Winner's Bitch (4 pt) @ Lexington, KY (September 2024)

Nadja is a dog that I waited for with great anticipation and was worried would never exist. I met my friend's dog, Neva, when I was still just barely in xolos, and I absolutely fell in love. She had an amicable temperament, with a very stoic and regal presence about her. I immediately knew I wanted a puppy of hers, and told Amber as much. The first few attempts at producing a litter didn't take, and I was heart-broken. Several of us encouraged Amber to try one more time, and she did, and lo and behold! A beautiful (and varied!) litter of seven was born! At first I had my eye on the only hairless female, but Amber knew better, and matched me with the coated black and tan puppy. When I went to meet her and bring her home, it was very clear that Amber made the right call. I was immediately smitten with Nadja, as has been every single person who has met her. Many people who know all of my dogs have no problem saying that Nadja is their favorite.

Nadja is very social with people, more so than most xolos, and strongly remembers anyone she has met before. She is high drive, and as she's matured is quite biddable. We do a lot of trick training, as well as agility, fast CAT, scentwork, with a goal to eventually start doing therapy work with her. She is gentle, very affectionate, and oftentimes absolutely wild. Her first Fast CAT run, which she had never done before and so was moving at what we call a leisurely pace for Nadja, she clocked in at a little over 20 mph. Nadja is extremely agile and athletic, and often throws caution to the wind when she's in drive.

Nadja is also my best snuggler of my dogs, and will frequently curl up against my chest when I'm napping, or hop up into my arms to be carried around and hugged. She has never met a person she didn't like, from toddlers to elderly and everyone in between. Besides her stellar temperament, Nadja is also absolutely beautiful, with a marvelous front-end that I wish we saw on more xolos (especially the smaller sizes), and a lovely, balanced headpiece. Her movement is correct and very smooth, and her overall conformation is beautifully balanced.