In March of 1997, I brought a little German Shepherd puppy home and named him "Rowdy."  He truly lived up to his name, tearing plants out of the ground, running the older dogs ragged, and most of all, absolutely refusing to be confined--in a crate, in a pen, in anything that separated him from the action. We should have known then that this dog was going to be smarter than we'd ever be.
There are so many stories I could
tell about Rowdy, I wouldn't know
where to begin. There was the time
he carried a bale of hay, flake by flake,
through the dog door and spread it
all through the house--neatly--like Mom
had done in the back pen.
Or the times Rowdy would cry "Mama," egged on by his fans as his mom walked the agility course.
Rowds would turn flips for a tennis ball. His favorite trick was catching mom doing yardwork and dropping the ball in the holes being dug so she'd have to throw it out. This is what I remember from the day before he died.
He loved sticks,  but only if they were tree-sized, so he could "accidentally" whack the other dogs with it as he ran.
Life with Rowdy was sometimes frustrating, often entertaining, but never dull.
He decided early on that his mission in life was to watch his mom, because heaven only knew what trouble she'd get into without him. He took this job very seriously, never letting me leave a room without him.
With an audience, he was an awesome obedience dog. Without one, he could pretend he'd never learned any of that "stuff.  In agility, he generally either won a blue or NQ'd. There was never any middle ground with His Rowdiness.
Rowdy retired from agility at the GSD Nationals in 2005. As always, he went out with a bang, winning two first places in Agility and one in Rally, bringing home 3 shiny silver bowls and beautiful ribbons. Rowdy was also a therapy dog, extending his guardianship to others as well. One of his most notable achievements was a private therapy case we took on in 1999. This therapy is described here: Rowdy for those who have not heard the story. In June of this year, Carol nominated Rowdy for the AKC ACE award for Therapy. (click to read nomination) Yet, most of all, Rowdy was my heart, my soul, and my strength. He was a German Shepherd ambassador for everyone who met him, but for me, he was simply The Rowdster, my clown, my protector,and my best friend.

I lost Rowdy on July 6th, 2007 to what was evidently a rapid and virulent cancer. Rowdy left life the way he would have wanted to, playing ball and bossing the other dogs until the last. He left life the way he lived it, with nobility and love.
Life is so empty without him.

Our friend, Jill, offered this
benediction:
"Travel on Rowdy,
your tunnels are lit with stardust
and your weaves are the feathers of angel's wings."

 

I'm sure Rowds is pretty busy now, taking over Heaven. But hopefully, he'll come back to visit soon.
His mom still needs him as much as she ever did.