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  A wise man built his house upon a rock:
           And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and 
           beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”  
                                                                                Matthew 7:24-25


The Deerwood Solid Foundation: Mannix (standing), Odessa, Bella, Sigi, Sabre

 

Deerwood Rottweilers started in 1991 when we brought home 7 week old Bella to be our family pet. When Bella turned two years old, I considered breeding her and started to make phone calls and asking questions. As the questions found answers, my education and the first steps into serious dog ownership, training and breeding excitingly began! I enrolled Bella into dog class and took her in to have all of her health screening  .I never, ever even considered that anything would fail... I was too novice to know that they could...  and so naturally, everything passed. Within two weeks of dog class, I took Bella and went to watch a Canine Good Citizen test. The friendly folk in the club encouraged me to go ahead and give Bella a try in the test. I was hesitant but everything in me wanted to go for it and so we did. I can’t describe how thrilled I was to hear the tester say that we had passed and to receive that official certificate with Bella’s name written on it! Since then, my dogs and I have received many certificates, titles and awards but nothing has meant more to me than first time out with Bella... nothing. That first certificate was quickly brought home and framed and hung on the wall. It is still hanging there proudly while all the others are filed neatly away in folders. When I look at it, I do not see a piece of paper but I see and feel all the dreams , hopes,  excitement, and love that have helped to make Deerwood what it is today.

And what is Deerwood today? It is exactly what is was back then...
love between a person and a dog...only now it has multiplied and expanded to include many great dogs and many great people with the same dreams, hope, excitement and love.

I did breed Bella with plans of keeping a female. One female. Only one female. So... we kept one female... and TWO males!!!! I will never recommend (nor repeat) keeping three pups from any litter but I have absolutely no regrets. So now I was a novice owner with FOUR rottweilers to train and title. Oh, it gets better.....when the three pups were 11 months old, I foolishly went to visit a friend’s litter of Rottweiler pups... AND...I came home with one! With the addition of Sigi, I now had FIVE Rottweilers to train and title!!!

As a testament to their sound temperament and outstanding work ethic and my determination we went forward and as we did doors of opportunity were opened to us.  Our foundation is solid. It was built with love, hard work, patience, endurance and whole lot of guidance from God above!

U/CDX Baroness Bella Of Deerwood, Am/Can. CDX, MX, MXJ, 
AG.X, BH, HIC, TT, TDI, CGC
OFA Fair, OFA Elbows, CERF

Feb. 1991- Dec. 2003

          • Multi X ARC Top Ten Agility

          • Multi X High Scoring Rottweiler In Trial
          • ARC Versatility Excellent Award
          • CRC GOLD Achievement Award
          • Dam of Deerwood’s first litter&ldots;the D Litter

Sire: “Max” (Maxwell’s Duxbury Destroyer)
Dam: “Helzza” (Amaraant Helzza Poppin)

General George S. Patton once said,” If a man does his best, what else is there?” I say, “If a man has had the BEST, what else is there?” That is exactly what Bella was...the BEST! More precisely...the BESTEST! Bella did everything that I asked of her with a willing, competent, and loving heart. We were a team. We were one.

Only now, with experience as my teacher, I see just how valuable Bella was and just how patient she was with me. My brother recently asked me which of my dogs was the smartest. It made me think. Do I measure the smartest on what scores and titles can be achieved or do I measure it with what can be inspired for generations to come? Bella did just that... she took a green trainer and inspired her to continue, to grow and to excel.

Yes, I have had the BEST and to answer the question of “what else is there?”... it is to look for the BEST in each new beautiful face that looks up at me from that whelping box.

My Bella. Simply the BESTEST.

 


U/CDX Deerwood’s Duchess Odessa, Am/Can. CD, AX, OAJ, 
AG.I, BH, HIC, CGC, TT, TDI

Dec. 1993- Jan. 2006

          • Multi X ARC Top Ten Agility

          • Multi X High Scoring Rottweiler In Trial
          • ARC Versatility Excellent Award
          • CRC GOLD Achievement Award

Sire:  “Marcus” (U/CD Legacy’s Marcus Von Barto, CDX, Can.CD, BH, CGC, TT)
Dam: “Bella” (U/CDX Baroness Bella Of Deerwood, Am/Can. CDX, MX, MXJ, AG.X, 
                BH, HIC, TT, TDI, CGC)

Odessa... how do I describe Odessa????? Well, I think that Bethany Hamilton, the greatest female surfer of our time comes pretty darn close when she said...

“Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.”  This description earned Odessa the nickname “Cannonball Express” and she gleefully and powerfully enjoyed every second of living up to the name. Odessa did know when to add in a bit of sugar and spice and everything nice as  her superior nanny instincts earned her the endearing name of “Auntie O” from all those that came to meet our pups.

I credit Odessa for teaching me the valuable art of laughing at myself as well as her five- star clownish antics. I vividly remember the moment that I decided to throw all to the wind and enjoy Odessa for who she was... we were preparing to go into the Novice B ring and a group of very well known, very high ranking obedience friends came over and said that they would stay to watch Odessa’s performance. I froze. I knew all too well that Odessa was capable of a spectacular performance and she was also capable of quite the opposite. I looked at them and their kind and friendly faces that smiled with high expectations and then I looked down into Odessa's warm, trusting yet mischievous eyes. I made up my mind... I wouldn’t fail her... no matter what she did in the ring that day, I firmly decided to smile and enjoy it. Well, Odessa was spectacular and I have not stopped smiling since.

Odessa..........”I love you-Woo-WOO -WOOOO!”

 


U/CDX Deerwood’s Diamond Sabre, SchH1, CDX, Can. CD, AX, AXJ, 
AG.I, BH, Am/Can. TD, VCD2, CGC, TDI, TT
OFA Good

Dec. 1993- Oct. 2004

        • Multi X ARC Top Ten Agility

        • 2001 USRC Top Ten SchH1 overall
        • 2001 USRC Top Ten SchH1 Tracking
        • 99V SchH1 Tracking HIT
        • 1999 CKC Top Ten Obedience
        • ARC Versatility Excellent Award
        • CRC GOLD Achievement Award
        • Versatility Companion Dog Level 2

Sire:  “Marcus” (U/CD Legacy’s Marcus Von Barto, CDX, Can.CD, BH, CGC, TT)
Dam: “Bella” (U/CDX Baroness Bella Of Deerwood, Am/Can. CDX, MX, MXJ, AG.X, 
                BH, HIC, TT, TDI, CGC)

“The journey is the reward.”

Sabre’s love of life and commitment to enjoying every second of it made him the most fun dog to live with as well as to share with others.

Sabre was my star athlete. My ACTION hero. He lived up to his name as he was swift and sure and always with a FLASH and a SMILE! There was never a time that Sabre wasn’t ready to work as his interpretation of work was PLAY! The same wide-eyed excitement that he had while endlessly retrieving tennis balls in the yard was the same wide-eyed excitement that he brought into each and every ring that we stepped into. There was no hiding this excitement and each and every judge commented on it as they smiled and handed us our ribbons.

Sabre was Energy and Sunshine which radiated out from him continually... from his Therapy Dog visits to the Schutzhund field and everything in between... he was electrifying! I was blessed to have a friend in Sabre, to share in his enthusiasm and zest for life, to enjoy each sparkling moment... truly our journey together was the greatest of rewards!

Sabre......”You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine!”

 


Deerwood’s Dux Von Mannix, BH, CGC, TT, TDI
OFA Excellent, OFA Elbows, CERF

Dec. 1993- Dec 2006

      •  Sire of the Famous Deerwood H Litter --All Male litter of ELEVEN!!

Sire:  “Marcus” (U/CD Legacy’s Marcus Von Barto, CDX, Can.CD, BH, CGC, TT)
Dam: “Bella” (U/CDX Baroness Bella Of Deerwood, Am/Can. CDX, MX, MXJ, AG.X, 
                BH, HIC, TT, TDI, CGC)

When my younger brothers looked into the whelping box and saw Mannix they begged me to keep him. Amazement that my brothers would beg me to keep any dog quickly sealed my decision in doing so! Mannix was named very appropriately as he matured into a very "male"  and very macho dog. Thankfully, Mannix was able to balance this macho-ness with his great sense of humor, outstanding work ethic and great willingness to please me... his then very novice trainer.  Unfortunately, his very promising career on the Schutzhund field was cut short by an injury but the time and effort that was put into that training not only developed a deep and lasting bond between us but it also took me to new and higher levels of dog training. Mannix continued modified training at home and became a valuable family house dog.  He remained a favorite with my brothers and eventually took up evening residence in their studio apartment which was dubbed the “Bachelor Pad” always to return downstairs in the morning as the faithful family dog. Yes, he had quite the life... he even produced a macho litter.....that is an all male litter of ELEVEN!  He was called SuperMannix after that one!

Mannix......“I'll love you until the rivers dry still, and the four winds we know blow away!"


U/CD Deerwood’s December Doll, Am/ Can. CD, RN, CGC, TT,TDI
OFA Good, OFA Elbows, CERF

Dec. 1993- Feb. 2007

          • Dam of the Deerwood G Litter

          • Working Therapy Dog
          •  Co-owned with my cousin Krista Toole

Sire:  “Marcus” (U/CD Legacy’s Marcus Von Barto, CDX, Can.CD, BH, CGC, TT)
Dam: “Bella” (U/CDX Baroness Bella Of Deerwood, Am/Can. CDX, MX, MXJ, AG.X, 
                BH, HIC, TT, TDI, CGC)

Dolly was co-owned with my cousin Krista Toole. She was Krista’s first dog and thrived in all the attention that Krista lavished on her.  This loving indulgence never interfered with Dolly’s strong work ethic but added to her amazing zest for life and her wonderful clear headedness. Dolly was a spitfire in everyway yet she possessed the ability and gift to channel all of her energy and become a reliable and steady therapy companion to our legally blind grandmother. Dolly took on this job naturally and on her own. It was really beautiful to see Dolly come down from her zoomies and instinctly guide Grandma.  Knowing how very valuable Dolly was to us inspired us to breed her and she produced the Deerwood G litter for us.  Thankfully those cherished traits have been passed down to our present generation and we pray that we will continue to see “Dolly” in our future!

Dolly...... “If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand.”  

 

 
Deerwood’s Emerald Signet, CGC
OFA Good, CERF

Sept. 1994 - Nov. 2005

      •  Dam of the Famous Deerwood H Litter --All Male litter of ELEVEN!!

Sire:  “Dux”  (Greystokes Dux Von Der Kinder)
Dam: “Ruby” (SO Ruby Tuesday)

It is funny how things just happen. As I wrote earlier, Sigi was added to our family with not much fore thought nor planning yet she became an integral part of our family. It was also funny that Sigi was the only dog that I bought on my own and yet she immediately bonded to my mother! She not only bonded to my mother but bonded so deeply and firmly that she made it very clear that training with me was acceptable but going away to shows and leaving Mom behind was most definitely NOT acceptable and non-negotiable! Naturally I tried bringing Mom to the shows with us and although Sigi was happier she now had to continually look back to check on Mom. Next I tried very hard to convince Mom to take Sigi into the ring but now Mom proved to be just as stubborn as her dog Sigi! I finally gave in and the two of them were sweetly content to help pack my bags and to send me off to the shows with the others as they took their walks, did the yard work, and managed the home.

I remember watching Sigi in amazement as she would sit in the front window waiting and watching vigilantly for my mother to return home from an errand or a trip. She wouldn’t be enticed nor lured away from that window. Her loyalty and faithfulness are what all the great dog stories are made of.  This was only topped by all the body wiggling that went on when my mother finally walked through the door! These highly animated wiggle sessions earned Sigi the nickname “Wiggaloo” and that spiraled into “Sigiloo” which then spiraled into “Lulu”.

Sigi’s sweet, solid quietness and steadiness were gentle yet very strong characteristics that complimented Mannix in combining the two of them in producing our Deerwood H litter.

I am blessed to have shared my life with Sigi. Although our ring career and accomplishments were not meant to be, I am so thankful that Sigi was able to fulfill the greatest accomplishment of her life and that was to unexpectedly become the one and only heart-dog of my dear mother.  We didn’t plan for it but we are so blessed that it happened!

Sigi......until we meet again little girl...I know that you are waiting.

 

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