The Leonberger is a large breed of dog. The breeds name derives from the city of Leonberg in south-west Germany.
Appearance
General
According to his original purpose, the Leonberger is a large, strong, muscular yet elegant dog. He is distinguished by his balanced build and confident calmness, yet with quite lively temperament. Males, in particular, are powerful and strong. Leonbergers just love the water, and are pretty good swimmers.
Leonberger males are known to occasionally drool slightly.
Size
Height at the withers:
Dogs: 28.5 to 31.5 inches (72 to 80 cm)
Bitches: 25.5 to 29.5 inches (65 to 75 cm)
The female Leonberger can weigh up to 132 lbs (60 kg)and the male up to 200 lbs (90.9 kg) but most of them are lighter.
Coat
The Leonberger has a medium length soft to coarse double coat that is very water resistant. Males often have particularly thick fur on the neck and chest creating the appearance of a mane. There is distinct feathering on the backs of the front legs and thighs. Coat color can range from lion yellow, red, reddish brown, and sandy. Black hair tips are permitted, but black must not determine the dog's basic color. All Leonbergers have a black mask. The Leonberger sheds very heavily.
Temperament
Leonbergers are very loving and great with children. They are very large and don’t necessarily need a big garden and house to roam around. They are adaptable and don’t take up much more space when curled up to sleep than any other medium to large dog. Like any dog they ask for nothing more than to have a daily walk and bit of brain stimulation. Aggression often comes from improper training when young or from bad experiences. A well raised Leonberger can provide loving and loyal companionship. Since World War II, the numbers and popularity of Leonbergers have been growing, and in Britain alone there are over 2,000 registered Leonbergers.