What Am I Looking For in My Owners?
- I'm looking for owners who have taken the time to read our puppy pack and
understand we will not place puppies on properties with under 1/2 acre nor without appropriate
fencing because it isn't in the puppy's best interest. Invisible fencing is not appropriate fencing.
- I'm looking for owners who have already done some research to see if a Leonberger is the dog breed
that suits their lifestyle. Meeting them is easy if you go to a dog show. Just remember those are
already trained :)
- I'm looking for owners with "Big Dog" experience. A Leonberger is not a "starter dog." A German
Shepherd is not a "Big" dog.
- I'm looking for owners who have the time to socialize their puppy to all of the sights and sounds it will
experience as an adult at a very early age to bring out the innate confidence in the Breed. This isn't a
"just add water," breed.
- I'm looking for owners who are willing and able to take their dogs through GROUP behavior/obedience
classes intermittently until the dog is at least 18 months old.
- I am looking for owners who will train them to have good manners and become good ambassadors of the
breed and love them as part of their family while respecting their doggie culture.
- I am looking for owners who will consider joining the Leonberger Club of America in order to help
protect and promote our wonderful breed.
- I am looking for owners who will seriously consider contributing to the health of the Breed by doing
the same health testing at 2 years of age that we, as breeders, do for our owners. Without data from
pet owners, breeders can't possibly know what genes their breeding dogs are carrying. It isn't magic. If
you want your next Leo to be healthy, you have a responsibility to help that happen.
- I'm looking for owners who are financially able to provide for a giant breed dog. The purchase price of
any dog is a small percentage of what it will cost you over its life!
- I'm looking for owners who will not spay or castrate their dog, at least until their growth plates are
closed, around 18-24 months. Neutering doesn't curb adolescent behavior, training does. Hormones are
there for reasons other than sex. If you neuter your male before his growth plates close 18-24 mos. he
will look more like a female. Please go to an article from the AKC Canine Health Foundation on
early spay neuter and health problems.
- I am looking for 100% of the household to be thrilled that they are getting a puppy from us, not just
some of the members. It's a family affair! Puppies ill get you up in the middle of the night to go out for
the first few weeks, bite you and the kids with those sharp little puppy teeth because that is what
they have always done with their littermates, have accidents on the oriental
for the first few months if you aren’t paying attention, chew on your dining
room table if you aren’t in the room watching them, dig up your plants, eat
the remote control, knock the kids over etc. In other words they act like
normal puppies – only bigger. Check out this Australian You Tube video for the
“really real” of Leonbergers!
The Leonberger - A Low Energy Dog
If you are within traveling distance you are welcome to make an appointment to come out and visit
our dogs if we have a litter planned and your approved questionnaire is on file. We want to meet our
potential owners beforehand where possible and we're sure you would want to meet us and our girls as
well. As we can’t influence the sex or number of pups our bitches will produce, you are more likely
to get a pup from us if you are open to either sex. While there were 72,704 Golden Retrievers born in
the US last year, there were only 517 Leonbergers. 338 of those were born to LCA Member Breeders.
We are a rare breed. The females in the breed, although better watch dogs, are easier to live with as
teenagers, and usually challenge their owners less than the males who are prone to testosterone surges
from around 15-36 months. Males are not a good choice for owners who have not owned a very large,
intact working breed male before or who might not have strong leadership abilities. Leo females are
just as beautiful and a lot larger than the dogs most owners have previously owned!
Next page: How do you get on out waiting list? Back to: "PUPPIES"
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