- Lion yellow, red, reddish brown, also sandy (pale yellow, cream coloured) and all combinations in between, always with a black mask.
- Permissible: Black hair tips
- Black must not determine the dog’s basic colour
- Lightening up of the basic colour on the underside of the tail, the mane, the feathering on the front legs and the breeches on the hind legs must not be so pronounced as to interfere with the harmony of the main colour.
- Permissible: A small white patch or stripe on the chest and white hairs on the toes
About the Leonberger
Origin: Germany
- Typical life span
- 7-9 years
- Size
- Large — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 50-77 kg
- Female
- 41-64 kg
- Height
- Male
- 71-80 cm
- Female
- 65-75 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs
- Origin
- Germany
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Leonberger?
Giant, majestic working dog with a lion-like appearance, thick water-resistant double coat, and gentle, balanced temperament. This powerful yet serene breed combines an imposing presence with a calm, patient demeanor.
Leonberger history and origins
Developed in the 1840s by Heinrich Essig in Leonberg, Germany, crossing Newfoundlands, Saint Bernards, and Pyrenean Mountain Dogs to create a 'lion-like' dog resembling the lion on the town crest. Became popular companion for European royalty
Leonberger appearance and size
Males typically weigh 50-77 kg and stand 71-80 cm at the shoulder; females 41-64 kg and 65-75 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Watch, Companion and Family Dog
- Behaviour and temperament
“As a family dog, the Leonberger is an agreeable partner for present day dwelling and living conditions, who can be taken anywhere without difficulty and is distinguished by his marked friendliness towards children. He is neither shy, nor aggressive. As a companion, he is agreeable, obedient, and fearless in all situations of life. The following are particular requirements of steady temperament: • Self-assurance and superior composure. • Medium temperament (including playfulness). • Willing to be submissive. • Good capacity for learning and remembering. • Insensitive to noise”
Quoted from FCI standard n°145. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Large
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Watch, Companion and Family Dog” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 2 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 4 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 4 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Leonberger
What you get with the Leonberger
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Watch, Companion and Family Dog”
- The standard describes the breed as: “As a family dog, the Leonberger is an agreeable partner for present day dwelling and living conditions, who can be…”
What you are taking on
- High grooming needs — the standard’s own description is “distinct feathering on front legs and ample breeches on hind legs”
- Shorter-lived than a crossbred dog — median 10 years across 699 animals, against 12
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard; McMillan et al. 2024, median age at death. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Leonberger
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording, tagged permissible.
Coat
Medium soft to coarse, profusely long, close fitting, never parted with the shape of the whole body be visible despite the thick undercoat.
Straight, slight wave still permitted
forming a mane on neck and chest, especially in males
distinct feathering on front legs and ample breeches on hind legs
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°145 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Height at the withers: Dogs 72 to 80 cm (recommended average 76 cm). 65 to 75 cm (recommended average 70 cm). Bitches”
- FCI distinguishes an ideal from what is permitted.
Quoted from FCI standard n°145. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Leonberger in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Leonberger
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Leonberger on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Leonberger owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Leonberger breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.