The Leonberger   

A Monography by Werner Jockers

Veterinarian, Waldshut/Baden, 1961

Brief summary & translation by E. Steffen

the shield was made by an US-artist and given
to me by a friend to use it

The at those times famous animal-painters Specht, Leutemann and Beckmann draw several good paintings from the Leonberger and it is mentioned that they studied the Leonberger at national and international/foreign kennels.

From that one can take the conclusion that there foreign breeding took already place at this time.

 At 1870 the highest price asked for a Leonberger was 1000 Deutsch-Mark, a lot of money at this time - and most likely only affordable for the wealthy people.

Many famous persons where in favour for such a fourleggend buddy, persons like

Duke Friedrich v. Baden (1826 - 1907)

Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883)

Poet Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876)

Bismarck (1815 - 1898).

Later Bismarck shifted his preferences to the Great Dane.

In Russia the breed was spread and this means surely only in high society,
considering what we know about Russian history.

In 1873 the large amount of 374 Leonberger Dogs had been exported (worldwide) and in 1874 another 325 exemplares.

There is known that

Empirer Napoleon III. (1808 - 1888)

Prince of Wales, later King Eduard VII. 
(1841 - 1910)

King Umberto (1874 - 1900)

Hero Garibaldi (1807 - 1882)

had a Leonberger (or maybe more than one) to share their life with.

It is said that Garibaldi sent a letter (1866) to H. Essig and mentioned that his Leonberger was that strong that he could easily fight with a wild bull.

At St. Bernard-monastry the friars in 1853 ordered Leonberger dogs instead of the St. Bernard's bred by them and named after the St. Bernard - monastry and the Leonberger Dogs did their job there to full satisfaction; 
1868 the friars reported that the wonderful dogs given to them by Mr. Essig had died.

The monastry St. Gotthard had also got knowledge of the new breed and 1857 two Leonberger dogs went to St. Gotthard-monastry and there is mentioned that this Leonberger dogs with their very sweet and soft character 
did their "tasks" in the same good manner 
as the St. Bernards.

Pages 10 ff.  mention that already around 1870 the Leonberger was found in 

Norway - France - England - Belgium - Russia

and as well Turkey, Bessarbia (Kischinew) 
India (Singapur) and Japan 
and via Suez-Channel they came to 
Africa (Abessinien), 
to Mexiko, Valparaiso/Chile and to 
North-America - Indiana and Philadelphia.

In 1860 there had been published an article in a newspaper from Philadelphia:

"Miss Wellesley got a very fine exemplar 
of a Leonberger dog. 
It is a georgeous animal 
and it looks as fine 
as the others imported by 
Miss Wellesley last spring"

This simply expresses that this "Miss Wellesley" had in 1859 (spring) and 1860 already imported Leonberger dogs to the USA !!!

So maybe - if they have an archive with the 
very old magazines - it might be possible 
to find out in the years 1859/1860 something about the import of this Leos !!!

Continual export of dogs was settled with the upcoming of Dog-Shows. 
There is mentioned that the Leonbergers got first price for single rating/judgment on the first dog-show in England (Cruft's ??? I have to find out when Cruft's was held the very first time or if there another English dog show is concerned).

At the 1^st International Dog Show Germany, Hamburg 1863, Mr. Essig's Leonberger 
"Marco" won 1^st and 2^nd Price in competition 
with English dogs in special classes.

And in 1870/1871 at the first dog Show in Munich again the Leonberger Dogs won the first prices. The success went on with Dog-Show 
Baden-Baden under protection of the 
Duchess of Hamilton and the Leonberger were awarded with a honour-price of 200 Mark.

"Among the 350 showed dogs the Leonberger took an extraordinary position".

At an International Show in Lima/Peru again two Leonberger, exported by H. Essig, won first price and goldmedal (no year is mentioned for this show but must have took place around 
1870 - 1880).

Also a dog show in Austria (city ?) in 1870 is mentioned where 30 Leonberger dogs 
had been shown.

There is also mentioned that the nephew 
of Mr. Essig had sent Leonberger to Newfoundland and that the residents had bred with those dogs and reported to 
Germany that the "crossing combines all the good habits of 3 foundation-breeds in one".

With the death of Mr. Essig the Leonberger breed went through the "first" of more following depressions and especially in Germany they went through hard times (named as "bastards" etc.).

Around 1890 a club was founded (together with the Rottweiler) and since that time the fancier of the breed worked always very hard to keep the breed and to found new breeding-pools after the First and Second World War.

Those Leo-Fanciers deserve our respect as otherwise there would 
maybe be no "Leonberger" today anymore.

created by E. Steffen; mainly based on the Leonberger Chronik

and collection of old Leonberger magazines and other dog-magazines,

all out of the collection of

I thank Mr. Meier for the very kind permission
to use and reprint all these information !

Index

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Northeuropean
History

Southeuropean
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UK-History 

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 Croatian History

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Austrian & Australian 
History