Why Choose A Puppy From Us?
world-class quality
Kalahari's Call To Attention
Kalahari's Intrepid Explorer
EXPERIENCE WITH THE BREED
We first discovered Leonbergers in 1995, and have been actively engaged with the Leonberger Club of America (LCA) since then. After spending several years learning about canine structure and behavior, studying the Leonberger breed, and reviewing bloodlines, we bred our first litter in 2005. With almost 30 years in the breed, we have contributed in multiple ways over the years, including helping draft the initial Leonberger Club of America Member Practices when our breed joined the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 2010, developing the Leonberger Club of America website, serving as President of the regional Frontier Leonberger Club of the Southwest, and assisting with multiple National Specialty events. I am an approved AKC breeder judge of Leonbergers and have had the honor of judging Leonbergers all over the United States. I am also Co-Chair of the LCA Judges Education Committee tasked with teaching others about the Leonberger breed, and recently spearheaded the AKC Certificate of Conformation Assessment program for Leonbergers which provides detailed written structural and behavioral evaluations for owners.
We have produced numerous champions, including Best of Breed at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club show (GCHS Kalahari's Call To Attention), top-performing Leonberger of all time (VLX CH Kalahari's Intrepid Explorer UDX3 OM3 BN RE OAP ACT2 ODD WRDX CGC TKI), and 1st Place Champion Male at the 2024 Leonberger Club of America club show (CH Kalahari's Keeping The Faith). To help us see how our Leonbergers compare to others, we actively show our dogs in the AKC conformation ring, and we also make an effort to regularly visit international Leonberger dog shows to see Leos from around the world, including France, Norway (2023 International Leonberger Union World Championship Show), and Germany (2024 German Leonberger Club Annual Show in Leonberg, Germany).
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​OUR BREEDING PHILOSOPHY
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​A reputable breeder is someone who does not breed for profit or with the purpose of "selling" puppies, but rather intentionally works to improve the breed with each carefully planned litter. Our main goal when we have each litter is to advance our Kalahari bloodlines and produce dogs that will better our wonderful Leonberger breed in terms of health, temperament, and correct sound structure and movement per our AKC Leonberger breed standard.
Raising Leonbergers is not a primary source of income for us, but rather a hobby that we are passionate about. We have fulfilling "day" jobs and careers, so we typically only have 1-2 litters per year, and our females are generally bred only one or two times. We have worked hard to develop trusting relationships with some of the top long-time Leonberger breeders in Europe to allow us to import their puppies and help improve our dogs. We also have strict standards when it comes to health, and we only breed dogs who have OFA normal classifications for hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. All dogs are also tested for eye conditions, thyroid conditions, heart conditions, four Leonberger-specific polyneuropathies (LPN1, LPN2, LPPN3, and LEMP), and issued a Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) number.
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When looking for a Leonberger, we encourage you to stop looking for just any available Leonberger puppy, but rather look for an experienced breeder who is purposeful about what they are producing and knows what is behind the sire and dam of each litter. Ask to see the health test results for the sire and dam on the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals website. Make a personal connection with a breeder you feel shares your top criteria, and then be prepared to wait for a puppy from them. Read this article to learn how to be considered for a top-quality Leonberger puppy from a breeder like us.
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WAITING LIST
We work from a reservation list for our puppies, and most have homes waiting for them before they are born. If you would like to get on our list for a Kalahari Leonberger puppy, please email us to request our Puppy Application. We will review your completed application and schedule a follow-up phone interview. If approved, a deposit will be required to reserve your place on our list. Names are only added to our waiting list once we have approved each application and the deposit is received. We do not ship our puppies, because we like to meet our puppy owners in person. We are located near Dallas in Texas.
Kalahari's Keeping Out Of Trouble
Kalahari's Inspiring Pioneer (L)
Kalahari's Latte E Menta (R)
Kalahari's Keeping The Faith
Kalahari's Intoxicating Adventurer
exceptional service
Kalahari's Desert Sky
Kalahari's Fait Accompli
EXTENDED HEALTH WARRANTY
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We stand behind each puppy we produce, and unlike most breeders out there, we provide an extended health warranty until 5 years of age, ranging from a full refund to a replacement puppy. In addition to this, we also provide an orthopedic warranty for our puppies for OFA-diagnosed hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia. All sires and dams of our litters have their health test results posted publicly on the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) website, and we prioritize only breeding dogs with passing health clearances.
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COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE FOR A NEW PUPPY
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Having taught Puppy Kindergarten classes for several years, we provide our future puppy owners with extensive week-by-week guidance from birth to 8 weeks to make sure owners are set up for success once their puppy comes home.
This includes key curated information provided to you weekly that we have developed on leadership training, puppy socialization, feeding and exercise, obedience training, and lots more, gleaned from our own years of training and raising Leonbergers.
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LIFETIME SUPPORT
We make ourselves available by phone, email, and text messaging for the lifetime of each puppy we produce, providing support in areas such as finding a good local trainer (recommended by our network of trainer friends), troubleshooting any health concerns that may arise (with several qualified veterinarians we know), conformation show resources, and much more. You become a part of our extended family once you get a puppy from us, and we are here for you!
Kalahari's Night Skies
Kalahari's Gold Sun
unparalleled care
Kalahari's Jewel Of The Mokolodi & her babies
Our puppies love to be held!
HOW WE RAISE OUR PUPPIES
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Our girls typically only have one or two litters during their lifetimes, and we are privileged to work very closely with two board-certified theriogenologists (reproductive veterinarians) in our local area. Our puppies are raised inside our home, and during the first two weeks, we sleep right next to the puppies to make sure all goes well, with around the clock care.
We start introducing household sights and sounds to them very early, spend lots of one-on-one time with each puppy to develop their mental and physical abilities, start grooming early with individual brushing and nail trimming, and expose them to sounds they may hear as adults, in order to get them off to the very best start possible.
Our puppies are raised using Puppy Culture principles and begin their training early, as you can see to the right. They have various kinds of toys and play equipment to help them with balance and coordination, and when they are able to run around and go outdoors, they are introduced to various footings like grass, concrete and gravel. They are handled daily and exposed to a variety of visitors, including children, to make sure their socialization process starts right away.
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WHAT WE PROVIDE
All of our puppies are sold on a written contract, which will ask you to continue what we have started. Prior to going home, our puppies are wormed and receive their first set of vaccinations, as well as a thorough vet check. We provide each of our puppies with AKC registration, certified pedigree, lifetime registration of permanent microchip identification, one-year membership to the Leonberger Club of America, as well as toys, leash/collar, chew items, key resources on successfully raising a puppy, plus a lifetime of support from us.
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As a breeder, I can do my very best to maximize the potential of each pup till they are 8 weeks old, but the end result of what they will be as adults is directly correlated to the amount of time, training, and socialization that our new owners provide for the dog.
We do our very best to set up our new puppy owners and our puppies for success!
Our puppy training begins early!
Feeding Time
Kalahari's One Hot Minute
We have had our last three Leos from you and they have been the perfect companions. Our dogs from you have been wonderful. We truly value our relationship with you.
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c. winchester
Colorado
We could not have asked for a better friend or family member, and we can't thank you enough for giving us the chance to know and love him.​
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m. downing
Ohio
My mother and I have never had such a loving, intelligent, considerate dog before...she is simply the best.
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C. DAVIS
Texas
Our boy is so wonderful, stunning, sweet, calm, and brings joy to everyone who ever meets him.
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t. barnes
Illinois
Current & Upcoming Plans
SUMMER/FALL 2025
&
To Be Determined
CH Kalahari's Jewel Of The Moremi "Remi"
Sire: GCHB Namupalan Onnen Arpa (Finland)
Dam: CH Skjaergaardens M. Star Alinea (Norway)
Hips: Good | Elbows: Normal | Eyes: Clear
Thyroid/LPN1/LPN2/LPPN3/LEMP: Clear
Winter 2026
&
To Be Determined