Dog Bred by Judge Mitchell Advances at Westminster

A dog bred by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daviann Mitchell yesterday was named the top Rottweiler in the country at the Westminster Dog Show.

Nighthawk's Born for Highwood, known as Ozz, won the Best in Breed category, and competes tonight at New York's Madison Square Garden against various other breeds for the Best in Group title for working dogs.

Ozz was the number one Rottweiler in the country for 2008, and also won the Best in Breed title at the American Kennel Club's national championship in December, his handler Mitchell said.

In addition, Ozz has won multiple Best in Show titles, the highest award given at a show open to all breeds of dog, and Best in Specialty Show, the highest award given at a show open to only specific breeds of dog, Mitchell stated.

She said that Ozz is "a friendly, loving dog," and "a good representation of the breed," which is often stereotyped negatively due to its size and strength.

"He's just a goof ball, he's very silly," Mitchell states of the pooch,

Ozz is known for jumping from the podium during the award ceremony at shows in order to pursue a toy, Mitchell said. "He's super playful."

Mitchell has worked as a professional show handler herself, and handled dogs at the Westminster show before. She has also handled Eli, a champion Rottweiler co-owned by Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Lori-Ann Jones and Deputy District Attorney Greta Walker.

Metropolitan News-Enterprise