I'm Rachel D., the breeder behind Heart N' Soul Leonbergers located in Lebanon, TN. I am passionate about my dogs & am always available for my puppy families, both those looking to adopt and those who have adopted. I fell in love with Leonbergers over my 17 years of having them and 15 years of breeding them. My personal Leonberger, Chewy, is truly my heart dog. He crawled into my lap, my heart, my soul, and claimed them for his own. I breed for health, temperament, conformation, and diversity. Our breed has a small gene pool, so we need to do all we can to expand it while keeping to the standard of the dog. I research health and longevity when looking at a possible breeding pair.
Q. & A. with Rachel
Why did you start breeding?
I fell in love with my first Leonberger. More research showed that the breed was very rare. I wanted to be a part of bringing them back.
What makes your program special?
I am very careful about health, longevity, life span, and broadening the gene pool. We strive to take a holistic approach when caring for our dogs. Adoptive parents are screened closely, and I commit to always being a resource and guide for all of my families who create a forever home for my puppies.
Where do your breeding dogs live?
They live in my home.
Matched dogs
These dogs are already reserved or have gone home.
Green girl orange girl
Went home
Female
Girl 2
Went home
Female
Girl 4
Went home
Female
Girl 3
Went home
Female
Girl 5
Went home
Female
Boy 1
Went home
Male
Boy 2
Went home
Male
Getting a puppy from Rachel
Rachel has been certified by Good Dog’s screening team for responsible and trusted breeding practices. When you’re ready to reach out, feel free to ask any questions about the breed, their program, or specific puppies.
Together, you’ll choose the puppy that’s right for you, stay in touch with regular updates, and plan how to bring your new puppy home.
Price
Puppy prices include a $500 non-refundable deposit and $2,500 final payment, before taxes & fees.
“Price includes adoption fee, vet wellness exam, first shots, AKC registration, AKC chip paid for 1 year. Puppies go home with a puppy booklet of over 100 pages, food, collar and lead, stuffed toy, chew toy, and treats. We are available 24/7 to our puppy buyers. All puppies are the same adoption fee. As for the deposit, there will be a time when it might be waived if the reason is valid.”
Contract & health guarantee
Rachel may provide a written contract or
health guarantee when you purchase a puppy. This helps
protect both you and your breeder, ensuring that you
both have a clear understanding of the terms of your
puppy purchase. If Rachel offers a contract
or guarantee, the details will be personalized by them.
If you have any questions or want to know more,
don’t hesitate to reach out to Rachel directly.
Heart N' Soul Leonbergers meets or exceeds our community standards in these areas:
Responsible breeding practices
Health of breeding dogs and puppies
Puppy environment and enrichment
Buyer education and policies
Parent dogs
DaVinci, dad
Leonberger
About DaVinci
DaVinci is a male Leonberger. Carefully selected as a great representative of his breed, Rachel decided to make him part of their program. Rachel has passed Good Dog’s screening process, which involved a review of their breeding practices, environment, and the mental and physical health of their dogs.
Ruby, mom
Leonberger
About Ruby
Ruby is a female Leonberger. Carefully selected as a great representative of her breed, Rachel decided to make her part of their program. Rachel has passed Good Dog’s screening process, which involved a review of their breeding practices, environment, and the mental and physical health of their dogs.
Parent health testing
Breeder-Reported Testing
Excellent level
Heart N' Soul Leonbergers reports to performing the health tests below on their breeding dogs. Ask your breeder about the tests performed on the parents of your litter. Learn more about health testing for Leonbergers.
Hip Dysplasia
Hip testing reduces the chance of passing down hip dysplasia, which is primarily found in large breed dogs and can cause hip pain and the eventual loss of the function of the hip joint.
Elbow Dysplasia Finals (OFA, BVA, SV, FCI)
Elbow testing reduces the chance of passing down elbow dysplasia, which is primarily found in large breed dogs and can cause arthritis in the elbow joint and front leg lameness.
Eye Certification (CAER, registered with OFA)
Eye testing reduces the chance of passing down a wide range of hereditary eye illnesses including retinal dysplasia, lens luxation, and glaucoma, which can cause impared vision or blindness.
Cardiac Evaluation (registered with OFA)
Heart testing reduces the chance of passing down congenital heart disease, which can cause a range of symptoms ranging from trouble exercising to heart failure.
Thyroid (Autoimmune Thyroiditis, registered with OFA), Temperament Test, Dentition, Brucellosis
A breeder may perform additional tests on their dogs that do not fall into these general categories. These tests may be more uncommon or very specific to a particular breed.
OFA/CHIC DNA Repository, Polyneuropathy 2, Leonberger and Saint Bernard Type, Leukoencephalomyelopathy (LEMP), Polyneuropathy 1, Leonberger and Saint Bernard Type
Genetic testing reduces the chance of passing down a wide variety of hereditary diseases of differing prevalence and severity such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy (an eye disease) and Von Willebrand's Disease (a blood disease).