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john jay: what's the difference between a Leonberger dog and a Bernese mountain dog? my family is looking for a dog, however, wanted to know what people's thoughts were on both. we want an excellent family companion who is excellent with kids. we live in a 3400 house with a carpeted basement (the rest of the house is hardwood), but we have a pretty small backyard. we live in the northeast USA in the suburbs, and a park just steps away. in the house lives me, my wife (we both work), my parents, and my 2yr old son, and 7 & 3 yr old daughters. I've kind of narrowed it down to these dogs, and I'm aware of their shedding, so I'm going to be brushing as much as possible, however, I kind of want a dog that will shed less than the other. which of these dogs would be 'lower' maintenance than the other, or are they generally the same to the care of? also, what are the general differences between them? do they both drool a lot? Photo Credit: stanzebla/Flickr CC Answers and Views: Answer by Greek God AKA Greekman Two different breeds. The Berner is a nice family-type dog that unfortunately suffers from cancer issues that will most likely kill it by age 7. The other is a working type dog that has the temperament to do sport, as in Sch or personal protection. It is not a GR look alike nor does it act like one. Think carefully, one dog can be heartache and the other more dog than what you can handle. Answer by Corinne Kunkel We have had 4 Leonbergers. I believe they shed more than any other breed, you have to love them enough to put up with it. They love their people and need to be with them a lot and require a lot of love. We lost 2 females to osteosarcoma, a horrible bone cancer, one at 7 and one at 8. We did have one male make it to 10 1/2. The current price for a well-bred puppy from a Leonberger Club of America breeder is around $2500. How much do the Leonberger puppies generally cost? Answer by Mandy N If I had to pick one it would be the mountain dog. Leonbergers are a little bit bigger, sometimes the size of an English Mastiff. They do have a beautiful coat! I honestly never groomed one before or met one so I really don't know much about them. I love the mountain dogs! We get one that we shave down with a 7 blade for the summers. His coat grows so nice, has a pretty wave to it. I would assume since both have the same coat they will shed the same amount, using the correct brushes will help you get rid of the undercoat, a shedding blade is wonderful for that, rake, and if you can get one a force dryer which will blow it all out. Both will get mats if they go swimming a lot, so a de-matting tool might be something you want to throw on your list. Also be careful because you can actually cut the pet's skin if you don't know what you're doing. Answer by Russ H. (in reply to Mandy N) This answer shows the danger of writing without much knowledge!!! The Leonberger has Newfoundland in it and can act as a water rescue dog because of its webbed feet and its double coat. Stripping it back until you are in danger of nicking the skin is such a stupid idea as you risk losing the undercoat. They need brushing but not stripping right down. Leonbergers really are gentle giants and love to be with people, so superb family dogs. They do, though, shed a lot of hair! Know better? Give your own answer to this question!