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He's Top Dog? All Rotty, Then!

Tribune photo by JULIE BUSCH

Eve and Manson Johnson show off their prize rottweiler Djuke, who won Best in Show for the International Federation of Rottweilers at a show in Argentina.

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By KEITH MORELLI

kmorelli@tampatrib.com

Published: October 25, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Djuke vom Vilstaler Land lounges in his parlor, half submerged in the indoor pool. He digs for something unseen and ducks his basketball-size, black and tan head under the surface. Water swells and breaches the rim.

He rises, water and drool streaming from his maw. He's panting and it looks like a smile. Life couldn't be better for the 6-year-old Rottweiler who has risen to be the best in the world.

Djuke, all 117 pounds of toned muscle, is just getting over the jet lag of a flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina, over the weekend. There, he strutted, ran, sat still and stared, raking in the top three prizes in a contest among more than 300 Rottweilers.

The show was sponsored by the Argentina Rottweiler Club and the International Federation of Rottweilers and included purebred dogs from around the world, including Germany, where the breed originated and where Djuke's (pronounced Duke) great-great-grandfather was from.

It wasn't his first brush with fame. Around the office and home of Eve and Manson Johnson on U.S. 41, just north of State Road 54, are stacks of trophies, ribbons, medals and photos. Scores of medals are draped over doorknobs and framed plaques.

"All this is since 1993," Eve Johnson says. "Everything before that was burned in the fire."

The fire nearly killed the Johnsons and destroyed their home. It was a Rottweiler that dragged Manson Johnson out of the house, and he was in the hospital for weeks. The dog, Janny, died a short time later.

Now Djuke, who wolfs down more than 2 pounds of steak a day, is the favored dog among some 15 prize Rottweilers, not including all the puppies under a year old, on the property.

The breeders closely monitor the bloodline. To be bred with this bloodline, a suitor must present records of generations past to prove its worth. It also must be certified by a veterinarian to be in perfect physical health.

The breeding has paid off with a superior animal that is healthy, possesses the temperament of a saint and, on average, lives longer than your normal Rottweiler.

Most Rottys live at most nine years. Rottys in this bloodline average more than 13 years. A recent family favorite, Champ, lived past 15 and won a show just weeks before he died, Manson Johnson says, and was named best of breed at the 1997 Westminster Kennel Club dog show.

All the dogs here are kept in clean conditions and are treated with great care. After all, they are worth a pretty penny and some are sold to celebrities and sports stars. There is a waiting list of almost two years, and that's only if the buyer passes muster. Buyers plunk down a $500 deposit when they submit their request for a pup. A puppy ranges between $2,000 and $4,500.

The buyer is under contract to send photos of the dog every six months so the Johnsons can assess whether the dog is being treated well. If not, they can take the dog back.

The breeding business, named Von Evman Rottweilers, is a hobby for the Johnsons, who have been married 25 years. Their day job is running Eve's Gardens, a gift shop and nursery on U.S. 41 that specializes in Bonsai trees.

Having a top dog is gratifying for the Johnsons, who have been perfecting the bloodline for almost three decades.

"If this is our legacy in life," Manson Johnson says, "I guess this is a good life."

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760.

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