Rottweileronline.net

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I write to tell you that Galiana vom Waldbach crossed the bridge on December 12, 2007. I know this is belated, but I couldn’t type it any earlier. Even now, I sit here with tears running down my face. I know it’s just a sign of our bond and our love for her. There is that special bond, the unconditional love, complete trust that can only come from our four legged friends. I just wish they could live our whole lives with us.

She was taken from us much too soon. Lia was only 6 ½ months old when she died. My husband came home from work and found her dead in her crate. At times, it still feels like a bad dream……….. a nightmare. Though she was part of our lives for only a few months, she made an impression that will last a lifetime . We chose the name Galiana, which means “supreme one” and she truly was in so many ways. We don’t know why God made her life was so short, but we do know that she brought us so much love and joy. Lia was the sunshine of our lives and her spirit will always be with us. We were truly blessed to be her mom and dad for a few months. She will be forever in our hearts and always in our thoughts.

For those of you that didn’t know her, I hope you enjoy reading on. You do not have to read this. This is just something I had to do for us and Lia.

Where do I start… I don’t even know how to begin. All I know is our hearts are aching horribly . Lia was such a sweet, wonderful and beautiful rottie. She was very full of drive and energy, which was what we wanted. She had truly captured my soul.

I want to thank Chuck and Cyn Wilson for helping to bring her into this world. Thank you for entrusting us with this little gal and allowing us to share her life with us . I remember telling them that the first role for us for a Rottweiler to fill was that of a great pet. Well, she overfilled that role! Her ratings and critiques from the show ring and her ease of training were just icing on an already wonderful cake. Though we’ll never know what she would have accomplished, the future sure did look very bright. However, she would never be used as a vehicle for our ego and would always be treated fairly and greatly respected. We have seen too many dogs pushed too hard and too far for no other reason than to inflate their owner’s ego and we would never put a dog of ours in that position.

We were grateful for the opportunities Lia gave us. She led me into the show ring and I had never been there before. We entered two shows and did well in both. At our first show, we received a P4 out of 8 entries. Her critique was great and I was just grateful that I didn’t fall down in the ring . I remember I was so nervous that I couldn’t recall anything that the judge said about her. Thank God that I got in it writing, LOL. She had just turned 4 months a few days before the show. It was the Bluegrass Working Rottweiler Club show held on September 29th & 30th, 2007.

Lia also received her CGC at that show. I had planned on getting her CGC, but not for a few months. I had read the requirements of the test, but I wanted to see the testing first. As I watched, I realized Lia had done most of the tasks and felt she could do just as well as the dogs being tested so I entered her. Lia passed with flying colors, even at her young age . During the supervised separation, the evaluator had to holler at kids to get out of the road so they wouldn’t get hit by an oncoming car and then as if that wasn’t enough, someone’s car alarm went off right next to the testing area !!! I stood there with a huge smile on my face (out of her sight of course) as Lia took it all in stride. Honestly though, it wasn’t a big surprise. We had taken her many, many different places and she had been exposed to various sights, sounds, smells and situations.

At her second show, she received a VP3 and a nice critique. I was less nervous and we had a great time. I remember getting her out of the truck and after pottying, she put her nose to the ground and started tracking something. I just got behind her and followed her. After a bit, it seemed she was following my path that I had walked to the building to get her registered . This gal loved to track and used her nose wherever we went.

I was going to take Lia to a puppy match this month, even though she would probably be the only Rott there with a tail since it was an AKC event. Rally classes were also on our schedule and I had also made a couple of contacts concerning herding. Her Schutzhund training and general training were going great!!! Lia had so much drive that training came easy. I was so looking forward to competing with her.

We miss her bringing toys to us for us to play with her . In the morning, it could be challenging at times to get my shoes on as she was pushing a toy at my hands. She would bring us toys while we were taking a bath. More than a few took a dunk !!! That is just one of the many things we loved about her.

Lia loved water. The horses probably don’t miss her getting into their trough or snapping at their muzzles as they tried to drink from their buckets. She made it very clear about 2 weeks after she arrived here that SHE drank first, not them. Quite a brave, confident little girl she was, much to their dismay .

The barn was one of her favorite places to be. As we cleaned stalls, she would bark and grab whatever tool we were using (plastic manure fork, rake, broom, shovel). Gosh, she had such a nice full grip!!! She’d bark at the tools if we weren’t using them too, begging them to move . Most of the time we would oblige her and start a game of play.

Lia loved to carry things. We were really glad when she decided that her water bowl didn’t need to be carried into the living room when it was full of water LOL!! Later, she would bring us to it when it was empty though, as if to tell us she needed a refill . I was amazed that on one of our walks in August, when she was around 3 months old, she carried an ear of corn for 0.4 of a mile . I know because I measured the distance with a vehicle’s odometer.

Lia loved to go places. She had been on escalators, glass & regular elevators, exposed to forklifts, earthmovers, gasoline engines, steam engines, antique threshing machines, livestock, golf carts, and ATV’s among many other things. Not only was it good for her, but I don’t know how many people I educated. Just because of seeing her, they struck up a conversation. I spoke to lots of people about so many things such as COE breeders, was a Rottweiler the breed for them, nutrition and dog food, importance of OFA, training, socialization, and about practices in Germany, etc. Had Lia not been by my side, it is unlikely those encounters would have occurred. Hopefully, the information I shared helped them as well as their dogs .

The cat misses their grooming sessions and playing tag with her. I miss her racing through the barn with the cat in hot pursuit . We loved to watch them play together.

I feel as if a part of me is gone. Lia was my soul mate. Though I have lost other pets, including dogs, loosing Lia has been the deepest cut I have felt and I can’t describe the pain . The house sure is much quieter with 4 less feet touching the floor. I could talk all day about her and not get it all said. The tears are flowing and our hearts are heavy. She will always be loved and never forgotten. She is not gone, but just gone ahead.

Cindy

Galiana vom Waldbach, 5-26-07 to 12-12-07

P.S. If you’ve read all of this, I commend you. Writing it has helped me get some closure and so has having an autopsy done.

Cindy, I am so sorry for your loss! I was shocked when Chuck told me Since I have her sister, I know from experience how great she was!

Rest in peace little one.....

Wow, how very touching. Cindy my heart goes out to you and your family. Losing a cheerished member of your family at such a young age has to be extremely difficult.

I am so sorry for your loss....God Speed Lia....

Oh that is so HEARTBREAKING.

I am so sorry for your loss.

Our dogs touch our hearts and leave an everlasting imprint there. I am so sorry for your loss, it doesnt matter if the dog is 8 weeks or 12 years it still hurts when they cross to the other side.

JOHN : (

Sorry to hear of your loss. It is heartbreaking

Cindy, so sorry to hear about the loss of Lia. Thank you for sharing some her story with us. She sounded like an awesome girl.

Fly with wings of angels Lia.

Very sorry to hear about your loss......

I am so sorry for your loss. Like Sharon said, having lived with one from this litter...I know how awesome she must have been. Hopefully you will be able to smile about all of the good memories one day soon.

Sleep Softly Galiana.

Do you know why the dog died at such a young age?

Cindy, I am so very sorry to read of your loss. It is a heartbreaker.

Condolences from the Pleiss family. If there is anything we can do, please let us know. We know how empty you are feeling. You will always remember the good times with your baby. Cheerish them, and know that she is waiting for you.

Sharon, shocked is exactly how I felt when my husband called me at work and told me. I can count on one hand how many times he has called me at work in over 10 years and it’s always been bad news . One of the first thing I said was “Who’s dead now?”. You see, we lost a horse the first week in November and then I lost an uncle about 3 weeks later . I sure was shocked when he answered with a tear-filled voice that it was Lia. Thank you for your condolences. I hope you enjoy Gunda’s company for many more years to come. Maybe I’ll see you at Nationals in May . I was planning on showing Lia there and though it will be hard not being there with her, I will most likely go anyway. It’s not that far for me to travel.

Mr. Classon, you hit the nail on the head with ‘a cherished member of (our) family.’ Lia was looked upon as no less . Though we have lost other ‘family members’, Lia’s death has affected us the most. Though I haven’t figured out why, (and I have thought about it), I think losing her in her youth has played a part . Thank you!

Mr. Lattanzi, what you wrote is so very true. The horse we lost was 33+ years old. He still had all of his teeth, was sound and in good health and weight. He colicked and needed surgery. At his age, we felt it was too risky and chose to euthanize him. Even though Lia was much, much younger, both of their deaths hurt . It truly doesn’t matter what age we lose them at. Thank you for your kind words.

Ms. Dubnansky, thank you for reading all of my looonnnnggg post . What I wrote came from my heart. I didn’t think it flowed very well, but I’m not a writer and didn’t know how to change it . Lia really was an awesome girl. Thanks.

Amanda, thankfully I can indeed smile when thinking about other animals we have lost. I’m sure it will happen with her. Thank you for your sympathy. Enjoy your time with Grip!!!!

Mr. Clark, autopsy results sometimes must be viewed as a means of knowing what didn’t cause death instead of what did . Lia did not die from viral or bacterial causes. No gross or histologic lesions were found. If you are wondering if SAS was present, it was not. Her heart was normal.
Purdue University’s ADDL performed the autopsy and I have really great confidence in the results. (Though I may be a bit biased since Purdue is one of my alma maters! ) I do strongly encourage everyone who loses an animal and would like to investigate the cause, to have an autopsy done. It wasn’t as expensive as we expected and we appreciated a complete autopsy. Most veterinarians aren’t able to perform all of the tests that a university can and the majority of their practice doesn’t consist of autopsies. I feel that the vet at the ADDL was more skilled at performing the autopsy than a regular vet that only does them occasionally. I wouldn’t want to spend my work day examining dead bodies , but I’m grateful there is someone that does.

Mrs. Mitchelmore, thank you! I appreciate your kind words, especially knowing that you lost a great friend recently. When you mentioned Mrs. Ang in your post about Logan, it brought back a funny moment. She judged the last show Lia and I entered. During the critique, Mrs. Ang moved the microphone away from her face toward Lia to get her attention. Well, that small amount of movement prompted Lia to rear up . A big smile spread across Mrs. Ang’s face and as I laughed, I said “It doesn’t take much to get her attention with all of the drive she has.” Her favorite toy was whichever one was moving at the time . I sincerely hope you’re doing okay in your time of loss.

Mrs. Pleiss, what a compassionate post!!! I sincerely appreciate your offer of help and your kind, thoughtful words . Believing that I’ll see her again one day does help me to smile.

Pjohnson, bilijo23, pross, redyreRotties, and everyone who posted, thank you. Reading your posts is helping me heal and gives me some peace. I truly appreciate your support more than you probably know .

Cindy

Mr. Clark, autopsy results sometimes must be viewed as a means of knowing what didn’t cause death instead of what did . Lia did not die from viral or bacterial causes. No gross or histologic lesions were found. If you are wondering if SAS was present, it was not. Her heart was normal.
Purdue University’s ADDL performed the autopsy and I have really great confidence in the results. (Though I may be a bit biased since Purdue is one of my alma maters! ) I do strongly encourage everyone who loses an animal and would like to investigate the cause, to have an autopsy done. It wasn’t as expensive as we expected and we appreciated a complete autopsy. Most veterinarians aren’t able to perform all of the tests that a university can and the majority of their practice doesn’t consist of autopsies. I feel that the vet at the ADDL was more skilled at performing the autopsy than a regular vet that only does them occasionally. I wouldn’t want to spend my work day examining dead bodies , but I’m grateful there is someone that does


mark clark response:
I think that for any owner of these dogs especially when one dies so young and you have littermates out their as well that its a responsibility to inform and to let the breeder know as well,notr saying at all that you are not or won't do this for i commend you for doing publicly what you are doing on the site.

Though i see you have ruled out one possible cause of death but it is very clear that a young dog that age should not just clearly pass away suddenly like that unless their was something physically or geneticly wrong would you not agree?

Mr. Clark wrote: "I think that for any owner of these dogs especially when one dies so young and you have littermates out their as well that its a responsibility to inform and to let the breeder know as well..."

Mr. Clark,
In my opinion, I think it would be best that any owner of any breed/kind of dog should contact the breeder if their dog passes, not just the owner of a Rottweiler or a young dog and whether or not siblings exist. I also feel that unless the cause of death is known, an autopsy should be done. I am stating my opinion, not a fact.
Please be assured that I have been in contact with Chuck and other crucial individuals. Matter of fact, he was one of the first people I called after receiving the call from my husband. It was one of the hardest tasks I have had to do. He knew immediately by the sound of my voice that something was terribly wrong.

Mr. Clark wrote: "Though i see you have ruled out one possible cause of death but it is very clear that a young dog that age should not just clearly pass away suddenly like that unless their was something physically or geneticly wrong would you not agree?"

More than one possible cause of death has been ruled out. No animal passes away without a cause, even if the death was sudden or if the animal was young.
I find your statement “…there was something physically or genetically wrong” a strong statement. I do not prefer the word “wrong” in this context. It can have an improper interpretation and the wrong connotation. There may or may not have been a physical or genetic link to her death. Let me make the statement again that autopsy results sometimes must be viewed as a means of knowing what didn’t cause death instead of what did. Unfortunately, technology is limited and this world doesn’t have the answers to everything.

I understand you might not agree with my choice of words,but clearly either way you word it a dog that young is not going to pass away by natural causes leaving only the possibility of something physically wrong which caused him to die [sundenly]or something genetic which caused it to die [sundenly] and yes you are correct that people with any breed dog should know what may cause this but here since this is a rottweiler site i narrowed my comment to just this breed so sorry about that.

Cindy, i'm really sorry for your loss. I met you and Galiana at Bluegrass show in September. She was a beutiful puppy!
Be strong!

This video was made by someone grieving their own rottweiler.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zylpz5zy7DU

Thoughts and prayers Found this on the net


I stood by your bed last night; I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying you found it hard to sleep.
I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
"It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."
I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea,
You were thinking of the many times your hands reached down to me.
I was with you at the shops today; your arms were getting sore.
I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.
I was with you at my grave today; you tend it with such care.
I want to reassure you, that I'm not lying there.
I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I gently put my paw on you; I smiled and said, "It's me."
You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.
It's possible for me to be near you every day.
To say to you with certainty, "I never went away."
You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew...
In the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.
The day is over...I smile and watch you yawning
And say, "Goodnight, God bless, I'll see you in the morning."
And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand, side by side.
I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out...then come home to be with me.


Author Unknown

Cindy,
You know this as I sent you a private post. My heart bleeds for you. I have only had my puppy for just 2 weeks and she already has a part of my heart.

We lost our friends about the same time. I still can't talk to anyone about my dog Logan without starting to cry. And I expect to see him everywhere, only he is not there anymore. His toys have a name (Logan's toy) as my dogs seem to pick *their* toys. I own 4 Rottweilers (3 are mine & 1 is my husbands). I have 5 kongs. Each dog for whatever reason just likes *their* toy. Even the puppy but hers is miny and has a string on it. I think the peanut butter and cookies inside probably developed this desire for that particular toy. I picked up Logan's kong from the back lawn today and put it away. The puppy is in his kennel. I still call her kennel "Logan's kennel" when talking to my husband. When our friends leave us, huge adjustment must be made in our lives. It sucks and it is hard. Our dogs give us their full unconditional love.

What a beautiful poem was posted. The words are so very true when lemons are handed us via life and we have to say goodbye to our friends.

For the record. Chuck Wilson is someone who I call friend. He is one of the most ethical people I have met, or will meet. He is someone who I call "good people". He just is great. He also happens to breed world class, quality dogs & is one of a handful of USRC registered kennels as the requirement to be such a kennel is so high and most people can't meet the standard. Chuck's kennel does. If anyone were looking for a puppy, one of the first people who I would recommend they contact if they were after a quality dog (show, work or pet) is Chuck. Dogs from his kennel both have BST (sire & dam). How many people on this board can equal him? Right.

I can count them on one hand breeders who meet the requirement Chuck does with his kennel. It would be a great thing (my opinion) if people were to follow Chuck's example and standard for the breed by only breeding dogs who both carry breed test titles.

Dogs are animals. A living being. Life is a gift. We need to appreciate that gift we have by the moment as we can lose the gift at any time.

Mark. I consider your comments to be unjustified and in extreme poor taste. Similar to Keith Jenkin's comments on the magazine thread. So you have a problem with Chuck. Go take it personal but get it off this thread as your comments just are not justified or appreciated. At least I don't like what you infer. It just is wrong.

Cindy, take care. I hope very much you will find another friend who will take another part of your heart.

Mark. I consider your comments to be unjustified and in extreme poor taste. Similar to Keith Jenkin's comments on the magazine thread. So you have a problem with Chuck. Go take it personal but get it off this thread as your comments just are not justified or appreciated. At least I don't like what you infer. It just is wrong.

mark clark response:
Jane one of the biggest problems usrc and rottweiler people in general have that has always hendered this breed is keeping secrets because of who has relationaships with who. I am more concerned about what is important of learning what happend what your concern is of how this will effect the breeding program of friends of yours which has always in lay the problem in this breed.I hear all the time people say its about the breed its about the breed which in fact that is a out right lie,its not about the breed but more about protecting ones own stake in the breed.I have no ill feeling against anyone jane i dropped that load off my shoulders a long time ago but if you need to think that by all means be my guest your reply does not change my view at all because regardless of who the breeder was i would posted the same exact thing and everyone who knows me and know what i am about would agree with that.

Mr. Garbasan,
Thank you for your compliment and condolences. I remember sitting in the shelter house with Lia and talking to you and your wife . I took a couple of pics of you and your male. They aren’t conformation shots. In one of them, I really like how the two of you are looking at one another. If you like, send me your email and I’ll send them to you.

Mrs. Pleiss,
Thank you for posting the link to the video. I watched it and it was very touching.

Mrs. Mitchelmore,
I feel there is so much truth to your post here and enjoyed reading it. I gained some comfort in your words . It doesn’t seem to take long for them to steal your heart. Though there is still a deep void in our lives, we are healing, slowly. Her presence is missed. Not training and socializing has been a big change for me. Those things were part of our daily routine. I’m glad you have other Rottweilers . Though we have 2 other dogs, we miss not having a Rottie. I hope BSL never goes to the point of not allowing us to have one. Our lives without one simply stinks !!!!!

Cindy,

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I lost my Bear last July 4, 2006. He was taken from us while we watched fireworks and enjoyed life. I barely remember going home to find him. I remember the police walking in and and out treating my house like a crime scene. I remember waiting for the autospy reports and the lack of sleep that it brought.

I remember telling my children (and the neighborhood children) that Bear was now walking with Jesus. So easy do they come in and catch our hearts ... how hard it is to let them go.

I ask you to not forget her .... I had people tell me "you'll get over it .... he was just a dog". What a fool they were. That dog was my protector, my heart and my soul. I couldn't believe how hard I cried and how my heart really did feel like it was broke in two.

I also remember calling Chuck to tell him how it hurt! Chuck is a great person and will help you to move on .... but to not forget! (ty Chuck).

Please let me know if you ever want to share memories.... I'm a phone call away or a PM away!

Tara

[img]Picture of Lia

[/img]

I thought I would share some photos of Lia.
[img]










[/img]