This blog feature amusing and heartwarming stories about our late Leonberger dog Bronco, as well as other Leonbergers. It also has a lot of information about the Leonberger breed, the history, care, training, Leonberger organizations, etc. I also wrote a Leonberger book, which I am featuring in the sidebar.
Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd is turning seven years old today (October 12, 2025). This evening, we sang to him, in English, Swedish and French, and he got a pupcake (cupcake specifically for dogs) and piece of filet mignon. Later today (October 12) he will get celebrated again and have more pupcakes.
To celebrate Rollo’s birthday, I am posting 20 photos I took of Rollo today, or rather earlier this evening (October 11), as well as photos from the recent past, and also photos that are a year or older. Some of the older photos are with our late Leonberger Bronco. The first six photos I took today. If you’ve been following my blog for some time, you may have seen some of the older photos already.
Washing Rollo
Before the festivities Rollo needed a bath. He is getting washed in the sink. He was not happy.When are you going to be done with this washing stuff?
Birthday Photos of Rollo
The birthday hat is coming on. He does not like the hat, so it did not stay on long.We are getting the pup-cake ready, and we are going to sing Happy birthday in several languages. Rollo very much appreciates us singing to him in multiple languages, but mostly he appreciates the pupcake. A pupcake is a cupcake made especially for dogs. We humans had cupcakes.Rollo is ready.Finally Rollo gets his pupcake
Recent Photos of Rollo
Rollo and a pupcake on a table.Rollo and a Rolo candy. Rollo was not named after the candy bar Rolo as often incorrectly assumed. Rollo was named after the Viking king who sacked Paris. You can say he was on a roll.Rollo likes to sleep in our bedsRollo is wet, not from being washed today but from rain on another occasion.
Older Photos of Rollo
This is an old photo from his fourth birthday. He is unhappy with the hat.Rollo almost six years ago. He had just arrived at our house. Our Leonberger Bronco is welcoming Rollo.Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy.Close up of Rollo as a puppy.Rollo peeking out behind the sofa.Rollo playing with a volleyball.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.When Rollo was young, he loved chewing shoes. Here the artist is posing with his art.Our daughter with our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo and Pug Daisy.Sometimes there are scary sounds and Rollo wanted to sit in the stroller we bought for our Pug Daisy. We have not been using that stroller since Daisy passed.
To see the blog post from Rollo’s sixth birthday click here and Rollo’s fifth birthday click here.
Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd turned six years old on October 12, 2024. However, we were at a wedding in Chicago, so we had to miss his birthday. We celebrated when we came home. In the past we’ve put a funny birthday hat on him. Unfortunately, he hates hats so this time I took pictures without a hat. To celebrate Rollo’s birthday, I am posting 20 photos I took of Rollo through the years, including some with our late Leonberger Bronco. If you’ve been following my blog, you will have seen many of these photos already but not all of them, certainly not the ones I just took.
Rollo eating a pupcake from our daughter’s hand. A pupcake is a cupcake for dogs.Rollo reaching for a piece of a pupcake on the sofa.This is an old photo from his fourth birthday. He is unhappy with the hat.Rollo almost six years ago. He had just arrived at our house. Our Leonberger Bronco is welcoming Rollo.Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd puppy.Our Leonberger Bronco with little Rollo.Close up of Rollo as a puppy.Rollo on his first walk. It wasn’t really a walk. More like carrying him around the neighborhood.Rollo peeking out behind the sofa.Rollo playing with a volleyball.Rollo rolling a soccer ball.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.When Rollo was young, he loved chewing shoes. Here the artist is posing with his art.When we left the house we put Rollo in his baby jail for his own protection. We were afraid he would bother Bronco so much that Bronco lost his patience. Rollo ended up loving his baby jail. It was his own special house and no one else was allowed in.When Bronco had a toe amputation and we had to change his bandage every day, Rollo helped out. He was a dog nurse.Rollo liked to play with Bronco. Here he is asking for a belly rub.Our daughter with our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo and Pug Daisy.Sometimes there are scary sounds and Rollo wanted to sit in the stroller we bought for our Pug Daisy.Two friends.Daisy our Pug and Rollo are watching something from the window.
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 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.
Daisy sitting in Claudia’s lap eating some pupcake.Daisy sitting in Claudia’s lap.Daisy in Claudia’s lap.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.
Daisy is telling Rollo to behave.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 after an exhausting day of doing nothing.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. We lift her out so she can sniff.Daisy as a nurse, helping to nurse Bronco back after a toe amputation.Daisy and Bronco sharing a gingerbread house that Bronco grabbed.We are going on a vacation, but Ryu and Daisy didn’t like that. This is their protest.Daisy’s and Rollo’s knock knock joke
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.
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 (4th birthday, coincidentally also on October 12).Another photo from Rollo’s birthday last year, with Daisy.Rollo almost five years ago, at his new home.Rollo almost five years ago, at his new home.Rollo almost five years ago, meeting his big brother Bronco.Rollo around four years ago, terrorizing his big brother Bronco.
Leonberger Life 