Photo courtesy Amy Gibel

THIS IS RUDY!!!  THERE ARE NO WORDS TO ACCURATELY DESCRIBE RUDY!!!.  TYPING RUDY'S STORY IN UPPER CASE LETTERS, AND ADDING EXCLAMATION MARKS AFTER HIS NAME IS THE BEST WAY I CAN PORTRAY RUDY!!! TO YOU.  ONE WOULD HAVE TO MEET HIM IN PERSON TO UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE COMPLETE "RUDY!!! EXPERIENCE".  RUDY!!! IS MY SPECIAL BOY.  HE WOULD BE THE ONE TO RUN THROUGH A RIVER OF FIRE IN ORDER TO DO AS I ASK, AND HE WOULD HAVE DONE IT BEFORE I ASKED HIM. 

RUDY!!! WAS MY SECOND BORDER COLLIE, AND IT DIDN'T TAKE ME LONG TO REALIZE THAT IF HE HAD BEEN MY FIRST, THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE.  I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT ALL BORDER COLLIES AND THEIR PEOPLE WERE NUTS!

RUDY!!! WAS VERY REACTIVE TO SIGHTS AND SOUNDS.  ANY LITTLE DISTURBANCE PUT HIM INTO OVERDRIVE AND HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO ADJUST HIMSELF.  HE WOULD LOSE CONTROL OF HIMSELF AND REACT WILDLY BY WHINING AND BARKING, PANTING, PACING, AND RUNNING IN CIRCLES.  WHEN HE REACTED, HE LOST HIS ABILITY TO THINK, AND SOMETIMES PUT HIMSELF IN DANGER.  DOG SHOWS WERE THE WORST PLACES TO TAKE HIM BECAUSE OF ALL THE ACTIVITY GOING ON THAT HE HAD NO CONTROL OVER.

I STUCK IT OUT LONG ENOUGH TO PUT A CDX IN BOTH AKC AND UKC ON HIM, THEN RETIRED HIM.  I PICKED LOW-KEY SHOWS, AND IT TOOK US 7 YEARS TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT NORMALLY WOULD HAVE TAKEN UNDER A YEAR.  I TRIED AGILITY WITH HIM, BUT THE SAME SCENARIO WAS DEVELOPING; HE WOULD LOSE HIS ABILITY TO THINK, AND WOULD CRASH INTO OBSTACLES.  LET ME TELL YOU, THOUGH, WHILE IN THE OBEDIENCE RINGS, DURING THE RECALL OR RETRIEVING EXERCISES, IF YOU BLINKED, YOU WOULD HAVE MISSED SEEING HIM.  HE WAS KNOWN TO RIPPLE RING MATS, AND KNOCK DOWN RING GATES IN HIS EXHUBERANCE.  THERE WAS NEVER A DULL MOMENT WITH THAT BOY!  HE TAUGHT ME HUMILITY, AND PATIENCE, AND ALWAYS GAVE THE JUDGES AND SPECTATORS SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT! 

RUDY!!! IS A WONDERFUL DOG TO HAVE AT HOME.  HE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PUT ON ANY DRUGS, AND HE DOES NOT BOUNCE OFF THE WALLS.  HOME IS WHERE A MORE STABLE, PREDICTABLE ENVIRONMENT HELPS HIM STAY SAFE.  HE CAN HANDLE THAT, AND HE IS HAPPY.  HIS NICK-NAME IS ROOTIN' TOOTIN', OR JUST "TOOT" FOR SHORT.  WHEN HIS TIME COMES, IT WILL MOST LIKELY BE WHEN HE IS IN MID-FLIGHT, FOR THE ONLY TIME HIS FEET ARE ON THE GROUND IS WHEN HE'S TAKING OFF TO BE AIRBORNE AGAIN!  HIS CLAIM TO FAME IS THE ABILITY TO "DRIBBLE".  YES, I CAN DRIBBLE HIM JUST LIKE I CAN A BASKETBALL...AROUND MY BACK, THROUGH MY LEGS, LEFT-HAND, SWITCH TO RIGHTHAND, AND VICE-A-VERSA.

THAT'S MY TOOTERS, AND I LOVE HIM.

U-CDX KARUSEL RUDY, CDX, ASCA-CD
BORN JUNE 27, 1996

A rare picture of Rudy asleep

CYCLONE BORDER COLLIES © 2007