BOUNCING BALL’S JUST BE ROWDY
CALL NAME: ROWDY

Rowdy was originally purchased by a young family with several children. When Rowdy was five months old they decided that he was aggressive because he had scratched one of their children in the eye. He was to be returned to the breeder through the help of my friend, Jeanne Heger. Jeanne was assisting me with agility classes at the time and the transfer was arranged between our classes. When Ron and I met the family, they made it clear to us that they did not believe in disciplining their children or their young dog. After spending a small amount of time with Rowdy, I realized that he was neither an aggressive nor a dominant dog. He was a normal energetic adolescent Aussie that lacked structure and training in his life. Ron and I agreed to take him for a trial period; Rowdy never had to look for another home after that.

The first few months with Rowdy were very challenging. Because his first family had not set appropriate boundaries on his behaviors, he had tried to assume a leadership role within his human family. After a short adjustment period to allow him to settle into our home, the retraining process was started. With the help of our original Aussies, Paddi and Nathan, Rowdy learned how to appropriately react to other dogs. Ron and I kept Rowdy leashed indoors and out so that we could reinforce commands to him quickly and without confrontation. I also started training him for agility and obedience competitions as an outlet for his boundless energy. When I first started trialing him in agility, he would get stressed and run out of the ring. I knew that I needed to train him to work amidst the distractions that we would encounter in a trial situation. I formed a class of hand picked students that I thought would work well together and also allow me to train Rowdy with them. This core group of people and their dogs were the original members of Paws Zone Agility and are still some of my closest friends.

The time we spent working with Rowdy and all of our patience paid off in the long run.

In June of 1997, one of my first Aussies, Nathan, lost his battle with lymphatic cancer. I had been devastated by Nathan’s loss, and I knew that Rowdy felt my grief. Rowdy had been entered in a UKC obedience trial the following weekend. Ron convinced me that I should go to the trial to be with other “dog people”. Rowdy made a special effort that day for me, earning an almost perfect score of 199 out of 200 points and winning High in Trial honors. It made me feel that Nathan knew that Rowdy was finally ready to take his place.

The following month, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I underwent surgery and chemotherapy, and Rowdy was my constant companion. As soon as I felt well enough, I was back at the training hall practicing with him. The chemo affected my balance and timing, but Rowdy took it all in stride and adjusted to me beautifully. With the help of loving family and friends, I showed him several times in obedience and agility when I was not well enough to drive myself to the trials. I believe Rowdy could sense that he needed to take care of me during that time, because he scored well enough to be named both the #1 ASCA Novice Obedience dog and the #1 USASA Novice Agility dog for 1997.

Rowdy became one of our most trustworthy and loving companions. He never showed a hint of aggression. He had two brilliant blue eyes which capture the attention of all who look at him, but his most endearing trait was his smile. When Rowdy saw someone that he knew or wanted to meet, he would tilt his head to the right and lifts up his left lip. It always reminded me of Elvis Presley’s sly little smile! He was a favorite among school children when he accompanied me to numerous schools to talk about pet care and veterinary medicine. They always liked how he could jump through my arms and wave on command.

Rowdy sired three litters in his lifetime. He produced puppies that share his wonderful sense of humor and joy for life. Several of his offspring have begun competing in agility, but most are earning their living by being loyal companions.

Rowdy battled cancer twice in his own lifetime. He was diagnosed with Basal Cell Carcinoma of the tail in 2005 and was treated successfully with surgery. In June of 2007 he was diagnosed with nasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. There was not a good surgical option for this disease, so he was treated with medication to alleviate his symptoms and to maintain a high quality of his life. He lived his life to the fullest, forging his own paths through the snow until the cancer overcame him in late February of 2008; just three months shy of his fourteenth birthday.

As we laid him to rest, Ron said, “There will never be another one like him,” and I know in my heart that he will always be with us.