Thanks to their thick and lush coats, the Leonberger is quite high maintenance on the grooming front. They shed their coats throughout the year which means regular grooming is essential to remove any dead hair and to keep things tidy and tangle-free. Like other breeds, they do shed even more hair during the Spring and then again in the Autumn when more frequent brushing is usually necessary.
It's also important to check a dog's ears on a regular basis and to clean them when necessary. If too much wax is allowed to build up in a dog's ears, it can lead to a painful infection which can be hard to clear up. In short, prevention is often easier than cure when it comes to ear infections.
Leonbergers are high energy dogs and because they are so intelligent, they need to be given a lot of mental stimulation on a daily basis for them to be truly happy and well-rounded dogs. This means giving them a minimum of 2 hour's exercise every day with as much off the lead time as possible. If these large dogs are not given enough exercise, they quickly learn how to amuse themselves which usually sees dogs developing some very unwanted destructive behaviours around the home.
A shorter walk in the morning would be fine, but a longer more interesting one in the afternoon is a must. These dogs also like to be able to roam around a back garden as often as possible so they can really let off steam. However, the fencing has to be extremely secure to keep these large and active in because if they find a weakness in the fence, they will soon escape out and get into all sorts of trouble. It's also important to bear in mind that Leonbergers love water and will jump in whenever they can. As such care has to be taken when walking a dog anywhere near more dangerous watercourses.
With this said, Leonberger puppies should not be given too much exercise because their joints and bones are still growing and too much pressure on them could result in causing a dog a few problems later on in their lives. They should not be allowed to jump up or off furniture nor should they be allowed to run up and down the stairs because this puts too much pressure on their still growing joints and limbs.
If you get a Leonberger puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy or finicky eaters, but this does not mean you can feed them a lower quality diet. It's best to feed a mature dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog's life by several years so it's important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go.
Because Leonbergers are prone to suffer from bloat, it is really important that they be fed twice a day instead of giving them just one larger meal a day. It's also a good idea to invest in a stand to place their feed bowl which makes it easier for these large dogs to eat comfortably without having to stretch their necks down low to reach their food. You should never feed a Leonberger just before or just after they have eaten either because this puts them more a risk of suffering from bloat.
