Growing furball thread!

[MakingTheGrade]

I know we have a random fur baby thread, but I thought it’d be fun to have a thread of baby fur balls that we can update as they grow and not feel guilty about all the bajillion pictures we want to share of our young fluff balls turning into scruffy teens and finally regal adults!

This is Belle. Her birthday was May 6 2019. She is currently 13lb and is a Leonberger. She’s named to match after Beau, my rescue Leonberger who passed in a December and made me fall hopelessly in love with this gentle giant breed.

For those who like to add cute pup pages on insta, here is hers. It has videos and is public so you can hear her puppy whines and see her cute waddle waddle.
https://www.instagram.com/bellethefluffmonster/


And some pics!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Oh and don’t worry. Once she’s a little more settled and trained, I’m going to dress her up in some shinies...

 

[the_mother_thing]

OMG she is just ADORABLE! Following so I can virtually snuggle the mess outta her!

 

[AGBF]

Thank you for opening this thread, MakingTheGrade, although I would have been even happier to see a thread dedicated just to Belle. I had one for my Newfie, Griffin, in the past. But at least I will now know where to come for updates on the beautiful Belle!

Hugs,
Deb

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Thank you for opening this thread, MakingTheGrade, although I would have been even happier to see a thread dedicated just to Belle. I had one for my Newfie, Griffin, in the past. But at least I will now know where to come for updates on the beautiful Belle!

Hugs,
Deb

Oh I just love Newfies! Leo’s were originally bred from St. Bernard and newfies. And I think there’s a third giant breed in the mix but I can’t recall specifically which.

I imagine I’ll be hogging the thread a lot lol.

 

[MamaBee]

Oh and don’t worry. Once she’s a little more settled and trained, I’m going to dress her up in some shinies...

Yes!!! I bought my grand dog a princess collar with little diamonds (rhinestones)..It didn’t go over too well!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

 

[AGBF]

I think the breed you were thinking of was The Great Pyrenees, MakingTheGrade. I believe that, they, also, played a part in creating the Leonberger. Newfies are not herding dogs, but Great Pyrenees dogs are. Leonbergers supposedly have some herding instincts, which could be explained by the contribution from the Great Pyrenees dog. Newfies were bred for their gentle natures as well as their enormous strength in the water. Great Pyrenees dogs are very tough and have been known to be able to fight off-or at least to survive the attack of-a bear!

I found this information at a website.

"Where do Leonbergers come from?

This massive breed with the unmistakably regal bearing and kind eyes has a fascinating history to explore.

...​

Male Leonbergers stand over 31 inches at the shoulder. They weigh up to 170 pounds. But despite their enormous size, the Leonberger is known for his gentle character and even temperament.

...​

But don’t let that deter you.

This majestic dog is distinguished by a lion-like mane, a black face mask, and an easy gait. And he has plenty to recommend him.

So if you’re wondering, “Where do Leonbergers come from?” let’s find out.

Their background is intriguing. Full of mystery and contradicting reports.

We do know the breed originated during the Victorian era. In a small German town located 20 kilometres northwest of Stuttgart.

The town is called Leonberg, so there’s no dispute where the breed got its name.

Who Created the Leonberger?
Heinrich Essig was a 19th century politician, entrepreneur, and dog breeder.

He set out to create an ideal canine companion for royalty.

According to legend, he wanted to create a large breed that looked like the lion on the Leonberg coat-of-arms.

Essig and his family kept a wide array of rare and exotic animals.

Their home was more akin to a little zoo, They kept foxes, turkeys, and peacocks, in addition to numerous dogs.

Where Do Leonbergers Come From?
Essig wrote that he carried out his initial cross in the 1830s. Between a black-and-white female Landseer Newfoundland and a long-haired Saint Bernard. The first Leonberger came from this cross.

It’s alleged that these dogs were then crossbred for four generations. They were also outcrossed. First with a yellow-and-white Saint Bernard. And later with a white Pyrenean Mountain Dog.

Some reports indicate that other local breeds with fixed genetic characteristics but no breed classification were added into the developing breed lines.

With what we know about canine genetics today, this seems quite plausible.


Our best records show that the first registered Leonbergers were born in 1846.

Where Do Leonberger Colors Come From?
The puppies from the original union were black and white.

However, at the time white dogs were very fashionable. So Essig was striving for an all white dog.

This is where crossing with a yellow-and-white Saint Bernard and white Pyrenean Mountain Dog come in to help explain the question, “Where do Leonbergers come from?”

In 1889, Essig died without having defined the Leonberger breed standard.

After his death, Essig’s nephew bred Leonbergers.

His dogs consistently featured tawny colors and black masks.

These are the colours that the breed is known for today.

..."
​

https://dogsnet.com/where-do-leonbergers-come-from-and-who-bred-them/

 

[MamaBee]

She already loves her mama..

 

[missy]

Aww so yummy. Nothing is more delicious than the love of a sweet fur baby. Enjoy her puppyhood @MakingTheGrade

 

[luv2sparkle]

OMG, so cute. I can't even stand it. What a beauty. Looking forward to more pics!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Toy!

 

[MamaBee]

Toy!

She looks like a little stuffed animal...

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I think the breed you were thinking of was The Great Pyrenees, MakingTheGrade. I believe that, they, also, played a part in creating the Leonberger. Newfies are not herding dogs, but Great Pyrenees dogs are. Leonbergers supposedly have some herding instincts, which could be explained by the contribution from the Great Pyrenees dog. Newfies were bred for their gentle natures as well as their enormous strength in the water. Great Pyrenees dogs are very tough and have been known to be able to fight off-or at least to survive the attack of-a bear!

I found this information at a website.

"Where do Leonbergers come from?

This massive breed with the unmistakably regal bearing and kind eyes has a fascinating history to explore.

...​

Male Leonbergers stand over 31 inches at the shoulder. They weigh up to 170 pounds. But despite their enormous size, the Leonberger is known for his gentle character and even temperament.

...​

But don’t let that deter you.

This majestic dog is distinguished by a lion-like mane, a black face mask, and an easy gait. And he has plenty to recommend him.

So if you’re wondering, “Where do Leonbergers come from?” let’s find out.

Their background is intriguing. Full of mystery and contradicting reports.

We do know the breed originated during the Victorian era. In a small German town located 20 kilometres northwest of Stuttgart.

The town is called Leonberg, so there’s no dispute where the breed got its name.

Who Created the Leonberger?
Heinrich Essig was a 19th century politician, entrepreneur, and dog breeder.

He set out to create an ideal canine companion for royalty.

According to legend, he wanted to create a large breed that looked like the lion on the Leonberg coat-of-arms.

Essig and his family kept a wide array of rare and exotic animals.

Their home was more akin to a little zoo, They kept foxes, turkeys, and peacocks, in addition to numerous dogs.

Where Do Leonbergers Come From?
Essig wrote that he carried out his initial cross in the 1830s. Between a black-and-white female Landseer Newfoundland and a long-haired Saint Bernard. The first Leonberger came from this cross.

It’s alleged that these dogs were then crossbred for four generations. They were also outcrossed. First with a yellow-and-white Saint Bernard. And later with a white Pyrenean Mountain Dog.

Some reports indicate that other local breeds with fixed genetic characteristics but no breed classification were added into the developing breed lines.

With what we know about canine genetics today, this seems quite plausible.


Our best records show that the first registered Leonbergers were born in 1846.

Where Do Leonberger Colors Come From?
The puppies from the original union were black and white.

However, at the time white dogs were very fashionable. So Essig was striving for an all white dog.

This is where crossing with a yellow-and-white Saint Bernard and white Pyrenean Mountain Dog come in to help explain the question, “Where do Leonbergers come from?”

In 1889, Essig died without having defined the Leonberger breed standard.

After his death, Essig’s nephew bred Leonbergers.

His dogs consistently featured tawny colors and black masks.

These are the colours that the breed is known for today.

..."
​

https://dogsnet.com/where-do-leonbergers-come-from-and-who-bred-them/

Thanks so much for the info!! She is definitely a gentle little giant. So well tempered. I’m really hoping she grows up to be really big!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

No mom I don’t wanna wake up. It’s sunday.

 

[yennyfire]

So stinkin cute!! Please keep the photos and stories coming! My old girl just turned 12 and is slowing down and it’s making me sad, so adorable puppy pics are the perfect antidote!!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

We are crate training her and she doesn’t like it.

 

[AGBF]

My boy loves his crate. I sometimes can't find him and it is because he has gone into his crate for a spell,....not for any particular reason. He does go there if there is arguing in the house, though! The only time he dislikes being in the crate is if we are going out; he doesn't like to be left home. He gets over it, however. He came to us (a year ago) already crate trained. So I'd bet anything that Belle will come to love her crate!

Good luck. Keep that crate a wonderful place to be.

Come to think of it, I even got Hero to like wearing a basket muzzle by having peanut butter inside it.

 

[AGBF]

Hero's trainer came today. I mentioned Belle to him while we were discussing Newfies and other Giant breed dogs. I don't know if you have a trainer, but Ken is great. He has been doing this for fifty years at least and has many vets (including mine) among his former clients. He said you should be feeding Belle in her crate at this point, because it should be a really pleasant place for her to be. When she gets to enjoy the crate a lot, you should ease up on feeding her there because you don't want her to become too protective of her food.

I have never crate trained a dog, so forgive me if I am telling you things everyone already knows. Crates were not in fashion when I was young, and the dogs before Hero that I had had not been crate trained. Getting one as a young adult who had been crate trained has been interesting.

Deb