A life well lived with dogs! That is a great way to describe Alexis Swadling who is the proud owner of Rocky, a huge and very adorable Rottweiler.
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Since childhood, dogs have played a major role in Alexis' life.
She remembers with great fondness her father and his two German Shepherds, who slept with him nightly, one on each side.
Her mother owned a Poodle and as a child, Alexis had a beautiful Collie named "Lassie".
She has also looked after Staffy, Afghan and Boxer breeds.
Rocky is the first "Rotty" she has owned, having never thought that she would share her home with such a large creature. But, they are a perfect match!
Rocky was the last pup remaining in the litter from a local breeder in Broulee.
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She and her son Craig decided to take him home, not surprising as he was unbelievably cute as a puppy.
When Craig left Narooma for work, Alexis secretly crossed her fingers that Rocky would stay with her, which he did.
He goes everywhere with her now, and they are deeply attached to one another.
Rocky especially loves touring around in the car, and is happy to wait patiently while Alexis slips into various shops, resting his head on one of the three headrests in the back seat and watching for her return.
Rocky was a bit of a reactive dog in his younger days. In other words, he reacted to other dogs in a noisy fashion, pulling on the lead and making it a challenge for Alexis to manage him.
She credits the change in his behaviour to the training they undertook at Narooma Dog Training Club (NDTC), where they both met new friends and gained confidence together.
Rocky is now five years old, and in Red Class, which is almost the top level of Obedience training available in Narooma.
A very capable handler/dog team they recently won first place in their class at Handler's Day - a great achievement to be celebrated. Also to be celebrated are Alexis' skills as an administrator.
She worked in this important role for Doctors and Medical Specialists in Sydney, before moving to Lake Conjola then in 1989 to Kent Farm Central Tilba, with her husband and two boys.
Many readers will recognise her name and face, as Alexis was Administrator at Narooma High School for twenty-seven years. All up she worked for the NSW Department of Education for more than thirty-six years, a fantastic contribution to what is a pivotal role in any school.
Alexis was a founder member of the Narooma Blue Water Dragons where she enjoyed this fabulous sport and paddled for 9 years.
Now retired from work, Alexis and Rocky continue to share car rides, walks, home time and of course, their Saturday training sessions.
If you think you and your dog would benefit from training at NDTC, please contact Carol on 0458 953 281. Booking is essential.
