Buddyz is pet business management software that helps grooming salons, dog daycares, boarding businesses, and multi-location pet service operators manage scheduling, check-in, pet profiles, customer communication, payments, and daily operations in one platform.

Who is Buddyz built for?

Buddyz is built for pet business owners and teams running grooming salons, dog daycares, boarding facilities, and multi-location pet service businesses. It adapts to grooming-only shops, daycare-only operations, combined services, and multi-location businesses.

Is Buddyz free to start?

Yes. Buddyz starts with a free Core Platform that includes smart scheduling, pet intelligence, and smart check-in. Add-on capabilities for grooming, daycare, boarding, operations, customer communication, payments, and reporting are available as modular add-ons.

Does Buddyz replace scheduling software like Vagaro or MindBody for pet businesses?

Buddyz goes beyond scheduling. While it includes smart scheduling and booking, it also provides live operations workflow, pet intelligence (profiles, grooming notes, vaccine tracking), customer communication, deposit and payment processing, and business reporting — all in one platform built specifically for pet service businesses.

Can Buddyz track pet vaccine records?

Yes. Buddyz tracks vaccine records, expiration dates, and compliance requirements as part of each pet's profile. This is particularly useful for daycare and boarding businesses that require up-to-date vaccination documentation before accepting pets.

How does Buddyz reduce no-shows for pet appointments?

Buddyz reduces no-shows by enabling businesses to collect deposits at booking, save cards on file, and send automated appointment reminders to customers. This combination of financial commitment and timely communication significantly reduces last-minute cancellations and no-shows.

Does Buddyz work for multi-location pet businesses?

Yes. Buddyz supports multi-location operations with shared customer and pet profiles across locations, location-level access controls, role management, team visibility, and consolidated business reporting.

What makes Buddyz different from traditional pet salon software?

Traditional pet salon software focuses on calendar booking. Buddyz is a full operating system that adds live workflow visibility, operations intelligence, pet profile management, grooming history tracking, automated customer communication, and payment processing alongside scheduling — giving pet businesses a complete platform instead of disconnected tools.

Are Leonbergers good family dogs?

Leonbergers are one of the most family-friendly giant breeds, known for being calm, affectionate, and wonderfully patient with children. They love being part of everything and hate being left out. The main things to weigh up are practical: their size can knock over a small child by accident, they shed heavily, drool, and need plenty of exercise and company. For an active household with space, they are a superb family dog.

Do Leonbergers shed a lot?

Leonbergers have a thick double coat and shed a great deal, with dramatic seasonal moults when they drop huge amounts of undercoat. Expect hair on your clothes, floors, and furniture, and be ready to brush several times a week, rising to daily during the moult. A good vacuum and a tolerance for hair are essential. Their heavy coat also means they feel the heat, so they need cool-weather exercise in summer.

How long do Leonbergers live?

Like most giant breeds, Leonbergers have a relatively short lifespan of around 7 to 9 years. This is one of the emotional realities of owning one, alongside the higher food and veterinary costs that come with such a large dog. Choosing a health-tested breeder, keeping the dog lean, protecting its joints while young, and providing good routine care all help it live as long and healthy a life as possible.

How much exercise does a Leonberger need?

Leonbergers are moderately active and enjoy walks, swimming, and gentle draft work, needing around 45 to 75 minutes of daily exercise as adults. Because they are fast-growing giants, their joints are vulnerable while young, so keep exercise low-impact and avoid stairs, jumping, and long runs until they are fully grown at around 18 months. Their heavy coat also means summer exercise should be done in the cool of the day.

Leonberg, Germany • Working

Leonberger

A gentle, lion-like giant that is as calm and affectionate at home as it is impressive to look at.

Weight90–170 lbs

Height25–32 in

Lifespan7–9 years

SizeGiant

Overview

Giant, majestic working dog with a lion-like appearance, thick water-resistant double coat, and gentle, balanced temperament. This powerful yet serene breed combines an imposing presence with a calm, patient demeanor.

Best for

•Families and active owners with plenty of space who want a soft-natured, people-loving giant and don't mind the mud, drool, and mountains of hair. It suits homes that can offer daily exercise, patient training, and lots of companionship for a dog that hates being left out.

May not suit

•Apartment dwellers, house-proud owners, or anyone hoping for a low-maintenance dog. Its size, heavy shedding, drooling, and short lifespan, plus the need for constant company, make it a big physical, emotional, and financial commitment.

History & Origins

Developed in the 1840s by Heinrich Essig in Leonberg, Germany, crossing Newfoundlands, Saint Bernards, and Pyrenean Mountain Dogs to create a 'lion-like' dog resembling the lion on the town crest. Became popular companion for European royalty

Characteristics & Traits

Apartment Living1 / 5

Families with Children5 / 5

First-Time Owners3 / 5

Other Dogs4 / 5

Alone Time Tolerance2 / 5

Shedding Level5 / 5

Grooming Needs4 / 5

Trainability4 / 5

Barking2 / 5

Prey Drive2 / 5

Energy Level3 / 5

Lifestyle

Apartment Living

1/5

Families with Children

5/5

First-Time Owners

3/5

Other Dogs

4/5

Alone Time Tolerance

2/5

Shedding Level

5/5

Grooming Needs

4/5

Behavior

Trainability

4/5

Barking

2/5

Prey Drive

2/5

Exercise

Energy Level

3/5

Exercise & Training

Aim for around 45–75 minutes of total activity per day. Moderate exercise like walking, swimming, and gentle draft work suits this breed. Keep it low-impact while the dog is growing, and avoid the heat because of the heavy coat.

Daily Walks by Living Situation

Apartment or Home Without a Backyard

2 walks / day

~35 min each

Apartment living isn't recommended for a dog this size, but where space is limited it needs at least two solid daily walks plus plenty of company indoors.

Home With a Backyard

2 walks / day

~35 min each

A large garden is welcome for pottering and cooling off, but this companion breed still needs proper walks and to be at the heart of family life, not left outside alone.

Daycare or Park Time?

Sociable, well-socialised Leonbergers can enjoy daycare, ideally with calm, larger playmates. Its size means it can overwhelm smaller dogs, so a well-matched group matters.

Training

Intelligent, willing, and eager to please, which makes it a pleasure to train with kind methods.

Reward-based training works beautifully — this soft breed wants to get it right for you.

For Pet Parents

The Leonberger's lion-like double coat, complete with a full mane, is one of the biggest grooming commitments of any breed. It needs brushing several times a week to control heavy shedding and prevent mats, plus daily attention during the seasonal moult — and owners should be ready for mud, drool, and plenty of hair.

Difficulty: High

Grooming Commitment

The Leonberger's magnificent double coat is a genuine commitment. It needs brushing several times a week to prevent mats and control the heavy, constant shedding, rising to daily brushing during the seasonal moult. Expect drool, mud, and a lot of hair — this is a big grooming job, but a rewarding one.

At-Home Basics

Difficulty: High

Caring for Your Leonberger at Home

Brush several times a week

Work through the coat with a rake and comb several times a week to lift the dense undercoat and stop mats forming. During the twice-yearly moult, switch to daily brushing to manage the flood of loose hair.

Target the trouble spots

Mats form fastest behind the ears, in the mane, under the legs, and in the trousers on the back legs. Check and gently comb these areas every few days.

Manage mud and drool

Leonbergers love water and get muddy, and they drool. Keep a towel by the door, wipe the mouth and beard after drinks, and dry the coat thoroughly to prevent damp, matted patches.

Keep up nails, ears, and teeth

Trim the strong nails about every four weeks, check the ears weekly and clean the outer area if needed, and brush the teeth several times a week with dog toothpaste.

Mistakes to Avoid

Underestimating the shedding and letting the undercoat build up until the coat mats close to the skin.
Only brushing the top coat and missing the dense undercoat underneath, where mats really form.
Shaving the double coat in summer, which removes its natural insulation and can spoil regrowth.
Leaving the coat damp after swimming or a bath, which quickly leads to matting.

When to Call in a Professional

A professional groom every couple of months, and especially during the seasonal moult, is a huge help with a coat this size. Book a visit sooner if you find matting close to the skin that you cannot gently work out at home, so it can be sorted comfortably rather than clipped out.

Coat & Colors

Type: Double coat
Family: Long / dense double coat
Undercoat: Yes
Shedding: Heavy
Seasonal Change: Dramatic twice-yearly moult
Matting Risk: High in the mane, trousers and behind the ears
Water Retention: High — dries slowly after swimming

Common Problem Areas

Behind the earsManeUnder the legsRear trousers

Frequently Asked Questions

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