We shared our home with our three growing children, two GSDs - Jaffa and Meista - and two Jack Russells - Bee and Spud - a feral cat called Garvy and two African Grey parrots, Sammy and Pumpkin. Two horses and a large amount of guinea pigs and two rats. Were we animal lovers or just plain mad? Where did our life with Leonbergers start you are no doubt asking? In 1990 our young GSD, Meista, died of bone cancer aged just 5 years. No GSD could ever replace him so we started looking at other breeds and that was where our love of Leos was to start. We were to meet Arkle at Kinghern and the rest of the Leos. We were smitten and hoped one day we would have the pleasure of owning one.

In 1993 our dream was realized and we had Dreamer as a seven week old puppy. She started us on a showing hobby, which was fun. We met lots of new friends and our life was full of laughter, our antics often frowned at by the more experienced handlers but in good humour. Dreamer taught us how a wagging tail and her devotion to me was how to win rosettes. Best of Breeds and Crufts accolades. Jaffa, our last GSD, died aged fourteen, shortly followed by Bee the JR at fifteen. This enabled us to keep a puppy out of Dreamer's first litter. We kept a male called Tucker, he was a large handsome dog who we idolised. He was everything we could have wished for in a Leonberger with looks and a temperament to die for. From Dreamer's second litter and we kept a bitch called Wizzy. Our pack complete we thought. Tragedy struck all too soon when Tucker was diagnosed with bone cancer, he was just over 4 when we had no choice but to give him painless peace.

 
In 1999 with the family grown up and three grandchildren - Grace, Anna and Brandon (our affix) - we moved from our home of 20 years in Hampshire to our present home in Lincolnshire. We brought with us Dreamer, Wizzy and Spud. Wizzy has had two litters and has now been speyed. Out of the first litter we kept a bitch on breeding terms and out of the second litter we plucked up courage and kept another male called Bear, who is gorgeous. Unfortunately due to health problems with LP/PN both these lines are now excluded from breeding. Out of Wizzys first litter, Jenga has LP/PN, Jade has LP and Kia has LP/PN. Click here to find out more about LP (laryngeal paralysis) and PN (polyneuropathy).

In 2002 we were lucky enough to bring in Rika from Sweden, she is our future hope of continuing our lines. Early in 2004 we lost our JR Spud at age 21 and in December 2004 at eleven and a half years young Dreamer went to Rainbow Bridge, she is missed so much but we have so many happy memories of her which we will always treasure.

Maybe sometime soon we will have a litter from Rika.