Albus Ted is his full name. I, myself, am a huge Harry Potter fan and my husband and I both share the love for the sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

Ted is a Leonberger, which is not common here in Edmonton. Google the name and you’ll get a feel for how big this goofy guy is going to be. He is six months old, 85 lbs and just about 1/3 of the size he is going to be. His paws are enormous and are the first thing most people notice. His heart is the biggest! His best friends are five and two (our friends’ kids) and he is so gentle when he plays – he never snaps at them or bowls them over. They chase him and he chases them.

I fell in love with this breed three years ago. I did lots of research and patiently waited until my husband and I tied the knot. Puppies are a lot of work and easier with two people, especially one Ted’s size. The more I researched the breed, the more I fell in love with it. They’re the ultimate family dog – note his young best friends. That’s just instinct to him. Their demeanour is also something many comment on. I wanted a large dog but knew that our lifestyle – we both work – would not be great for a dog, depending on the breed. The Leonberger is raised to be either a hard working dog or a lazy dog. They are not a dog to act out if they are neglected for eight hours. Yes, we will spend lots of time with him when we are home, playing with him and walking him to make up for it. But knowing that he is not going to trash the house because he is not walked enough was huge. Realizing your limits and how much you can handle is a self-awareness that I believe everyone needs before taking home a puppy.

When it comes to picking your breeder, do your research. Physically visit their location if you can. The opportunity to spend a couple of hours with the breeder and his dogs to see if this was really the right breed for us was huge. I asked a ton of questions. He patiently answered them all and more. He was also sizing us up to ensure that we could be a good home for his puppies. The good breeders will do all the paperwork and correct process for certification for you take home. We picked Ted up when he was nine weeks old, and he’d had three shots already! Most breeders won’t bother with the first two just because of cutting the cost, not considering the well being of the puppy’s new life. The good breeder is not in it for the money – they do it because of their love and passion for their breed and dogs and want to get more of their breed out there to bless the rest of the world.

So, if you see giant paw prints in the snow, or huge dog out for a walk with its owners, it’s just us! Come and say hi – Ted would love to make a new friend! To find out more about our breeder, visit www.bronzeleonleonbergers.com.

Jordynn lives in McCauley.