My name is Bonifác Létai, I am 21 years old, and I live with my parents and two sisters in Ács. I am a student at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and I will graduate as a mechanical engineer in January 2015.
My relationship with dogs began in August 2000. At that time, we bought Vacak, the Chow Chow, who unfortunately left us on 16.07.2013 at the age of 13. I consider him my first dog because he is the first one I remember. Actually, my father has been involved with the breed since he was 18, but in 1995 we moved to a panel apartment, and the stock had to be given away. So it was a great joy when in 2000 the fence of our current house was finished, and we could buy a puppy again. I was 8 years old then, and even at that time I was captivated by the atmosphere of shows and the world of dogs. We attended quite a few shows with Vacak and achieved very nice results. When the time came, he also had puppies, whose upbringing the whole family participated in with great joy. From the last litter, we kept a little female, Holly. Vacak was also a beautiful representative of his breed, but Holly was simply fantastic. With her appearance that put males to shame, she became the pride of the family. Her show results were also extremely commendable, so it was not a question that we would also breed her. However, on November 13, 2011, in the moments before giving birth, her heart failed. This tragedy left a huge void in the family, and I immediately immersed myself in studying dog breeds. I could not bear Holly's absence; I wanted a puppy as soon as possible. Finally, we decided on the Leonberger breed. I then spent all my free time searching for Hungarian Leonberger kennels. I found many good kennels, but finally, the current "C" litter of the Leoland vom Unterberg kennel caught my attention. The parent pair was ideal in every respect; so to speak, I found the perfect litter for me. The only greater joy than this was when, after consulting with István and Kati – the breeders of the kennel – I learned that a puppy was still available. On January 8, 2012, we brought home a little female, Casey Leoland vom Unterberg, or Casey, and with this day the family's life changed.
Casey met expectations in every way; she is a dream dog. Both externally and internally, she embodies my Leonberger ideal. When she was ready, we also started going to shows with her. However, I am her handler, and I too had to get used to this not easy but all the more enjoyable role. We practiced a lot at home, and it was worth it. The progress at the shows is visible; we get better with every show, and by now Casey can boast many beautiful results. We have also kept in touch with Kati and István ever since, and I think I can say that a very good friendship has developed between us. I consider them my primary mentors alongside my father and will be forever grateful to them for having such a lovely dog to call mine.
I decided that whatever happens, from now on I will always be connected with Leonbergers, and if possible, I will breed them as well. As a first step, I founded my own kennel, the Bear from Castle kennel. My goal is that dogs similar in type to Casey, healthy, well-proportioned, masked, dark-shaded Leos, representing both externally and internally the characteristics described in the standard, will come from my kennel.
If we have raised your interest, feel free to browse our website, where you can find our current news related to our kennel: Bear from Castle Leonbergi Kennel
Casey Leoland vom Unterberg: