Diana, Jim,
perhaps the ultimate "moment" for me came at the hotel when I was taking Max out for a potty break. A young woman came over with her teenage daughter and asked if she could meet my Rottweiler. I said "of course" and Max buried his head in their tummies and got a total rubdown. After a few minutes, the woman said "do you mind if I ask you about this dog?" She then said that he reminded her of a dog she really had always loved but hadn't seen since the 2007 National in Orlando. She said his name was Loral's Der Terminator and people called him Rowdy.

I told her that Max was a Rowdy son and that Rowdy was no longer with us. Her comment both stunned me and made me cry: "I'm sorry to hear that. Rowdy was a legend." She went on to say that she and several other Rottie owners had watched him move in 2007 and concluded that he was the best-moving Rottweiler in the country. And when he had showed in Junior Showmanship with his girlfriend Michelle McDowell, they cheered for them both and decided he was just as nice as he was beautiful.

Her daughter had won Best Junior that day and she said "yes, I remember Michelle's dog. He was really awesome." This woman is now considering Max for her youngest Rottie girl. I would love to see another generation of Rowdy/Max puppies. It would be good for our breed -- and pretty wonderful for us as well.

Jim