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The Cool Dude Story
Tribute to A Dog's Amazing Intuition and Loyalty and some History behind the Australian Cobberdog
Tragedy Strikes
In 2003, Wayne in Melbourne Australia, contacted Rutlands with the tragic news that his lovely young wife Lisa, was suffering from a rare, incurable and debilitating condition. He told me that no one could tell him how much longer she would have, with her husband and two teenage daughters. 'Rutlands Chloe', had been purchased as a puppy from Rutlands three years earlier. She was a much loved pet, but typical of the Australian Labradoodles of that time, she was big, hyperactive and too boisterous to continue living inside the house, due to Lisa's frail condition.
Lisa was well known and loved across Australia due to her blog Chloe's World - the first site of its kind on the internet, and the sad news shattered all who knew her from her forum and website. Chloe's World and the Rutland Manor Chit Chat were flooded with messages of sympathy and support for many months when the tragic news was shared. Wayne asked me if we had an adult dog available who would be a gentle enough companion for Lisa, because she was missing the interaction she had previously with Chloe. I asked Wayne to describe the effects Lisa's medical condition had on her and when he explained these to me, I realized that it was going to be a challenge to select the most ideal dog for his wife. I didn't share my concerns with Wayne, but only told him that I would give it some serious thought and get back to him as soon as I could. After we hung up, I got out paper and pen and made a reference list from what Wayne had said. It went like this: A Tall Order ► A big dog who would be Lisa's constant companion night and day, and never leave her side ► A gentle and calm natured dog who wouldn’t bump her, jump on her, nor pull on the leash, but with the confidence to cope with Lisa's increasingly frequent episodes of violent and unpredictable behavior ► A dog with an affectionate loving nature, but who was more giving than needy ► A quiet dog who won’t bark without reason, and mustn’t be excitable like Chloe. I pondered. This family was drenched in shock and grief. A dog too sensitive in its nature would stress inwardly as it absorbed the constant intensity of emotion around it, and this would inevitably end up with a dog plagued with behavioral issues.
Yet a dog not sensitive enough, would not be the intuitive companion Lisa needed. I Prayed. As I prayed about the situation the name ‘Dude’ came to me time after time. But Dude was still a young dog, I needed him to breed with and selfishly I pushed the idea away. Later I would learn that I could have had his semen collected and frozen but I didn't know that yet. I agonized over the decision, but I didn’t have much time. Wayne had said that we needed to move quickly because Lisa may not be able to travel by car for much longer. I called Wayne the next day before I had a chance to change my mind and told him we had the perfect dog and he should bring Lisa to meet him as soon as possible. I decided not to neuter Dude until I saw how the meeting went.
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Over the next two years, Wayne kept in close contact and relayed many heart - stirring stories of Dude’s faithfulness to his self imposed duty of Lisa's soul mate and protector. He never left her side other than for supervised exercise and potty breaks. One of the most memorable stories was about the day when Lisa had an episode inside the house while Dude was outside in the yard for some time out. He trotted up and down for a few minutes in agitation , and then unhesitatingly launched himself through a plate glass door, and ran whimpering to her side where as always his close presence calmed her.
Lisa spent her last few weeks in a major Melbourne hospital, where Wayne visited her daily. She was weak and often incoherent, restless and unhappy. She communicated to Wayne that she needed to see Dude. Australian hospitals were/are far behind the times as far as dog visitations go, but Wayne managed to get special permission to take Dude into the hospital to see his dying mistress. Wayne told me that he and Dude took the lift up to Lisa's floor. As the lift doors opened, Dude jerked the leash out of Wayne's hands and raced off along a corridor with his leash flapping around his legs and tripping him up as he skidded on the polished floor. Dude had never been in the hospital before but he ran unerringly down several corridors and straight into Lisa’s room, where he put his front paws up onto the bed, and placed his head against her chest, just as he had done on that first day two years before. He kissed her cheeks, with his tail gently wagging. Wayne said that as Lisa wrapped her arms around Dude's big curly body her drawn face was lit up by the first smile anyone had seen for many days. the two of them, loyal dog and his ailing young mistress stayed like that for quite a while and Lisa looked at peace at last. The following day she passed away. How did he know where to find her in that huge multi story building? Only a dog could say.
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Not long after, Wayne came home from work to find that Dude had disappeared from the back yard. He searched and posted on the chat forums, but Dude was never found again. Was he stolen? Did he set out on a journey to try and find his beloved mistress? We will probably never know.
Rutlands Magnum
Sire of Rutlands Kelby 
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Later that same year, Wayne called me with more tragic news. One of his two daughters had been diagnosed with the same illness that killed their mother. Kaylinda, who had so recently lost her mother, would now go through the same heartbreak all over again and lose her sister as well. Dude had never been recovered, and Kaylinda badly needed a canine soul mate. Did we have another wonderful adult dog to be her friend?
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Rutlands Magnum was born in 2001 and was approaching the height of his stud career just as Dude before him when Wayne called me again but this time I didn't hesitate. I knew what I had to do. At the time, I was raising a young Magnum son, 'Rutlands Kelby'. So Magnum was de-sexed and given to Wayne, where as at August 2006 he was the devoted friend and comforter of Kaylinda, kissing away the salt tears that flowed.
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I lost contact with Wayne and Kaylinda not long after that. Perhaps they moved away, and needed a fresh start far from painful memories.
I think of them at times and wonder what became of them. I hope they have peace and that tragedy is for them a thing of the past. In January 2010 I sent Rutlands Kelby and his son Rutlands WH Kelbys Pride with 20 young Rutlands breeding dogs, to Twyla and Mike Pyles, trusted friends in Texas, to protect my dogs from the threats of extreme animal activists. I followed them in May. We had a legal contract in which I would supply 22 breeding dogs free of charge, teach the Pyles how to breed with them, share the net proceeds and in 6 years' time sign over to them any puppies they wanted to keep for themselves along the way. Their breeding program was registered as RUTLANDS LEGACY. Immediately after I paid them their first big cheque they demanded I sign every dog over to them right away. I refused, and was removed from their property, forced to leave my dogs behind. Helped by their close friend Kate Pappas (California) my dogs were ransomed for a huge amount of money that I could not afford to pay. Also my visa was set to expire leaving me no time to claim my dogs. The Pyles published that it was a "rescue" (from Australia to the USA when I paid the $34,000 in export flight costs?) I have been told that most of my dogs were sold off to breeders under different names and identities, but Like Dude, I may never know what has happened to them and I will always feel sad over the lack of closure. |
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This photo was posted soon after my arrival back home in Australia. It celebrated the announcement that a new breeding partnership had been formed between Tamaruke in Australia and my prior trusted friends in Texas and California USA. The alliance broke down after 12 months.
Twyla and Mike Pyles' pets operation in Texas. The above was posted in Feb 2019 so the grand theft has continued to be called a rescue.
RUTLANDS KELBY, SON OF RUTLANDS MAGNUM
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