How We
Choose
a
Leonrua Mating
Every Leonrua pairing is guided by rigorous health screening, genetic insight, and a deep respect for each dog’s unique qualities. Our process ensures each litter embodies the best of temperament, structure, and heritage.
The Chosen Pairing
Meet the Pair
Introducing our chosen sire and dam: each selected for health, temperament, and exceptional lineage.
Sire
Int. Ch. Multi Ch. Int. Vet. Ch. Vet. Ch. Paco du Plateau Bavarois
A gentle, confident male with outstanding hip scores, clear eyes, and a calm, affectionate nature. Paco brings robust genetics and a proven show record.
COI 10 gen: 3.28% & COI All: 28.13%
- EyesECVO Clear incl. Gonioscopy
- HipsA
- ElbowsO
- LPN1N/N
- LPN2N/N
- LPN3N/N
- LEMPN/N
Dam
Leonrua Buir-Zuri
A nurturing, intelligent female with excellent health clearances and a playful, attentive temperament. Zuri’s pedigree is rich in longevity and soundness.
COI 10 gen: 2.93% & COI All: 29.17%
- EyesClear excl. Gonioscopy
- HipsPenn Hip: 0.22/0.21
- ElbowsO
- LPN1N/N
- LPN2N/N
- LPN3N/N
- LEMPN/N
How We Make the Decision
The Breeding Decision Journey: Step by Step
Follow our carefully structured journey as we evaluate each Leonrua pairing. From health screenings and genetic diversity to temperament and compatibility, every step is guided by our dedication to producing exceptional Leonbergers with sound minds and bodies.
Comprehensive Health Screening
We begin with thorough health assessments, including hips, elbows, eyes, and advanced genetic testing, ensuring each dog meets the highest standards before moving forward in our breeding process.
Genetic Diversity & Pedigree
We prioritise genetic diversity by carefully reviewing pedigrees and selecting pairings that strengthen the breed’s vitality, reduce inherited risks, and honour the Leonrua legacy. We use the Worldwide Independent Leonberger Database extensively to trial pedigrees of potential matings.
Temperament & Compatibility
Temperament is at the heart of our decisions. We observe each dog’s personality, social interactions, and compatibility to ensure future puppies will thrive as beloved companions.
Our Breeding Philosophy
Our Commitment to Quality and Care
At Leonrua Leonbergers, we prioritise natural health, temperament, and responsible breeding practices to ensure our dogs are happy, healthy, and well-adjusted family members. Our dedicated team works tirelessly to uphold the highest standards of quality and care. Our goal is to increase the genetic diversity of Leonbergers in New Zealand for years to come.
Thoughtful Pedigrees
We look beyond individual dogs to the families, ancestors and combinations behind them.
Genetic Diversity
Coefficient of inbreeding and shared ancestry form part of our breeding decisions.
Health & Temperament
Health information, temperament and soundness matter alongside breed type.
The Whole Leonberger
Our goal is a healthy, confident and well-adjusted Leonberger that can thrive as part of a family.
Health Comes First
Comprehensive Health & Genetic Test Comparison
We provide a transparent side-by-side overview of both sire and dam health results, including hips, elbows, eyes, and advanced genetic screenings. All data is sourced from certified veterinary reports and official registries for your peace of mind.
Hips & Elbows
OFA, FCI, PennHIP and Lavelle results are reviewed as part of our breeding decisions, with official results checked where available.
Eyes
Ophthalmologist examinations form part of our assessment, with hereditary eye concerns considered before a mating proceeds.
Genetic Tests
Breed-specific genetic screening is reviewed alongside the wider health picture, with results available for prospective owners to see.
Open Records & Transparency
Worldwide Independent Leonberger Database
Transparency matters to us. The health testing results for dogs in our breeding programme are available through the Worldwide Independent Leonberger Database, giving prospective owners and other breeders direct access to the information behind our breeding decisions.
We believe open health records support more informed choices, both when planning matings and when choosing a Leonberger puppy.
Looking Beyond One Generation
Genetic Diversity & Lineage Considerations
We carefully analyse each Leonberger’s genetic profile to support a diverse gene pool and robust lineage. By prioritising genetic variation, we aim to reduce inherited health risks and support the long-term vitality of the breed. Every pairing is considered with future generations in mind.
Genetic Variation
Each pairing is selected to maximise healthy diversity within the Leonrua line.
Lineage Mapping
Detailed pedigree analysis helps us identify shared ancestry, avoid unnecessarily close pairings, and preserve valuable lines.
Future Health
Our approach looks beyond a single litter and considers the genetic health and resilience of future generations.
Ambar’s pedigree illustrates the ancestry considered when assessing a potential pairing.
The Backdrop to Leonberger CoI
Why Leonbergers Are So Closely Related
The relatively high inbreeding seen in modern Leonbergers did not arise from one recent breeding decision. It is the result of the breed’s history: a limited founder base, an extreme wartime bottleneck, unequal founder contributions and the repeated use of highly successful sires. Together, these events progressively reduced the genetic diversity available to breeders today.
Key events that shaped Leonberger genetic diversity
1850s
Breed established from a limited genetic base
Early 1900s
A relatively small number of founders shaped the pedigree population
1946
Only 17 registered, already-inbred Leonbergers remained
Post-war
The breed expanded again, but lost genetic variation could not be recreated
Late 20th C.
Popular sires spread some ancestral lines disproportionately widely
Today
Leonbergers form one highly related worldwide population
A limited founder base
Modern Leonbergers trace back to relatively few founders
The 2020 genomic study analysed pedigree information for 142,072 Leonbergers and identified 22 founder animals. Founder contributions were far from equal: just three founders accounted for almost 46% of the genetic contribution to the 2016 birth cohort.
The 1940s bottleneck
By 1946, only 17 registered dogs remained
The breed experienced an exceptionally severe bottleneck during the Second World War. Only 17 registered Leonbergers were recorded in 1946, and these dogs were already inbred, with pedigree inbreeding coefficients ranging from 0.14 to 0.35. Much of the modern population therefore descends repeatedly from a very small post-war genetic base.
Population recovery
More dogs did not mean more genetic diversity
Leonberger numbers recovered dramatically after the war and eventually exceeded 4,000 births per year. But population growth cannot replace genetic variants already lost during a bottleneck. A breed can therefore become numerically large while remaining genetically narrow.
The popular-sire effect
A minority of males produced most of the offspring
Letko et al. found a pronounced popular-sire effect: 25% of breeding males produced 66% of all offspring. The most prolific sire produced 434 registered dogs, while the next two produced 394 and 337. Twenty-seven sires each produced more than 200 puppies. Repeated use of successful males further concentrated shared ancestry.
Dominant ancestors
Some ancestors now occur throughout almost every pedigree
A separate mean-kinship analysis found that some historic ancestors made exceptionally large contributions to the modern population. Two ancestors each contribute more than one fifth of the current gene pool, while four founders together account for more than half of the contribution in that analysis. This is why apparently unrelated modern dogs can still share substantial ancestry many generations back.
One global population
There are no large reservoirs of unrelated Leonbergers
In the 2020 study, mean kinship was assessed across more than 31,000 dogs considered potentially available for breeding. Average kinship was approximately 0.31, with only a narrow range between dogs, and the researchers found no families that were highly unrelated to the wider population. Genomic analysis likewise found no clear geographic subpopulations.
Key Genetic History Figures
The numbers behind Leonberger diversity
These figures help explain why modern Leonbergers have a relatively high CoI. The breed’s current genetic picture reflects a small founder base, a severe wartime bottleneck, and the repeated concentration of certain lines over time.
Registered dogs in 1946
After the Second World War, only 17 registered Leonbergers remained. This was a major population bottleneck, and those surviving dogs already carried significant inbreeding.
Founder animals
In the large pedigree analysis, modern Leonbergers were traced back to 22 founder animals. That is a relatively small genetic base for an international breed.
From just 3 founders
Nearly 46% of the genetic contribution to dogs born in 2016 came from only three founders. This shows how uneven founder influence has become over time.
Offspring from 25% of sires
A quarter of breeding males produced 66% of all offspring in the study. This is a strong example of the popular-sire effect concentrating shared ancestry.
Average mean kinship
Mean kinship estimates how related the breed population is as a whole. An average of 31.4% shows that Leonbergers form a highly interconnected genetic population.
Founder genome equivalents
This reflects how much founder diversity effectively remains. A value of 1.59 suggests that, genetically, the retained diversity is equivalent to fewer than two equally represented unrelated founders.
Understanding Shared Ancestry
What Does CoI Tell Us?
The Coefficient of Inbreeding (CoI) measures the probability that a dog has inherited two copies of the same gene from a shared ancestor appearing in both sides of its pedigree. In practical terms, it gives us a way of describing how much common ancestry exists behind a mating.
Less shared ancestry
A lower value generally indicates that the sire and dam share fewer recent ancestors and that the resulting pedigree contains greater genetic diversity.
More shared ancestry
A higher value indicates that more ancestors occur on both sides of the pedigree, increasing the likelihood that identical ancestral gene copies are inherited.
CoI estimates the probability that matching copies of a gene have been inherited from a shared ancestor.
Interactive CoI Scale
CoI Level
Scale showing the coefficient of inbreeding from 0% to 50%
Full-sibling / parent–offspring equivalent
A CoI of 25% is the pedigree-equivalent level expected from a full-sibling mating or a parent–offspring mating.
CoI is a measure of pedigree relatedness and genetic risk, not a direct measure of an individual dog's health.
Ambar’s Pedigree
Explore the Bloodlines Behind Ambar
Trace the dogs and bloodlines behind Leonrua Fat Freddy’s Drop (Ambar). Switch between three, five and ten generations to see how her immediate family expands into the wider pedigree considered when assessing ancestry, shared lines and genetic diversity.
The Proposed Pairing
The Strength Behind the Pairing
A closer look at the qualities, pedigree and genetic contribution Paco and Zuri each bring, and why their strengths complement one another in this proposed mating.
Paco
What he brings
Strengths within the pairing
- Temperament Calm, gentle, friendly and quietly confident.
- Health Strong health-testing results.
- Conformation Proven breed type, soundness and movement, with multiple championship, CACIB and Best of Breed awards across Europe.
- Pedigree Important European lines not currently represented in New Zealand.
- Genetic contribution Adds valuable diversity to the New Zealand Leonberger gene pool.
Zuri
What she brings
Strengths within the pairing
- Temperament Calm, confident, affectionate, energetic and a proven mother.
- Health Strong health-testing results.
- Conformation Excellent structure, substance and rich red colouring, with a deep black mask, chest and mane.
- Pedigree Strong European show lines not previously represented in New Zealand.
- Genetic contribution Introduces new bloodlines and broadens local genetic diversity.
Why This Combination?
Paco and Zuri were selected because their strengths complement one another across temperament, health, conformation and pedigree. Just as importantly, both bring bloodlines that are new to New Zealand, creating an opportunity to broaden genetic diversity rather than further concentrate the lines already established here. The pairing is considered as a whole, including coefficient of inbreeding, pedigree depth and the long-term genetic contribution of both dogs.
Leonrua Fat Freddy’s Drop
Ambar at a Glance
The temperament, character and breed qualities that make Ambar who she is.