Yeah yeah, we know you’ve seen this picture before. But have you? Take a closer look at the dog.
It’s not a Newfoundland which you might have been expecting, but there is Newfoundland in this breed’s background. It’s a Leonberger, and yes, these dogs do water rescue!
The same three levels of Water Rescue that the Newfoundland Club of America offers are also offered by the Leonberger Club of America:
Junior Level – Water Dog (WD)Elke
Senior Level – Water Rescue Dog (WRD)
Water Rescue Dog Excellent (WRDX)
The Leonberger Club of the Northwest also works with Canine Water Sports that are divided into three testing divisions: Single Tasks, Water Games and Community Service.
The breed’s love of the water makes them a fine choice for the job, but their watchful nature and desire to be near people help the breed succeed in waterwork, and the famous Italian Rescue Dog School agrees! They train Leonbergers for water rescue, and some of them work alongside the coast guard.
Here is a video of leos doing water training in Britain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLpiPREpt0g&feature=youtu.be
We don’t know how on earth we missed this one, Sharon, but we’re delighted to have it, thank you!
I have a 2 year old female Leonberger. The first time we took her to the beach we were amazed at how she went straight into the water and began to swim around without any prompting or encouragement. She’s an amazing swimmer and now I see why.