|
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
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
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
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:
“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
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
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. |
