Leonberger Breed Magazine - Showsight

An Ideal Companion Emerges In creating a luxury dog for the wealthy, Essig inadvertently created an ideal canine companion breed known for its versatil- ity and compelling adaptability to human interests and lifestyles. His Leonberg- ers were intelligent and elegant enough to please the most discriminating buyers. Th ey were hardy enough to withstand long over- land and ocean journeys, and they could fl ourish in a wide variety of households. Leonbergers have friendly, lively spirits tempered by calm, inclusive and tolerant dispositions. Th ey are gentle with other animals, loving with children, loyal to their adults and willing to try almost any activity. Th e power of the Leonberger’s appeal as an ideal companion helped it to sur- vive the ravages of World War I. During that time every Leonberger in Leonberg starved to death or was killed, and those in the rest of the world were brought to the very edge of extinction. After the War, the breed was resurrect- ed by two residents of Leonberg—Otto Josenhans and Karl Stadelman. In early 1922, using their knowledge of Essig’s dogs and a Leonberger Standard written by Albert Kull shortly after Essig’s death, they located and selectively bred seven dogs with Leonberger-like traits. From these they carefully rebuilt the breed. Today’s Leonberger comes directly from their work. Th e club they founded and the stud book they wrote are still in existence today. Unlike many dogs in Germany, the Leonberger survived the Second World War relatively well. Although the National Socialist party replaced the club leadership and rewrote the standard, the breed was protected by its German heritage. After the War, the Th ird Reich breed standard was replaced. Pre-war institutions were re-established, and breeding programs on both sides of the Iron Curtain helped the post-war breed to fl ourish.

Leonbergers are gentle and accepting of other animals. Image from the collection of Waltraut Zieher

sons or in large households bustling with children. They are happy in apart- ments in midtown Manhattan, sandy beaches, or in Arctic snow. Today’s Leonbergers are not distin- guished by striking colors, fl owing tresses, or unusually shaped bodies. Th ey aren’t warriors, pointers or retrievers. Th ey don’t yearn for rhinestone collars, as they are natural-looking, weather-proof, wash and wear dogs. Th eir lack of extreme or con- spicuous traits, however, is in itself strik- ing. Except for their size and the eager enthusiasm of their people, Leonbergers are notable for their lack of extremes in both form and function.

So what makes Leonbergers so desir- able? Th e secret lies in their very mod- eration. It’s no surprise that the dog in Sidney Harris’s famous cartoon is a bit of a Leonberger look-alike. Although many canine encyclopedias group the Leonberger with the giant breeds, nowhere in the o ffi cial standards of the world’s major kennel clubs is the Leonberger referred to as a giant. In fact, the standards emphasize that the Leonberger is large but not ponder- ous. Excessive height is undesirable. Is moderation the magic? Perhaps the very lack of exceptional traits create an exceptional breed capable of capturing hearts and changing lives.

Models of Adaptability & Moderation

Today, approximately forty thou- sand Leonbergers live mostly in Europe. Their numbers are growing in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. They live contentedly with single per-

S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , F EBRUARY 2014 • 213

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