At Otter Creek Kennel we believe in breeding high quality dogs with a focus on temperament, health, and conformation. For all dogs, but especially large breeds like Leonbergers, it is of primary importance to breed dogs with good temperaments that will fit well into a family or social setting. We breed with eye to the temperament and versatility of both the sire and the dam to help ensure that puppies will be good all round companions.
We understand that the majority of the dogs we breed will be going to homes as pets and we want to ensure that our owners have an excellent addition to their homes.
We do rigorous health testing on both the sire and the dam to help ensure that our puppies don't have any known inherited health problems. We also watch for the life span and overall health of the ancestors of our dogs to hopefully breed long-lived, healthy dogs. While there are never any guarantees, we do our best to control for health problems in our dogs.
Good conformation helps to ensure a versatile dog that is less prone to joint strain as they age. Leonbergers can be quite athletic and well suited to a variety of dog sports, but because of their size, a good build is possibly more important for these dogs than some of their smaller counterparts. At Otter Creek Kennel, we focus on breeding dogs that have conformation that allows them to enjoy whichever activities their owners wish to do.