It was my great pleasure to be invited to the annual Leonberger get together in Sydney on Sunday the 2nd December.

The Leonberger is a giant dog breed. The breed’s name derives from the city of Leonberger in Germany.

According to legend, the Leonberger was bred as a ‘symbolic dog’ that would mimic the Lion in the town’s crest.

The Leonberger is a blend of both elegance and strength. They are renowned for being vigilant, loyal, confident, water loving and wonderful family companions.

For me personally it was a beautiful experience to be surrounded by so many of these gentle giants, and to see how well they interacted with each other and all of the people and other dogs that came to say hello. My 20 month old daughter received a wonderful welcome and a few licks from the Leonbergers.