Happy Birthday Vinny!!
I wish you could stay by my side another 10 years.
You are the end of a VERY long list of rottwielers I've known.
You are with out a doubt the best one I ever had.
Sense 1985 I have owned, bread, boarded, welped, showed, trained, and rescued more rotties than I can even remember. I'm sure it's in the hundreds.
You have been my best one ever. But it goes beyond that. When we first got you I had a broken leg and you were 6 week old. I was off work with the leg. 911 had just happened around when you were born. My mother had just passed away and we were at the graveyard making funeral arrangements when everyone in the office disappeared. We got up and looked around to find everyone in the breakroom watching the towers fall. The funeral was a couple days after. You showed up in my life 6 weeks later. I really needed you then.
We went to a farm house here in Indiana to look for a new rott pup that AbodyBetty decided we needed to keep our aging brood female company.
When we got there I was looking at sire and dam to determine temperment. The mom was aloof and his dad was running around the yard playing with a big rubber farm bucket. Throwing it around and showing it off to everyone. The mother was very friendly and her and the father looked of german bloodlines.
Most of the litter had come over next to us and was milling around us. The owner told us the biggest had been sold already and was leaving later that day. There was 1 pup that was the second biggest by far compaired to the rest of the pups. He was every bit as big as the so called pick of litter. He was also the one too busy playing with a big muddy leaf by himself. I went over to look him over. He had a big muddy dog print on his forhead, right between the eyes. He was very fiesty when I went over to bother him and his leaf and we soon realized he didn't like being picked up under his front leg pits! Endless fun for months after.
Like I said I had a broken leg at the time and he just loved teasing me by getting something he shouldn't, bring it in to me to say, "see, look what I got suckka". I would say drop it and he would run away from me just far enough to make me run after him in on crutches! I swear i could hear him laughing at me while he was running from me! When he was that age he was too scared though to even jump off the 1 step from porch to yard. He would wait there untill I lifted him down. Then he would wait for me to lift him back up after he was done.
At about 10 weeks old he went on his first camping trip at a KOA in Louisville. It was snowing then and we were about the only campers there. He was so small he would stand up to lick the snow off the pick nic table seat and could barley reach it. It was only a few hours after that, he met the owners and soon was the only rottwieler still allowed in the KOA to this date. The next morning he was also the first dog to be invited into the store by the owner! Over the years everytime we would make reservations there, they would always be sure to remind us to bring Vinny with us. Was very quick to rmind us too that he was the only rottwieler not banned by their insurance policy!! LOL!!
The following years he was basically at celebrity status at many of the campgrounds we frequented. Alot of the same people would see him on the same yearly trips. He was the skateboarding dog. Everyone in the campgrounds was Vinny's best friends. He had to say hi to everyone there and everyone there had to say hi to him.
He was always a constant companion to our son. they both grew up together. When Clay got a new skateboard, Vinny would fight him over it out in the driveway untill finally he got one of his own. He went through about half a dozen scateboards the next few years untill he finally injured his rear hip. That eneded the skateboard for Vinny and today he is paying dearly for the sport he loved.
He has always loved anyone we invited in our circle but when younger was known to scare a few stray campers cutting through our campsite late at night. One time around 2AM in a Myrtle beach campground I heard him growl and lunge so hard I thought he was pulling the camper over. I open the door so fast, I saw a big dud backpeddleing so fast he lost his footing and fell. Vinny was almost on him when I yelled. He immediately was called "OFF" and came right to me and sat down in a heal.
I asked the guy waht the hell he thought he was doing sense I had blocked off out camp site with a rope, chairs, etc and he had to go over or around to get in our campsite, right on our patio next to our camper door to boot. He said he was just cutting through to get to the bath house. Yea right! Get the F out of here Vinny almost had your nuts for lunch!! But think about it, at the KOA in KY he would always let the owners walk up to him day and night and not a peep out of him. Something wasn't right with the crook in myrtle who was in our camp and Vinny knew that too.
You have always been the guy who thought it was OK to be game to wear stupid outfits too. You have been known to dress up for haloween and walk the campground with the family for trick or treat night at the campground. You were also known for no fear with weather, darkness, mean spirted strangers, etc. You love the water and was always ready for a swim. We loved the way you always tested water other than your drinking dish. You would dunk your whole head to the bottom to sse how deep before wading in! Waht a total clown! You were also strangely reserved enough to have your own pet cat too! You have been one strange dude man!!
You are a creature who has a bigger heart than body. One day you let some stray beagle into the yard and wouldn't let him leave. Thanks alot for that. So then there was Lex your life partner! LOL!!
Vinny, you have been the absolute best rottwieler, best dog, and best friend I have ever had. I know you can't be with me for another 10 years and your time is soon comming. You have already doddged the heart problems that take out rotties around 8 years. You have made it 2 years past that age barrier. Whatever time we have left together, however how many days, weeks, months or years we have left, I will try to make them your best. I love you very much, and there will never be another like you for me ever again. You see, I'm getting old too, and could never keep up with another like you. When your time comes just remember, I wont be too long behind you and I hope you wait for me too.
Well enough of that stuff. For now I just want you to have another happy birthday, :occasion:and hope you have many more with me.
Love you Vinny!!:love7:
Dad.
