“Leonberger: A Comprehensive
Owner's Guide” is an introductory book for dog-lovers seriously considering a
Leonberger. The Leo (as it's affectionately known) is a large breed of dogs
from Germany. At least to me, the Leonberger looks like a cross between an
Alsatian and a Saint Bernard.
According to legend, the Leonberger was created by Heinrich Essig, the mayor of the small German town of Leonberg, around 1846. The town spouted a lion on its coat of arms, and Essig therefore wanted to create a lion-like dog breed. The Leonberger was supposedly the result of crossing (among others) the Saint Bernard, the Newfoundland and the Great Pyrenees. Apparently, modern studies have shown that Essig made it all up. The Leonberger isn't a genetic mix of said breeds, but was probably an already existing breed of mountain dogs, which Essig obtained and falsely claimed as his own creation! The romantic speculations about the breed have continued, however, and include claims that Marie Antoinette owned a handful.
The rest of “Leonberger: A Comprehensive Owner's Guide” is less romantic, and deals with such standard items as training, showing, health care and breed standards. There are also a lot of colour photos of these huge dogs. Recommended, but probably only if you think that big really is beautiful…
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