About Us
Hi folk,
I'm Rosemarie and my husband is Rob and we have shared our lives with many Leos over the years but currently have eight Leos on our 5 acre block in Rotorua. Syrah, Shiraz, Guinness, Tully, Scrumpy, Dom, Speights and Mara (yes one day I'll manage to get them all lined and looking at the camera for a 'family' portrait. Meantime you will have to settle for this . . . a crazy fun moment with a young Speights).
You just may have noticed the dogs all have a hint of alcoholic reference to their names. With this in mind our kennel name LYONZRED was born. It is a take on the all familiar beer brand Lionred and our surname Lyon and of course the lion-like appearance of the Leonberger itself. All very complicated and all the effort that went into thinking this up escapes most people. But now you know.
Our love affair with Leos began almost 30 years ago. Our first Leo, Sabra, was from the 1st litter to NZ in 1993.. I managed to show her until she gained her NZ Champion status and retired her from the show ring as a beautiful family pet. There were no lines to breed her to for many years by which time it was too late. She passed away in her 9th year. We remained pet free for a few years but when we purchased this land 20 years ago it was a good time to start our doggy family again. Like yourselves we searched the net for breeders and so began our collection of lions.
When time allows we show our dogs to gain merit towards NZ Champion certificates and let me just say that this is no easy feat these days. The quality of Leonbergers in NZ today is certainly equal to our international counterparts and all credit goes to the group of dedicated breeders who have made thoughtful and careful choices when planning litters. It does mean however that there is stiff competition at shows and becoming a Champion takes a bit of doing.
Our first two litters helped us to establish our kennels lines. Quite early into our breeding experience we realised that there was a huge need for a wider genetic pool in NZ if we wanted the breed to thrive. And so our personal search to get some more bloodlines began in earnest.
We have consequently imported a number of dogs from several countries to compliment our fur family and along the way have formed some very strong international friendships on this journey. We feel honoured that these folk have understood our vision and entrusted us with their lines.
With these additional genetics in our pack we feel well able to contribute some diversity into the Leo population. We are mindful that what we do today impacts on others tomorrow and as such are conscious not to over-breed or over-use. Each mating is chosen with care and the pups are raised in our home.
Did we ever envisage this is where we would end up?
Of course not! However, the journey so far has been wonderful and we are really looking forward to a beautiful Leo enriched future.
I'm Rosemarie and my husband is Rob and we have shared our lives with many Leos over the years but currently have eight Leos on our 5 acre block in Rotorua. Syrah, Shiraz, Guinness, Tully, Scrumpy, Dom, Speights and Mara (yes one day I'll manage to get them all lined and looking at the camera for a 'family' portrait. Meantime you will have to settle for this . . . a crazy fun moment with a young Speights).
You just may have noticed the dogs all have a hint of alcoholic reference to their names. With this in mind our kennel name LYONZRED was born. It is a take on the all familiar beer brand Lionred and our surname Lyon and of course the lion-like appearance of the Leonberger itself. All very complicated and all the effort that went into thinking this up escapes most people. But now you know.
Our love affair with Leos began almost 30 years ago. Our first Leo, Sabra, was from the 1st litter to NZ in 1993.. I managed to show her until she gained her NZ Champion status and retired her from the show ring as a beautiful family pet. There were no lines to breed her to for many years by which time it was too late. She passed away in her 9th year. We remained pet free for a few years but when we purchased this land 20 years ago it was a good time to start our doggy family again. Like yourselves we searched the net for breeders and so began our collection of lions.
When time allows we show our dogs to gain merit towards NZ Champion certificates and let me just say that this is no easy feat these days. The quality of Leonbergers in NZ today is certainly equal to our international counterparts and all credit goes to the group of dedicated breeders who have made thoughtful and careful choices when planning litters. It does mean however that there is stiff competition at shows and becoming a Champion takes a bit of doing.
Our first two litters helped us to establish our kennels lines. Quite early into our breeding experience we realised that there was a huge need for a wider genetic pool in NZ if we wanted the breed to thrive. And so our personal search to get some more bloodlines began in earnest.
We have consequently imported a number of dogs from several countries to compliment our fur family and along the way have formed some very strong international friendships on this journey. We feel honoured that these folk have understood our vision and entrusted us with their lines.
With these additional genetics in our pack we feel well able to contribute some diversity into the Leo population. We are mindful that what we do today impacts on others tomorrow and as such are conscious not to over-breed or over-use. Each mating is chosen with care and the pups are raised in our home.
Did we ever envisage this is where we would end up?
Of course not! However, the journey so far has been wonderful and we are really looking forward to a beautiful Leo enriched future.
