The Leonberger breed originated in the 19th Century when, as the story goes, a resident of Leonberg in Germany called Heinrich Essig crossed St Bernards, Newfoundlands and Great Pyrenees. The goal appears to have been to create a dog that looked like the lion on the town crest of Leonberg.

The breed was almost wiped out in the world wars of the 20th century, with five breeding dogs left after WW1 after the German army used them to pull gun carriages, and eight after WW2. As a result, the genetic diversity of the breed is quite small and has to be managed carefully. A Newfoundland was introduced in the 1950s, and a Kangal in the 1970s, which appear in some lines.

The Leonberger is a big, powerful dog and needs careful training and socialisation as a puppy in order to enjoy the big gentle giant that is portrayed in various articles about the breed.

The breed standard is available from the LCA website