corvus
Posted : 6/16/2007 8:06:21 PM
I've been looking into this breed for a while in my search for a decent-sized dog compatible with house rabbits. It's not a common breed in Australia, but the Leo community is a really lovely one. They keep in contact with one another and regularly meet up. I was invited to a Leo beach party to celebrate some interstate Leos being in town. There were about a dozen Leos at the beach. My impression was that they adore other dogs. They just wanted to be friends with every dog they met. I saw a lot of pups and small dogs cowering on the ground when 3 giant Leos bounded up to them to make friends. The Leos generally got their way and romped with every dog they met. I was told they're not very interested in social hierarchies and if a dog gets growly with them, they're far more likely to walk off and find someone nicer to play with than get growly back. That seemed to hold, as the only sign of aggression I saw was when a 9 month old male got a little bit over-excited around an adult female and tried to mount her. She told him off and all the Leos came rushing over to see what was going on, but by the time they got there the boy had submissively backed off and the female had turned her back on him. That was the end of it.
I think I learnt more about them from watching the owners than the dogs. It was interesting how the owners paid very little attention to where their dogs were and what they were doing, seemingly taking it for granted that they would be nearby staying out of trouble. I know when my dog is offlead I'm very aware of where she is and what she's doing, especially when there are a lot of other dogs around. She's quite reliable offlead and good with other dogs, but I still find plenty of reasons to be accutely aware of her. I guess with the size and temperament of Leos, they never get into trouble with other dogs, and they rarely wander far from their owners. They have no real prey drive and no interest in rolling in dead birds or fish on the beach. They seemed interested only in making new canine friends and lying down in the surf.
I was very taken with them and definitely want one. They don't drool like other big breeds like that, and they're a little more active. The only thing that concerns me is that they make for very big puppies. The adults were generally very aware of their size and I saw one adult female go to some effort to pull herself up while playing near me to avoid stepping on me. She shot me an apologetic look and moved away for more boisterous play. The youngsters, though, were understandably not so self-aware. They play rough and you don't want to get in their way. They're surprisingly agile given their size and I saw one 9 month old female regularly jumping over her lab friend when he got in her way rather than barelling into him or trying to move around him. I'm looking for an adult for myself, because I don't think my elderly corgi could cope with a puppy that big, and I'd be worried she'd be accidentally hurt. The breeders I spoke to agreed that a pup would probably not be suitable for a small, older dog. Unfortunately, adult Leonbergers don't often need homes over here.
As for health, I asked about that and none of the breeders over here are having any trouble. They seem to be less prone to health problems than other large breeds.
I've got some video footage of the Leo beach party knocking around somewhere if anyone is interested. My boyfriend wants a Leo, now. They're just big cuddle bugs, very confident, but also very laid back and tolerant. They sure love getting wet and dirty, though!