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The Rock Star.
His gorgeous headpiece, commanding presence, engaging personality, and predictable temperament made him THE social favorite.
Rock earned the recognition of an AKC Canine Good Citizen Certificate prior to any formal obedience training.
Additionally, he passed the Working Aptitude Evaluation on the first attempt, again, without exposure or preparation at all.
Rock was a CKC Best of Breed Winner - at his very first show - at just 6 months of age.
He was a multi Best of Breed / Best Puppy in Breed / Group placing Canadian Champion ... and was AKC pointed in limited showing.
He brought about many a smile and better day for those he knew ... and provided therapeutic visits at retirement centers & nursing homes.
Rock was an honorable ambassador of the breed, educating the young public & their families, at schools and public events,
about Dobermans and the overall responsibilities of proper canine pet care, socialization, and training ...
... not to mention exhibiting THE BEST of Doberman temperament & behavior.

January 18, 2004 ~ February 1, 2008

I will be forever grateful to our friend & Rock's breeder, Tammy Markey, for placing this dog in my life.
I went to her hoping to find a nice black bitch ... and I ended up with this wonderful red dog.
Go figure :)

Rock was my best friend.
He was ever integral; consistently trustworthy; respectful in every setting; always forgiving; a constant & compassionate support.
I am amazingly proud of Rock - who he was, and the goodness he gave to me and to so many.
How fun it was to watch him try ANYTHING; to have no regrets; to explore anything - anywhere - anytime.
I am eternally grateful for Rock's imprinting on my puppies ... they will all grow to be EXTRA special because of it.
Rock was my soul dog ... he would lean as if to hug, he never failed to make me laugh, and he always brought me peace.
The world was a better place when Rock was in it.

"Rock ~ my gentle giant .. my snuggle buddy ~ what could I have ever done to deserve the wonderous gift that was you??
May God give you wonderful grassy space to run, lots of bright yellow tennis balls, and an eternity of playtime with your best friend, Piper.
All who knew you loved you ... especially me ... I will never forget you."

Pat & Ivan, Tammy & Rock, Nina & Josie, Suzanne & Chico, Gina & Tyson

Rock and Cathy Ceely ~ their first show together (left) where Rock went reserve Winners Dog to a 4 pt Major.
And, (right), Rock & Cathy together at one of their last shows, where Rock went Winners Dog & Best of Opposite for 2 pts.
Cathy trained and showed Rock beautifully
Rock did not particularly like the show ring ... but he would do ANYTHING for Cathy - he truly had a "crush" on her.
We are gratetful to Cathy for the time, affection, and friendship she gave to Rock.

Rock had food allergies which we joyfully resolved with diet change ~ he struggled/suffered eating high grade kibble but thrived on the BARF/raw & fresh foods diet.
Other than that, he had always been the epitome of health ... of positive spirit; conditioning regularly; monitoring through regular testing; practicing preventative wellness care.
Late Spring 2007 ~ Rock went through the rigors of the annual check up ~ labs, blood work, Holter monitor, echo cardiogram ... all completely unremarkable ~ clear of issues.
Unfortunately, his health status began to change without much notice.
August 2007, at the PSDPC Specialty show, I noticed Rock seemed to be strangely unanimated - unusual for Rock - and was not at all enjoying his time with his favorite handler, Cathy Ceely.
That same night, and then for the next couple days, he refused to eat; his hair began to thin quickly and his eyes looked just "not right".
I took him to the vet who thought it may possibly be thyroid issues ... again we drew a full set of labs, and ran another Holter.
His thyroid was unremarkable, but the other lab results were daunting; and while the Holter Monitor was clear - as it was a few months prior - his cardiac enzymes were very concerning.
After additional re-testing, we found that Rock's liver function had plummeted, and his kidneys were in failure ... amongst other things.
We did what we thought wass best for Rock - medicated him for quality and comfort.
We knew the result was inevitable, so we told Rock he could do anything he wanted to do ... but, Rock, being who he was ...
... remained stoic, confident, caring, humble, and still the protector ... caring more about us than himself.
December 2007 - Developed Congestive Heart Failure. Liver enzymes continued remained elevated.
January 2008 - Official diagnosis of a Cirrhotic Liver; Renal Failure; and had then suffered at least one CVA (stroke).
I prayed that Rock could have just one great day - free from illness and struggle ... but, it did not come ...
... until the day he told me it was time to say goodbye.
Rock was laid to rest on February 1, 2008.
A part of my soul died with him that day.
Official Cause of death - Multi System Organ Failure.

Health testing is vitally important to the beloved Doberman breed - whether your dog is to be bred or not!
But, remember that a health test is only a diagnostic tool; understand that each test is only a descriptor of the actual day the test was administered;
and know that a good test result is NEVER a guarantee of future health.