Friday, February 27, 2015

I was told I couldn't do this without her help.


You have already seen some of the things that go on around here in the morning. I try to record the little things that make Living With Rottweilers so much fun. That's also because I get a lot of help taking care of the Rottweiler's Mom. Some of the evidence of that help usually came about as an afterthought when I decided to interrupt what was going on to go get the camera.
Today was different. I planned in advance to get some pictures while my helper was busy doing her thing. 
As fast as I tried to tie the shoelaces my helper got them untied.
And then when I was finished I got a look that clearly said, "You couldn't have done it without my help."
These are just a few of the simple pleasures that my best friends give to make my day a little more cheerful. And I love ever precious moment.
 



Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Rottweilers struggling to deal with a record-setting Winter.


This Winter has introduced everyone to a new phrase in our conversation. They don't understand what a "bippy" is when Daddy tells everyone we have Bippy-Freezing weather outside, but it means just that. It means you gotta learn to go outside and do your business and then come in. No playing games, literally, when the standing temperature is in the minus numbers and the wind chill will cause frostbite in less than a half-hour. And while I'm all bundled up in warm clothing, you Rottweilers are walking around barefoot. So struggle they must even if they don't understand. This Winter has gone down in the records books. Last week we had -17 F. along with three snowstorms in 5 days that gave us 15 inches. This morning it went down to -6 F. The snow was nice until the temperature got very cold and the Rottweilers didn't like being brought inside in that nice cold invigorating air. Then the surface of the snow froze and walking on it was like punching holes in ice. That is what Mr. Axl was having problems with.
Bessie has been paying a lot of attention to old man Axl, to the point she seems worried about him. I told her this morning she was acting like his nursemaid. I think she has noticed he has trouble outside walking in the deep snow, his hind legs get stuck and he falls down and I also think his eyesight is not as good as it once was. I saw Bessie holding his collar in her mouth as they were walking through the family room last night. At first I thought she was trying to play with him like she does with Ruffin but she didn't have the same look on her face, she seemed to be leading him. For an almost 8-month old girl she looked somewhat serious. Then she seems more willing to stay close to her Mom than she did before.
And she also keeps an eye on Ruffin especially when he goes outside by the pool. She always lets me know when he has come back and wants to come in.
Ruff is the only one who gets to go outside in back by himself because Axl can't climb the stairs on the deck and Bessie doesn't know where to walk around the pool. The one time I took her out there she ran across the pool cover and thought it was a big game. And damn near gave me a heart attack trying to get her off of it. Ruff knows where the sidewalk ends and the pool rim is and you can see the well-worn set of footprints. Bessie is a free thinker and has no sense of caution.

 



Friday, February 20, 2015

Winter has finally arrived. And it came with a vengence.


Rottweilers love snow. They also love cold air. It seems to invigorate them with an abundance of energy. Now our little Bessie has had her taste of a real Winter. Within the past week we have had three measurable snowstorms. The last time it snowed here on Feb. 12th, we only had a few inches but the first storm last weekend brought us 8-inches. This storm was followed two days later with 4 more inches which was followed again by another storm that dropped 3 more inches. And the cold has remained continuously preventing most of it from melting. And the weatherman has predicted 3-6 more inches of snow tomorrow.
Little Bessie had a lot of fun running across the sidewalk every time I shoveled it kicking more snow which needed to be shoveled again. 
After taking these pictures it was time to come in the house. As I turned I saw the gang had followed right behind me.
The worst part of this weather has been the bitterly cold, record-breaking low temperatures. Day before yesterday we went down to -7 F and this morning we hit -15 F and my primary concern was the Rottweilers getting frostbite on their toes. Other than that they seemed to be totally unaffected by the cold. When the wind was factored in the wind chill was -30 F.
 Here is a temperature map taken from a local TV station this morning
We are located just about in the middle of the triangle between -21, -15 and -4.
P.S. Due to weather and bad colds we have missed so many training classes that I re-enrolled Bessie in a new session starting on Monday. Weather pending. I really wished I could take her to class in the Spring but she is getting so big so fast.


 

Thursday, February 12, 2015

BLACK BEAUTY BREED - The best documentary film ever made about Rottweilers


If you came upon this blog because you love Rottweilers as I do or were just curious about this magnificent, noble and misunderstood breed then I have an excellent suggestion for you. Last year a professional filmmaker in Hollywood named Angie Ruiz produced and directed a documentary about Rottweilers that you must see. The name of the film is Black Beauty Breed, and it had its premier in Los Angeles at the ArcLight Hollywood theater on June 12, 2014. I just finished watching the DVD copy that I purchased from the producer.
Go here and place your order http://blackbeautybreedstore.com/collections/dvds/dvd  You will be glad that you did.
The documentary is currently on a worldwide tour and was most recently shown in three cities in Australia. The DVD is available for sale worldwide in NTSC format which can be played on most DVD players that also use the PAL format.
Angie Ruiz and Samson
Angie Ruiz fell in love with Rottweilers the same way I did, with a rescued Rottweiler in need of a home. She was asked to transport a Rottie puppy to a Rescue group but instead she discovered she could not let it go. If you are reading this Angie please know that I have been telling people for years that they are truly Thief of Hearts. From that day in 2007, Angie Ruiz decided she had to tell their story using her skills as a documentary filmmaker.  
This documentary covers every aspect of Rottweiler life from birth, to training to competitions to work as therapy dogs, K-9 and Search and Rescue dogs. The coverage is meticulous and thorough and tears apart the bad reputation heaped upon this breed by biased, sensationalist news stories. In the film I learned for the first time that the first Search and Rescue dogs at the World Trade Center on 9-11-2001 were a team of Rottweilers. From there the film follows each of the noble traits and qualities this breed possesses. My writing skills cannot do justice for this wonderful work so let me show you a story originally published in the Porterville Recorder.    
The following newspaper story is reprinted with permission from the author.
Award-winning documentary touring the world

Posted: Wednesday, July 16, 2014 8:35 am
Film producer/editor has Porterville ties
A feature-length documentary about Rottweilers and their positive attributes has earned a woman with Porterville connections several awards, including a Best Documentary award at a film festival in Charlottesville, Va.
The film, Black Beauty Breed, has been touring the nation and world, said film producer/editor Angie Ruiz via telephone from Portugal. She will travel to London and Scotland next before returning to Los Angeles.

Her first feature-length documentary and directorial debut, the film will be scheduled for the Central Valley in the near future.

“I made this film from the heart about something I believe in. Even though the film is about the Rottweiler, the themes of the film are universal — loyalty, resilience, friendship and hard work,” Ruiz said. “The film showcases their little-known versatility as search-and-rescue dogs and therapy dogs, and their success in dog sports — agility, nose work, carting and herding. And for the first time ever, audiences can see the Rottweiler Search and Rescue dogs deployed to Ground Zero in the days following 9/11.”

Her inspiration for the film came in 2007 after rescuing a Rottweiler, Samsun, from a Porterville family who could not keep him.

“He was 9 months old and I offered to pick him up and drive him to The Rottweiler Rescue of Los Angeles. On the drive from Porterville to Los Angeles, I saw how sad he was to leave his family and my heart just melted. At that moment, I made a decision to rescue him myself,” Ruiz said. “I was inspired to make the documentary because it is the film that I would have liked to seen when I rescued Samson. I didn’t know anything about the breed at the time and information was not readily available.”
Internet searches yielded negative stories about the breed, she said, and she wanted people to get a full picture of the breed.

“I made the film because I knew firsthand how wonderful this breed can be if given structure, a loving home and a positive training environment,” Ruiz said.

The film premiered June 12 to a packed audience at the Arclight Cinema in Hollywood. Several local family members attended, including Ruiz’s mother, Lupe Ruiz, formerly of Porterville, her aunt Josie Garcia Sandoval, cousin Teneha Sandoval, and her brother, George Ruiz of Clovis.

“We enjoyed the personal accounts from all the Rottweiler owners in the film,” Garcia Sandoval said. “They spoke about the Rottweilers being search-and-rescue dogs during September 11. This fact is not well known, so it was surprising to hear.”

Garcia Sandoval said she also enjoyed the story of how a Rottweiler helped a young girl come out of a coma after a tragic hit-and-run accident.

“This portion was truly emotional,” Garcia Sandoval said. “I’m proud of Angie for contacting and gaining the trust of these fellow Rottweiler lovers and for producing this film to truly educate us about Rottweilers.”

Teneha Sandoval agreed.

“Large dog breeds, such as the Rottweiler, are often misunderstood and assumed to be dangerous animals on their own. When in reality, their temperament is result of its owner’s training,” Teneha Sandoval said. “This film brings light to the fact that the Rottweiler is a loving and intelligent breed who, with proper training, can be remarkable pets, rescuers and rehabilitation service dogs.”

Ruiz, who has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, has worked in the entertainment industry for 14 years, first starting as an actress. She bought her first DSL camera when she volunteered in East Africa, where she made short documentaries of the Maasai, and enjoyed filming the Serengeti wildlife. The experiences led her to create her own production company, Wandering Films.

Ruiz is the daughter of Lupe Ruiz of Salinas, formerly of Porterville, and a granddaughter of the late Josefina and Gilberto Garcia, and the late Sally and Frank Loyola, all of Porterville.

Ruiz lives with her husband Mark Terbeek, and daughters, Isla and Edie, in West Hollywood.

“It has been amazing to see the audience response to the film,” Ruiz said. “Who knew that Rottweilers were so loved by people around the world.”

Contact Esther Avila at 784-5000, Ext. 1045. Follow her on Twitter @Avila_recorder.
Followup 2-13-2015

This documentary is listed on the Internet Movie Database web site. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3384354/ I am not the only one who found this movie so enjoyable. The film currently has a 5 reviews and a rating of 9.1 out of 10. I just added my own comments.
Reviews & Ratings for
Black Beauty Breed More at IMDbPro »


The most beautiful documentary ever made about Rottweilers

10/10
Author: AbbyD-1 from United States
13 February 2015
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I have owned 7 Rottweilers over the past 20 years and currently live with three of them. I first came upon this breed in much the same way as Angie Ruiz did, by adopting one that needed a home. Angie Ruiz is a professional filmmaker who directed and produced this documentary and she did an exceptional job of showing the inner qualities of this magnificent breed. From love to devotion to intelligence to character strength this often misunderstood canine stands well above all others. I just finished watching the DVD of this film that I purchased from their web site. From the very first days I became acquainted with Rottweilers I quickly learned they were truly Thief of Hearts and as Angie Ruiz pointed out in the commentary on the DVD she was asked to transport a 9-month old Rottie puppy to a Rottweiler Rescue group and before she got there she decided to adopt him, herself.

From that beginning the documentary shows many aspects of Rottweiler training for competitive sports as agility and carting but then goes into how this breed is ideally suited for K-9 police work, Search and Rescue and even Therapy work in hospitals. The most touching sequence was the Rottweiler who aided a comatose accident patient regain consciousness.

Angie Ruiz said in the film interview, "I made this film from the heart about something I believe in. Even though the film is about the Rottweiler, the themes of the film are universal — loyalty, resilience, friendship and hard work," And the film has received several awards, including a Best Documentary award at a film festival in Charlottesville, Va.

As a Rottweiler owner I congratulate Angie on doing such a fine job with this film. Anyone who owns a Rottweiler or is curious about this breed should search out and find a copy of the DVD or catch it in a theater. It is currently on a worldwide tour and recently was shown in three cities in Australia.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Daddy's little helper.


I was having some trouble getting my wife dressed this morning. Nothing more than usual but every time I tried to put on her shoes and socks a little head kept poking through between my wife's feet to see what I was doing. To some extent this is a daily occurrence around here but today I was determined to try and get a picture of it to share. Baby Bess has always been infatuated with shoe laces. She untied my shoelaces at the animal shelter the day I went there to meet her for the first time. And speaking of getting underfoot, she is laying on the floor between me and the computer desk right now as I write this. She doesn't realize how big she is getting and I need to reach out with arms length to type. When she was tiny she would wrap herself around the base of my swivel chair but now just uses it for a pillow for her head.

By the time I fetched the camera Bess was no longer between my wife's feet but she was trying once again to help me tie the shoe laces.
And thank you for the sweet smile when you paused to let me take your picture.

On the subject of all the help I get around here, here is a picture from yesterday of the palace guards guarding the throne room.

They all sure make life interesting around here.

 

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Some visitors came in my den tonight.


Not really visitors, just a bunch of moochers looking for handouts when they heard me eating a snack. You know they all can recognize the sound made by every kind of food wrapper.
It's kind of hard to resist them when they gang up on you like this. Just for the record they are not starving so don't fall for that look on their faces. Must be the camera angle. One more thing, Bessie seems to be slouching. If she was sitting up straight she would be almost as tall as Ruff and Axl.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Lets play a game, King of the hill or Queen of the chair.


I took some new pictures this morning and when I uploaded them into the computer I discovered another batch that I took the other day that was still in the camera. So this will be two posts in one.

As Bessie has gotten bigger she has become more demanding. Poor Ruff, he doesn't even know what he helped create with all of his play school combat with the little puppy. Now it seems that nothing is safe any more, not even his favorite chair.

So in just four pictures we see the mighty Rottweiler being forced from his resting place by an upstart would-be Queen.
And do you know what, it was all a game because less than a minute later Bessie got down off the chair. She didn't really want it, she just wanted to take it from Ruffin.

So this morning after my wife had her breakfast I happened to notice something that made me do a double take. Bessie and Ruff were laying side by side on the floor in front of the stove and it was hard to tell them apart. Bessie has officially reached the 75 LB mark and today is her 7-month birthday and Ruffin is still 50 LB bigger than she is but take a look at this.
Bessie is in the foreground and Ruff is in the back. Granted, the wide-angle lens adds a little distortion but you can see by the floor tiles there isn't much difference in size. Oh, and Bessie loves her big friend Ruff.
I think Ruffin is beginning to wonder just how big Bessie is going to get. He is still 50 lbs heavier but she is almost the same size as him.