We first fell in love with Leonbergers when we met Phantom and Max out walking with
their family in Christchurch, December 1998. We met again a year later and just had
to have one of these dogs. Up until then my favourite breed had been New Foundlands,
which I am still very fond of, but after meeting Leos I felt that I'd arrived at
the top - there couldn't be anything better. We weren't ready to buy a Leo until
January 2002, when we chanced upon the last available pup in New Zealand for the
next 18 months or so. Well, what would you do? No choosing the best or your favourite
of the litter. It was take this one or maybe wait another year or two. But Fendi
is in our opinion the best pick of the litter anyway. We love her and she has grown
into a delightful, true to nature example of the Leonberger breed. So she arrived
from Tauranga at Christchurch airport on the 1st February 2002 at nine weeks of age,
to join us and our one year old long-coat shepherd Saraia.
The first thing Paul said on seeing her as a 9 week old pup, shyly walking out of
her little crate was "Oh, we've gotta get another one of these!" So the love affair
with Leonbergers is continuing. Fendi proved to be both professional and a real natural
in the show ring - becoming a Champion on her first birthday. She also has turned
out to be as a fantastic foundation brood bitch. She really has been the "perfect"
mother, and has given us wonderful and beautiful puppies. We have kept two of her
daughters, the famous rare coloured chocolate girl Cassia, and her red/brown daughter
Stella. Fendi is now retired from both showing and breeding, but will always remain
our beloved pet and an important part of our leonberger family. Her daughter Stella
is now continuing her lines in our breeding programme.
Updated 15 January 2008.
Elsha
