@LubaLuca
I suppose we see fewer mongrels because more people get their dogs neutered and there are fewer strays these days. Good news for dogs, but it does make for a more boring guessing game when in the park - everything is a 'something'poo.
My friend has just got a St Bernard puppy, and I realised I'd never seen one in real life before! Another friend has just got a Leonberger puppy to keep her adult L'berger company - they are very gentle, but definitely not suitable as a pet for the average family.
Slightly.confused as to why you think they aren’t a suitable pet for a family?
Leo’s are amazing. They are very chilled in the home, no racing round like lunatics. They don’t need excessive amounts of exercise. They have a really low propensity for barking.
Because they are a large breed, they (and their bones) mature at a slower rate. So guidance is not to have them running up stairs, jumping on/off furniture etc. As long as you encourage this in the first few weeks, no risk of dog hair over your furniture etc.
I love St Bernards and Newfies, but I couldn’t cope with the drool. Leo’s don’t have the “pockets” in their gums, so they don’t drool. They occasionally forget to shut their gob after drinking water, but I can cope with that!
Their whole purpose, when initially “created” was to be a companion dog (for the wealthy and titled at the time). So they don’t have a particular skill (unlike retrievers, pointers, gun dogs, etc etc). Their purpose in life is to luuuurve you!
They are brilliant with kids, have amazing patience with young or annoying yappy dogs. And don’t bother spending loads on a lovely comfy bed - mine prefers being str3tched out on the laminate flooring 🤣