A Leonberger is a 120-170 pound dog with the personality of a teddy bear.
For anyone searching for a particular dog to own and love, the Celtic Classic Dog Show at the York Expo Center this past weekend was a good place to start.
And, you missed what might be the most glorious Saint Bernard in the country. And you missed the chance to fall in love with a Leonberger. Really.
One website estimated there were 7,000 dogs at the five-day York Expo Center event, one official estimated 10,000 different entries. It is a joint effort of the Lancaster Kennel Club, the York Kennel Club and the Delaware County Kennel Club. That’s a lot of bark– and the show was free to dog-loving visitors.
From the tiny Affenpinscher (seven pounds) and Papillon (five pounds) to the giant Saint Bernard (190 pounds), the show had it all. It’s been called the biggest show on the east coast, and canines and their handlers filled up all the Expo Center’s main buildings.
Aristo is a big best-of-show winning Saint Bernard.
The most common female dog names in 2018—
- Bella
- Lucy
- Luna
- Daisy
- Lola
- Sadie
- Molly
- Bailey
- Maggie
- Stella
The most common male dog names–
- Max
- Charlie
- Cooper
- Buddy
- Jack
- Rocky
- Duke
- Bear
- Tucker
- Oliver
One of the rock stars here did not take his name from this list.
Aristo is a lovable, beautiful 190-pound Saint Bernard from New Jersey. Aristo is on track to snap a record for Specialty Best of Show winners since he now has 51 blue ribbons in his trophy case. The record is 58. He stood patiently Sunday while his handler bathed him, and then blow-dried him for 35 minutes.
Unfortunately, neither Aristo or a Leonberger won a group title. The Best of Show went to a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Group winners were a Lagotto Romagnolo, Whippet, Great Pyrenees, Skye Terrier, Pekingese, and Chow Chow.
Earlier in the show ring, a dozen or so Leonbergers jogged around the track. Leonbergers have only been an American Kennel Club breed since 2010. Their coloring and size remind some people of an extra-large German Shepherd. The personality, however, is typical of the three large and laid-back dogs that were bred to create the “Leo”.
This Newfoundland is one of three breeds that is responsible for the Leonberger.
“In the mid-1800s, an exotic-animal dealer combined Saint Bernard, Newfoundland, Great Pyrenees, and other breeds to create the Leonberger. Some say the idea was to make a dog that looked like the lion on the seal of the town of Leonberg, today in Southern Germany.”
“While developed as all-around working dogs—equipped for everything from water rescue to carting—their majestic appearance and sweet natures made them popular as companions to Europe’s rich and royal. Leonbergers came to the United States in the late 1970s,” according to the AKC.
The AKC announced last year its nationwide registration statistics, revealing that for the twentieth consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular breed in America.
While its handler awaits the call to the ring, his poodle rests its head on a special pillow.
