Tag: German Dog Breeds

With the look of a lion and the heart of a teddy bear, the Leonberger is a true family companion. This dogs looks might fool you once, but once the kindness of the Leonberger shines, you’ll be a fan for life. BestBullySticks.com thinks you’ll fall in love quite easily. Read more about the Leonberger in the BBS Breed Spotlight!

History & Background: Leonberg, Germany is both the native city and namesake of the Leonberger breed. This dog was the product of the breeding a Landseer Newfoundland and a Saint Bernard predecessor, the “barry” by a prominent citizen of Leonberg, Heinrich Essig in the 1930s. Essig was very fond collecting animals and it’s even thought the dog was bred to resemble the coat of arms of the German town, which was the lion.

This dog was kept as farm dog and excelled as a watchdog and a draft worker. Famous owners of the Leonberger include Napoleon II, the Prince of Wales and other royalty. During the World Wars, this breed suffered greatly and only 5 survived WWI. Again during WWII this breed was almost lost into obscurity. In both wars this dog was used to pull ammunition carts, but was a service that almost cost this dog’s lineage. The modern Leonberger can trace it’s line back to the 8 dogs that survived the wars. Today the Leonberger is still used as a working dog in rescue saving missions.

Height: Males: 28 to 31.5 inches; Females: 25.5 to 29.5 inches

Weight: Males: 120 to 170 pounds; Females: 100 to 135 pounds

Coat: As with many working dogs, the coat is highly functional. The Leonberger has a very abundant, water-resistant, double coat. Shorter hair appears on the muzzle and limbs. The long, heavy coat is highly durable, straight, close-fitting and flat. The outer coat is medium length and soft to coarse in texture. Undercoat is soft and dense, but is less abundant in summer months. Leonbergers have a mane which stretches from around the neck to the chest. This dog sports feathering on the back of legs and ears and the tail is well covered in hair. Read more

Have you ever heard the phrase “German engineered”? This phrase is a great selling feature because most know that German designed products are very good products. That means dogs, too. The Germans wanted an all-around amazing dog, so they bred the German Wirehaired Pointer, the dog who can do it all. Find out more about this well-designed dog on the BestBullySticks.com Breed Spotlight on the German Wirehaired Pointer.

History & Background: Around the mid-1800s, improvements to the shotgun spurred many in the public to become hunters. In fact, the number of hunters doubled, but this quick growth left a need for a well-rounded, all-purpose hunting dog. And like many other dog breeds, necessity is the mother of all invention, and for the Germans this dog was the German Wirehaired Pointe. GWP’s were bred to be a medium-sized pointer, easily trainable dog that could search, locate and point game. Because of the varied terrain, from mountains to dense forest, and inclement weather this Pointer was bred to have a very particular coat.  In Germanay, this wirehaired dog was first known as the Deutsch-Drahthaar, which was a combination of Griffon, Pudelpointer (Poodle & Pointer) and German Shorthair.  In the early 1920s the GWP was imported to America and was recognized by the AKC 1959.

Height: Males: 24 to 26 inches; Females: 22 to 24 inches

Weight: 60 to 70 pounds

Coat: The wire coat of this German breed is its most distinctive feature.  A GWP’s coat is weather resistant and mostly water resistant. The undercoat is dense to protect in cold weather and in summer is almost invisible. The outer, wiry coat is straight, harsh, flat and 1 to 2 inches long. This dog sports a well-covered tail, bushy eyebrows, beard and whiskers. Read more

Sturdy. Steady. Spirited. The Giant Schnauzer isn’t really a “giant” but this large breed Schnauzer that is the largest of the three types: Miniature, Standard and Giant. This dog is a loyal, intelligent and affectionate dog to his family and loves running and romping. Powerful, get gentle, a Giant Schnauzer is a delightful dog all around. Read more about this dog in the Best Bully Sticks Breed Spotlight on the Giant Schnauzer.

History & Background: The Giant Schnauzer is a native of Germany, in particular the Wurttenberg and Bavaria. These were large farming areas and were in need of farm help. This large breed Schnauzer is the result of breeding Standard Schnauzers with Great Danes and Bouvier des Flandres. Farmers used Giant Schnauzers as drovers, which helped them drive or herd their cattle or pigs into market. These dogs were also used as guard dogs for breweries and butchers. During WWI, Giant Schnauzers were trained as police dogs.

The word “Schnauzer” is from the German word “Schnauze” which means “muzzle.” Germans call this dog “Riesenschnauzer” which literally translates to “The Giant.”

Height: 23 ½ to 27 ½ inches

Weight: 70 to 100 pounds

Coat: This Schnauzer has a dense, wiry and harsh outer coat with a soft undercoat. Hair on the head is harsh as are the Schnauzer’s most distinctive features, the beard and eyebrows.

Color: Giant Schnauzer’s only come in two colors: black and “Salt & Pepper.” Read more