ASSISTANCE/SERVICE - OTCH MACH Rock ‘N Annie UDX
Owner: Donna Rock
Annie was born on April 2, 2000 in a small house outside of Baton Rouge, LA. At twelve weeks old she appeared to be “average”. She was a nice puppy, smallest in the litter, nothing wrong with her, but nothing special either. I was allowed to choose between her and another red female. I did not have a clue on how to pick a puppy. I didn’t “test” her temperament, I didn’t “evaluate” her structure, I didn’t look at her bite. I picked her because she didn’t have “bumps”. (The other puppy had gotten into an ant pile and had ant bites all over her) Annie did not have “bumps”, it was as simple as that.
Almost immediately Annie and I joined a puppy class and after seven weeks graduated with the rest of the puppies. It could have ended there, but Julie Hill, the instructor, recognized something in us (it might have been dollar signs, I’m not sure) and invited us to participate in her Wednesday night competition obedience class. The competition class was different than the puppy class, there is no graduation, it never ends! We were hooked!
January, 2004 Annie officially became a service dog. I put my personal belongings in a backpack, placed the backpack on her back, clipped my car keys to her leash, and off to work we went. Annie is the first service dog to work in my USDA Office in New Orleans, LA. Her job is to carry my things via a backpack to and from the building and occasionally to and from meetings. Most recently we have been going to schools and speaking with children on what it’s like to be “different”, since I was born without arms. Annie is a huge asset during these engagements as she helps grab their attention the minute we enter the classroom.
As a service dog, we’ve had our ups and downs. Our first day in the office she barked and growled twice, but who could blame her for that? A young man came around a corner, saw Annie , screamed bloody murder and ran. He must have missed the All Employee Memo that was sent out introducing her!
Annie is the first dog I have ever trained, and from the beginning, we were hooked! My competitive spirit combined with Annie’s enthusiasm (along with a lot of hard work!) has resulted in our achieving DPCA Top Twenty status in both obedience and agility. She recently got her OTCH, which makes her only the second Doberman in the history of the breed to have both titles…..OTCH and MACH.
In my office, the majority of the people absolutely LOVE her! Many have told me, some repeatedly, that they can’t help but smile when they see us in the hallway and she brightens their day. Annie has given everyone a new appreciation for Service Dogs, Disabled People, and Dobermans.
I wish I could pinpoint the exact moment that Annie became special, but I can’t. Just maybe, that small, average puppy I chose because she didn’t have “bumps” was special all along.
You can click on a Service Award category below to read the winner's story:
Search & Rescue · Therapy Dogs · Assistance/Service Dogs · Everyday Hero · Public Safety/Service · Accomplishment by a Rescue Doberman