North-European Leo-History

Sweden:

Special thanks to a Swedish Friend who provided me with some information - taken from the "Leonbergerboken" written by one of the oldest
Swedish breeders and founder of the
Swedish Leonberger Society, Margareta Gustafson Eskner.

There isn't mentioned explicit at what time the first Leonberger came
to Sweden but there is evidence that points to the fact that Leonbergers
had been in Sweden as early as 1886.

The first registration of the breed was in 1963.

Flocki v. Bernerland - female - imp. Switzerland
Barko v. Hohenkarpfen x Dagmar v.d. Solitude

The bitch was imported by Dagmar Bieri;
Breeder W. Aedchliman, Switzerland.
The bitch was not used for breeding.

1967 the 2nd Leonberger was registered.
Gyurcsitarjan Kully - female - imp. Netherlands
Gyurcsitarjan Doepel x Ronny v. Pappelhof

The bitch was imported from Jose v.d. Pas-Stramer, Netherlands.
Unfortunately this bitch was killed in an accident.

1974 Solveigh Lindhe imported the male

Troldegaards Lion
Alex v. Brühlhof x Assi v. Zwiwwelje

from Jorgen and Helle Bruun, Denmark.

Lion sired a (the first ?) litter in Norway and is herewith behind
many Swedish bloodlines.

Some Leonbergers - out of Troldegaards Lion - breeding-stock:

Arko av Nordens Loewe (and littermates) and offspring
Remmens Jigg - and offspring

Finland

Special thanks to a Finnish Leo- Friend (Susanna and the 4 Finnish Lions)
who provided me with some information - out of a Finnish Leo-Book .

The first Leonbergers in Finland are known by the end of 19th century.
There first registered Leonberger was called RABAN (male) born May 1894;
parents unknown - owner: Johan W. Furuhjem.

RABAN was show a few times and won Helsinki's International 10-Years-Jubilee-Show in 1899.
He was the only Leonberger at this show, show-report:
"Being for so long just nothing, the Leonberger is now acknowledged
as an own breed in Germany.
Because the dog was bif and beautiful, the judges gave him
the 1st price, even if they didn't know what a
Leonberger should look like.
RABAN didn't like being in the show, he run away to the country-side
where people thought he would be a big wolf.
Luckily the owner got hold of the dog very soon".

There aren't any pictures of RABAN, but a painting;
RABAN was lion-coloured without black or dark mask
(he had some white stripe int he face, similar to St. Bernard).

The 2nd Leo was a male too, called ROLF, born Nov. 15, 1896 in Switzerland.
Owner was E.F. Ellmén from Helsinki.
ROLF was shown a few times too - show results:

2nd price - Helsinki 1902
1st price - Helsinki 1904 - at the age of 8 years !!!! -

There was a breeder J. Huovinen from Mänttä, who bred his bitch DONNA
(not registered, nothing know about the lines where Donna was out from)
with ROLF and the litter was born in July 14, 1898
- and out from this litter there is one male,

BOX II, known: owner Atte Hoffren, Helsinki.

BOX got 3rd place at Helsinki dog show 1902, after
ROLF, his father, who was 2nd place.

Another male, born March 13, 1905, called UKKO,
who's sire is ROLF, mother Carolina (no lines known).
UKKO won 1st price Helsinki 1912 and 1913.
Breeder and owner: F. Stolle, Helsinki.

NEERO, born 1911 - parentdogs unknown -
breeder Orloff - from Russian bloodlines -
Owner: A. Tirronen Viipuri.

NEERO won 1st price in Biipuri's dog show.

BRAVO, born July 2, 1920
Breeder Malmsten, Provoo.
both parentdogs imports
BRAVO won 1st price Helsinki 1922.

And now - the Leo-ladies:

LEDA, born Feb. 2, 1908
breeder and parentdogs unknown.
Owner W. Smolejski, Viipuri
- maybe out of Russian bloodlines too -

SEIMRI, born in 1915, import
owner A.E. Adler, Helsinki
SEIMRI won 1st price Helsinki 1922 and
3rd price Helsinki 1924.

This Leo's seemed to be rather healthy and fit - as they had been around
7 / 8 years at the time
of being shown - and winning - remarkable !

Between 1894 and 1924 there have been many Leonbergers in Finland,
but the most haven't
been showed and never registered.

Between 1924 and 1982 - no documents about Leonberger population in Finland.

Finland was involved in several wars - 1920 / 1945 - and due to that pet-keeping
and especially large dogs was not very easy / likely.

1982 - from Sweden Ragnarikes Elis Esthersson - male - was imported,
born January 26, 1982 in Sweden.
Another import from Sweden: Löwengolds Kasimir - born Feb. 20, 1982 -

In the following years many Leonberges, mainly from Sweden,
had been imported to Finland.

May 9, 1986 - the first Leonberger Litter in Finland was born.
parentdogs: Leijonlands Ginny-Girl * 1983 / Sweden
Zarewitsch v. Ratibor u. Corvey / Germany, imp. to Sweden

The kennel was the Gesabina-kennel, breeder Lea Geselle.

Out from this kennel one of the best Leonberger bitches
Gesabina Bagalou - Int. Champion, WorldWinner -

Bagalou herself was the foundation-bitch for Pinbiittan-Kennel
- Ritva and Kauko Koivisto, Finland -

Gesabina Brouhaha - sister to Bagalou - was the foundation-bitch
for Alnuspark-Kennel.

Both bitches had produced very good offspring and those dogs had
a strong influence on
the Finnish Leonberger-breeding.

In the last years dogs from Germany, Sweden, Belgium, England,
Norway, Denmark and France had been imported.

The Finnish Leonberger Club was founded Dec. 1, 1985.
Nowadays the Leonberger is quite popular - as other giant breeds too.

Index	History	Sources
	General History