NOVEMBER 3O, 1999
BY JOE SEELIG
FRONT PAGE
Instead, they think about a dressed-up 125-pound Rottweiler phenomenon,
whose sense of style and affectionate kisses make him a very popular fellow.
Having been photographed hundreds of times in parades, had his photo all over the local papers, and having appeared on various TV news programs on Channels 4,6,7,10,23,25 and 39. ODIE takes it all in stride, stopping to
ham it up for his admirers. So when exactly did this dapper dresser begin to "put on the dog?"
ODIE's dad and mom, Edward and Nancy Johnson, were just getting past their grief over the death of their pit bull, Brutus, when Mr Johnson glanced through a local paper and saw an ad. "We had always wanted a Rottweiler, but we knew Brutus would not get along with that breed," said Mr. Johnson. "After Brutus passed away, we started thinking about getting a Rottweiler. There was an ad in the paper that stated, before purchasing a Rottweiler, please call this number.
"We called and as it turned out, the lady was the president of the Gulfstream Rottweiler Club. We had been told all of the important things to look for when selecting a puppy, to check for temperament, to see the mother and the father to check their temperament. We were led to a Latin family and met ODIE's mother and father. I was a little nervous when I walked out into their dark backyard, but both dogs were playful and nice. WE went back inside. There were two little puppies sitting under the dining room table.
"Nancy sat across the room on the floor. ODIE came out and just lay down in her lap. I said to her this is the one we want and his name will be ODIE. The name just popped into my mind and rolled out of my mouth. ODIE, not for the Garfield
character, but because it's a sweet name."
One day while sitting in his workshop,Johnson thought "If you've seen one Rottweiler, you've seen them all." He decided that he didn't want his to look like any one else's. "I said to my wife, put a pair of shorts on ODIE," said Johnson. So she put a pair on him, ODIE walked around like he was born in them. "I said try a pullover shirt," Then Nancy put on some suspenders and a hat, finally a pair of sunglasses.
He has never tried to shake any of them off. Now, he's been doing it so long, now when Nancy pulls the shirt over his head, he lifts his paws one at a time to put them thru the sleeves. All of ODIE"S clothes are regular people clothing, except for his Santa Suit. Standing 27 inches at the shoulders, ODIE, wears a size "large" shirt and boys 16-18 pants. He even has his own closet, right near the front door. The Johnsons said, That since ODIE began dressing up, he has never made a public appearance without being fully dressed."
