Having the looks of a lion, combined with the heart of a sheep, the name “Gentle Lion” was given to this breed. The Leonberger is a lively, steady and loyal dog. He's got an attractive and friendly expression. With his loving and calm temperament and his distinguished intelligence, the Leonberger attracts everybody. The Leonberger is the ideal family dog, who shows joyful love and faith to its family members and can be taken anywhere. This breed can totally be trusted. Most Leonbergers can show extreme patience, even with the most naughty children. Another respected quality of the Leonberger breed is they stay calm in, sometimes, the toughest situations and will walk away instead of showing aggression. They can take the worst possible behavior for the best. Towards other dogs, the Leonberger will react calmly. Greetings in between other dogs can enthusiastic,but they end quickly and they go their own way. In general the Leonberger has no problem with other pets. They are very social dogs towards other animals, people and children and that is a wonderful thing to witness. Family members are of the up most importance for a Leonberger. He loves to be close to you. Not constantly walking behind you like a slave, but always keeping an eye on the situation and never losing you out of his sight. Most Leonbergers enjoy physical contact. If you want him to approach you for a cuddle, they will enjoy this in the calm and assured way of the Leonberger.
The Leonberger has a moderate character. You will rarely see one raging around to loose his energy. It's more likely you'll see him walking around in a calm and self-assured pace, awaiting his owner to take the time for the dog to unleash his energy. He adjusts quite easily and can be very determined.
It's not so much the space the Leonberger is kept in which is important, but the attention available to is of the up most importance. The Leonberger is in way a breed to be alone for days or to spend his life in some kennel. He adores the company of other animals, children and ever ready for a good walk or a swim, as they adore water. They can smell it from miles away and before you know it, they are in it, summer or winter. Leonbergers are known to excel in water work, agility and work as enthusiastically as they play. The Leonberger is an appropriate guardian of the house, meaning that he will not bark and storm around the premises at anything that moves, but he will calmly overlook the situation before taking decisive action. When having visitors he calmly awaits his owner's action. When meeting a Leonberger the first time they can be a little reserved at times. When acquainted, you're always entitled to a warm welcome. This makes the Leanberger a perfect dog for people living in the country. The Leonberger loves to learn new things, but he needs variance in what he learns. He might need a little more time to understand things, but with a little patience you will come a long way. Once learned, it's never forgotten. We can say a lot about their temperament, but a lot of that is determined by ourselves. Therefore proper education and socialization is needed. If not, they can become problem dogs, especially a stud as they can put up a more dominant behavior. The decision to bring a Leonberger stud into your home as a family member should not be made lightly., especially with this very large and powerful breed. They are true companions, always lying at your feet. Your home decoration should not be taken as the highest value in the house. As they are big and their tail can sometimes sweep around in a joyful uncontrolled fashion, making things move and tumble. Yes, Leonbergers shed especially in the spring! Don't be fooled by beautiful pictures of this magnificent breed with glistening groomed coats, because the Leonberger adores the mud. From his Newfoundland heritage, the Leonberger has inherited his webbed feet and love of water, but in the absence of a suitable body of water any mud puddle will suffice. Your home and yard can easily become a muddy mess! |