Christmas is right around the corner, and if you are thinking about giving a puppy as a present to a friend or family member, please don’t. Yes, you read it right.
A dog is a lifetime commitment and there are a lot of things to consider such as: will its new family have the time, energy, patience and money needed to provide this puppy with training and behavior, mental and physical exercise, healthcare, food, quality time, etc.?
Instead of gifting a puppy, why not suggest to this friend or family member to foster so he could figure out on his own whether this particular dog, or any dog for that matter, would enrich and fit his lifestyle.
Dogs are amazing creatures, and they are living breathing beings so let’s treat them with the respect and consideration they deserve. Stay safe.
AllMyCanineCompanions 
Absolutely true. Keep up the good work.
You are right. Our Leonberger was a birthday present to our son, but not really, because we understood that it was a lifetime commitment for the whole family, and we made sure that we could accomodate such a large dog (we could). In addition, we had to go through an interview. All LCA approved Leonberger breeders interview the prospective owners and you have to sign a contract in regards to how you should take care of them. One item in the contract is that if something goes very wrong so that you cannot take care of the Leonberger you are not allowed to give to a shelter, sell them, or give them to people you don’t know well. You have to give them back to breeder, which also promise to take them back. If you brake the contract in any way you are not allowed to ever buy a Leonberger again. The Leonberger community (LCA) is very protective of their dogs.
That is what I would call a responsible breeder. That’s great