The Art of Eternal moon

By Barbara Fawver

Romping in a partly wooded one-and-a-half-acre fenced yard, a pack of large, bearlike black dogs with short, docked tails are a sight of uncanny, breathtaking beauty. Walking with them is the unmistakable leader of the pack, Eternal Moon Rottweiler breeder Linda Draper.

"I find the natural pack instinct of this breed fascinating," says Linda, as she calls out to 13-year-old "Tolkien," the gray-muzzled elder, and 3 1/2-year-old "E.T.," an energetic youngster. "It takes years to understand the delicate balance of pack order. The social order is like a ladder. As long as each dog sits on a different rung, they all get along. Without a doubt, you have to be alpha."

Nuzzling and brushing up against one another, the Rottweilers move in a herd, running up and down a slope in the center of the yard. "My 'pack' began 18 years ago half out of naivety and half out of necessity," she says, referring to raising her first litter in her parents' home on a golf course in Virginia Beach, Va.

"Like raw beginners, we kept four pups — two males and two females — from our first litter due to not being able to part with our precious bundles," Linda continues. "The pups had a good start with lots of interaction with people and other dogs, and that began the pack with a nice, comfortable social order."

A move to North Carolina three years ago brought more room and a better setup for breeding Rottweilers, but little has changed about the way litters are raised. On this day, 3-week-old puppies from the "L" litter and their dam, "Ember," are the center of attention from the whelping box in the family room.

House dogs Tolkien, "Pumpkin," an 11-year-old female Rottweiler, and "Shocka," a 5-year-old Norwich Terrier, occasionally mosey over to check out the puppies. E.T., enjoying his rotation in the house, does one march around the box and then lies down on a cushy dog bed. Linda and her mother, Millie Draper, frequently pick up puppies, cuddling and talking to them. The central location introduces the puppies to household sounds.

"I want my dogs to be healthy not only physically but mentally," Linda says, picking up and gently stroking a puppy. "When I started, I wrongly believed that genetics did not play as important a role in temperament as raising, caring, socializing and training the Rott­weiler. I've learned it does start with genetics and then follows through with everything else to raise a mentally balanced, secure Rottweiler."

"Temperament to die for" is a phrase Linda often uses in describing her dogs. Prime examples of their easygoing ways: During the show careers of Tolkien and "Trinity," a bitch from a 2004 litter sired by Tolkien, the dogs doubled in the junior handling show ring led by 11-year-old Kelly Cunningham and 10-year-old Hannah Fournell-Ferral, respectively.

Tolkien, whelped from Linda's first litter in 1997, was her first show champion. "I was lucky from the start," she says.

BISS AM/CAN/UKC CH Eternal Moon Lord Of the Ring, CGC, TDI, TT, CS, CI, CGN, AM/CAN CD, RN, attained impressive Top 10 breed and all-breed rankings among breeder-owner-handled Rottweilers in 2000 and 2001 and was the only breeder-owner-handled Top 20 Rottweiler in 2001. Known for his smiling, a trait he passed on to his offspring, Tolkien has been called an "ambassador" of the American Rottweiler.

Tolkien began Linda's journey as the breeder-owner-handler of 12 champions finished from the Bred-By-Exhibitor (BBE) class. Eight champions that did not exclusively earn points in the BBE class make altogether 20 Eternal Moon owner-handled champions.

Tolkien has another important credit, one that will potentially help advance treatment of malignant cancers in people and dogs. Last fall, Tolkien became the 26th Rottweiler and fourth male to qualify for an aging and longevity study at the Gerald P. Murphy Cancer Foundation of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. When he turned 13 years old last Sep­tember, Tolkien joined the ranks of some of the longest-lived Rotties.

David J. Waters, D.V.M., Ph.D., the lead investigator, visited Tolkien at home to examine and observe the dog, the equivalent of a 100-year-old person. His goal is to learn more about the impact of environment, stress, socialization and daily living on Rottweilers that live longer.

In describing Tolkien for an article in the Colonial Rottweiler Club Newsletter, Waters said, "Descriptors like impressive specimen, perfect gentleman come to mind. He seemed to approve of my every poke, every prod as I conducted my thorough physical examination. … Most of all, I will remember Tolkien as my teacher."

Tolkien also has taught Linda a great deal about Rottweilers. "He has a heart of gold and is always willing to undertake any task I ask of him," she says. "Even before carting became a title to be earned, Tolkien was pulling my cart full of art and booth equipment into buildings."

A professional portrait artist, Linda often paints or exhibits her work, which includes beautiful dog portraits, after busy days showing her dogs. Memories of one dog show when Tolkien navigated the cart through a tight space stand out. As Linda recalls, "A lady peered out her RV window and said, 'Isn't that your Special and won't he be exhausted to show?'" I replied, 'Yes, he is, and no, he won't be too tired. He is a working dog who enjoys this."

One of Tolkien's male offspring, "Boyd" (Eternal Moon Exclusive Bear, CGC, RN, RE, RAE, CD, TT), is exceptional at obedience, having won High in Trials and Top Tens in the American Rottweiler Club. Though a reverse-scissor bite prevented Boyd from being shown in conformation, Linda kept him due to his loving temperament. "Like his sire, Boyd is one of those once-in-a-lifetime ambassadors of the breed," she says.

'Bigger Than a Breadbox' Linda wanted a dog that was "bigger than a breadbox" when she bought her first Rottweiler, a bitch named "Tara," in 1993 from Radio Ranch Rottweiler breeders Pam Crump-Brown and Carolyn Ferguson. Fond memories of the big, brown eyes, loving temperament and mentally strong characteristics of her high school boyfriend's pet Rottie led her to the breed.

"I wanted a buddy," she says. "I wanted a wash-and-wear dog you could wrap your arms around, one that you could put in a car and go somewhere."

Before Rottweilers, Linda, a self-described tomboy growing up, had show horses. She won many awards, including the International Buckskin Horse Association's World Champion All-Around Youth Award.

Since Linda started with horses, the muscular, 100-pound-plus build of the Rottweiler, defined by substantial bone and muscle mass balancing a compact frame and giving a powerful appearance, did not intimidate her. She recognized the "look" — that serious gaze from almond-shaped, dark brown eyes in which the Rottweiler sizes you up, taking you in — as a façade reflecting the breed's self-assured aloofness.

"The Rottweiler rationalizes and analyzes individual situations. This is a reasoning breed that responds with a wait-and-see attitude," she explains.

"I applied what I learned about horses to Tara," says Linda. "Tara had incredible coat. I brushed her in a circular motion as though I were currying a horse."

Though Tara (U-AGI Radio Ranch Eternal Notara) didn't finish in conformation, Linda put a Canine Good Citizen title on her. She also certified Tara as a therapy dog through Therapy Dog International, which allowed them to visit hospital patients and students at an alternative high school.

Tara became Linda's constant companion. When Tara was 2 ½ years old, Linda found the perfect sire for the bitch. CH Full Moon's As Good As It Gets, owned by John Patterson and Mike Rampmeyer, was the No. 2 Rottweiler in the country and top producer in the breed. Unsure whether they would allow a non-champion to be bred to their sire, Linda sent them a portfolio with photographs of Tara and a video of her performing agility.

"When I didn't hear from them for two weeks, I was on pins and needles," recalls Linda. "I finally called them. 'Oh, you're the artist, right? Sure, no problem,' they told me." Nine puppies were whelped in Tara's "A" litter. In choosing a kennel name to register the litter, Linda liked Eternal Moon because it was similar but more befitting for Rottweilers than Eternal Sun, the name of her favorite Quarter Horse sire. Since the sire's prefix was Full Moon, she checked with Patterson and Rampmeyer to be sure they were OK with her choice. They were. She also adopted an Eternal Moon kennel slogan: "Shoot for the moon and land among the stars."

The litter included Tolkien and "Raspberry" (AM/CAN CH Eternal Moon Cloak The Sun, CGC, TDI, TT), who was named for the color of her puppy collar. Raspberry became Eternal Moon's foundation bitch and the dam of the next two litters.

Tragically, Tara died from lymphosarcoma when her puppies were 8 months old. With four puppies from Tara's litter living in their home, the Drapers were busy. William Draper, Linda's father, had his favorite, "Sherman," a fat, square puppy who accompanied him everywhere.

When Raspberry whelped the "B" litter in 2000 from an outcross breeding, Linda kept a male and female puppy. Pumpkin, one of the current house dogs, was chosen for her "beautiful face, perfect earset, black eyes, good shoulders and forechest, and nice topline," Linda says. Her littermate, "Java," was selected for his "excellent topline and movement like silk mercury," she says. "No one could ever hear his feet hit the ground. He also has the eyes and temperament to melt any heart."

Linda's eye for good composition and balance has carried over to her Rottweiler breeding. "Not every dog I breed is perfect, but I strive to produce good structure and balance that I learned as a horsewoman and artist," she says. "The most important things to me are a straight topline, balance, temperament and health, though there are many other aspects that are important as well. I love a beautiful head with strong bone and substance, for example. I clearly breed for the Rottweiler standard, but my heart and eye lead me to an artistic Quarter Horse vision of them. I also wait until my Rottweilers have cleared health tests and earned the breed's CHIC (Canine Health Information Center) certification before breeding them."

With a handful of Rotties from her first two breedings, Linda began traveling to weekend dog shows, including Canadian Kennel Club shows. At the 2001 Sovereign Rottweiler Club of Ontario Regional Specialty Show, Rottweilers from her A and B litters took top honors: Tolkien won Best in Specialty Show; Pumpkin (AM/BISS-CAN/UKC CH Eternal Moon Bats-N-Pumpkins, CD, RN, RA, CGC, TDI, TT) took Winners Bitch, Best of Winners and Best of Opposite Sex; Java (AM/CAN/UKC CH Eternal Moon Black-N-Hot, CGC, TDI, TT) was Winners Dog; and Raspberry was Best Brood Bitch. The following year, Pumpkin returned to Sovereign to win Best in Specialty Show.

Raspberry's "C" litter, an outcross breeding sired by CH Mileah's Egyptian Blue, the No. 1 Working Group winner in 2000, produced an extraordinary bitch, "Kenya." Just before turning 1 year old in April 2003, Kenya was named VVN1 Most Beautiful Puppy at a Seiger Show in Colorado. That November, Kenya made history at the Medallion Rottweiler Club Specialty Show when she took Best of Opposite Sex from the Bred-By-Exhibitor class out of a 300-dog entry. As her name reflects, BISS/AM Select-1/CAN CH Eternal Moon C.E.O., AM-CD, CAN-CDX-CD, BH, TDX, TR1, DD, CGC, TT, RN, CDI, went on to earn many performance titles in obedience and rally.

In 2004, Linda bred her first linebreeding, essentially an "uncle-to-niece" breeding, with Tolkien as the sire and Pumpkin as the dam of the "E" litter. The result was Boyd and Trinity. "The breeding produced extraordinary temperaments," Linda says.

A Better Kennel Setup After 10 years' breeding Rottweilers at her parents' Virginia Beach home, Linda longed to live somewhere with a better kennel setup and more space to raise and exercise large-breed dogs. Moving to a bigger property also would allow her more leeway than the one litter she bred every two or three years in Virginia.

Apex, N.C., a small community half way between Raleigh and Durham, provided the answer: a beautiful new home on three acres close to cultural events, the airport and dog shows. Coincidentally, in 2007, the year the Drapers moved to North Carolina, Money magazine ranked Apex as the 14th best place to live in the U.S. "I had shown dogs in Raleigh for many years," Linda says. "I loved the area."

The only child of William and Millie Draper, Linda was 2 years old when her father retired from the Marine Corps after 25 years' service, during which he earned a Silver Star while stationed in Korea in 1951. The family moved from Hawaii, where Linda was born, to Gross Pointe, Mich., where her father became a bank vice president.

Linda's artistic talent showed early. "I was always doodling in school," she says.

After high school, she enrolled in the Detroit Art School to study advertising illustration, later transferring to the world-famous Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. When she finished, she moved to New York City to work as an illustrator. During five years in New York, she met famous illustrators through the Society of Illustrators. Her artwork appeared on posters at Radio City Music Hall and on album covers, stamps and book covers.

The experience was invaluable, but ultimately Linda knew she wanted something different. A holiday visit to her parents' home brought the chance to meet Wellington Ward, a college friend of her mother's and nautical artist who suggested Linda write a letter to NASA requesting to become part of the NASA art team. The timing was perfect. Linda was commissioned by NASA several times during the next few years.

"NASA gave me tremendous exposure and involved me in amazing events," says Linda. "Being part of NASA's art team was an experience of a lifetime."

After living in New York City, Linda moved in with her parents. In addition to her work for NASA, she began developing a business doing her lifelong passion: portrait artwork. Her clients included corporations that hired her to paint company presidents and people desiring keepsake artwork of their families, children and pets. She designed kennel club logos for commemorative events.

"My heart always desired to do portrait painting," Linda says. "My painting style is a hybrid of sorts — a cross of illustration and renaissance painting style. I paint from my soul."

The Drapers' home in North Carolina is filled with Linda's artwork and shadow boxes that showcase mementos from her wins at the Sovereign Specialty Show in 2001, visits to NASA and her father's military medals and ribbons. William Draper died shortly after the family moved to North Carolina.

Linda and her mother, Millie, share a passion for the dogs. When they moved, they converted a spacious garage into a heated and air-conditioned kennel. Framed photos of dog show wins and displays of rosettes, medallions and Rottweiler signage decorate the spotless kennel. A kitchen area makes it easy to prepare Purina Pro Plan for morning and evening meals.

"Puppies get Pro Plan Chicken & Rice Puppy food, and adult dogs are fed Pro Plan Chicken & Rice Formula All Life Stages," Linda says. "Dogs being campaigned receive Pro Plan Performance, and senior dogs are fed Pro Plan Chicken & Rice Formula Adult 7+. I am a big believer in the nutritional excellence of Purina Pro Plan. And, of course, the dogs never let me forget their coveted Pro Plan Biscuits."

Linda believes in giving her Eternal Moon Rottweilers plenty of exercise. The dogs spend a good portion of the day outdoors exercising in fenced paddocks. An exercise jogger in the kennel is used in inclement weather.

The newest member of the Eternal Moon pack is 4-month-old "Lalique" from Ember's recent L litter. The Rottweiler puppy already has taken her place on the Eternal Moon social ladder. She represents the 12th generation, a bloodline that began with Tolkien and Raspberry. Without a doubt, Linda is the leader of the pack.