Dexster

In Memorium

The photograph above has become quite iconic and is recognised everywhere – it was taken by the journalists of the Springs Advertiser when they did an article on Dexster and his big win at the Meridian Rottweiler League Show.  It featured on my menu at my Coffee Shop at Die Melkkan and everywhere else that I could possibly display it – still one of my favourites – Photos are so important when you have something that you are passionate about!

The most common sentiment expressed at my house by people when they see Dexster is:

“Maar dis nou mos hoe ‘n Rottweiler moet lyk!!!!!”

Dexster – Craffenheim Dexster of De Liemers BA, V

Date of Birth: 11 July 2003
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I was lucky enough to acquire Dexster from Retha Crafford as a three year old male – he is a son of Boris, a Grand Victor winner, now sadly passed away. Dexster has achieved numerous V ratings in a Specialist Show ring and was also announced the winner of the males at the Meridian Show of 2008. Dexster is always popular with everybody that comes to the farm and has been nicknamed “The Poster Boy of Rottweilers”.

At the Meridian Grand Victor Show of 2010, Dexster’s son, Maverick won the Junior Grand Victor Title. At the same competition, four Dexter Grandsons and two Granddaughters competed in the Puppy and Junior Class – the Male Puppy Class was won by a Dexter Daughter’s puppy to Bond.

This puppy was sired by Mr Bond and is called Tyson…you can check him out on his own page on this website!
Dexter was presented in the Veteran Class at the Meridian Rottweiler League show of 2011 – Andries Botes of Von Bulgari Rottweilers very kindly took him around the ring – to spontaneous applause. The German Judge, Herr Helmut Weiler was most complimentary on Dexster’s construction and condition and his even temperament – you may read the critique which is attached. I was, once again, most proud to be his owner – especially when his puppy went on to win Reserve Best Puppy in Show the following day. I have been very lucky in my Rottweiler breeding career, to have had the honour and priveledge to have a dog such as this in my care – and to say nothing of the many excellent progeny that he has produced.

The photo above was taken on a walk on the farm one day when the cosmos was flowering – if there is one thing I would have loved to change about Dexster, it would have been to have his tail back – how silly we were back in the day to dock our dogs – Difficult to imagine a more magnificent dog than Dexster – but can you imagine him with his tail!

In spite of appearing to be in excellent health, Dexster took ill and passed away on the 12th of September 2011, completely breaking my heart. After the autopsy was completed, it was discovered that he was not able to process the babesia due to his liver and lymph being very badly affected by cancer. He would most probably have started displaying symptoms pretty soon, so in some small way I am grateful that he was spared any unnecessary suffering.
It is always so difficult to find the right words at times like these, so I thought that I would like to add a quotation which has always been close to my heart:

From the closing scenes of Shakespeare’s Hamlet…just after Hamlet dies:

Horatio: “Now cracks a noble heart.

Good night, Sweet Prince;

And flights of Angels

Sing thee to thy rest!”

And NO!!  NO DOGS ALLOWED ON MY BED!,!  I insist on having crisp white linen and this helps a lot to enforce this rule…

However, on this day I stepped out of the shower and found Dexster lying on my bed – must be because he loved me so much hey!  I was about to scold him and chase him off when I decided that seeing as though the damage had already been done it would be like closing the stable door after the horse had bolted – and that a photograph would be the best plan – and I always knew that it would feature on my website one day!

Craffenheim Dexster of De Liemers Registration Certificate
Craffenheim Dexster of De Liemers HIP Displasia Certificate
Craffenheim Dexster of De Liemers Breed Assessment Certificate
Craffenheim Dexster of De Liemers Championship Certificate Meridian 2008
Craffenheim Dexster of De Liemers MRL 2007 Critique – Herr Uwe Petermann
Craffenheim Dexster of De Liemers Breed assessment report
Dexster Veteran Class MRL Critique

Working Dog Profile