about it. They will quickly understand how it works. However, one problem with the diapers is that they easily slip off and to solve that we got suspenders with Velcro holding the diaper. You can buy this stuff from online pet stores, Amazon and many other places.

Daisy our pug standing on the wood floor wearing a blue diaper and her suspenders.
Daisy in her diaper with suspenders holding it.

Today Is Daisys Birthday

Today is Daisy’s fifteenth birthday. She is indeed a little old lady. She spent her first 12 years with her big brother, our Leonberger Bronco. Bronco saved her life one time, when a very aggressive lose German Shepherd attacked us and went after Daisy. Bronco stepped in between and saved her life. She also grew up with a Labrador, Baylor, a German Shepherd, Baby, a Japanese Chin, Ryu, and now Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd. Everyone loved her and wanted to protect her. We no longer have Bronco, but we still have Daisy and Rollo.

Bronco our Leonberger dog and Daisy pur Pug is on our leather sofa. Daisy is walking past Bronco.
Bronco and Daisy in our leather sofa. Daisy decided that Bronco was taking up too much room and moved.

Today we visited my wife Claudia’s parents where we celebrated Daisy’s birthday. We sang Happy Birthday to Daisy. Daisy and Rollo ate pupcakes and hot dogs.Today we visited my wife Claudia’s parents where we celebrated Daisy’s birthday. We sang Happy Birthday to Daisy. Daisy and Rollo ate pupcakes and hot dogs.

Below are some photos from today’s celebrations.

Our Pug Daisy is sitting in Claudia's lap while Claudia is feeding her pupcake and hot dogs.
Daisy sitting in Claudia’s lap eating some pupcake.
Daisy our Pug is sitting in Claudia’s lap. Claudia is feeding her pupcake.
Daisy sitting in Claudia’s lap.
Our Pug Daisy is sitting in Claudia's lap while looking up at her.
Daisy in Claudia’s lap.
A family photo. We are singing Happy Birthday to Daisy. Claudia’s mom is on the left holding our Pug Daisy. Claudia's dad is on the right holding our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo. They are both sitting. Claudia is standing up in the middle.
We are singing Happy Birthday to Daisy. Claudia’s parents are sitting. Claudia is standing up.

Below are some photos from previous birthdays

The picture below has a story to it. We were celebrating Daisy’s 13th birthday and we had visitors from Los Angeles who came with their dog Oslo. Unfortunately, Rollo had not been socialized well when he was little (our fault) so he does not like dogs he does not know. Oslo came over to me and I made the mistake of petting him, which prompted Rollo to attack Oslo. We handled the situation, but it was an unpleasant surprise. I guess in his mind, I committed petimony. “You shall not pet any other dogs but me, well Daisy is OK”. We tried telling Rollo to behave but Oslo was obviously afraid of Rollo. Later, when the dogs were sitting around the table eating their pupcakes, Rollo was growling at Oslo who just looked away.

Three dogs around the table, celebrating Daisy's birthday. From the left to right, Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd, Daisy our Pug, and then Oslo a mixed breed.
Daisy is telling Rollo to behave.
Daisy our Pug is in the middle of the picture. She has a blue hat on. Bronco our Leonberger is on the right.
This photo is from Daisy’s 11th birthday. Bronco was celebrating with Daisy. We did not yet have Rollo.

Below are some other photos featuring Daisy

Daisy our Pug hanging her paws over the sofa
Daisy after an exhausting day of doing nothing.
Daisy our Pug is laying on her back sun bathing
Daisy loves sunbathing. She lays out in the hot sun and soaks in the sun rays.
Daisy is old and has arthritis so when we walk the dogs, we let her sit in a stroller. In this photo we are outside and she is sitting in the stroller.
Daisy is old and has arthritis so when we walk the dogs, we let her sit in a stroller. We lift her out so she can sniff.
Daisy our Pug wearing a nurse hat
Daisy as a nurse, helping to nurse Bronco back after a toe amputation.
Daisy our Pug and Bronco our Leonberger are standing in the kitchen and they are sharing a smashed gingerbread house.
Daisy and Bronco sharing a gingerbread house that Bronco grabbed.
Photo of our Japanese Chin Ryu and our Pug Daisy sitting in our red suitcase.
We are going on a vacation, but Ryu and Daisy didn’t like that. This is their protest.
Daisy our Pug and Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd are standing on the sofa and barking out the window. The joke goes: - Daisy: Rollo do you want to hear a joke? - Rollo: OK - Daisy: Knock! knock! - Rollo: Woof! Woof! Woof! - Daisy: Woof! Woof! Wooof!
Daisy’s and Rollo’s knock knock joke

Today Is Rollos Birthday

Today is Rollo’s fifth birthday. Rollo grew up with his big brother the Leonberger Bronco, but we lost him three years ago and now it is just Rollo and his sister Daisy the Pug. Today they both had a so called pupcake, a cupcake especially made for dogs. Unlike some other pupcakes, it was soft, like a human cupcake and the dogs liked that, especially Daisy who is 15 years old and missing half her teeth.

Photo of our mini-Australian Shepherd with a plate with a pupcake in front of him. There is a candle in the pupcake.
Rollo with his pupcake. We are singing happy birthday to him, and our daughter is holding him. Daisy participated but is not in the picture.
Rollo’s birthday last year. He has the same blue clown hat on but a Happy Birthday Bone Cookie instead of a pupcake
Rollo’s birthday last year (4th birthday, coincidentally also on October 12).
Two dogs. Daisy a pug to the left. Rollo a mini-Australian Shepherd to the right.
Another photo from Rollo’s birthday last year, with Daisy.
Rollo almost five years ago. He is in our backyard. He is a mini-Australian Shepherd and very small in this photo.
Rollo almost five years ago, at his new home.
A close up of Rollo's face and eyes.
Rollo almost five years ago, at his new home.
Photo of our big Leonberger Bronco in the kitchen with little Rollo (mini-Australian Shepherd) in front of him.
Rollo almost five years ago, meeting his big brother Bronco.
Rollo around four years ago. He was biting Bronco's tail and even hanging and swinging in it. Bronco was our big Leonbeger.
Rollo around four years ago, terrorizing his big brother Bronco.

The King of Texas is Cute

Recent dialogues at the Wikman residence concerning our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo.

Rollo loves belly rubs.

Rollo: laying down on his side, opening his legs a bit and barking once. That’s how he asks for a belly rub.

Thomas: Honey, can you give Rollo a belly rub? I’ve done it several times today.

Claudia: No, I am cooking. You do it.

Thomas: I walk over to Rollo to give him a belly rub. He loves it, turns over and kicks his legs, and he looks like he is laughing like a child being tickled. Then I stopped.

Rollo: One loud bark. That means he wants more.

Thomas: continues giving a belly rub.

Photo of our Leonberger Bronco with Rollo lying on his side on the floor in front of Bronco seemingly asking him for a belly rub.
Rollo is asking our Leonberger Bronco for a belly rub. Unfortunately, it is not easy for one dog to give another dog a belly rub.

Rollo wants to sit where you are sitting.

Rollo: I am sitting on the sofa and Rollo comes over and taps me twice on my knee. That’s the command Rollo gives when he wants to sit where you are sitting.

Thomas: I move over.

Rollo: jumps up and sits where I sat.

Claudia: Thomas do you remember the trainer who said that Rollo thinks he is in charge and that we need to fix that?

Thomas: Yes, but he is so cute.

Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd (left) and Daisy our Pug (right) sitting on a white sofa chair.
Rollo and Daisy in sofa chair.

Rollo wants to sleep on the bed but not alone.

Rollo: I am sitting on the sofa and Rollo comes over and scratches me on my knee while leaning backwards as if he wants to leave. That’s the command Rollo gives when he wants to go to bed but he does not want to go alone.

Thomas: Honey can you go lay down in the bed with Rollo. I am busy reading.

Claudia: No, I am not doing that anymore.

Thomas: stands up and follows Rollo into the bedroom and lays down on the bed as Rollo jumps up on the bed.

Claudia: Thomas you should not be doing that either. Remember, it is not good that Rollo thinks he is in charge.

Rollo: falls asleep while Thomas reads a book on the bed.

The head of our mini-Australian Shepherd sticking out from under the covers on our bed.
Rollo tucked in under the covers on our bed.

Rollo and Bronco

Rollo and Bronco (our Leonberger) were best buddies. We no longer have Bronco, but we have Rollo who is the worst behaved dog we’ve ever had. It already started while we were still having Bronco. Rollo walked all over Bronco, like he did with people. If a few people were sitting on the sofa, Rollo would just walk from one end of the sofa to the other, stepping on everyone’s legs or bellies in the process. He still does that. He frequently bit Bronco’s tail and even swung in it as if it was a swing. Bronco was extremely patient and did not get angry, except one time when Rollo stole his toy. Bronco’s loud booming bark scared Rollo and he let go of the toy. However, to be on the safe side we put Rollo in a playpen, or baby jail, as we called it. Rollo came to love his baby jail.

Our Leonberger Bronco lying in the grass in our backyard with our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo. Bronco is to the left and Rollo to the right.
Bronco and Rollo, best buddies. Bronco is quite old and Rollo is quite young.
The photo shows the back of Bronco to the right including his tail, which Rollo (to the left) is pulling.
Rollo is pulling Bronco’s tail.
The photo shows Rollo, our mini-Australian Shepherd inside a dog play-pen, also including toys and a water bowl and a small bed.
This was Rollo’s Baby Jail

Rollo’s other commands and peculiarities.

Rollo scratches doors he thinks should be open, which is basically every door, and if no one comes to open the door, then he barks. When he wants to play with a toy, he barks at the toy box with one loud bark until I give him the toy he wants. He barks at balls that roll in under sofas and beds and expects someone to get them for him. Rollo loves balls. I should say, naturally, we have commands for him as well, such as sit, stay, come, and shake, and he obeys them most of the time. But he has commands for us too. He sleeps in our bed, typically in the middle, surrounded by his subjects, me, Claudia and Daisy.

Rollo, our mini-Australian Shepherd, is holding a soccer ball with one of his paws. They are inside the house.
Rollo loves balls. He loves to chase balls, chew balls and roll balls.
Rollo, our mini-Australian Shepherd is in the backyard biting an orange volley ball.
Rollo is ball crazy.

The greatest quality that someone could have.

What is the greatest quality someone could have? Is it intelligence? Is it knowledge? Is it wisdom? Is it charm? Is it beauty? Is it courage? Is it strength of character? Is it work ethics? Is it honesty? Is it integrity? No, it is none of that. The most important thing in the world is that you are cute. That is why Rollo is the King of the House, in fact the King of Texas. But seriously, Rollo is spoiled, he sleeps in our bed, he does not like other dogs (except Daisy), and this is our fault. Before we can get another Leonberger we must work on certain bad habits. However, his cuteness and his innocence make this harder.

Photo of Rollo, our mini-Australian Shepherd, as a puppy.
Rollo as a puppy. Being cute is all that matters.
Photo of our daughter in the middle, with Rollo on the left and Daisy on the right.
Our daughter with Rollo and Daisy.

All American Pet Photo Day with Leonbergers and Other Dogs

I almost missed it! Earlier today I found out that today is “All American Pet Photo Day”. So here are some photos of our dogs, past and present.

In this photo of our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo and our Pug Daisy, Rollo is in front and Daisy in the back. They are sitting on a white sofa chair.
A photo of our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo and our Pug Daisy that I took this afternoon.
Our Leonberger Bronco, three months old, wearing a scarf.
Young Bronco (Lenberger) with me. Bronco is standing on a sofa giving me a hug.
Our Leonberger Bronco, 167 pounds at the time, sitting in my wife's lap.
Our Labrador Baylor
Our German Shepherd Baby at the dog park
Rachel with our young Japanese Chin Ryu. They are dancing.
Our Japanese Chin Ry and Pug Daisy protesting that we are going on a trip leaving them. They are sitting in a suitcase preventing us from packing.
Our Pug Daisy, Japanese Chin Ryu and Leonberger Bronco.
Our Labrador Baylor (left) and German Shepherd Baby (right)
Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo as a puppy. He is looking straight into the camera.
Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo biting our Leonbergers tail and pulling it.
Our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo is playing with an orange volleyball
Our Leonberger Bronco lying in the grass. He is very old in this photo. Almost 13 years old. We were out for a walk.
Our daughter Rachel is petting our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo and our Pug Daisy
Our Leonberger Bronco is lying in the grass in the front yard
Photo of Bronco our Leonberger and our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo in the grass in our backyard.

Also, as a reminder, the eBook version of my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle” is temporarily $2.99 (until July 20th).

A Leonbergers Last Car Ride

Three years ago today, our beloved Bronco passed away. We miss him very much. Below is a snippet from my book about his passing. Warning, it might be sad reading.

Photo of our Leonberger Bronco at the age of three months. He is wearing a red bandana.
Our Leonberger Bronco three months old

Bronco (our Leonberger) was very old for a Leonberger, and his health had been badly failing him for months, including his first heart failure, as well as other issues. It seemed like the time had come for him to be put to sleep. This is an extremely difficult decision for any dog owner.

Our Leonberger Bronco 12 ½ years old. He is lying in the grass looking into the camera.
Our Leonberger Bronco 12 ½ years old

In the wee hours of the morning on June 16, 2020, Bronco collapsed. He was no longer able to get up or hold himself up even if we lifted him. His legs were like spaghetti, and his breathing was heavy. We called our veterinarian as soon as the clinic opened. She spent quite a bit of time with us over the phone trying to figure out what was going on. The preliminary conclusion was that he most likely was experiencing another episode of heart failure.

We decided, all of us, together with our veterinarian that it was time. Our veterinarian knew Bronco extremely well: she really cared for him, and she was not afraid to tell us how she felt.

Rachel and I would take Bronco to the clinic, where he would be put to sleep. Claudia would stay at home with the other dogs.

Rachel, Claudia, and I lifted him into the car—all 142 pounds of him. It was the first time he could do nothing to help. But once he was inside the car, he was able to rest his head on the center console, between the armrests of the front seats, and sometimes he lifted his head so that he could see out.

He was exhausted but very curious about what he could see out the windows. We had some extra time before our appointment, so we took him for a car ride instead of driving straight to the clinic. He seemed to enjoy it: he was looking at things that seemed to interest him, but he did not make a sound, and he didn’t move much. After a while we turned around and started heading toward the clinic. We dreaded what was coming, but it was time.

Our veterinarian was waiting for us. The staff put Bronco on a stretcher and rolled him inside. Seeing my best friend lying on a stretcher being rolled into a clinic and knowing these were his last moments on earth was surreal. Our veterinarian checked him to verify what was going on. His blood pressure was extremely low, and his heart was not pumping normally. It was indeed heart failure. Rachel was FaceTiming Claudia so she could talk to Bronco. We did everything we could to comfort him.

Our veterinarian and her assistant had taken care of Bronco for around ten years, and we had visited them quite often toward the end of his life. They both knew him really well, and they truly cared for him. The veterinarian had told us that Bronco was the oldest big dog she’d ever treated, and they both said that he had become like family to them; he wasn’t just another patient. The situation was upsetting for them, too. Putting him to sleep was not an easy thing for any of us, but it was the right thing to do.

We all petted him, and Rachel and Claudia spoke to him to comfort him. I was not able to say much—it was just too difficult—but I made sure Bronco heard my voice a few times and that he could see me. The room was somber but peaceful and filled with love. First he got a shot that put him to sleep, and then after he was completely asleep, the veterinarian gave him a drug that stopped his heart. It stopped beating less than fifteen seconds after the injection. Bronco had passed across the Rainbow Bridge. The room was quiet, but human hearts were not.

Paw print in the clouds. Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt.

Bronco was cremated, and we picked up the box containing his remains and his paw print the next day. The veterinarian and her assistant also wrote us a beautiful card that will forever stay with us.

Illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt showing our Leonberger Bronco in the middle with our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo on his left and our Pug Daisy on the right. Rollo is saying "they still talk about you". Bronco is saying "I know".

Bronco had a long life and a big heart. He was loving, caring, protective, and brave. So it’s almost fitting that heart disease ultimately caused his death. This calls to mind the legend of Sven Dufva, the fictional Finnish hero who was shot in the heart in the Finnish War of 1808–1809. In the epic poem The Tales of Ensign Stål, Dufva’s commanding general stands over his body and proclaims:

That bullet knew what course to take, it must acknowledged be. . . .

It knew far more than we.

It let his brow be spared in peace, the weaker, poorer part,

And chose the portion that was best—his noble, valiant heart.

A photo of a rainbow by the coast Costa Rica. The white text says "Deat leaves a heartache no one can heal, But love leaves a memory no one can steal."

The rainbow bridge

According to an article in the Washington Post,* the Rainbow Bridge is “a mythical overpass said to connect heaven and earth—and, more to the point, a spot where grieving pet owners reunite for good with their departed furry friends.” It’s also a poem of unknown origin that spawned a pet-bereavement movement and even a worldwide Pet Remembrance Day, August 28. The poem in its entirety follows.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they each miss someone very special to them who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.

This is a photo of Bronco's obituary as it appeared in the September 2021 issue of the LeoLetter, the official publication of the Leonberger Club of America. Text below: Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle Breeders: Julie & Thorsten Schaffert July 3, 2007 to June 16, 2020 Loved by Claudia, Thomas, Jacob, David, Rachel Wikman Dallas, Texas Our beloved Bronco passed away peacefully last summer two weeks short of thirteen years old. It was sudden but not unexpected. He was old, his heart was failing, and he had other health issues as well, and then when his second heart failure happened on June 16, we all knew it was time. We were with him all the way to the end and we said goodbye. He knew, but he was at peace. It was a heart-rending experience for all of us including the veterinary and her assistant. Bronco had become family to them as well. Our veterinarian said he was the biggest oldest dog she had ever treated. When he came into our lives as a happy, rambunctious and confident puppy he instantly stole our hearts. He became the mascot for our daughter’s soccer team, and he went to every game. In half time the girls lined up to pet him, including the opposing team. He was the main attraction. Each girl got one minute to pet him. He wasn’t scared. He loved every minute of it. He grew big quickly and his size and strength amazed us and everyone in the neighborhood. He loved greeting people and dogs and wanted to say hello to everyone we met on walks. He was not just the greeter in chief at our house but at the dog park as well. He also loved swimming and chasing ducks in White Rock Lake. Bronco amazed us with his intelligence and abilities so many times. When our hamsters escaped from their cage my wife tried to enlist Bronco in helping us find them. He understood and he sniffed them out and he found them. This happened twice. We had a Labrador with diabetes called Baylor. One day Bronco alerted us to the fact that something was going on with Baylor. Soon thereafter Baylor had an insulin shock. No one had taught Bronco to detect this, he just did, and it probably helped us get Baylor to the emergency sooner. On another occasion Bronco saved our Pug Daisy from an attacking loose German Shepherd. He also chased off a trespasser, but Bronco probably just wanted to greet him and lick him, but the intruder didn’t know that. We will never forget Bronco’s loving and trusting eyes, his lust for life, his Leonberger hugs when he leaned into us. He was very social and his love for people and other dogs and especially small dogs was remarkable. He had an enormous patience for rambunctious small dogs, and he took it upon himself to protect them. At the age of twelve and a half he got the “grey muzzle award”, which was a fun experience for all of us. We think of Bronco every day and we miss him dearly. He will forever be in our hearts.
Bronco’s obituary appeared in the September 2021 issue of the LeoLetter, the official publication of the Leonberger Club of America.

When Dogs Trick You

Today our Dog Rollo, a mini-Australian Shepherd who also was a good friend of our late Leonberger Bronco, walked out into the backyard and then he came back a few minutes later. He looked at me a bit funny. He was watching me closer than he usually does, and he lowered his head as he passed me by, and he was tiptoeing quietly. I did not think about it too much. I mean what could be wrong? However, my daughter told me, “That looked very suspicious”. She thought Rollo might be trying to hide something. Therefore, we followed him, and we realized that he had something in his mouth. We told him to drop but he wouldn’t obey us. He was defiant. That’s when my daughter got a glimpse of what was in his mouth. It was a piece of poop.

A close up photo of our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo
Look at those innocent trusting and loving eyes

He is not supposed to eat poop. He is not allowed to. We are very strict about this. We never had to tell any of our other dogs not to eat poop, they just never did, except Rollo. You give him cooked ground bison, ham, and liver treats, specially prepared treats, things he loves, but then he has poop for dessert. Anyway, I got some toilet paper for him to spit in. We told him to drop. He looked at the toilet paper, and he looked at me with his big eyes. It was clearly a very difficult decision for him, and after sitting there thinking hard for a minute, he quickly swallowed the poop. What would you have done? Anyway, remember how he fooled me at first.

The artist poses with one of his creations.

Rollo also loved chewing on shoes when he was younger. Fortunately, he’s gotten over that behavior, but in the process we’ve lost a lot of shoes. One time I forgot that I had left my shoes under a table in our TV room. I was walking around the house when I met Rollo in a hallway holding one of my shoes in his mouth. He gave me a deer-in-the-headlights look, then he slowly turned around and tiptoed back into the TV room. He placed my shoe back under the table, right next to its mate, positioning it correctly so it was just the way I had left it. Then he tiptoed away as if pretending that nothing had happened.

Left to right, our pug Daisy, our Japanese Chin Ryu and our Leonberger Bronco.
Three of our escape artists stand ready for their next adventure.

Our Leonberger Bronco, our pug and Japanese Chin also played us a few times, extorting treats from us by tricking us and they also tricked us when escaping the backyard in ways that we couldn’t figure out. Well actually, we figured out how Daisy and Ryu escaped, and we repaired the hole in the fence behind the tree that we found.

Our pu Daisy and our Leonberger Bronco in the kitchen. They just ate some of a now destroyed gingerbread house.
Daisy and Bronco opening the gate to the kitchen and eating the gingerbread house.

So how do you deal with this? My advice is to be smarter than I am, well at least, try to be smarter than your dog. Being smarter than your dog is very helpful. Watch them, observe them in the backyard. A Leonberger digging frenetically by the fence is soon going to be out roaming the neighborhood. A Leonberger shaking an unlocked gate using his paw, or trying to lift the lever with his nose, is soon going to be out roaming the neighborhood and eating Hors d’oeuvres at a neighbor’s cocktail party.

From Puppy to Old Dog I Will Always Be There

Photo of a Leonberger puppy with a scarf
Bronco our Leonberger at three months old
Our Leonberger Bronco and me. He is standing on the sofa giving me a hug.
Bronco and me. Bronco about one years old.
Our Leonberger Bronco in Claudia’s lap, He weighs 167 pounds in the picture and is a bit overweight, but he lost weight.
Bronco in Claudia’s lap, a little bigger, and chubbier (but he lost weight)
Our Leonberger Bronco lying down in the grass. You can see shaved fur resulting from his toe amputation.
Bronco about nine years old. He had just had a toe amputation.
Our Leonberger Bronco lying down in the grass. He is very old in the picture.
Bronco closing in on 13 years old at the end of his life

With permission from Brend Saito (see comment), in this post I am sharing something she shared on Facebook in memory of her golden retriever, Odie, who passed away in May 2021 at the age of 12. The author is unknown.

“A dog asked :

“Tell me, human, why’d you record me? ”

The human replied, “You were so little and cute then and I couldn’t resist”

“But I ate your flowers, peed on your carpet and broke the expensive vase and all your clothes are full of hair from me… never thought about giving me away? ”

Again the man replied:

“I was also upset at first and had more work to do, but then when you sat down on my lap as usual, everything was fine… you don’t give your children to the orphanage because they once are mischievous. ”

The dog looked attentively at his owner and asked:

“But look, now I’m very old and I have my problems too… I cost a lot of money because you go to the vet with me more often and I need special food… I’m not as agile as I was 10 years ago… and i don’t smell like a baby anymore”

The mistress swallowed briefly and struggled with tears for a moment when she then answered:

“My love, you will ALWAYS be my baby, you have enriched my life and given me countless beautiful moments, now you are old and not quite healthy but that doesn’t change how much I love you.

You have always been there for me, comforted me when I was sad and made me laugh, you are my most precious treasure. And I wish we can spend more time together.

I will continue to do my best to make your life beautiful.

I will do everything for you my little darling.. ”

The dog gently placed its paws on his wife’s cheek and licked.

The sun shone in his eyes that shone like opals.

Satisfaction.

H a p p y.

L O V E

Perfection.

Harmony.

Anyone who has and loves dogs understands without words….

Illustration showing our Leonberger Bronco in the middle with a dog on each side. Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd to the left and Daisy our Pug to the right. Rollo says "They still talk about you". Daisy says ""I know.
Bronco is in the middle, Rollo left, Daisy right. We still have Rollo and Daisy. We will never stop talking about Bronco. Illustration Naomi Rosenblatt.