foreword: the following statement is unfortunably no amusing history, it’s a "sad facts report".

To bring this to the public’s attention is not at all meant to be a campaign against those who are responsible and co-originators of the today’s situation. Not at all, this is addressed to all responsible Fanciers of this breed, to lead them to a more critical consideration and action. The report will hopefully help to clearify whats wrong in the Leonberger breeding and what the club and chairmans are responsible for.

Today the Leonberger belongs to the breeds "well-known for a disposition to genetic conditioned diseases".
The average expectance of life – due to today's breeding policies – is 7.3 years.

Many die even earlier. The official excusion "normality at giant-growing races" can’t be accepted at all! This is an argument for improper, irresponsible breeding, last but not least accompanied by commercial interest!

September 2000 I had my old Kuvasz put to sleep. His companion, my Leonberger bitch "Cora" mourned over weeks so much, that I decided to put as quickly as possible another dog to our little pack.

I didn’t consider for a puppy because of the job-conditioned obligations which would cause in 5-6 hours "being alone" for a puppy. I sought for a Leonberger male, a youngster in need for replacement. I contacted the DCLH-puppy-agency but the lady couldn’t help me at all. At my question if she could refer me to somebody, this was as well "not possible". Due to contacts to a hobby breeder I got finally the "actual puppy list" and on the very end of this list there are the older Leo’s in need to be re-homed mentioned. On this list I found my Leonberger male "Ohio v. Löwengarten, called Lucca" at the age of 16 months, presently living with the breeder. Lucca was returned to the breeder, because of several personal and familiar problems of his previous owner.

2 long phone-calls with the breeder, Mrs. Rahel Schale, and her "critical questioning" to find out if I would be able to deal with the dog, finally convinced me. Of course, neither health - nor behaviour problems were known about the dog ! The breeder made the proposal to deliver Ohio personally as it was important to check out if Ohio would get along well with my Leo-bitch.

(sounds all very correct but today I wonder if this wasn’t mainly meant to avoid that I would be able to have insight to the scenary at the breeders place). Lucca joined our family December 2000. I paid DM 1.500.00 DM plus travel expenses. (Not the price paid is important to me, it is just mentioned in reference to the commercial interest of some breeders, as Lucca was already sold at puppy-age for the usual puppy price of DM 2.000 to 2.500,--DM and this was surely not refunded to the previous owner).

Lucca belonged now to our pack. He loved my Leo – bitch and even more he loved me.

Towards strangers, particularly women, he was very kind. Towards male humans he reacted mistrustful, placed himself with squeezed tail ( bad experience? ).

In the beginning he showed a food-related rivalry until he understood that this was a "tabu" in our pack. This are surely "no problems"; the problems began after about one week, at a walk and first meeting with "uknown" dogs. Lucca behaved unimaginable. A presentation of growling, yearning, barking, tugging, placing on rear-legs until at end I wasn’t able anymore to keep "his 56 kg on the leash".

Therefore, quite a good piece of behaviour-training had to be considered. Continual visits at dog school with daily dogs contacts, single training, special-leash-workout and more...

Several weeks later the breeder rung up to known whether the dog had been x-rayed for HD, as desired by her. I asked again for any occurrences regarding Lucca‘s behaviour and suddendly the breeder seem to remember that she had a problem herself and that the previous owner was never able to gain control over the dog. Also I got info that Lucca had spent several weeks at a friends place and that this caused problems as the friend had already a male dog.

After this info there was no further inquiry necessary.

Here came things to the daylight, definitely known by the breeder, but never told me.

Well, nothing could be changed and we knew tht we had to continue with intensive training work with Lucca and we had several events of success together.

April 2001 the dog was X-rayed as I had the idea to be accompanied by Lucca whilst jogging. As I had a suspect that maybe the heart might not work sufficiently during the anesthesia a X-ray of the heart was made too.

Leo Lucca whined suddenly as he tried yawning. He pressed the jaws together and I couldn’t have a look inside the mouth; he went out of my way. I was waiting some time but Lucca whined again several times. I begun to worry and despite Sunday I knew that we had to go to see the veterinary. There he got a kind of analgetica so that the vet was able to controle the jaws & throat-area. The tonsils where inflamed; well, tonsillitis might occur !

After one weeks antibiotic-treatment Lucca was better, no medication needed anymore. Just two days later the same problematic and this time Lucca salivated ! Back to the veterinary.

An immediate blood fact-finding resulted in a positive Neospora - proof with a titer of 1:100. Neospora, an unicellular organism attacks and destroys nerve cells. The consequence can result in a paralysis in the muscular range. Mainly involved are puppies and young/growing dogs, they suffer from a paralysis of the hindquarters/rearlegs. Cases of paralysis in the head range are rare but might occur.

Rarely a neosporosis is recognized as the phenotype complies a lot with the Toxoplasmosis.

Neospora - titer of up to 1:25 might have no reasonable results on the health. Values higher than this are lethal for 87% of the involved animals.

One of the best known ways of transmission shape of the Neospora canincum is the transference by the bitch – via uterus – during delivery.

Lucca’s titer of 1:100 was on the top and the presumption, that the Neospora - infection caused his problems was almost logical. Lucca was put on oral medication including cortison (not the very best for a young dog, still in development). Another medication, similar to chemotherapy, was applied as well.

My own request at the same university clinic for the purpose to learn more about neosporosis lead to a completly different result; the statment of my veterinary was confirmed by University Giessen.

Because Mrs. Schale was not willing to react I contacted the president of the DCLH (German Leo Club), Mr. Zerle. At this time I thought that DCLH, affiliated to VDH, would be interested to clearify any healthproblems.

Mister Zerle was extremely interested and ask to submit him all info in written order.

I wrote a letter and enclosed all reports about Neospora plus blood evaluation of Lucca.

No reaction, nothing until today !

This tumor itself had within a few months extended from a not recognizable size to such a measure.

(all vet- medical reports are available in written order to proof the story of Lucca’s disease).

The DCLH and the breeders deny the facts and continue like they did before.

The DCLH-president and the breeder had info on the disease and death of Lucca

– no reaction !!!

The case is ignored or said to be just a "single case" – like many other "single cases" - and those who dare to bring this to the attention of the public said to be "jerks".

I hope, that something positive will happen in the future of the Leonberger breeding.

Breeding healthy dogs should become the goal of the breeders, no matter if they are assisted by DCLH / VDH or not.

The rules of DCLH / VDH for breeding don’t put utmost attention towards "breeding for health and vitality".