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GiantWorking Group

Leonberger

The Leonberger was developed in mid-19th century Germany in the town of Leonberg by Heinrich Essig, crossing Landseers, Saint Bernards, and Great Pyrenees.

Calculate Leonberger age
Lifespan10 yrrange 9–11
SizeGiantWorking Group
Weight90–170 lb40.8–77.1 kg
Senior at5 yrgeriatric at 8

Gallery (3)

About

About the Leonberger

The Leonberger was developed in mid-19th century Germany in the town of Leonberg by Heinrich Essig, crossing Landseers, Saint Bernards, and Great Pyrenees. The breed was nearly lost in both World Wars and reconstructed from a small founder pool.

Aging

How Leonbergers age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 10.0 years (n=997). Leonberger polyneuropathy (LPN1 and LPN2) is the defining breed-specific inherited concern — DNA testing is standard — with osteosarcoma and GDV as secondary late-life killers.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 10 yr · range 9–11Senior careSenior at 5 · geriatric at 8Common health issues7 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
90–170 lb(40.8–77.1 kg)
Height
25.5–31.5 in(64.8–80 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
YellowRedReddish BrownSandy
Temperament

Temperament

How Leonbergers tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

friendlygentleeven-tempereddevoted
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~5 yr

    Hypothyroidism

    Description and veterinary guidance for Hypothyroidism land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Leonbergers are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.