This breeding was sooo important to me...as Zina is a litter-sister, to my first Male Rottweiler, Braxx.  I first saw Zina when she was 6-months old...an absolutely perfect, small Rottweiler bitch.  There were 8 females, and 3 males in Zina's litter...and Zina had been placed as a showdog.  Zina, although a very small, 22-inch bitch, she was otherwise, was perfect in all aspects...her movement, type, pigment and topline were phenomenol.  Added to this equation, was the fact, that Zina was linebred...a result of a cousin-to-cousin breeding, and IMO, the perfect basis of breed type and pedigree to start off with.

After contacting ALL three stud dog owners, only 2 returned my calls, and that led me to Ferro...Donnie's daddy.  The breeding was a perfect blend of Dutch, German and American show/working bloodlines.

After 2 trips to the US, Zina finally was pregnant! 
I am very good at feeling puppies in utero, and can accurately guestimate the number of puppies expected, and I could definately feel 4.  Yeah right!  I did NOT expect Donnie and his litterbrother, Conan, to be so large!  The 4-puppies that I thought I could feel, was in fact...2 MASSIVE puppies.  With puppies that large, and with Zina being a smaller bitch....BOTH boys were stuck...with Donnie, being the most difficult of the two.  Donnie had trouble breathing, once born, and I was so worried about him, that for 3-days straight, I slept beside the whelping box, on the floor.

Once the time came for the puppies to go to their new homes, I of course, HAD to keep a puppy, and of COURSE, that puppy, was Donnie.

Donnie, 6-weeks old (ABOVE and BELOW)

Once the time came for the puppies to go to their new homes, we kept both...Donnie was to stay behind, and his larger brother, sent to his new home, on a co-ownership.

Donnie was the PERFECT PUPPY.  He had such clean lines, and could walk into a perfect stack, AND he was a bit talkative/growly...so he stayed with me.
It's hilarious, but anyone who KNOWS Donnie, knows what his fascination with the Television is like...Donnie first spotted the TV at the age of 6-weeks old, stood his ground and "GRRRRR'ed"  at it.  :)

Donnie started his show career off with a bang, Most Promising Puppy Dog at the OVRC Sieger Show (38-puppies entered! - BELOW), to  (Winners Dog from the 6-9 class), and finished at the age of 10-months old, by going Best of Breed over Specials'.  VERY COOL!

Donnie, at 2-years old (©Mark Raycroft)

Donnie, at 2-years old (©Mark Raycroft)

Donnie, at 2-years old (©Mark Raycroft)

Donnie, at 2-years old (©Mark Raycroft)

Donnie, at 2-years old (©Mark Raycroft)

BELOW

Donnie {10-months} (LEFT) and his dam, Rozina {4-years old} (RIGHT)