▁( 1 2 % ), ▁card iac ▁disease ▁( 9 % ), ▁and ▁" s ud den ▁death " ▁( 8 %). ▁ ▁Studies ▁have ▁indicated ▁problems ▁with ▁inherited ▁poly ne urop ath y ▁in ▁certain ▁populations ▁of ▁Leon berg ers ▁and ▁cat ar act s ▁in ▁dogs ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁A ▁study ▁of ▁" Le on berger ▁poly ne urop ath y " ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁Gen etic ▁testing ▁is ▁to ▁be ▁done ▁through ▁a ▁protocol ▁admin ister ed ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁by ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Minnesota ▁V eter inary ▁Di agnostic ▁Labor atory . ▁or ▁Institute ▁of ▁Gen et ics , ▁V ets uis se ▁Fac ulty , ▁University ▁of ▁Bern , ▁Bern , ▁Switzerland ▁ ▁History ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s , ▁Heinrich ▁Ess ig , ▁a ▁dog ▁bre eder ▁and ▁s eller ▁and ▁mayor ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Leon berg ▁near ▁Stuttgart ▁in ▁Baden - W ür ttemberg , ▁Germany , ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁created ▁the ▁Leon berger ▁by ▁crossing ▁a ▁female ▁Land se er ▁New found land ▁with ▁a ▁" bar ry " ▁male ▁from ▁the ▁Great ▁St . ▁Bernard ▁H osp ice ▁and ▁Mon aster y ▁( which ▁would ▁later ▁create ▁the ▁Saint ▁Bernard ▁bre ed ). ▁Later , ▁according ▁to ▁Ess ig , ▁a ▁Py rene an ▁Mountain ▁Dog ▁was ▁added , ▁resulting ▁in ▁very ▁large ▁dogs ▁with ▁the ▁long , ▁white ▁co ats ▁that ▁were ▁the ▁fashion ▁for ▁the ▁time , ▁and ▁pleasant ▁temper