Dog breeds: leonberger

There are two versions of the origin of the Leonberger. According to the first version, for the first time Leonberger was bred in the city of Leonberg (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) in the late 30'sXIX century. In this city lived the cynologist Heinrich Essig, who set himself the goal to bring out the dog-symbol of the city. According to the idea of Essig, the dog should look like a lion, which is depicted on the coat of arms of the city (Leonberg - German Lion Mountain).
According to archival records, the ancestors of the breed were the St. Bernard dog and the bitch of the black and white lendshire (Newfoundland). Then Essig crossed four generationsoffspring with St. Bernard of yellow and white color and Pyrenean sheepdog. As a result, a large breed of silver-gray dogs with a black head and ears was removed.
Henry Essig paid much attention to the color of the breed. In the fashion there were dogs of light and white colors. Therefore, later appeared a leonberger with a red color of wool of different shades.
This dog was very popular among the population. But since Essig did not record the standards of the breed, for leonberger began to give out various other large dogs. This is what caused the rejection of this breed of dogs.
According to the second version of the origin of the Leonberger breed, these dogs have been known in Austria since 1585. Leonberger was often used as asentry and shepherd dogs. Also the breed of Leonberger dogs was considered very valuable at the court of Queen Marie Antoinette. These same dogs lived at the monastery of St. Bernard, whose dog was later used to breed leonbergers.
The monastery of St. Bernard at that time was the only nursery in which bred leonbergerov. But in In 1820 almost all the leberberger population in the kennel died out due to the plague epidemic. Only one male survivedHeinrich Essig used to restore the breed. To restore the breed, two more boughs of the Leonberger were brought. The second version of the origin of the Leonbergers is much more plausible, because the subsequent genetic analysis showed that the breeding of the breed did not use the St. Bernards.
Do not forget that about the breed of Leonberger we might not even know at the moment, since it almost completely died out twice. After the First World War, almost the entire breedwas destroyed. Only 5 dogs survived. With the efforts of two people who created a new nursery, the number of dogs reached 350 in 5 years. During the Second World War, the only nursery in which the Leonberger was bred was destroyed. As a result, only three good dogs remained. But the Leonberger breed was resurrected again.
A modern leonberger is a large breed of dogs that has its own standards. For this breed, the characteristic is very importantappearance, in particular the ratio of the height of the dog at the withers to the length of the trunk (9:10). It is also necessary that the height of the chest is 50% of the height of the withers.
Leonberger is a fairly rare breed of dogs in our country. But the unusually beautiful muzzle and thick wool of these dogs attracts many fans of the breed. Leonberger differ in their intelligence and complaisant character. They very quickly learn commands. In addition, you can talk with them in a normal language. They perfectly understand, that from them want, even without the use of special commands.
Leonbergers are very affectionate, obedient, kind. They will protect the whole family. Separately it is necessary to note their attitude to children. An adult dog patiently treats children, lets himself harness in a sleigh in the winter. She will zealously protect children in any situation. But this can not be said about young dogs. Leonberger puppies are not so lenient towards children. Therefore, do not leave the Leonberger puppy with the child unattended.
In addition to his insane love of people, leonberger dogs love water. They are very fond of swimming and swimming. Therefore, after seeing a small pond, keep your dog on a leash. If you want, you can let the dog go for a swim, because the Leonberger is an excellent swimmer. Dogs of this breed are distinguished by good physical shape and strength. In order for a young dog not to have unnecessary health problems, a puppy under 1 year old should not be led up the stairs. Excess load on the joints of the paws to him to anything.














