Overview

The Leonberger is a calm, large, muscular working dog with proud head carriage, level top line, and balanced build. They are a dimorphic breed, with males and females easily discernible as such. Males have strong, masculine heads while the female head expresses femininity. Tight flews, a distinguishing feature of the breed, provide for a dry mouth with no drooling. A soft, sweet expression, dark brown eyes, and a black mask are hallmarks of the Leonberger breed. For his size, the Leo is light on his feet and graceful in motion with a powerful, ground covering gait. Although a multi-purpose working breed, the Leonberger is primarily value as a loving companion, enthusiastically participating in most family endeavors and socializing at human gatherings.

First and foremost a family dog, the Leonberger's temperament is one of its most important and distinguishing characteristics. Well socialized and trained, the Leonberger is self-assured, insensitive to noise, submissive to family members, friendly toward children, well composed with passersby, and self-disciplined when obliging its family or property with protection. Robust, loyal, intelligent, playful, and kindly, they can thus be taken anywhere without difficulty and adjust easily to a variety of circumstances, including the introduction of other dogs.