Owning and living with a Leonberger is a commitment that should not be taken lightly. Before you purchase your new Leonberger puppy, please take the time to research the breed thoroughly and be a responsible and educated buyer. Because Leonbergers are fast becoming a popular breed, it is now easier than ever to find a Leonberger puppy in Ireland. Little or no attention is being paid to the fact that this over breeding of the Leonberger in Ireland could see our wonderful breed end up in rehoming situations or, worse still, end up in puppy farms/mills.

All reputable  breeders will have waiting lists and will never email or telephone newcomers in the hope of pushing them into taking a pup. Breeders should not ask you for a deposit to hold a puppy. A reputable breeder will point out all the drawbacks to owning a giant, powerful, hairy, forever hungry, wet, muddy, jumping, climbing, destroying, cheeky, attention seeking, costly, loving, huggable, adorable dog.

When you go to see the litter of puppies, do not make a spur of the moment decision. This will be very hard because you will have just seen the most divine creatures ever!! Go home and think long and hard. After all, the Leonberger will need you to care for it for all of it's life. You cannot bin him when the novelty wears off. Do not feel you have wasted the breeder's time if you decide to pull out of a puppy waiting list. The words "time wasters" are words used only by desperate breeders. You have made a honest decision for yourself and the dog. The Leonberger is not a rare breed now and there are plenty puppies available all the time.

Beware of Leonberger breeders who sell their litters on the merits of the show wins of their dogs. This breed is still very scarce at championship shows, with the same few being shown. If you're looking for a Leonberger in Ireland a visit to a few Championship shows is recommended and results can be seen at http://www.dogshowentry.ie where you log on. Also there is no such thing as a show quality 8 week old pup. Being a member of ANY canine club is not a testament to a breeder's character.

I recommend you research, understand and accept the full financial and emotional liabilities that come along with owning a Leonberger before you buy a puppy. Your original purchase price will pale in comparison to the total cost of owning a giant breed over it’s lifetime. They eat more, they need extra large beds and vet bills will be higher than for a medium or small breed because the majority of medications are given on a "per weight" basis and your Leonberger will weigh between 35kgs and 75kgs. Giant pet insurance is now nearly E300 yearly and if you think this insurance cost is too high, then in my opinion,  you cannot afford to keep a Leonberger. Do you have the money to keep a giant breed dog in the face of redundancy.

The Leonberger is called a gentle giant but, in truth, you will not see this until after 3 years of age and without proper training, patience and love you may never see that gentle giant. Unruly children and puppies is not a good recipe.

If you are houseproud, prefer your home to be very warm, lead a busy life, intend to start a family or move home, you're out at work all day, don't have time for obedience training or exercising your agile Leo or grooming a big heavy coated dog, don't have space for a giant dog sprawled across your floors, like to leave your possessions on the coffee table waiting to be swiped onto the floor by the tail of a Leo, don't like hair on your clothes, muddy floors, lots of extra towels for washing, slobber on your window panes, is your car big enough for an adult Leonberger, do you have a fence around your property at least 5 feet high, are you a lover of the perfect lawn (a running Leo will send sods of grass and earth 5 feet into the air behind them)  then, perhaps, a Leonberger is not the ideal companion for you.

Leos are very social, love companionship and crave human attention and more than ANYTHING they will just want to be with you.  It is cruel to kennel or tie up your Leo. With proper and gentle training and patience, your Leonberger will become a valued member of your family, a great companion as intimate as any human bond and a best friend for life. So, be alert, be warned and above all be happy with your new Leonberger puppy. Leonbergers are a pure joy and simply the best and they deserve only the best from us.  Pictured above is Stormchaser Power of Love as a puppy.

RESULTS FOR EUROPEAN WINNER DOG SHOW DUBLIN IRELAND 2009.

There was only 1 Leonberger in each class except in Champion Bitch, Champion Dog, Intermediate Dog and Open Dog where 2 Leonbergers were present in each class. 12 Leonbergers in total were judged today at the European Winner Dog Show Dublin 31st May 2009.  This represents the biggest number of Leonbergers judged at any one time in Ireland to date. Usually between 3 and 6 Leos are shown at International Championship or All Breed Championship shows here. Well done to everyone.

EUROPEAN WINNER DOG SHOW DUBLIN IRELAND 2009. Just want to wish everyone the best of luck at today's European Winner Dog Show Dublin 2009. So sorry I can't be with you today due to my broken wrist but unfortunately I have it in plaster for another 5 weeks. Have a great day everyone and I'll see you in a few months

TOP WINNING LEONBERGER IN IRELAND FOR 2008.                                                    It has been confirmed by the Irish Kennel Club that Ch. Stormchaser Power of Love (An Ch 2008) "Kyla" does hold the title of Top Winning Leonberger for 2008 in Ireland. I have the certificate to prove it which I include on my web site for anyone who is interested enough to look at - click on certificate to enlarge it.

The Irish Kennel Club also informed me that they award the Annual Champion title to the top winning dog in each breed, and that is what  Kyla has achieved so therefore she does hold the title of the Top Winning Leonberger in Ireland for 2008 as per The Irish Kennel Club, despite what others may wish.

There are other competitions, called Top Dog Competition and Top Breeder,  run by showdogsireland and supported by some dog food companies, etc. These are not associated in any shape or form to the Irish Kennel Club but are merely there to keep interest, (their words) in showdogsireland, amongst exhibitors here in Ireland. These are based only on group wins and are not supported by the Irish Kennel Club and the winners are not styled with a title or given a certificate as it's not official. I hope this clears up any misunderstandings and also explains to those who don't show in Ireland, just how our system works here.

Kyla is Annual Leonberger Champion for 2008.

This means she is the Top Winning Leonberger in Ireland for 2008.

6^th Dec 2008 saw Banbridge and District Canine Club Championship show being held at Balmoral, Belfast. It was a long trip from Cork to Belfast in freezing fog and wasn't much better on the return home. Still Kyla came away with another Green Star and Best of Breed.

Thanks to Mrs C. Boyd who did a wonderful job judging the Leonbergers in very cold conditions. This show afterwards turned out to be our last championship show of the year 2008.