Dog pics

[Kyle_in_Tex]

The breed name is Leonberger named after the town Leonberg in Germany where they originated. There is no real certainty about the mix. Landseer, St Bernard and Great Pyrenees seem fairly certain. A Landseer is a black and white Newfoundland--sort of. Some now consider it a separate breed. The Leonberger breed almost died out in WWI which would be a genetic bottleneck. Here is an excerpt from the breed history:

[Heinrich] Essig eventually wrote that he crossbred a black-and-white female Landseer with a long-haired Saint Bernard that he had acquired from the Saint Bernard monastery in Switzerland. The puppies were, of course, black and white. He reportedly then crossbred these dogs for four generations, outcrossing with a yellow-and-white Saint Bernard and later a white Pyrenean Mountain Dog that he had in his kennels. He was striving at this early stage for an all-white dog, because they were very fashionable at the time. It seems likely that local farm and butcher dogs with relatively fixed genetic characteristics, but not identified as a breed, found their way into the developing breed lines. It wasn’t until Essig’s death that his nephew bred Leonbergers that were consistently representative of the tawny colors and black masks that characterize the breed today.

Breed History & Standard - Leonberger Club of America

Interesting. The side view while looking at the rat in the tube looks to me like some Golden Retriever blood in there somewhere, but not if the breed is that old. What is their disposition?

 

[sixdogs]

Loves to play ball.

 

[dave1949]

Interesting. The side view while looking at the rat in the tube looks to me like some Golden Retriever blood in there somewhere, but not if the breed is that old. What is their disposition?

They get very attached to and like people. They are gentle. Great with kids, Sharon did TDI children's hospital and elementary school visits with one of our Leonbergers that has passed on. Sira is also TDI (Therapy Dogs International) certified. She visits nursing and assisted living homes in the area. The residents get a kick out that and I suppose it breaks the monotony. Some had pets of course, they love to pet Sira and Sira loves to soak it up. :laughing: All in all they are best at being companion dogs.

I think shedding is their worst physical trait, they tend to be hair factories for most of the year. They blow their coats in the spring, but that is just an extra burst of hair. :laughing: That characteristic combined with the pelt size can produce a lot of fur bunnies rolling around on our tile floors.

They need moderate daily exercise, their front paws are webbed, (from Newfoundland blood) most love to swim and they can be good water rescue dogs. They can track people pretty well by scent--if they are interested in finding them. Most are not high energy dogs, like a Lab for example that will just go and go forever. They are happy being couch potatoes most of the day. Sira is the only Leo we've had that cares much about retrieving and is by far the most energetic.

They can be trained for obedience but I wouldn't say it is a breed strength. Some are not great on recall commands. Those traits are also fairly common in Newfoundlands and Great Pyrs. I've heard.

Milos was also TDI certified when he was younger but he got crotchety with about 75% of the male dogs he meets. He's had that tendency since he was a pup. It's not unheard of in Leonbergers but it is not common. It seems to follow certain blood lines to an extent. Dogs shown in AKC events have to be intact and I've seen some fireworks in the show ring between males. It's mostly sound and fury without blood but it can get scary to see two dogs that size sort out the pecking order.

That behavior disqualifies the dog under AKC show rules and it tends to limit their use as stud dogs. People who love the breed don't want those characteristics passed along. UKC events are a little more lenient on that realizing that it is natural canine behavior for intact males in their prime. At large shows there is a good chance there are a few females in heat and that can get males on edge too.

 

[Pixguy]

Loves to play ball. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/photos/399539-dog-pics-img_2950-alex-ball-jpg"/>

Great pic of great dog.

 

[check]

What a darling! Airedales look soooo cute when they are puppies. Brings a tear to my eye. We just lost our Jake to cancer a month ago. He was only 7 years old. Very tough on all of us.

 

[keegs]

What a darling! Airedales look soooo cute when they are puppies. Brings a tear to my eye. We just lost our Jake to cancer a month ago. He was only 7 years old. Very tough on all of us.

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I'm very sorry for your loss check. I'll bet your Jake brought a bright smile to everyone he encountered.

I've had the good fortune of knowing this breed since I was a small child. They're comical, tenacious, inquisitive, fun loving, wonderful companions.

 

[DABSGT]

Check, it's hard to replace a companion sorry for your loss.

 

[dave1949]

What a darling! Airedales look soooo cute when they are puppies. Brings a tear to my eye. We just lost our Jake to cancer a month ago. He was only 7 years old. Very tough on all of us.

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Very sorry you lost Jake. They are all unique personalities, that's how we remember ours that are gone.

 

[GregbkH]

MF Jones chasing chipmunks.

 

[GregbkH]

MF Jones chasing chipmunks.