The Leonberger has gained a reputation worldwide as a wonderful companion dog. The Leonberger, loves to be considered a member of their family. Dogs are incredibly loyal and love their family members without making any exception.
The Leonberger history is one of uncertainty and speculation. There are countless stories of the origin of these dogs as they look impressive, and it is fully confirmed. One of the most popular of these legends is that which refers to a man named Heinrich Essig. In early 1800, Heinrich was living in a small German town called Leonberger. This town had an imperial emblem depicting a lion. It is said that Heinrich has proposed to create a breed that looks like the lion in the emblem. To achieve their goal, he bred Newfoundland, St. Bernard and the Pyrenean Shepherd creating that that we know today. Of course, the gene could not be determined. Apparently Heinrich would have donated dogs to his royal Highnesses the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, Napoleon II of France, Prince of Wales, Emperor Napoleon II, Bismarck and the Italian King Umberto. Empress Elizabeth of Austria was the one who popularized the Leonberger breed as a pet. Many of the scraps from the late 1800s are considered as St Leonberger.
The two world wars were able to decimate the population of purebred dogs. Most of the notes on breeding and selection programs before the Second World War were destroyed for this reason, the ancestors of Leonberger's exact can only be assumed.
The first Leonberger clubs were founded in 1890 in Germany. During that period many of breeding standards had been established. These standards have been changed after the Second World War, and breeding records of the Leonberger began to be kept in a very detailed manner.
These dogs behave flawlessly with children. They are calm and relaxed, easy to persuade to participate in games that involve running. They love to swim, but are not very good at recovering objects. These dogs are highly attached to their families and like to be involved in all activities. Leonberger dogs are good guards and barking only when necessary. They rarely bite or become aggressive and almost never without reason.