Santo Von Evman, CDX, BH, TT
April 3, 1991- January 16, 1998
Santo Saves the Day
One day while at Schutzhund training, one of our club members, a senior vet student at the
University of Tennessee, was standing next to a few of us and telling of his concern for the
upcoming annual Open House that the vet school sponsored. The Open House was that afternoon. He
was in charge of dog training demonstrations. He had secured several basic obedience
volunteers. He also had one of our schutzhund dogs doing a protection routine. He had scheduled
an advanced obediene routine but the person had just cancelled on him at the last minute. He was now
desperately looking for someone to replace them. He was very upset he could not find someone
to demonstarte this important level of obedience. Upon hearing this urgent request for help,
I said “I will come and bring my Santo”. He is a CDX. He can do the jumps and dumbell.
Since the demonstration started in less than two hours, I rushed home to change and load up my
equipment and Santo. As I drove onto the grounds it suddenly hit me what I had done. I had
volunteered to do an advanced demonstration with a retired dog I had not worked much in over
a year. As I drove onto the grounds and saw the crowd, my heart began to pound. I realized that
in my desire to be the saving heroine, I could embarass everyone. There must have been a
thousand people sitting in the bleachers. As I parked the car, I was immediately summoned by
those helping that we were about to start. I saw a man putting my jump out in front of the crowd.
My anxiety was at an all time high and I was very nervous. I then heard the loud speaker
introduce “Anne with her Santo”. The MC was then telling the crowd a little about me and Santo
while we stood out in the arena for all to see. So far all the crowd had seen was some heeling,
sits, and downs and now we were supposed to do something more exciting. Everything grew silent.
With shaking hands, I leaned down and patted my boy and said, “Help me out here Santo.....please”.
I knew he had not done the jumps in ages. With that I faced the jump with Santo, tossed the
dumbell over the jump and yelled, “Santo, take it”. Santo darted out from my side, tucked up
his legs, leaped higher than ever before over the jump, raced to the dumbell, grabbed it with
with teeth clinched tightly in one snap. He then spun around and immediately shot back to
the jump and with another smooth tuck up of his legs, flew like a bird back over it. He came
to a screaching halt in front of me with the dumbell resting on my tummy. The crowd went
wild...everyone was clapping and yelling, “Go Santo, encore, encore!” At that special moment
my buddy and I were one. He never let me down because a true working dog has heart.
Anne Yatteau
Ron
and Anne wish to thank all the kind and generous contributors to the
Rottweiler Quarterly (stud edition, 1998) memorial for their Santo:
Grace Acosta, Acosta
Rottweilers |
|
Marvin & Teresa Arthur and Kali,
Country Ridge Rottweilers |
Nicolette & Jay Jensen,
Spotlight's Rottweilers |
J.D. Lee & Patrice Bell-Lee,
Anwait Rottweilers |
Russel & Lisa McNeil,
Delviento Rottweilers |
Mike & Mimi Prisco, Long Island, New York |
| Richard J. and Linda Romanowski, Orion, Illinois |
David & Sandra Singleton,
Terrahaus Rottweilers |
| Diana Stein & Bob Manfuso, Rockville, MD |
Delia Lopez, Lopezhaus Rottweilers |
| Manson and Evie Johnson |