RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE ISSUE 6/2019 by RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK MAGAZINE

DEAR READERS

I am honoured to welcome you to this issue of the magazine for all fans of the breed. As I have mentioned before, it is my goal to constantly bring you articles with topics that will develop your overview of the world of the Rhodesian Ridgeback and to enrich you with new ideas, approaches, opinions and views.. In this issue we will introduce to you the world of physiotherapy and magnetic theraphy for dogs, you will learn more about nutrition related diabetes, we will bake delicious treats together and much, much more. If you have any comments or questions regarding the content of the magazine, do not hesitate to contact us. Suggestions and criticism can move us forward can help us to improve the content of this magazine. That is our common goal. Anyway, welcome to the year 2021, may this year be in many ways the one you will never forget! A year of positive vibes! Enjoy moments spent reading the magazine and I look forward to seeing you again!

Your editor Alena Kadlecová (Jílková)

R H O D E S I A N R I D G E B A C K E U M A G A Z I N E ISSUE 6 / MARCH 2021

CONTENTS R H O D E S I A N

— NEW BOOK

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

— PHYSIOTHERAPY

— ORITNEVO AN INTERVIEW

— UMLANI BREEDER

R I D G E B A C K

E U

M A G A Z I N E

— HISTORY

— LION-HUNTER TO SHOW-DOG

— RELIEVE YOUR DOG’S PAIN

— ŠÁRKA ŠTUSÁKOVÁ AN INTERVIEW

— SUPERNOVA BREEDER

— OF COURSE BREEDER

108

— AUKSINIS FENIKSAS BREEDER

— BEAR DOG WORK

116

124

130

134

— TRAINING SHOW DOGS

— DIABETES NUTRITION

— DARINA OLDY

— LIVING IN A HUGE PACK

EDITOR ALENA KADLECOVÁ (JÍLKOVÁ) (CZECH REPUBLIC) RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK LOVER AND R R O W N E R , N U T R I T I O N A N D H E A LT H SPECIALIST

AS S O C I AT E / T RA N S L AT I O N S AS S I S TA N T E D I TO R A N D T RA N S L ATO R

Teo’s

140

— TEO’S COOKING ADVENTURES

TIMMY U. RALFE (SOUTH AFRICA) JUDGE AND AUTHOR.

142

— SEE THROUGH CAMERA LENS.....

L AYO U T D E S I G N & G R A P H I C S S N E Ž K A K U R A LT S TA R R D E S I G N ( S L O V E N I A )

SALES & PR Z H A N N A G O DJA J E VA ( L AT V I A ) AN ACTIVE STUD RR OWNER WHO LOVES TRAVELLING AROUND THE EUROPE SHOWING RR.

OFFICIAL DESIGNERS S N E Ž K A K U R A LT - S TA R R D E S I G N ( S LOV E N I A ) FC I J U D G E S P EC I A L I S T, RR OWNER, GRAPHIC DESIGNER EWA LARSSON (UK) KC JUDGE, BULLDOG OWNER, GRAPHIC DESIGNER

LICENCE OWNER EWA LARSSON S N E Ž K A K U R A LT

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE ISSUE 6 / MARCH 2021

ABOUT THE BOOK

he book is addressed to both owners and breeders. On 400 pages, you will find such topics as the breed history, its

character, puppy choice, dog care, upbringing and nutrition, health issues encountered in the breed. The breeding part includes discussing the breed standard, anatomical structure and its impact on dog movement, the basics of genetics. I discuss such issues as preparing for reproduction, pregnancy, childbirth and rearing puppies. The PDF file made available to readers includes the table of contents and an excerpt

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from the first chapter of the book. Enjoy!

Scan to order

A seven-week-old puppy.

rhodesian ridgeback PERFECT DOG Edyta Ossowska

EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK by Edyta Ossowska

STEP ONE – CHOOSING A KENNEL

When you ask the breeder about the possibility of buying a puppy, you will be asked if you are interested in a show dog or a family pet. What is the difference? Animal not intended for participation in shows is one that has certain outer features, usually not affecting health, but regarded to be defects excluding it from exhibitions and further breeding. These are, for example, white “socks” reaching higher than the toes, excess black hair, a different number of crowns in the ridge than two, non-symmetrical crowns, a ridge missing, a ridge too short, occurrence of dermoid sinus (usually operationally treated by the breeder before the puppy is sent to a new home), a blocked or dislocated vertebra in the tail (the so-called broken tail or kink), malocclusion or a missing testicle. If a puppy has any of these characteristics, it should be sold not for breeding/not intended for shows. There is a chance that the testicle will descend later and the malocclusion will even out, but you cannot be sure at the age of eight weeks. All the rest of the listed defects will not disappear. The ridge or missing crown is not going to appear at a later time.

In both cases, choosing a good kennel will be very important. I suppose that not everyone will agree with my criteria, so I am going to present it as if I was looking for a puppy for myself. It is indisputable that the kennel must be legal and the puppy ought to have a pedigree or birth certificate. It is, therefore, necessary to check whether the kennel you have chosen is a member of the cynological society or Kennel Club, whether the kennel breeds dogs under the auspices of FCI (in Europe), because this means that the puppy certainly meets the requirements of the breed standard, the kennel is subject to the supervision of a cynological organization, and the litter will be reviewed by an authorized representative. If the pedigree which the breeder offers it’s not looking like an official document, you can’t be certain that you getting a puppy of the chosen breed. This way you may not be able to participate in FCI shows.

A puppy without these unwanted features is usually sold in the category of “standard” or “show” at a higher price. The fact of buying a show puppy does not oblige the owner to take it to shows unless the breeder has inA seven-week-old puppy. cluded such a provision in the contract. Remember when buying a show puppy that, even if you don’t have any plans to partic- The puppy should be healthy, good character, ipate in shows at the time of purchase, it is always well socialized. So, I would start to look for a kenpossible to change your mind in the future. It so nel that cares about these matters. How often happened in my case that, in the litter in which do they have litters in that kennel? How many at Saba was born, there were no non-standard pup- one time? If there are different litters of different pies. In consequence, my life has changed com- breeds at one time, there is no guarantee that the pletely. My profession and hobbies have changed breeder has time for all the puppies. Where do the as well. A show puppy does not mean that it is a pups grow up? Do they have a place at home or in future champion. Let’s not be disappointed if the a shed? Pups will get used to normal house noises dog is not very successful in the ring. If you wish only, if they will be reared at home. If the puppies for success, ask the breeder to give you a chance are kept in a ga¬rage or another such room, a pot of getting one of the best and promising puppies, banging against the floor or a growling vacuum or ask to have the priority of choice among the cleaner will not be ordinary noises for them. Of course, I do not expect the puppies to run around available puppies.

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A DOG SHOW PUPPY OR A FAMILY PET?

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the house, sleep on couches and bite furniture legs, it is enough if they have a separate place at home, and not outside. Ask for deworming and vaccination plans, and what puppies are fed with. What kind of socialization plan the breeder has? What is going to be “taught” in the kennel when the little pooch is open to new stimuli. Is there a chance for the puppies’ temperamet test and access to their results so that you know the character of a dog you are about to buy? It would be an ideal situation if you could visit the breeder before making your decision, and get to know him personally, to look at the breeder’s dogs and check out the place where the litter is going to be raised. Mutual “chemistry” is also important because it is the breeder who you call first when there are problems. If you don’t get along at the beginning, your relationship is not going to get better in the future. Such a visit is important because you can meet your puppy’s mother during your visit. The father probably lives somewhere else, sometimes even in another country or on another continent. The dog’s character may be hereditary, and while the father’s influence in the genes is supposedly stronger, the environmental influence of the mother cannot be overestimated. It is the mother that will look after the youngsters, she will be looked up to and her behaviour will be imitated. Check how she behaves towards strangers, whether she is shy or aggressive. A certain degree of distrust is a trait of the breed, but it certainly not The puppy should be healthy, good character, well socialized. So, I would start to look for a kennel that cares about these matters. How often do they have litters in that kennel? How many at one time? If there are different litters of different breeds at one time, there is no guarantee that the breeder has time for all the puppies. Where do the pups grow up? Do they have a place at home or in a shed? Pups will get used to normal house noises only, if they will be reared at home. If the puppies are kept in a garage or another such room, a pot banging against the floor or a growling vacuum cleaner will not be ordinary noises for them. Of course, I do not expect the puppies to run around the house, sleep on couches and bite furniture legs, it is enough if they have a separate place at home, and not outside. Ask for deworming and vaccination plans, and what puppies are fed with. What kind of socialization plan the breeder has? What is going to be “taught” in the kennel when the little pooch is Puppies in the kennel. open to new stimuli. Is

there a chance for the puppies’ temperamet test and access to their results so that you know the character of a dog you are about to buy? It would be an ideal situation if you could visit the breeder before making your decision, and get to know him personally, to look at the breeder’s dogs and check out the place where the litter is going to be raised. Mutual “chemistry” is also important because it is the breeder who you call first when there are problems. If you don’t get along at the beginning, your relationship is not going to get better in the future. Such a visit is important because you can meet your puppy’s mother during your visit. The father probably lives somewhere else, sometimes even in another country or on another continent. The dog’s character may be hereditary, and while the father’s influence in the genes is supposedly stronger, the environmental influence of the mother cannot be overestimated. It is the mother that will look after the youngsters, she will be looked up to and her behaviour will be imitated. Check how she behaves towards strangers, whether she is shy or aggressive. A certain degree of distrust is a trait of the breed, but it certainly not aggression or fear. If the mother or other dogs with whom she lives behave in a way that you do not like, then there is a good chance that the puppy’s behaviour will be similar. If there is no chance to visit, talk on the phone, ask a lot of questions, study the kennel website and look at photos from other litters. Do you see puppies at home or mainly outside? What are their surroundings like? Is this an empty lair with puppies in it? Do they have access to different surfaces, objects, toys? Can you see the people around them? Does the breeder sign the puppy cotract with the buyers? Read the contract beforehand. In the era of social media, it will not be difficult to contact the owners of puppies from previous litters. If you do, ask them for their opinion, although it is worth remembering that sometimes a breeder is blamed for the owner’s teaching or nutritional errors.

STEP THREE – CHOOSING A PUPPY

Regardless of whether the new family member is to be the future national champion or simply live in your house, it is important that the dog is healthy and free from serious genetic diseases. Ask the breeder for parental test results, check if both parents have been x-rayed for joint problems (hips, elbows, shoulders), had their hearts examined, when was their last thyroid hormone check (some time last year would be recommended), and whether they had any additional genetic tests done (e.g. for epilepsy, myelopathy, deafness). This does not guarantee that the puppy will be 100% healthy, but it ensures that the breeder has attempted to minimize the risk of problems. Ask the breeder when the bitch had her previous litter. If it was after the last heat, her body may have not regenerated yet, and the puppies will be weaker and may grow more slowly. The optimal gap between successive litters is from one and a half to two years.

Puppies from the same parents may look very different. The more similar the parents’ built, the more uniform the litter will be. However, if the breeder has combined the extremes, or both parents have strong genes, the characteristics may split – some children will resemble the mother, and some the father. Pups, may also have different temperaments, some will be more open, others may be more withdrawn or cautious. If you are unable to assess which puppy has the best chance for good progress, ask the breeder for advice. You can also use professional help and hire a behaviourist who will visit the kennel with you, and advise you which puppy to choose.

If you are planning a breeding adventure with your puppy, it is worth digging deeper. Give some thought to the question of whether the offspring of a given couple will be attractive from the breeding standpoint. Perhaps the parents already had so many children that it would be difficult to find a mating partner with not shared ancestors. Perhaps one of the parents has some genetic burdens which have been revealed in previous puppies. Identify dog owners of the parents’ other litters, and ask about the health and character of the dogs. Study the pedigree and make sure that the parents are not related, or at least not very closely. It would be good to choose the parents in such a way that their flaws are not intensified in their offspring. Ask the breeder what motivated them to match these two individuals. Perhaps the dog lives in a nearby city, and it was the only criterion of selection. The list of titles and champion titles is usually an indicator that the dogs are well appreciated by the judges. Not every breeder, however, spends every weekend going to shows, so a shortlist or lack of titles does not necessarily mean that the dog is of inferior quality. Not all titles are equal. There are countries where a dog has to win several times when the competition is tough to become a champion, in others, especially with exotic-sounding names, it is enough to appear in the ring once to win, and the dog is given a new title because there was no competition at all. Maybe you should ask an experienced breeder for advice because choosing a puppy for breeding is not an easy matter, and it is worth starting with a good genetic and characterological background. It will take several generations to catch up with just average breeding material.

The best solution is testing the puppies by the breeder, then in all likelihood, you will know what to expect. Some breeders choose which puppy will go to the new family, based on previous discussions and expectations of new families. If you have plans for an showing, make sure that the offered puppy is free from foults excluding it from such events. Check if the ridge is the right length (from the shoulder blades to the haunch), whether it has two symmetrical crowns (any other amount disqualifies the dog from shows). The missing crown will not appear with age, just as the ridge will not become longer. Run your hand along the tail to check for fractures or blocks in the vertebrae. Do it very carefully, with one finger on the underside and the other on the upper side of the tail, then do the same, holding the sides of the tail. If the puppy has white markings, make sure they do not reach above the toes. If the coat has a lot of black hairs, it is possible that as the puppy grows and the coat is replaced by the adult one, the dog will lose the black hair, but there is no guarantee to what extent, and an excess of black reduces the score the dog will get during shows and there is considerable likelihood that it will come up in next generations. Check for scissor bite (there is a detailed description in the chapter about the breed standard), there is a high risk of malocclusion, and only scissor bite is correct. See how the ears are set, if they are set too high, it can lower the dog’s rating. In the case of male dogs, check for the presence of both testicles in the scrotum. If one is missing, there is a risk that the dog will be cryptorchidic, and the testicle remaining in the abdomen needs surgical removal. In large breeds, the testicle may descend at the age of six or even eight months, but these are rare situations. The testicles should descend between the sixth and eighth weeks. Make sure your puppy has been checked for dermoid sinus. Dermal sinus, if present in a dog, requires surgical removal, and the animal after such surgery is neither fit breeding nor for an exhibition.

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STEP TWO – CHOOSING THE LITTER

Litter at the age of seven weeks.

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very gentle, so scratches on the coat and skin should not be the reason for concern.

A puppy in a position facilitating structural assessment. Auxiliary lines: the green ones to help assess the proportion of length and height, the white ones to assess angulation of the limbs, the red line marks the lines of the elbow and the depth of the chest.

Observe the character: the puppy should be cheerful, trusting and willing to make contact. Judge the general condition, an check whether it is not too thin, the tummy is not swollen, whether the eyes are clean, there is no discharge from the nose, whether the coat is shiny and elastic, and the skin is free of scabs and inflammation. Of course, puppies playing together in the pack are not

Even if all born puppies are offered as show dogs, i.e. without flaws excluding them from exhibitions, it does not mean that they are all equally anatomically correct. Usually, two or three have good prospects, and the rest is average. The best puppy either stays with the breeder or, in the case of interesting crossings, has long been reserved. Therefore, if you are looking for a puppy for further breeding, you should begin much sooner, not when it is ready for new home. Check the litter announcements on Facebook, contact the breeder before the puppies are born and make yourself known to build your credibility necessary to being entrusted with a promising pup. The usual criteria I observe as a breeder is the price and distance to cover in order to purchase a puppy. Nonetheless, it will be worth your while to travel a little further and spend more on the puppy: a healthy, neat, well-nourished dog with a good temperament. What you will save on the purchase, you will

STEP FOUR – A DOG OR A BITCH Either choice has certain consequences that will have to be addressed. Bitches are smaller, males usually have a stronger constitution, and if you do not invest the time in teaching the dog how to walk on a loose leash when still a puppy, these few extra kilograms can make a significant difference during walks. They say that bitches are closer to their families, and male dogs are tramps and drifters. In my opinion, it depends on the individual, similarly to enjoying physical contact with man or not. If you own an uncastrated male, you should keep in mind that a bitch on heat in the vicinity may sweep him off his feet to such an extent that he will stop eating, will howl, will be agitated and tends to escape. On the other hand, if you have a bitch, you should be aware that during the heat season, you will not be able to unleash her and you must keep an eye on her at all times. A mate living in the neighbourhood will climb over and will overcome the highest fence to get to her, so leaving her alone in the garden even for a moment during this period is out of the question. When one of our bitches is on heat, before we let her into the garden for the morning pee, we first check the garden ourselves to make sure that there are no uninvited dog guests there. If we find one, we tell him to leave, which can sometimes be difficult. Although we open the gate, the male usually does not feel like going out and it takes a while to get rid of him. Imaginary pregnancy is rather common in Ridgebacks and one lit¬ter will not prevent it, on the contrary, after the puppies are born, the symptoms of false pregnancy may become even worse.

ABOUT THE AUTHOUR

share my life with ridgebacks, for 20 years already. As a breeder (Sangoma Kennel), dog trainer, behaviourist, and as a judge.

I own a dog school, where work with puppies, adults, dogs with behavioural problems (agressive and shy) and I give handling classes. I also use my own dogs in therapy with agressive dogs, so I put a lot of attention on character and temperament in my breeding. I also organise an education channel for dog breeders and owners. Years of experience made me into a person who is able to answer a lot of questions from people who ask for advice. I decided to put my knowledge into this book, so other people can find answers there. The book is dedicated be inpart for owners and and in part also for breeders. I hope everyone will find something interesting inside. Edyta

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sooner or later spend in the veterinary clinic or reimbursing the behaviourist. Or buying new furniture for the living room.

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HIS TORY A closer look at the pre-history of our breed.

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Written by

hen I was asked to write an article about the history of our breed, I felt a bit out of my depth. How could I contribute in a meaningful way to the already vast body of work about the birth of our breed? As I thought about this, my mind drifted to the 15 DNA profiles I’d just had done on my dogs. Part of the DNA analysis traced back my dogs’ lineage 15,000 years. Now that’s history! What do we know about those dogs that predate our breed? Where did they come from? What can history teach us going forward as we endeavour to best preserve our beloved breed? One of the outcomes provided as a result of the DNA panels is maps showing the maternal and paternal ancestors of Rhodesian Ridgebacks my Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Just imagine those Pleistocene epoch canines in their daily life. How fascinating to entertain such thoughts!

Barbara Turpin

So, what was happening 15,000 years ago in our world? Nearing the end of the Pleistocene Epoch (180 million – 11,700 years ago), man was evolving. Stone tools were advancing, and the last great ice age was nearing its end. Despite the large swaths of ice, grasslands and savannas also existed in parts of the world. Big game was about to become regular fare, thanks to the evolving relationship between man and dog. While some historical evidence suggests that domestication occurred more than 30,000 years ago, it is widely accepted that dogs and humans have enjoyed mutually-beneficial relationships for at least 15,000 years. Late Pleistocene man was improving on how they made blades. The introduction of bows and arrows with these sharper blades, along with following migrating herds, meant more access to the larger game as a food source.

The skills these early dogs learned are passed down through the generations and I am reminded of a quirk in our breed and a story told to me by the late Ann Chamberlain of Mazoe Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Some decades ago, she was in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and was with a group of other people who were travelling and camping with their RRs. During the night, the campers were all inside tents and the dogs slept outside and around the tents. If any harm came near, the dogs were up in a flash and “on the clock,” as I say. The idiosyncrasy that still exists in many of our RRs is that startle response from a deep sleep that may include growling. It appears that both the Pleistocene dog and modern RRs share this trait. Being able to protect his human, in a split second, is clearly one of the key features that made having domestic canines such an important step in human evolution. Those early canines brought comfort, safety, assistance, and, one can imagine, joy. Sound familiar? Less than 6,000 years ago, the first evidence of domestic dogs in Southern Africa appeared. The dog-human migration meant that dogs needed to acclimate to change. Where one type of dog was preferred for large game hunting, another was preferring for transporting items, and another still for herding, etc. The Rhodesian Ridgeback has retained 4% of its pre-colonial ancestry. Those early dogs on the African continent were well established before the European breed influencers were brought over to help form our beloved breed of today. Through selective breeding, our breed has earned praise for being a multi-faceted companion and working dog. It’s of little surprise that we see our breed excel in any number of activities from herding and guarding, to coursing and conformation. Perhaps most importantly, they provide deep and meaningful companionship to their people and pack that is arguably unmatched in other breeds. This compassionate commitment earns them great praise in the areas of therapy work and emotional assistance to people with PTSD, those on the autism spectrum, and/or those with generalized anxiety disorders. While some fanciers suggest these ancient instincts no longer exist, the facts don’t align with the theory. On many occasions I’ve found myself stopping to observe fresh bear or big cat tracks while out walking the dogs. Along the banks of the Fraser River in BC (Canada), a fine, silty mud is perfect for recording who has walked just ahead of us.

If I were alone, those tracks would terrify me. I assume the same was true for early man particularly in light of mammals such as the sabre-tooth tiger still in existence. Only a fool would walk into their terrain alone. But accompanied by dedicated companion canines, an individual human can walk about with greatly increased safety. In fact, it only takes one or two vociferous Rhodesian Ridgebacks to banish a wayward black bear here in Western Canada. How lucky that this Ice Age instinct still exist today! One day, in 1996, I was walking along a power line corridor in a remote area with our six-month-old Ridgeback Brutus and my four year old daughter Willow. As we climbed a rise in the path, Brutus sat down on the trail, refusing to let Willow pass. As I caught up, I gently scolded Brutus for not allowing Willow to walk around him. Then, once at the crest of the hill, I looked down the other side to find a mother black bear and two cubs. We quietly turned around and went home, with much thanks to Brutus. Other than for its sleek coat, the modern Rhodesian Ridgeback would surely thrive during those times when humans were advancing and migrating. Our dogs still have those same genes that protected and humoured the newly, upright man. The journey from the Pleistocene epoch to an era a mere 800 years ago saw many changes. In the 1100’s Genghis Khan lived and was a warlord of near unfathomable rule. His armies of more than 100,000 included what is now the ancestors of the modern Tibetan Mastiff. These dogs acted as sentries as well as warriors. According to an article on nationalpurebreddogday.com, these Mastiffs lent their DNA to other giant breeds such as the English Mastiff and St. Bernard.

The author notes a chilling account: One amazing legend about these dogs is that Genghis Khan once led thousands of Tibetan Mastiff “soldiers” to conquer Western Europe. The writer, Yang Zhijun, made specific mentions in his book “Tibetan Mastiffs” about the legend. “Genghis Khan’s ‘fierce dog troops’ included 50,000 soldiers which were all Tibetan Mastiffs. They would feed on the bodies of enemies, march invincibly, and performed exploits that deeply shocked and satisfied Genghis Khan.”

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Up until that time period, man avoided open plains and opted for safer havens. But it wasn’t just the bows and arrows that made the difference. Domesticated dogs were now solidly at the side of these early humans.

The stardust of Genghis Khan’s fearsome warriors pulses in veins of today’s Rhodesian Ridgeback. Though not as ruthless as the dogs of Khan’s reign, it is not hard to imagine our own dogs doing that same work. How often have you found yourself sitting in a place of isolation and calm to find your Ridgeback on alert: calling our attention to a scent, sound, or sight that we’ve failed to register? I recall a day out at the river, with no one in sight but my dogs, when Lincoln charged towards the forest. Something had alerted him and soon enough I heard the snapping of branches and a large animal in retreat. Lincoln pranced the perimeter in a way that would make a Lipizzaner trainer proud. His guttural barks echoed off the nearby mountains, and oh was he proud! Whatever was in the bush had been sent on its way by a dog that would give his very life for mine. And yet, their gentle, caring nature is widely appreciated and makes lifelong converts in dog fancy. There’s much debate today with respect to the eating habits of our modern-day companions. This includes the erroneous claim that canines are strictly carnivores. I had a very interesting experience one year as winter was nearing it’s end. As the dogs and I frequent the Fraser River for outings, one year we came across the carcass of a calf that seemed to have fallen in the river and drowned. It was in otherwise pristine condition.

The first day after the carcass was accessible by foot (it was on a sand bar surrounded by water that was receding), I made some initial observations. The native birds eagles and seagulls removed the eyes. I noted many smaller canine footprints that correspond to those of coyotes. This pack of wild canines began working on the carcass from two key areas: the umbilicus and the rectum. Their preferred meal consisted of the contents of the digestive tract. The Ridgebacks mimicked this pattern and would consume the plant contents of the stomachs and intestines. Even when the fresh meat was available to them, it was not preferred by either the coyotes or dogs.

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Weeks went by and the flesh began to break down. It was only after digested contents no longer remained that the canines both

Photo by Renata Poulton

Curiously, I observed how the young animal was consumed by other animals in the area, including my dogs. What I learned has shaped how I feed my dogs to this day.

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wild and domestic began to consume the flesh. The observed experiment taught me just how important plant material is to canines. I began feeding more vegetables and herbs to the dogs, and now insist that raw fed dogs of our breeding are given 40% plant material. When considering diet in our breed, I have often heard people say, “I want to feed my dog what it would eat in the wild.” The second part to that scenario is what are they actually eating and at what point in the decomposition are they eating it? For the smell alone, most people really would not willingly opt for a truly “wild” diet. Friends of ours lived in Tanzania for a time and I remember asking what the local dogs ate. “Do they eat meat,” I asked. “Oh no, the meat was all consumed by the people.” “What about bones?” “No, “they answered. “Even the bones were ground up and eaten by humans.”

Those dogs, like so many thousands before them, subsisted off of the things humans would not or could not eat. The macerated stomach contents were just such a thing, along with manure and other odoriferous delicacies. Dietary adaptations began to occur as the domestication process advanced. The effects of these adaptations includes a wonderful, symbiotic relationship between immune-boosting gut flora derived from plant based foods, and even affecting the health of future dogs on an epigenetic level. These early dogs enjoyed the addition of grains and vegetation that accompanied the humans’ diet, and to the great benefit of the dog. Today, the longest lived dogs recorded are those whose diet is varied and includes sufficient flora for overall health. Dogs reportedly living well into their 20s and even

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early 30s have a common denominator. Farm life. While life romping on farmlands is beneficial for mental health, it is more probable that the variety of food consumed over the dog’s lifetime is responsible for their great age. Farm life opens up the dog’s diet to healthy grasses, berries, garden vegetables, and manure from livestock. This varied diet also accounts for healthy gut flora that is so crucial to boosting the immune system. The history obtained through those DNA results also shows that our breed’s ancestors did not live anywhere near deep sea fish. In contrast to breeds such as the Siberian Husky, Rhodesian Ridgebacks simply did not have access to the type of fish products that are so widely used today. It is no wonder when a Rhodesian Ridgeback has a pancreatitis attack after being fed a diet high in ocean fish, and particularly those being fed fish oils. Plant-based oils are much more agreeable for use in Ridgebacks. Should it, then, come as a surprise when predominantly animal-product (meat, bones, organs, etc.) fed dogs are failing to live as long as their omnivorously-fed counter parts? If we follow history, it is no surprise at all.

In having conversations with carnivore proponents, an example they like to use to support their claim is that of dentition. Long canine teeth and sharp molars are purported to be evidence of a strictly carnivorous diet. And yet, the beautiful fruit bat tells an entirely different story. Subsisting entirely on fruit, its sharp teeth are no indication at all of flesh eating. Even in bears and coyotes, their dentition supports the diet of an omnivore. As I make this journey through time, through history, I can easily imagine those early dogs doing exactly what mine are doing today. It is not difficult to imagine myself on the hearth of an ancient fire, with the smells of simmering meat and plants wafting in the air, and a warm canine at my side, giving the long, steady pat-pat-pat of a wagging tail from a dog as equally thankful for my companionship as I am for his.

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From Orit's book shelf

FROM LION-HUNTER TO SHOW-DOG

The Evolution of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Breed Standard and what we can learn from it W RI T T EN BY O R I T N E V O

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have to understand the standard. With that we have to bear in mind that the standard of any breed is a document that indicates the “Idea” of the breed in the eyes of a dominant school at a certain time.

hodesian Ridgeback, one of the most exciting dog breeds– I bet any Ridgeback Register reader will agree on that. Being involved in the Ridgeback breeding and judging scene for over 25 years I had found myself more than once wondering what exactly are we doing in this “game” of breeding purebred dogs? Is it animal welfare? Is it art? Is it sport? Is it engineering? I guess it is a bit from each but at the end dog showing is a sport more than it is anything else. Understanding that is to understand that like any other sport we are playing according to some rules. These rules are human made and to a great extent are arbitrary. Understanding that is to understand that we have to accept the rules and to play by them, because otherwise we do not have a game - but on the other hand, understanding that you must keep in mind that those rules are not nature’s rules (not to say they aren’t created by God). The name of the game – the codex of our sport – is The Standard. To understand the breed, we

Following the changes in the standard through the years gives us some indication about the changing idea of the breed through time. In this article I will try to follow the evolution of the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed standard through the years, and with that to follow the shifts of focus, idea and breed understanding through the years. Like different games have different rules in different countries (for example basketball quarter in most of the countries will take 10 minutes, at the NBA it is 12 minutes) also breed standards are different in different parts of the world. In this paper I will follow the Rhodesian Ridgeback Breed Standard as it was recognized at the country of origin. But even to decide what is the “country of origin” is not as simple and clear. Human politics (not to say Dogdom politics) come into the equation. Which is the country of origin? Is it South Rhodesia – meaning nowadays Zimbabwe - or is it South Africa? And which is the governing cynological body that country belongs to? In that I will follow the FCI system (FCI is the International Federation of Cynology, which is the governing cynology body in the European continent, Asia, South America and other countries), and I will follow their definition regarding the “country of origin” (this definition was changed through the years). That means that at this time I will not deal with the American or Canadian standards.

HOW DID IT ALL START 1

There are two well-known documents describing the early “Ridgeback”. One is veterinarian Dr. Charles Edmonds’ 1923 article from the Farmer’s Weekly, it is one of the first known descriptions of the breed, written under the pseudonym of “Farmer George.” The other is the original standard, written by Frances Barnes. This later became the official breed standard in 1926, but was most probably written before, around the time of that famous meeting in Bulawayo in 1922. 2

I prefer to start with Edmonds’ article, even though it wasn’t an official document of any kind, since his aim was not to create a new standard for a “breed,” but to describe what already existed. “Lions are rapidly decreasing in Rhodesia, and with them, the lion hunters. It would be a great pity if this grand breed of dogs were allowed to become extinct,” he wrote. 3

So, let’s start from the “pre-standard” days,” when the Ridgeback was still a working Lion Dog of the farmers and hunters in the south of Africa. We must remember that Edmonds had 30 years of experience on the farms and in the bush. He knew the working Ridgebacks as they were: “Nor were there ever conditions under which the law of survival of the fittest had greater play,” he said about the creation of this breed. 4

In his description of the dog, Edmonds emphasized: 5

• Good speed • Good senses of sight and smell • Good feet (“They must have the best of feet with pads that will stand any amount of wear, as they have to work day after day, often in the roughest of country that is very hard on the pads”) • Good breathing apparatus – i.e., a good, deep chest • Intelligence/instinct, standoffish, independent

1 I will not get in this article to the famous debate of the 1920s over the breed’s name – should it be called a Lion Dog or a Ridgeback? It was not only a linguistical question, but more about identity: Which is the breed’s most important characteristic, its lion-hunting function or the ridge? 2 Edmonds, C. – The Farmer’s Weekly, Feb. 7, 1923, “Rhodesian Lion Dog.” 3 Edmonds, C. – The Farmer’s Weekly, Feb. 7, 1923, “Rhodesian Lion Dog.”

Edmonds offers a scale of points : 6

Height – 24 inches (61 cm) Weight – 60 pounds (27.2 kg) Color – tawny, fawn, brindle Tail – longish, thick, free from feather, carried low …. Considerable difficulty is experienced in the tail, as at times varying length of tail occur in the same litter. Some being only 6-7 inches long like a docked dog, other with a kink like a Bulldog… Head – rather broad, cheek muscles well developed, in shape resemble the old style of Bull Terrier. Muzzle – somewhat pointed Ears – low set Eyes – yellow, intelligent, with bold, somewhat savage expression. The distinctive feature of the breed – the mane, razor-back, fiddle-back or whorl – is a ridge of hair up to 2 inches in height. So, we can see that the original dogs, those that used to work and to be treated by the bush vet, were decidedly smaller than what we know nowadays. Only 24 inches tall and 60 pound in weight they hardly could be measured up to the smallest bitch of our days. Eyes were yellow and body colors varied from tawny to brindle. The good news (or actually – the bad news…) are that kinky tail was there from the beginning and it came in much more peculiar forms than in our days. And the Ridge, well actually the “mane”, was up to 2 inches high. Most interesting if you think about the fact that the only measure of the ridge is not the length or the width but it is the one dimension that we do not measure these days.

THE FIRST STANDARD The first standard was recognized by SAKU (later known as KUSA) in 1926. As I already mentioned this standard was driven from the original work of Barnes dated 1922. It took Barnes those years to get the standard recognized due to the name’s debate, in which Barnes insisted that the Ridge will be part of the breed’s name. So, it shouldn’t be too big a surprise that the standard started with the ridge (as it has been ever since). A dog without a clearly defined ridge is not recognized as belonging to this breed. The ridge description in the first standard already

4 Murray, J.N. – The Rhodesian Ridgeback Indaba, 1989, Australia, page 29 5 Murray, J.N. – The Rhodesian Ridgeback Indaba, 1989, Australia, page 46

6 Helgesen, D.H. – The Definitive Rhodesian ridgeback, 1991, Canada , page 86

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The creation of the Rhodesian Ridgeback as a breed started when the role of the Lion Dog was almost over . At the beginning of the 20th Century, when the big-game expeditions were waning, a group of enthusiastic people made a bunch of different dogs into a “breed.” The Rhodesian Ridgeback came to life when the Lion Dog of Southern Africa was about to die.

As we see, good speed and good senses were of major importance, much more than any other feature. The pads get a very detailed description, while there is no mention of things like angulations or top line.

refers to the length – from behind the shoulders to the loin. Like Edmonds before, the first standard also describes the shape of the ridge as “fiddle”. It is a most interesting point, since we use this description to what we consider as a crucial ridge fault, in our days “fiddle shape ridge” refers to a ridge with 4 crowns. Was it what the original standard asked for? We do not have an official answer to this question. The question of the Fiddle and the number of crowns becomes even more interesting when we notice that the ridge description in the original standard is missing something that we will consider as essential – and that is not less than – Crowns. The first standard never mentioned the word or the feature “crown”, nor any description of the crowns. Some other Interesting points are: Bite is not mentioned; the only dental demand is strong developed teeth and canines.

In 1944, the size changed for the first time to what we know today: Males, 25-27 inches (63-69cm) and up to 75 pounds (34 kg); and females, 24-26 inches (61-66 cm) and up to 65 pounds (29.48kg). The 1948 standard is rephrased. A major change is made in the “Characteristics” paragraph, brings us close to today’s standard: • Ridge – The whole description phrased in the way we know it today. • For the first time, the standard asks that the ridge will be symmetrical. • Crowns are mentioned for the first time: “Should contain two identical crowns opposite each other.” Including more specification “the lower edge of crowns shouldn’t extend further down the ridge than 1/3 the length of the ridge”.

Nose – those who are engaged in the debate whether the brown (known also as “liver” nose) is an original feature of the breed, will be very interested in the paragraph saying that the nose “should be black, but a lighter color is admissible if it is in keeping with the color of the dog. A spotted nose is incorrect, but is not a disqualification”.

• There is a N.B.: “We do not at this stage propose standardizing the width of the ridge, but feel that up to 2 inches is a good average.”

Colors – brindle, fawns, sables, homogeneous or mixed with white. Again we find the brindle (mentioned first, even before the fawn) , and there is no limit to the extent of white or to its location on the body.

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In 1936, the color description is changing to “Color – Wheaten preferred, fawn permissible, white points permitted”.

Size - up to 28 inches (71 cm) for both males and females, with no minimum height requirement. Weight up to 80 pounds (36.28 kg) for males and females, no minimum requirement. Here we see a huge difference from Edmonds description, there is no minimum size, but the maximum is 4 inches (10 cm) higher and 20 pound heavier then what the bush vet told us.

• Nose color – Should be black or brown, no other colored nose is permissible. • Color – Light wheaten to red wheaten. Head, body, legs and tail should be of a uniform color. A little white on the chest is permissible, but excessive white hair here, on belly or above pads should be penalized; white toes are undesirable.

FROM THE 60S TO OUR DAYS On April 5, 1963, the FCI adopts the KUSA standard and numbers it as FCI standard no. 146.

The 1931 standard saw some important changes:

Omission of description of the ridge as “resembles a fiddle”. Color – for the first time we meet the somewhat vague description of “wheaten” when wheaten and fawn describes as “preferable”; whole colors or white points. Size – up to 26 inches (66 cm) and 70 pounds (31.75 kg) for males, up to 25 inches (63.5) and 60 pounds (27.2 kg) for females. (There is some indication that in this year, 1931, the Parent Club published a new booklet, saying “the ideal Ridgeback is an animal from 24 to 26 inches and around 60 lbs in weight.) 8

In 1978, the KUSA standard changes the weight, increasing it to 80 pounds (36.28 kg) for dogs, 70 pounds (31.75 kg) for bitches, with a permissible variation of 5 pounds (2.26 kg) above or below. On Jan. 1, 1980, the FCI moves from recognizing the South African breed standard to recognizing the British standard. (“Country of origin: South Africa, standard from: England”), which led to a change in the structure of the standard and the vocabulary, to fit the British formula. The actual changes were minimal. 9

For the first time we find in the standard reference to a black muzzle and ears “Dark muzzle and ears are permissible”. The scale of points is omitted, not to be found again in the FCI breed standard.

7 For 1931-1952 standards, I used Murray’s “The Rhodesian Ridgeback Indaba” 8 Ms. Janet Murray, “The world-wide problem of deviation in type in the Rhodesian Ridgeback,” World Congress 1984. page T3 quoting Major Mundy

9 F.C.I. Breed standard 146b, effective date 1.1.1980

In 1986, the British Kennel Club revises all its standards under one uniform formula. At this stage, many breed standards went through some changes, some of them not just cosmetic. The changes in the Ridgeback breed standard were relatively minor: • Ridge – Adding “must contain two identical crowns only” • Temperament – A new paragraph, required by the new formula. For the first time the standard is talking about the character of the breed as “dignified, intelligent, aloof with strangers but showing no aggression or shyness.” • Mouth – For the first time, the standard mentions the “bite” specifically: “Perfect, regular and complete scissor bite.” • Hindquarters – For the first time, there is a reference to angulations: “good turn of stifle.” • A designated paragraph for the movement: “straight forward, free and active.” • Weight – A very significant change is the deletion of the weight, perhaps the most significant change in the standard. • Faults – A new article, also required by the new formula, but which says only the obvious and do not mention categories (FCI standards some time include the following categories: ‘faults”, “serious faults”, “eliminating faults”). This newly framed standard was very shortly adopted not only by the FCI (August 1989) but also by KUSA (probably November 1987). Country of origin now changed from “South Africa” to “Southern Africa,” a nod to the Zimbabwe Kennel Club. But the standard is still British.

THE RECENT FCI STANDARD – CLOSING THE CIRCLE On Oct. 12, 1996, the FCI. publishes the breed’s most recent standard, prompted by the registry’s decision to reform all its breed standards under one formula. Now the Origin is “Southern Africa” and “the standard supplied by the Kennel Union of Southern Africa and the Zimbabwe Kennel Club.” Finally, the standard returned back home to Africa. Reading this new version of the FCI standard, written by the clubs from the 2 African countries and comparing it to the previous versions you can see that the authors had one main message: keep the breed agile, balanced and un-heavy:

The new standard-format of FCI had a new structure. The new “General Appearance” paragraph includes, for the first time, the term “agile,” and also “well balanced”. To make sure the message came through the standard specifically elaborate “the emphasis is on agility, elegance and soundness with no tendency toward massiveness.” For the cranial region for the first time the standard states specifically what is commonly accepted: the triple proportion between width of head, occiput to stop and stop to nose are 1:1:1. You might be interested in the fact that this 1996 standard mentions, for the first time, the forechest. “Forechest should be visible when viewed from the side.” Regarding color – this version declares for the first time, that “excessive black hairs throughout the coat are highly undesirable.” But the most important of all, and the part that occupied the distinguished assembly that was busy formulating the renewed standard, was the restoring of the weight limits that was lifted exactly 10 years before in 1986 by the British. The weight was back and it is 36.5 kg (80 pounds) for males and 32 kg (70 pounds) for females.

WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THAT RIDGE The ridge as the emblem of the breed was a main issue at the period when Barnes fought for the recognition of the breed as a Ridgeback dog. But when that was done, we see that the only demand is that the dog will have a ridge that will start immediately behind the shoulders and continue up to or over the loins. There was no other demand from the ridge what-so-ever. If there is any other feature characterizes the ridge from the days of Edmonds till 1931, it is not the crowns (mentioned for the first time only in 1948!), for sure not the symmetry (also mentioned for the first time only in 1948) but the “fiddle” shape of the ridge. What ‘fiddle” means is still open to discussion, but the 2 best interpretations might mean either a very wide body of the ridge or a 4 crowns ridge – both are considered to be un-accepted patterns nowadays. I believe that gives us a lot to think about, when we think about the ridge demands in our current standards (and that applies to the Ridgeback’s standards all over the world). Until 1948 the standard didn’t even mention the word crown and these days our game rules deal with symmetry, number of crowns, the length of the box etc. How many dogs are disqualified in the ring or for

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In the General Appearance paragraph, we find “movement should be similar to the Foxhound’s gait.””

breeding just because of asymmetry or one extra crown? Was it really so important in the past? Were two identical crowns or a box not bigger than one-third of the length of the ridge features really valued by van Rooyen, Barnes and their followers? For a hint about a possible answer to those questions, consult Linda Costa’s book for a look at some of the old dogs, such as Ch. Virginia of Avondale. 10

SIZE AND WEIGHT I believe this is the most important discussion. The height and weight indicate more than anything else the “type” of the breed. No wonder most of the really bitter conflicts among the breeders during the foundation years and over the years were over this subject. Edmonds talks in 1923 about a dog of 24 inches (61 cm) and 60 pounds (27.2kg), which is smaller than what we recognize today as the minimum for a female. It is important to remember that Edmonds was not trying to establish a standard for his ideal Ridgeback, but rather to describe what did exist as working dog on the farms. (Also, it is important to note that Edmonds never registered a Ridgeback, so he had no hidden agenda). On the other hand, the first standard, the one that was recognized in 1926 but was probably written around 1923, is talking about a size up to 28 inches (71 cm), bigger than the maximum official size for a big male today, (which is 27 inch or 69 cm). There was no minimum height and it doesn’t mention weight limits at all. Vernon Brisley (Viking Kennels) tried to explain that in a letter he wrote to the Kennel Union Gazette in November 1945. “When the club was first formed, they naturally had to include all sizes and colours until such time that they had got a uniform type.” 11

A letter from Major Mundy to the SAKU Gazette tries to elaborate the development that followed: “The headquarters of the Club was later moved to Salisbury and from that date – July 1931 – a more determined effort to standardize the breed was made.”

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So, from what those two gentlemen told us, we understand that at first (1922-1931) the club wanted to include as many dogs as possible, in order not to lose the remaining stock of Lion Dogs. Few years later, in 1931, the club decided to focus on uniformity. At this stage, the 1931 standard asks for up to 26 inches (66 cm) and 70 pounds (31.75 kg) for males, and up to 25 inches (63.5 cm) and 60 pounds (27.2kg) for females. So as the 1926 standard offered the largest diver10 Costa Linda, Rhodesian Ridgeback Pioneers, 2004, page 84, and also other dogs at pages 70, 75, 105 etc.

sity for size and weight any Ridgeback standard ever offered, the 1931 standard offered the lowest size ever offered by official Ridgeback standard. The 1930s were characterized by a bitter debate about the size of the breed, which was discussed a lot in Ridgeback literature. Some of the main figures were Vernon Brisley (president of the parent club at the time), who was in favor of lighter Ridgeback, he feared increasing the size “would spoil the hunting qualities by having a larger dog … it was thought that the dog must be active and therefore not too big”. Opposing him was Major Mundy (vice president of the parent club), who was a great advocate for the bigger Ridgeback, which was more impressive and fit also for guarding. He criticized the effect of the standard offered at Brisley’s time and said “during that period that these directions in respect of size were current, it became quite apparent that the Ridgebacks exhibited on Rhodesian shows and gaining the premier awards were losing size and tending to the 21 inch dog.” Mundy and his followers managed to get the minimum criteria added to the size in standard for the first time in 1944. 13

But even though the size of dogs in the 1940s is similar to the size called for today, the weight is still somewhat different and more resembles the description of the first days. The standard was mentioning only maximum weight and that was 75 lbs (34 kg) for a male and 65 lbs (29.5 kg) for a female. It is about 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs) less then today, while the height remains the same. There was a silence about that for a long time. Till in 1980, as we mentioned, the FCI moved to adopt the (British) Kennel Club standard and that one offered the same size but a heavier weight of 80 pounds (36.5 kg) for a male and 70 pounds (32 kg) for a female. Then in 1986 the Kennel Club omitted the weight, a step that opened the door for heavier dogs. Then a battle ensued to restore the weight back into the standard. This battle mainly led by the Parent Club, which felt that the absence of a weight limit would lead to a heavier Ridgeback. In 1996, the FCI accepted the standard written by the South African and Zimbabwean kennel clubs, and the weight returned to the standard. It was back to the same weight limits of 1980 which was a heavier weight than any previous standard. So how does it all relate to the Ridgeback of our days? I believe that it shows us that the size, and mainly the weight, were always subject to debate. The dominant school shifted from time to time, but along the years we see that the parent club is always pulling toward not-too-heavy type. The discussion continues in our days. Some people will claim that the current weight standard

11 Ms. Janet Murray, “the world-wide problem of deviation in type in the Rhodesian Ridgeback.” World Congress 1984. page T4 12 Ms. Janet Murray, “the world-wide problem of deviation in type in the Rhodesian Ridgeback”, World Congress 1984. page T3

13 Mundy’s letter to SAKU Gazette Feb 1946, quoted at Ms. Janet Murray, “the world-wide problem of deviation in type in the Rhodesian Ridgeback”, World Congress 1984. page T3

or spotted, the bite could be of any type, and the tail was some times of varied lengths and with kinks. He had to have a ridge of fair length, but there were no rules about crowns, box, symmetry, width or anything else, and sometimes the hair on this ridge stood up at both ends.

DISCUSSION

Now look at today’s standard – how detailed the demands are for the ridge, the bite, the color of the eyes, nose and coat, and the tail. But are we overvaluing those compared to characteristics as stamina, speed, good senses, ample lung room and temperament? It is something to think about.

If we look at what Edmonds described in the early 1920s, we see a dog with good speed, good senses of sight and smell, good paws, good breathing apparatus, intelligent, standoffish and independent, with a ridge on his back. He was quite small at 61 cm and 27kg, and the colors varied: tawny, fawn, brindle, homogeneous or mixed with white. The eyes were yellow, the nose sometimes brown

Height

Weight

1923

24 inch (61cm)

60 pound (27.2 kg)

1926

28 inch (71 cm)

80 pound (36.28 kg)

1931

26 inch (66 cm)

1944

25- 27 inch (63- 69 cm)

1978

24- 26 inch (61 66 cm)

25 inch (63.5cm)

70 pound (31.75 kg) 75 pound (34 kg)

25- 27 inch (63- 69 cm)

Article first presented at the RRWC 2004 in USA.

65 pound (29.48 kg)

80 pound (36.28 kg) variation 5 (2.26kg)

1986 1996

60 pound (27.2 kg)

70 pound (31.75 kg) variation 5 (2.26kg)

Omitted 80 pound (36.5 kg)

70 pound (32 kg)

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doesn’t truly reflect the Ridgebacks we see on the ring and they might mention a better nutrition as a factor that has to be taken in consideration. But as we saw the debate started long time ago, before the mass production of industrial food and actually at the very beginning of breed as such.

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PHYSIOTHERAPY? Wri tte n by

Kristina Kreuder, Hundephysiotherapie Photo by K r i s t i n a K r e u d e r

nyone who has experienced its effects on their own body - for example, after an operation, accident or illness - can confirm: Physiotherapy is the means of choice to quickly become pain-free, fit and mobile again. The primary goal of this natural form of therapy is to reduce pain and maintain or restore the body’s ability to move and function. For humans, physiotherapy has become indispensable as a means of prevention and rehabilitation, as well as an exercise-accompanying measure. Physiotherapy has long since reached veterinary medicine. Dogs, for example, have very similar ailments to humans in terms of their musculoskeletal system. Therefore, physiotherapy is also extremely successful for our four-legged friends. Not least because of the increased use of modern diagnostic and surgical procedures, more and more veterinarians are recommending physiotherapeutic treatment. Basically, dog physiotherapy is an accompanying therapy that can in no way replace a visit to the vet. Important for an accompanying dog physiotherapy is also the occurrence of a pain memory, which I would like to explain in the following section.

PAIN MEMORY Pain memory is the ability of the nervous system to remember negative experiences, such as severe pain, and recall them at a later time. Pain memory can thus be thought of as a kind of memory trace in the nervous system, with an “image of pain” burned into it. For a pain memory to form, sometimes even a brief painful stimulation is sufficient. This results in molecular changes in the nerve cells and new circuitry of pain processing in the spinal cord and brain. The brain’s ability to adapt both structurally and functionally to changing conditions is also known as neuronal plasticity. An illustrative example of “pain memory” is a dog that still feels pain from a torn cruciate ligament that has been operated on, even when the part of the body that caused it has long since recovered. Such pain can be removed by the veterinarian only with great difficulty. Back problems, tension, joint inflammaon

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WHY DO DOGS NEED

or even arthrosis arise from the protective posture. A permanent physiotherapeutic treatment often becomes necessary. Many patients who are presented to me with an operated cruciate ligament rupture have problems putting weight on their operated leg because of their pain memory. Due to the incorrect loading, these dogs show tension, especially in the shoulder area. Since the operated leg is not used optimally at the beginning, it makes sense to start as early as possible with passive moving of the joint and to eliminate the tensions with the help of massages. Passively moving through the joints serves to maintain the range of motion and elasticity of the surrounding tissues, which improves nutrition of the cartilaginous surfaces, increases blood flow to the tissues, and thus decreases pain. In order to eliminate the pain memory as early as possible in the operated cruciate ligament rupture, I use the underwater treadmill after removing the stitches. The medium of water has a healing effect by nature: the buoyancy can effectively relieve joints and the water resistance promotes the effective muscle development of the dog. The hydrostatic water pressure also has a positive effect on swelling and edema of the animal. The duration of the training varies from a few minutes for an old or freshly operated animal to 30 minutes for a healthy sport dog.

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In the water the animal often shows a more nat-

Thus, the underwater treadmill for dogs is a particularly gentle and natural rehabilitation measure in dog physiotherapy. In underwater training for dogs, the following treatment priorities should be emphasized: • Reduction of pain of the musculoskeletal system due to degenerative diseases, e.g. arthrosis, joint dysplasia and other chronic joint problems • Mobilization after operations • Coordination exercises for neurological disorders • Joint-friendly training for overweight dogs • General muscle building training for dogs in competitive sports, rescue services, etc.

EXAMPLES OF JOINT DISEASES IN THE RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK Osteoarthritis The disease causes chronic and recurring pain in the dog. This can lead to lameness and reduction of joint mobility at a later stage. Furthermore, there is swelling within the joint and in the areas

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ural gait pattern than on land and in contrast to swimming, the underwater treadmill offers the possibility to train the correct walking movement and to be able to correct it at any time due to the all-round glazing of the pool.

surrounding the joint and intermittent inflammatory changes in the joint. The goal of physiotherapy is primarily to relieve pain and to maintain and regain joint mobility. Treatments for osteoarthritis include passive range of motion of the joint. This form of treatment can improve joint mobility and stimulate the metabolism in the joints. Irritation of the joint capsule leads to increased production of synovia, the synovial fluid. This improves nutrition of the cartilage and can reduce pain in the joint.

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HD Explained precisely, hip dysplasia is a maldevelopment of the joint-forming structures of the hip joint. In this case, various structures can lead to a limitation due to an inconsistency of the joint. Among other things, too flat acetabular cups, out-of-round femoral heads or a malformation of bones can cause instability. Therefore, each dog should be examined individually to determine which maldevelopment is present and to what extent. By a HD it comes in the further course to the actually painful arthrosis in the affected joints. Also overloads on other structures such as an additional load on the forehand or a sore back are a problem. The severity of symptoms is not the same as the degree of dysplasia or existing osteoarthritis. In some dogs, severe symptoms are already present even though only minimal HD is present. In other dogs, however, there may be hardly any lameness even with severe HD. Therefore, individual consideration and therapy is always necessary.

The treatment of HD The treatment depends on the age, the symptoms, the degree of HD, the degree of arthrosis and the body weight of the dog. The aim of the treatment is always to relieve pain, delay the progression of arthritic changes, improve joint mobility, strengthen the muscles and avoid overloading other structures (e.g. the forehand). With the help of conditioning and endurance training, underwater treadmill. Current therapy and various muscle-building exercises can thus be used to counteract conservatively. Secondarily, of course, consequential damage should be avoided. The therapy can be non-surgical (conservative) or surgical.

Elbow dysplasia (ED) Elbow dysplasia includes various diseases. They have in common that due to them the elbow joint does not fit together and function smoothly. Usually both elbows are affected. Whereby one elbow usually becomes conspicuous earlier. The following malformations of the elbow joint lead to ED: • a fragmented coronoid process (FCP for short), a detachment of the internal coronoid process of the ulna • Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD for short), a cartilage detachment at the inner rolling hump of the humerus • an isolated processus anconeus (IPA for short), a detachment of the process of the elbow.

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Both the IPC and the IPA are most commonly treated surgically.

Therapy: Electricity, acupuncture, passive movements.

Follow-up care is important so that malalignment can be avoided. Often the problem has been present for quite a while before it is detected. Muscle development and gait training, as well as relief of inflammation, are the main focus of rehabilitation.

Spondylosis

Physical therapy can be used to relieve pain and relieve tension. Mobility in the elbow joint is also restored. Furthermore, a normal range of motion is trained and muscles are built up. These measures are necessary after surgical removal of bone and cartilage fragments. However, they are also indispensable in conservative treatment.

Degenerative myelopathy Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a genetic spinal cord disease that disrupts conduction pathways in dogs. It is chronic, progressive and not treatable. As the disease progresses, the dog’s musculoskeletal system becomes more and more restricted until paralysis occurs. The disease itself is completely painless. Even though there is no cure, it is important for the dog to remain mobile. The goal of treatment is to maintain musculature and mobility throughout the body to prevent cartilage damage. Physiotherapy treatment helps to strengthen the muscles and prevents paralysis. In addition, both the coordination and the balance of the dog are further strengthened, so that he can remain active longer and the progress of the disease can be slowed down somewhat.

Spondylosis is a pathological calcification of the spine and leads to severe pain and restricted movement. Physiotherapy can help to counteract the stiffening of the spine. Furthermore, physiotherapy for spondylosis can help loosen tight muscles and help build muscle. With strong muscles, pressure can be taken off the spine and discs. Heat treatment and further massages are also useful, as these loosen tense muscle areas and contribute positively to the dog’s well-being.

Spondylosis exercise -The front-back weight shift Here’s how it works: You kneel in front of your dog and get him to stand on an elevation with his front legs. The elevation can be a step, a curb, books or a low tree stump. The elevation should be no higher than the height of his wrist so that your dog can keep the weight shift stable. This will cause him to shift his weight to his hind legs and lower back first. Now take a treat and move it forward a little in front of your dog’s nose, so that your dog stretches his neck. He now shifts his weight to the front legs and exercises the muscles of the front legs and shoulders. The hind legs remain in their original position. You hold this position for about 3 seconds. Then you give him the treat.

OCD Osteochondrosis is a group of diseases that are confined to the immature skeleton and can be visualized by X-ray as fragments, dissections or free particles (articular mice). It is a typical growth disease. This disease occurs frequently in fast growing, medium to large and temperamental dog breeds. Like for example in our Rhodesian Ridgebacks. There seems to be some breed and genetic predisposition, males are more often affected than females. • 74 % of all OCD originates at the shoulder joint. • 11% of all OCD occurs at the elbow joint. • 9 % of all OCD occurs at the art.tarsocruralis (small bone at the hock joint). • 4% of all OCD occurs at the knee joint.

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OCD at the hip joint is rather rare. It occurs around the 6th month of life, mostly bilateral and mainly in very large breeds. The main symptom is intermittent lameness. The cause of OCD is a disorder of cartilage growth. This results in critical cartilage thickening, so that nourishment of the deep cartilage layers can no longer occur. The cartilage dies. This pathological process starts before the 4th month of life, but clinical lameness usually appears between the 6th and 8th month. Mild OCD defects without scaling and free cartilage parts in the joint capsule can be treated with strict rest, consequent change of feed and physiotherapy. In other cases, surgical treatment is necessary. Goals of physiotherapy in this clinical picture are: • Pain relief

• Muscle relaxation • Muscle strengthening

• Endurance and condition building • Exercise load phases

Here’s how the exercise works: Your dog stands on a non-slip surface and you squat next to your dog. This way you can support him if he gets off balance. You grab the front leg (above the paw), lift it slightly and relieve the leg for about 3-5 seconds. On the hind legs, you also grab above the paw, bending the barrel slightly. Just like you do when you dry your dog’s paw. Even though the exercise looks simple, the effect and effort are high, especially if your dog has a weak point in the musculoskeletal system.

Hot roll (for tension) The hot roll is a local heat application that can be made with the simplest means. The part of the body to be treated is strongly heated. At the beginning of the treatment there is a temperature of 70°C. This may seem uncomfortable to the dog. As soon as the roll cools down a bit (ca.50°C) the heat is perceived as pleasant. After the treatment is finished, the body area remains heated and gives off heat for several hours.

Execution: The hot roll is made from a towel size 50 x 70 cm. The towel is cut in half lengthwise and then rolled very tightly and spirally to form a funnel. The roll must be wound very tightly, otherwise there will be too much heat loss. Then pour hot boiling water into the upper (inner) funnel of the towel. About 1/2 - 3/4l. of boiling water is needed, or stop pouring when the outer layer of the towel is almost completely soaked. The hot roller is spread over the affected area of the body in the direction of the fur, pressing lightly. During the treatment, slowly unwind the towel and roll it up again in the opposite direction as a funnel, so you always have the optimal heat. One has here a long-lasting warming effect.

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Example exercise for OCD is the “raise your paw”

THERAPY POSSIBILITIES FROM HOME

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HOW TO HELP RELIEVE YOUR DOG’S

PAIN

When dogs feel pain in the back part of their body, they tend to hunch their back, trying to carry their weight with the front limbs.

In this article, I will describe various diseases that are the reasons for your dog’s pain, and a type of therapy that can be used as an effective method for pain relief.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS THAT YOUR DOG HAS JOINT INFLAMMATION?

HOW DO WE DETERMINE THAT SOMETHING IS BOTHERING OUR DOG? First of all, recognizing pain is key to successfully prevent and relieve it, because your dog cannot describe it the way humans can. Chronic pain in a dog is harder to diagnose compared to a sudden pain, where the dog immediately shows us that he/she is in pain with a squeal. We determine if the dog has an acute pain by his/ her behavior: the dog develops eating disorder, becomes aggressive and does not allow us to touch the painful spot. When a dog suffers from a chronic pain, it should not be overlooked. Dogs have their nervous system developed similarly as humans do, so we can assume that a dog would feel pain the same way a person feels pain in a similar situation or having the same disease. Observe your dog and you will notice deviations from the normal behavioral patterns in: • feeding (eating disorder, while eating they don’t let you touch their bowl…), • grooming (the dog does not allow you to touch his ears, or clip claws, or combing), • behavior towards you and other dogs, • general posture of the dog and posture during an activity. • Dog owners often overlook their pet’s chronic pain because they confuse it with age related problems: Laura from Kranj explains: “My Labrador Lord gradually started to fall behind while we were taking a walk and slowly dragged his feet to follow me. Since he had also gained weight, I thought he just became an old fat Labrador, so I made the walks shorter. His appetite was fine and I thought there was nothing wrong. But he suffered severe joint pain. The vet diagnosed osteoarthritis.”

OSTEOARTHRITIS IN DOGS Osteoarthritis is a rheumatic disease, due to wear and tear the joint become inflamed. Dogs with chronic osteoarthritis have difficulty getting up, difficulty walking, refuse to walk the stairs, and refuse to jump into a car. These disease is more common in dogs that are taller.

Osteortritis is accompanied with severe joint pains and it is necessary for you to seek help for your dog with a veterinarian.

A sign of joint inflammation in dogs is definitely pain in the joints of their limbs. It occurs more commonly in dogs that are older. The first sign that your dog is in pain, is definitely lack of agility and acting lethargic. If you also notice swelling in your dogs joints, it could be inflammation. If your dog suffers hip inflammation, you can’t even see it. The area is painful to the touch and it hinders your dog during basic daily activities. Inflammation of joints can be the reason your dog has a fever, lack of appetite and feels weak and lethargic in general. The following signs could mean your dog has inflamed joints: • Noticeable stiffness, especially after rest (showing signs of difficulty to get up) • The dog hesitates walking the stairs • When going for a walk the dog falls behind or gets tired quickly • The dog prefers to lie down to standing or sitting • The dog squeals, growls, or even snorts at you when you touch the affected area

WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOUR DOG HAS JOINTS INFLAMMATION? Take your dog to the vet. With only a few tests, they can determine if your dog has arthritis or not. The blood work results will also show if inflammation is present. It is very important to detect arthritis in its early stages, which is difficult to do for your dog, because he/she will not show signs of pain immediately. If your dog does not have arthritis and it is not an inflammation, the reason for the signs could be osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the wear and tear of cartilage in a joint and it causes pain. The same as with arthritis, the sign is joint pain, the difference is that with osteoarthritis the pain is not accompanied by inflammation. Your veterinarian will prescribe anti-inflammatory and analgesic medicines for your dog. A veterinarian will often prescribes a diet as well, especially if your dog has gained weight and because the type of diet also affects inflammation in the body. Physical therapy and magnetic therapy are highly recommended.

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hen your dog is in pain, I believe you would do just about anything to make that pain go away. As dogs get older, they are plagued with a variety of problems that cause them pain. A common occurrence for dogs are also injuries, that’s when relief is urgently needed.

MAGNETIC THERAPY AGAINST

PAIN (WHAT IS IT AND HOW DOES IT WORK?)

Magnetic therapy is a suitable therapy for dogs that have problems with their joints, ligament damage or back pain. Magus magnetic therapy comes in a form of a matt and can be a solution to help relieve your dog’s pain. The basis for magnetotherapy is a magnetic field with low frequencies and has been used in veterinary medicine for many years. It affects deep tissue, the cells in humans and animals. It is used by veterinarians after surgeries. If the dog has physical therapy, the magnetic therapy is indispensable. In 2016 research, the veterinarian Bognato proved that in case of osteoarthritis of the knee in dogs, their condition significantly improves and their pain is also significantly reduced. You can see it in their activeness and general mood.

MAGUS MAGNETIC THERAPY MATT (HOW TO USE IT FOR A DOG?) The matt has foam-coated coils inside, so the matt is a soft pad for your dog’s comfort. The Magus magnetic therapy matt kit contains two matts made out of durable fabric that does not absorb moisture: • Large matt 180cm x 70cm (for the whole body of your dog)

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• Small matt (for smaller breeds or for local use in larger breeds - eg. To be placed on the hips only or on the spine) • Control unit where you can choose between 14 different settings (for muscles, for bone regeneration, for joints - osteoarthritis, for relieving pain…) • Power adapter • Everything is stored in a convenient bag

of dogs calm down completely or even fall asleep. Soon the dog gets used to the therapy matt and as soon as your dog sees the matt, he/she already knows what to do. Some Magus magnetic therapy matt owners place the matt under their dog’s bed and start the therapy while their dog is asleep. And because this is a quiet and unobtrusive therapy, it will not disturb your dog in any way.

ARTHRITIS IN DOGS Arthritis is a rheumatic disease when the joints become swollen and painful. This disease is also known to affect humans and is a very widespread disease, but it is not necessarily related only to aging.

The magnetic therapy is a completely non-invasive and safe method where magnetic field penetrates deep into the muscles and bones, so your pet will rest during this therapy.

Arthritis patient will feel severe joint pain, swelling, and they will have an accompanying redness in the joint area. Long ago, arthritis was called rheumatism.

The therapy does not produce sound or vibrations, so your dog will be completely stress-free. The main advantage of the therapy is that it can be performed at home, in your dog’s home environment (on a couch, in a bed ...).

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS THAT YOUR DOG HAS ARTHRITIS?

All the programs last 30 minutes. One therapy per day is usually sufficient. The owner usually sits down somewhere in the apartment, puts a Magus magnetic therapy matt on the floor and invites the dog to lie down. During the therapy a vast majority

First sign of arthritis in dogs is definitely pain in the joints of their limbs. It occurs more commonly in dogs that are older. The first sign that your dog is in pain, is definitely lack of agility and acting lethargic. If you also notice swelling in your dogs joints, it

Your veterinarian will prescribe anti-inflammatory and analgesic medicines for your dog. A veterinarian will often prescribes a diet as well, especially if your dog has gained weight and because the type of diet also affects inflammation in the body. Physical therapy and magnetic therapy are highly recommended.

MAGNETIC THERAPY FOR ARTHRITIS Magnetic therapy is a suitable therapy for dogs that have arthritis or osteoarthritis. Magus magnetic therapy comes in a form of a matt and can be a solution to help relieve your dog’s pain. The basis for magnetotherapy is a magnetic field with low frequencies that penetrates deep into all the cells of the body. The effect causes cell membranes to tense resulting in faster cell regeneration. This is a completely natural process, meaning that the Magus magnetic therapy matt has no side effects.

could be arthritis. The area is painful to the touch and if you looked closely under the fur, you could see redness on the skin. Arthritis can be the reason your dog has a fever, lack of appetite and feels weak and lethargic in general. The following signs could mean your dog has arthritis: • Noticeable stiffness, especially after rest (showing signs of difficulty to get up), • The dog hesitates walking the stairs, • When going for a walk the dog falls behind or gets tired quickly, • The dog prefers to lie down to standing or sitting and • The dog squeals, growls, or even snorts at you when you touch the affected area.

WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOUR DOG HAS ARTHRITIS? Take your dog to the vet. With only a few tests, they can determine if your dog has arthritis or not. The blood work results will also show if inflammation is present. It is very important to detect arthritis in its early stages, which is difficult to do for your dog, because he/she will not show signs of pain immediately.

The magnetic therapy is a completely non-invasive and safe method where magnetic field penetrates deep into the muscles and bones, so your pet will rest during this therapy. The therapy does not produce sound or vibrations, so your dog will be completely stress-free. The main advantage of the therapy is that it can be performed at home, in your dog’s home environment (on a couch, in a bed ...).

SPINAL PAIN IN A DOG One of the most common reasons your dog is in pain is also spinal pain. This is not a strange occurrence, because the spine is a really complicated part of the musculoskeletal system. The spine, as being a very important part of the musculoskeletal system, is susceptible to various injuries and a lot of strain, causing back pain in the dog. Discovering your dog’s spinal problems usually comes late, because these problems are also connected to limb pain.

HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOUR DOG HAS SPINAL PAIN? Usually the dog owners notice that something is wrong with their dog when the condition is already seriously progressed. We all know our dogs well, but they still don’t show signs of pain quickly enough so that we could recognize the problem early on.

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If your dog does not have arthritis and it is not an inflammation, the reason for the signs could be osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the wear and tear of cartilage in a joint and it causes pain. The same as with arthritis, the sign is joint pain, the difference is that with osteoarthritis the pain is not accompanied by inflammation.

EACH DOG EXPRESSES PAIN IS DIFFERENTLY Expressing pain or showing that something is bothering your dog it varies form dog to dog. It depends on various factors such as: • Gender • Breed • Age • Previous experience • Social status • Living situation • Environmental impact All dog owners probably know that their dog behaves completely differently in a different environment than at home. It’s no surprise that the dog will limp all day at home, but when we take him to the vet, he walks normally. External influence affects the expression of problems, and it happens due to various factors. Sometimes it’s hard to differentiate between leg and spine pain in your dog. Here are some indications that the problem is in the spine: • Difficulty when walking the stairs (usually the dog hesitates in front of the stairs), • Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, until the dog warms up, • Getting ready to jump into a car or onto a couch, • They rest more and prefer to lie down, not following you around every step you make, • They display difficulty to stand while we wipe their feet, • They drag their hind limbs and • Their movement is rigid, stiff.

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KNEE LIGAMENT INJURY A knee ligament injury in dogs is very common. Knee ligaments in dogs are short and when overstrained, they rupture quickly or even get torn. In most cases surgery is needed to repair the damage, and soon after the surgery, a quality physical therapy follows. We cannot imagine that today, in modern times, rehabilitation would not include a magnetic therapy. In case of knee ligament injury, a magnetic therapy accelerates soft tissue regeneration, relieves pain, and affects the overall well-being of your dog. Alenka, Mislinja:“Our dog Rex is a very active border collie. When he was barely three years old, his knee ligaments were injured. We had his rehabilitation done at Dogs4motion, where, in addition to other therapies, he was also treated with a Magus magnetic therapy matt. Surprisingly, while laying on a matt, he calmed down. I asked the therapist if I could get a matt like that to take back home. We

rented a matt for 6 weeks. Not only Rex, but my husband also used the matt.

WHAT DOGS SHOULD USE MAGNETIC THERAPY AND WHAT FOR? Magnetic therapy for dogs is intended for dogs: • with muscle, ligament or tendon injury, • after orthopedic or neurological surgery, • with chronic degenerative joint disease, • in case of loss of general fitness due to illness or age and • sport dogs, for whom you want to improve physical performance and reduce the possibility of injuries. We recommend magnetic therapy for dogs whose owners would like to offer their pets a better quality of life. Whether your dog is old, suffering from pain or has been injured - treat them with magnetic therapy. The most common physical therapy programs we use for treating dogs:: • Program 3 - relaxation of muscles and easing tension • Program 9 - bone fractures and joint pain • program C1 - muscle pain All the programs last 30 minutes. One therapy per day is usually sufficient. The owner usually sits down somewhere in the apartment, puts a Magus magnetic therapy matt on the floor and invites the dog to lie down. During the therapy a vast majority of dogs calm down completely or even fall asleep. Soon the dog gets used to the therapy matt and as soon as your dog sees the matt, he/she already knows what to do. Some Magus magnetic therapy matt owners place the matt under their dog’s bed and start the therapy while their dog is asleep. And because this is a quiet and unobtrusive therapy, it will not disturb your dog in any way.

www.pemf-magus.com

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I’m sure the Magus magnetic therapy matt was the reason that Rex’s rehabilitation was very fast!”

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A JUDGE Greetings from Czech Republic

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS. I live in a small village in the Eastern part of the Czech Republic. Dogs and Horses have been a part of my life since my childhood and the fact that I fell in love with Ridgebacks is after 25 years of living with them pretty much indisputable. Rhodesian Ridgebacks have been in my family since the year 1996. I am an owner, breeding head advisor & chairman for the KHCRR club, Ridgeback judge and obviously a great dog lover.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED? My first sighting comes from an ordinary dog Atlas my husband gave me for Christmas. I was fas-

cinated and wanted one ever since they started getting imported into our country.

WHEN DID YOUR LOVE OF DOGS BEGIN? PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PAST AND PRESENT DOGS. Our first actual Ridgeback was Asilia Babakar, beautiful with an amazing personality. She gave us two litters. Bhubezi, her daughter became an essential part of our family. This bloodline is also known for Cachette, the mother of fantastic dogs like Ecaille & Excalibur Annunaki – both fathers of many puppies across the world. The year 2013 rolled over and I’ve decided to import a Rhodesian Ridgeback from the Swedish breeding station Karin Furst, Kadamo, It’s Now or Never. His name’s Elvis. Exceptionally looking dog with an even better personality. He was always

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ŠÁRKA ŠTUSÁKOVÁ

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very keen on cooperating with both me and my family, his bond with us helped me strengthen my passion for training dogs like no dog before. I figured, that it was something I wanted in my next breed and today, with his daughter, I can clearly say that it was probably one of my best decisions ever.

Regarding me, I’m an open-minded person, if someone asks me to share some of my experience that I’ve gained over the years – they’ll get them right away.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR JUDGING CAREER. WHEN DID YOU START TO JUDGE AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME A JUDGE?

For me personally, Ridgebacks are the epitome of sporty & elegant dogs with strong temperament.

I became a judge in 2012. Our club didn’t have one, forcing us to invite judges from other breeds. I wouldn’t call it a career though, think more of a necessity. All the tests were required to assist our growth. On the other hand, my experiences with Ridgebacks, the club and all the shows were amazing. I had the honor to participate in numerous shows all around the world, ranging from Slovakia to Australia.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE TYPE? IS THERE SOMETHING WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN THE BREED? Tough question, but I think the shy personality some Ridgebacks have.

EVERY BREED HAS SOME PROBLEMS. WHICH IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM IN RR? Not the most common but certainly the most problematic and important – sudden, often premature deaths that can happen out of nowhere, no matter the age.

DID YOU EVER HAVE A MENTOR? ARE YOU MENTORING NEWCOMERS? WHAT IS THE MOST I was taught by the older generations, however, IMPORTANT POINT WHICH as always, I preferred natural given talent and insight. YOU WOULD LIKE OTHER

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JUDGES OF THE BREED TO BE AWARE OF? The mentality. Ridgebacks aren’t just ideals, angles and all-round perfection. Ridgebacks are our companions, our great loves and often the most loyal friends. They fill us with joy and we should admire that.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE? WHICH CHARACTERISTICS MAKE A GOOD JUDGE IN YOUR OPINION? The ability to see the dog as a whole, not just the negatives, and make a quick judgment afterwards.

WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU SEE IN THE JUDGES TODAY AS OPPOSED TO THOSE IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER? None, really. There are defined traditions and mannerisms. It’s hard to change them.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE

AS A JUDGE. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS. Australia. Judging in Australia made me fully realize, that not everything is as it seems. All the aforementioned mentioned traditions and mannerisms were completely different. It was an amazing experience nevertheless.

WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THE DOG SCENE OVER THE LAST DECADES? Decade? Very short time-frame. I’m 52, I remember when dogs were chained to their kennels, I remember when the only food they given to them were remains of a bad lunch. Many things have changed and I’m glad that I’m living together with my dogs and it isn’t tabu or anything.

DO YOU SEE ANY DIFFERENCE IN RR OF TODAY COMPARED TO RR OF 10 OR MORE YEARS AGO? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES YOU SEE? Huge shift from being a hunter-dog to being integrated into families, becoming a close friend. If

it comes to physical differences – that’s all subjective. There were always and there will always be dogs that look better or slightly worse.

ALL SERIOUS YOUNG BREEDERS?.

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO THE BREED TODAY?

Keep calm and don’t get too ambitious. Breeding is an extremely complicated long-term job. You’ll face a ton of unavoidable mistakes but eventually, you’ll realize that it’s not the end of the world. If it works, it’s amazing. If it doesn’t, you’ll have to understand why - sometimes it might mean accepting a personal mistake. So, find the best advisor you can. The most essential part of breeding is experience.

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Humans

IT IS INEVITABLE THAT BREEDS WILL EVOLVE AND CHANGE SOMEWHAT AS NEW GENERATIONS OF BREEDERS TAKE CHARGE. HOW CAN THE ESSENCE OR TRUE BREED TYPE - BE MAINTAINED? What’s a true breed type? Ridgeback will evolve just like people have evolved. They will adapt, that’s the only choice they have.

WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING? I wish you all the best with your Ridgebacks.

INFO Name

Šárka Štusáková

Country Czech Affix

Republic

Anunnaki

www.anunnaki.cz anunnaki@anunnaki.cz www

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Photo by Yossi Guy

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A JUDGE Greetings from Israel

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED?

My name is Orit and I have been breeding and deeply in love with Ridgebacks for over 35 years. I see myself first and foremost as a Ridgeback lover, owner and breeder. I also would like to see myself as tutor for young breeders and judges and try to be one of the breeds’ guardians.

I was always in love with dogs and with Africa. I even studied African Studies at the University, but I never thought those 2 passions will meet…. When I graduated the IKC Cynological Academy I asked to become a breeding coordinator to some of the Molosser breeds I was so much in love with. At that time those breeds in Israel were united under an umbrella club for “Giant Breeds”, so the club asked me to take with also the responsibility for another rare breed, that arrived Israel about 5 years before and had no one to look after it….. I was always interested in the breed, also because of its African roots, so I said – why not, it took me a while to adjust to the special features of that breed, but I never looked back thereafter ….

My other passion and love is the RR Club of Israel. I was nominated as the breed coordinator in Israel in 1985, just few years after the breed arrived in our country and I’m with the breed ever since then… I breed my Ridgebacks under the kennel name “Rich-Rach” (meaning zipper…) since 1992. It is a small kennel all the dogs live at home and I breed seldom. My dogs are first of all my family members and only then show dogs. I owned/bred Ch and Grand Champions of Israel, USA, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Russia and Belarus; International (CIB) Champions and Winners of Europe, Mediterranean, Tel-Aviv; many Club Winners; Top RR of Italy 2014, and Top RR of Israel 2017, 2019, 2020. I love writing and giving seminars about the breed and I was privileged to be invited to do so for judges and breeders in many countries on 4 continents. Through the years I have held different positions at the IKC (Israel Kennel Club) among them: the editor of the Israeli Kennel Club Magazine (“Dog’s World”), a member of the Israeli Kennel Club Breeding Committee (twice), a member of the Israeli Kennel Club education committee, a board member of the Israel Kennel Club, the IKC board secretary, IKC vice president and IKC Executive Manager. I’m a member at the FCI Breeding Commission.

WHEN DID YOUR LOVE OF DOGS BEGIN? PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PAST AND PRESENT DOGS. I’m a breeder, I believe in genetics so I guess it all started with the DNA I won…. I have always loved dogs and at the age of 9 I got my mixed breed “Shepherd”. Other than my years in the military service and at the university, I never spent another day without a dog/s, all of them Ridgebacks. My first own dog was called Bar and he was actually a rescued dog with many problems, that needed only love and care to become a memorable champion. My second RR was a bitch, also rescued, also from a local breeder. Then in 2003 I got my CIB ISR Ch MBISS and Group Winner Pronkberg Mi-Yofi, from the very last litter of the late Dr. Potgieter, a Ridgeback legend. Then I kept Chtez Amnon Berezin Rich-Rach, second genera-

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ORIT NEVO

tion Rich-Rach bred, and line bred on the Dutch Vizara line, who became CIB, EUW2010 ISR GCh, Slovenian and Croatian Ch and BIG winner. Out of her I kept GCh and MBISS Rich-Rach Klil Yofi , still living with me (10 years old) living now with her daughter Ch. Rich-Rach Sasana (3 and half years old). Along the years I imported Kwetu Nandi from the USA that lived to almost 15 years, had only 1 litter from her but it gave me many champions, and GCh of Israel, CIB, TLV Winner, Ch of Russia, RKF, Belarus and Coursing Winner Aries Khan Hebeya Harmonia of Rich-Rach from Russia who is still with us, over 10 years old. I keep only 2 bitches at home at any time and I keep most of my dogs in co-ownership with friends, where they live as family dog. I do not believe in keeping RRs in big kennels. My other co-owned dog is CIB, GCh, Club Winner, Multi BIG and BISS Rich-Rach Leopold Amnon Berezin now over 7.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR JUDGING CAREER. WHEN DID YOU START TO JUDGE AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME A JUDGE?

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I was appointed as a judge in 1994, after a long process that took well over 5 years. I was encouraged to do so by my beloved mentor, the late Dr. Rita Trainin, who was always there for me along the process.

CACIB show in Israel pre COVID January 2020 RichRach Sakaza Solo and Rich-Rach Sasana BOB & BOS (we won that day Best progeny Group and Best Breeding Group as well) - by Yigal Pardo

I’m currently a Group judge for groups 4,6,7 and for around other 20 breeds from group 2, a group I’m deeply attached to. Along the years I had the pleasure and honor of judging Ridgebacks in many countries, at club specialties and at big all breed shows, which gave me the opportunity to follow the breed along the years and the globe.

DID YOU EVER HAVE A MENTOR? ARE

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Giving breed seminars Russia

YOU MENTORING NEWCOMERS? I was blessed with a few mentors and this very positive experience left me with the desire to give the same to others. My first and most important mentor, not only for dogs but also for life, was the late Dr. Rita Trainin, one of the 2 most influential women at the history of Israeli cynology. Dr. Trainin guided me since I was 18, knew when to slow me down and when to push me along, and gave me many of the tools I got for evaluating a dog, breeding, judging techniques and gathering people together. My other mentor is Jean Matmor a Vizsla breeder living now in USA, she has a rare ability to understand structure and movement, and she shared some of her knowledge with me. The person who introduced me to the Ridgeback global community was the late Stig (Nalle) Carelson from Finland, he is always in my heart. My other judge mentors are the Late Hasse Lehtinen from Finland and the respected Christofer Habig from Germany.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE TYPE? My late mentor Nalle Carelson used to say that there only 1 type, the correct type…. For me a type is when you see an animal and you immediately know from what kennel/lines/country it comes from.

IS THERE SOMETHING WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN THE BREED? It is not an easy question – my first reflex will be to answer that the desire of “changing” is the tragedy of the pedigree dogs’ breeding. The desire

to change is the selfish but very human desire of the individual person to leave a mark in this world and to feel influential. So, my basic desire is that the breeds will be left to themselves and to be what they used to be. The problem with that is that that the breeds have already changed, most of them changed A LOT, and that is a reality we have to face. The role of the dog in human society changed tremendously the last 200 years and combined with the human nature we just mentioned, came a huge change in most of the breeds. The second factor is that many things have changed in our world – from different nutrition, to different life styles and environment, up to very sophisticated genetic tools we never had in the past – so it will be inevitable and unwise to ignore that. Taking all of that into consideration, what I would really like to change is to UNDO some of the extreme changes already done in our breed standard. whoever followed my papers and writing about the “evolution of the standard” and “A bRidge too far” (the last co-written with Mrs. Linda Costa) knows that I would have loved to see some of the changes made to the breed standard, regarding ridge shape, re-done.

EVERY BREED HAS SOME PROBLEMS. WHICH IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM IN RR? I think the biggest problem has to do with the people, not the dogs, and that is over breeding. From a relatively rare breed our breed became in 20 years one of the biggest in Europe. You see so many litters, so many pups, so many dogs at the shows (the last one is good thing!) in many allbreed shows our breed is in the list of the breeds with the biggest entries. Numbers and quantity are necessary to keep quality and diversity. But

over-breeding is not a good thing, because then the majority is coming from people who not necessarily know enough, or wish to learn, or aim to find the right combination. With that you can’t preserve and improve health, type or behaviour. Regarding health I think we are on the right track, but always have to be very, very careful. Behaviour is a very tricky element in Ridgebacks, our breed have a very special and complicated characters and it is always a delicate matter to keep the right mixture, as well as to find the right homes for our dogs. Type-wise I think the breed is not in bad place, there were times of very common type faults like too heavy or too snippy heads and lack of rear angulation, then came the era of too big and too dark dogs, I think those days are more or less behind us. We still have to deal with too big dogs (but not as gigantic), and the biggest problem nowadays is lack of balance – when too many dogs are almost straight in front and too many dogs have too much rear angulation – each one of the two brings balance disorder, the combination of the two can be quite sad. But for me the biggest problem is the tendency to forget the correct body proportions. For me the Rhodesian Ridgeback is a rectangular breed, otherwise it can’t provide the correct movement for its original job, unfortunately too often I see too big and too square dogs on the podium. The rib cage is also connected to another problem we see too often, and that is rib cage that start to rise up too soon. Meaning the first ribs after the elbows can be very deep, but very soon after the underline rise up and do not keep the ribs well sprung.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE OTHER JUDGES OF THE BREED TO BE AWARE OF? I have confidence in my collogues, we are different from each other and that is what makes our sport what it is. As long as they judge according to their better knowledge and true to their heart, being blind to any other factor and looking only at the dog and its potential, not the handling or the popular opinion. What I would like to ask – first of all myself and then my colleagues - is to pay attention not to favour the big dog with the brilliant handler, and then to stick to the breed type in body proportion (meaning to pay attention that the dogs are not too square or leggy).

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE? WHICH CHARACTERISTICS MAKE A GOOD JUDGE IN YOUR OPINION? A good eye to the breed type – which normally (even if not always) will come with breeding experience. A very sensitive eye for movement.

Photo by Yossi Guy

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Last but not least there is something very fragile and not easy to define – I think that for the

numbers we see at the show rings, we should have seen more extraordinary individuals. We see many good dogs, but very seldom we see the unique ones.

Photo by Yossi Guy

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To strive and have the passion to keep on learning all the time, always, at any stage and from everyone. And with that the strength to stick to your best knowledge and to your true heart, and not to compromise your opinion because of the popular opinion or the person on the other side of the leash.

WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU SEE IN THE JUDGES TODAY AS OPPOSED TO THOSE IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER? In general, I believe there always have been and will be different type of judges, good ones and not as good ones. I think these days the judges have a unique opportunity to learn and develop thanks to the fantastic technological developments, that enable us to cover the gap of both time and distance. When I started my journey in the 80s, especially living in an isolated country, I remember waiting every day for the mail to arrive to see if I got any magazine. They arrived, printed in black and white and not the best resolution, describing shows that took place months ago, that was the only way to learn. We were waiting for video-tape recordings of the Crufts BBC show to arrive by post months later (at least to Israel…). These days you see the pictures from the show in another part of the world, before the show ends, and you

watch all the big shows live streaming. You can fly and travel around the world to see breeders and shows much easier and less expensively (when you do not have a world pandemic). Excellent articles and magazines are available via internet. All of that gives the new judges an excellent opportunity to learn so much, from so many deferent resources, with modest means (other than time). This is fantastic and allows people to gain so much, much easier and much faster than in the “old times”. Together with that, sometimes you see the “instant culture”. Well, in any era, the old judges will complain about the newcomers that they “just arrived and think they know everything”. I guess that is the nature of human life cycle. But it is true that these days we see more often people that believe they can do “short cuts” and forget that certain things and abilities take time to settle.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A JUDGE. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS. Well, I certainly do hope that my “most memorable experience” is yet to come. Judging Ridgebacks well over 100 times, in 22 different countries, I’m still excited before each show. I was really privileged to judge important shows, huge entries, great dogs, in beautiful countries or venues. But the moments I cherish the most are when a dog enters the ring and my heart skips a beat, the

As I mentioned earlier, I think the last 10 years we saw improvements in size and color. We still cope with the same structure problems of square dogs, too straight in front, and inadequate rib cage.

WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THE DOG SCENE OVER THE LAST DECADES?

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO THE BREED TODAY?

As mentioned, the world become more accessible, more global, more rapid. Information flows so quickly. More countries opened (especially the former eastern bloc), dog shows becoming bigger and bigger. All of that are great changes.

As mentioned before – over popularity.

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What I do not like is the shift toward “professional handling”. I certainly prefer the focus to be on the quality of the animal than on the quality of showing, and my great fear is that the European dog scene will become similar to that of the USA where the owner-handler is the exotic exception (needed a special class to protect it from extinction at the important shows). There is a huge danger of losing the best dogs to the best-shown dogs, and more than that – losing the good humble small-scale breeders, that more and more do not see a reason to spend so much money and hopes, going to the big shows, believing (rightly or not) that they do not stand a chance to be noted over all the fancy dressed “professionals”. Losing those people will be losing the backbone and the heart of our hobby.

DIFFERENCES YOU SEE?

world slow down to slow motion for a second or two. I feel my eyes fill with invisible (I hope) tears, and I know that I was privileged to have another unique and unforgettable Ridgeback entering my ring. I had a few moments like that and for sure I do hope to experience few more.

With that comes the new character of the big events. As a judge I feel that sometimes we are forced to give very short time and attention to the dogs and owners, that made all the huge effort to enter, because we need to finish judging our 80100 dogs in few hours, because main ring takes as long as breed rings. Our “exhibitions” becoming more and more “showing”, it is beautiful and powerful but I’m afraid that from time to time we forget what is the essence of things.

DO YOU SEE ANY DIFFERENCE IN RR OF TODAY COMPARED TO RR OF 10 OR MORE YEARS AGO? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST

INFO

IT IS INEVITABLE THAT BREEDS WILL EVOLVE AND CHANGE SOMEWHAT AS NEW GENERATIONS OF BREEDERS TAKE CHARGE. HOW CAN THE ESSENCE OR TRUE BREED TYPE - BE MAINTAINED? True breed type has already changed, in almost all pure-bred dogs… The legendary dog expert Mr. Raymond Triquet said that “a “race” created by nature, “breed” created by culture or fashion at the show ring”. In that aspect I believe that we already went quite far. I did try to elaborate the topic in the articles “evolution of the standard” and “A bRidge too far”.

WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO ALL SERIOUS YOUNG BREEDERS? Strive to learn, try to get as much information as you can get, from as many resources as possible, seek for knowledge and information, keep your mind open but always be critical and judgmental, learn from others but make your decisions for yourself. Remember that you can’t learn only from pictures, a true learning involved seeing and touching more and more and more dogs; and always remember that to understand the breed you have to know and understand its history.

Name Orit

Nevo

Country Israel Affix Rich-Rach

orit.rich.rach@gmail.com

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SUPERNOVA BREEDER

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PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR KENNEL TO OUR READERS My name is Deborah Higgins, and my Kennel is Supernova Ridgebacks. We are located in Cornish, NH. I am currently a member of RRCUS and a breeder in good standing. I am also a member of our local All-Breed club, Woodstock Dog Club, and our regional Breed club, New England Rhodesian Ridgeback Club. I’ve owned Ridgebacks, since 2009 – and bred my first litter in December, 2012. My dogs are a huge part of my life. While I am a veterinary technician by trade, I spend a considerable amount of my time enjoying the greater outdoors, doing a wide variety of activities from running, to hiking, swimming etc. It is important to me to include my dogs in as much of my life as I can, so my dogs tend to be very fit, and active.

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In addition to being active with my dogs outdoors, and breeding, I spend time training and competing in conformation and agility. We also recently began introducing our dogs to obedience and trick titles. I aspire to strengthen our training in agility and hope to be able to successfully compete in lure coursing. We have dabbled with rally, and hope to compete this coming year. After initially breeding 3 litters under the prefix Vermont Ridgebacks, I changed my Kennel name and prefix to Supernova. It was much more than a name change to me. It was 2018, and as I was preparing to register my first litter, out of my first wellbred bitch – a litter which was the culmination of years of effort, years of having doors closed in my face, years of truly learning and growing. It was at this moment where I was finally able to see the significant change in my personal understanding of what ethical, preservation breeding is all about. It was a name change, which represented the evolution of my breeding process, and my breeding goals. I feel that since 2018, I have continued to grow – always striving to learn more, do better, and breed to the standard. I have met countless people along this journey, and had so many awesome adventures. I attended my first National Specially in 2019 – it was an amazing experience which really opened my eyes to all of the different sports you can do with Ridgebacks. I competed in sweeps, and regular conformation, and enjoyed as many of the onsite events as I could with my peers. I was able to see dogs excelling in obedience, watch brace competitions, oversee rally legs being performed (even rally brace classes?). Though I wasn’t able to enter, due to the age of my bitch, I was even able to bike another breeders’ bitch in a 12 mile Endurance Trial event! We left the 2019 National, inspired to try it all! Unfortunately, our ability to train, and ultimately be-

gin competing in venues other than conformation, hit a bit of a wall with the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. We live in a very remote area, and it has been very challenging to find classes and events. However, that barrier aside, we had a good 2020, and I am really excited for what the future holds – both for my current household of girls, and some of the very exciting puppies that I have on the ground at the moment! We are confident 2021 will be a BIG YEAR!

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE A DOG BREEDER IN THE FIRST PLACE? I have wanted to be a breeder for as long as I can remember. I grew up homeschooled, in a family that had Brittany Spaniels. My parents bred our Spaniels throughout my childhood- I have memories of helping them whelp and rear puppies as early as three years old. When I was old enough to read, I discovered my parent’s beautiful, old encyclopedia set. I remember regularly pulling the “D” book off the shelf, and reading over and over, about dogs. It gave me my first glimpse of different breeds and the various groups. I was mesmerized with every part of breeding, from the dogs being part of our family, to bringing their puppies into the world, raising the puppies and sending them off into their new homes. I knew from a young age this was something I wanted to do. While I wasn’t able to begin breeding dogs myself until a little later in life – I started breeding Mini Rex Rabbits when I was 8 years of age. I was breeding pet quality rabbits to sell to local families. It may not seem like a significant experience to some – however, looking back, I think it was a pretty impressive operation I was running! At the high point of my career I had almost 60 rabbits and kits in my Rabbitry. Ultimately, I had to end my rabbit breeding program when my parents enrolled me in the local high school. Between school and after school sports, I was no longer home enough during the day to properly care for them. The loss of that hobby, the time no longer spent caring for my rabbits and their offspring, left me with a void. That’s when I got MY first dog Raven, a black lab. I had 3 litters of puppies with Raven. She was a wonderful devoted dog.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED? I learned about the breed in high school, through a friend whose family had a Ridgeback. While I wasn’t yet in a position to own a ridgeback, my preference had always tended to lean towards larger dogs – Irish Wolfhounds, Great Danes, etc – however, I found myself worrying about the extra large breeds, with their often shorter lifespans.

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I was interested in German Shepherds, but really wasn’t ready to commit to their hair! I loved Dalmatians, but had met a few with thyroid issues that had me wary. No matter what breed I thought I liked, I managed to find a lifestyle fault, or a turn off. As my passion for dogs continued to plague me, I found myself researching this intriguing breed called ridgebacks, even though I had never met one. The more I learned about Ridgebacks, the more I knew they would be the perfect breed for me! From everything I read, every photo I saw - they were amazing, energetic, athletic, beautiful dogs that I saw as fitting my lifestyle perfectly. Once I knew I had found the breed for me – I started to campaign my parents (heavily) to allow me to get one. However, any attempt to acquire a ridgeback under my parent’s roof was unsuccessful - my dad had the perception that they were an aggressive breed. Then, I moved to college!

HOW, IN YOUR OPINION, DO RIDGEBACKS DIFFER FROM OTHER BREEDS? Ridgebacks are the total package. As far as I can see it, they lack nothing, and are as versatile and

adaptable as any breed can be. They are athletic, smart, easy to maintain, and incredibly devoted. I strongly believe that it is their devotion to their family, and their people, which keep owners like myself dedicated to this breed.

WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, MAKES A PERFECT RIDGEBACK? A healthy one! A smart one! A loving one! Answering this question is SO hard – because the perfect Ridgeback, is the one that is seen as perfect by its owner. This is sometimes a challenge as a breeder. I am willing to sacrifice on certain characteristics, even when picking my own keeper puppies, in order to keep the one that I have a connection with. The perfect Ridgeback to me, is the one that is mine! It is hard to describe, but there are just some puppies that you seem to share a seemingly deeper, and otherworldly connection with – they truly touch your soul… that is my perfect Ridgeback. Of course perfection can be measured in angles, proportions, and height – but a “perfectly” built dog, lacking in temperament, or personality, with no true connection to its owner, is a dog that I would be much less proud to have bred.

WHAT IMPROVEMENTS DO YOU WANT TO BRING TO THE BREED WITH YOUR BREEDING PROGRAM? As far as I am concerned, the current Breed Standard is the embodiment of a ridgeback and all it should be. The standard is what made me fall in love with the breed. I have no grandiose aspirations to make improvements to the breed – nor do I see improving the breed, as something I feel I should be doing with my own program. I think that the job of the breeder is to preserve the breed, and all of its physical and mental attributes, as true to the standard as can be achieved.

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The ultimate tragedy of breeding, as we know, is that there is no such thing as a perfect dog. As such, with each dog I breed comes a list of things I love, and hopefully, a much shorter list of items I aim to improve upon. While from time to time I do seek the opinion of others, I do feel as though I can objectively evaluate my own dog’s weaknesses, and seek for a breeding counterpart that will help improve upon those weaknesses, without sacrificing the things I love. The ultimate aim is always to bring my dogs as close to the standard as I can, with each breeding, and each generation. The goal of my program is simply to uphold the standard, not out-do it.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROGRAM? The story of my program is a story of my own evolution within the breeding world. As previously noted, my Ridgeback pack grew out of the acquisition of my first Ridgeback when I was in College. Naïve as it was, at the time, I did what most puppy purchasers would do – I searched on the internet, and found a breeder local to me in South Carolina. I purchased a female, on full registration, with no breeding restrictions. It was a dream come true, because I knew that I wanted to get back into breeding, and I had already decided, this was the breed for me. I remember the first time returning to my hometown in Tunbridge Vermont, to visit my family after I got my first ridge-

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back, Nala. I stopped in to check out a local confirmation show. I went directly to the ridgeback ring, and was so excited to meet and speak to other owners and breeders! I found people ringside, holding onto their dogs, and struck up conversation with a few, letting them know that I too had a ridgeback, who was just shy of a year old. I told them how I acquired her and that I had plans to breed her and that I would LOVE to learn how to show her. Some were interested in holding a conversation, others were not. Upon hearing about the origins of my bitch, and my intentions to breed a few were not at all shy, and had no problem telling me to spay and start over. Going so far as to call my bitch garbage! I was appalled – they didn’t know me, hadn’t seen my dog, and didn’t know the breeder I got her from, how could they possibly arrive at this conclusion! Needless to say, I left that show with a horrible taste in my mouth, little did I know that in a few short years, I would return to that very same conformation event, singing a very different tune!

more genetic muscling combined with youth, a nicer topline, and more balanced angulation (oh what I have learned). My eyes were seeing things that my consciousness hadn’t yet learned. This breeding produced 12 puppies, 2 of which were sadly stillborn. After whelping and raising the puppies in the same fashion – it was time for me to say goodbye again. At 8 weeks, one male puppy went off to a breeder, and the remaining nine beautiful puppies went off to pet homes all on full registration, with again basically no contracts. I know what you are thinking… we will get there.

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Fast forward three years, and it was time to breed Nala for the first time. I completed her hip x-rays (the only health issue I was familiar with at the time), and found a local South Carolina breeder with puppies listed. I wasn’t looking for puppies but, I went and met his dogs, and inquired about using his stud. To my delight, he allowed me to use one of his dogs, he was a handsome dog and very sweet. I was beyond thrilled! Then, in December 2012, at three years old, Nala had her first litter of 9 puppies. This was also my first Ridgeback litter, and as I was still in South Carolina, Nala and I whelped and raised them all on our own! I still remember learning about the unique “fuzzy stage” that Ridgebacks go through, one day I was certain I had 8 ridged puppies with one ridgeless. I woke up the next day, and I couldn’t tell if I had any ridged puppies! Anyway, I still look back on that and smile – it was a fun experience full of learning, and I loved every minute of it. At 8 weeks, all of the puppies went to pet homes, on full registration, with a joke of a contract. It was all I knew at the time. As it turned out, one of those puppies did end up in the hands of a less than scrupulous breeder, as I was blissfully unaware of the world we live in. Lucky for the puppy (and for me), this particular bitch puppy ended up barren. When the breeder realized this, she was spayed, and placed in a WONDERFUL retirement home who still keeps in contact with me to this day! It was in February 2014, at four and a half years old, that Nala had her second litter. For this breeding, I had returned to the same stud dog owner from my first litter. I bred to the son of the original stud this time. Looking back, the son seemed nicer to me in ways that I couldn’t properly put my finger on at the time. He seemed more athletic, and moved so beautifully. I now know that what I was seeing was in fact

Shortly after that litter went home, I made the decision to move back home to Vermont with Nala. A year later, it was time to consider breeding again. Now that I was no longer in the South Carolina area, I set out to find a new stud dog. I went to the internet to search again, and this time, I found the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of America’s page (RRCUS). It all looked so official and they even had a breeder directory! I reached out to more breeders than I could even remember. Most didn’t respond but some did. Of the responses I did get, none were friendly. I received responses telling me to spay my dogs, that my dogs were junk, that I had no idea what I was doing, and had no business breeding etc – not one person took the time to actually to see my dog, not one person took the time to talk about health testing with me, not one of them stopped to consider me as a person capable of learning, understanding or change. Not one asked about my experience, my education, what I do for a living, my life, or my intentions. And then, just when I was about to give up and consider a drive back to South Carolina to breed Nala’s final litter, I received a response from Ulla-Britt Ekengren, of ShadyRidge. She took the time to talk to me, get to know me, ask questions and give answers. She was kind. The conversation that I had with her over the phone, and many subsequent conversations, changed

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my life, and my breeding program significantly. She took a chance on me, made a small investment of her time. She invited me to her home – and I went! I remember being SO incredibly nervous, but also very curious as to who this stranger was, who was willing to give me the consideration I wanted and needed. I presented my bitch to her and she evaluated her right in front of me! From height, to angles, to the color of eyes – she talked about all that was good, and all that was not. I had never seen this before, an evaluation. She spoke to me about a stud dog of hers that she thought would be a good match. She spoke to me in depth about what the dog would do for my bitch, what flaws he could potentially address. She offered her dog to me, and handed me a list of his health screens – many of which are tests I had never seen nor heard of before. I was flabbergasted, and grateful. I realized at this moment, that I had SO much to learn about this world of breeding purebred dogs. I walked away from that visit with homework – I wanted to understand all of these tests, who uses them, and why. I returned a few weeks later when she was in heat, and bred Nala for her third and final litter. She ended up having 15 puppies, 1 was stillborn. I was hoping for the BEST results on this litter – I felt like I was finally on the right track. Stepping into this

more “legitimate” world, using a titled show dog with all the testing to boot. However, as fate would have it, this litter of puppies was not my most successful litter in a few ways. I had more white than I had in previous litters, my first experience with a dermoid, kinks, overbites and hernias. These posed new challenges, and I was questioning whether or not I had actually done the right thing and just as the puppies reached two weeks of age, I received a call. I thought it was a response to my local puppy listing – however, it was a call from a RRCUS member, who told me that a number of breeders were in town for shows (the Tunbridge shows!), and after seeing my ad, they wanted to meet me and my puppies. I wasn’t quite aware of what I was getting myself into at the time but, I said SURE! Before I knew it, I was introducing a room full of strangers to my puppies – and talking to them all quite openly about myself and my dogs in my own home. The group had lots of questions for me, they evaluated all of my puppies, and showed me how to check them for dermoids. They ended up imparting a lot of advice on me – both with regards to raising puppies, training them, evaluating them, placing them, screening potential puppy homes they suggested on the spot that I should join the national club, RRCUS and signed that day to sponsor me as a member.

The two events - finding Ulla-Britt, and meeting this group of RRCUS members, I had hit a real turning point. It was truly at this time, that I was able to realize and admit to myself that there was SO much more to breeding, than putting two dogs together, and raising puppies. At 8 weeks, most of my puppies went to their new homes on limited registration, all went with generic contracts. Of the few that remained on full registration, one stayed with me (Nova), one went back to the stud dog owner I had previously used in South Carolina, and one that unfortunately went to a puppy mill operation located in Texas. I trusted the man in South Carolina, who had been nothing but nice and honest to me. However, the puppy that went to Texas, it was a puppy application I received, that to this day I recall as seeming too good to be true. Indeed it was the person completely lied to me about their intentions with my puppy on their application. I am happy to say that the puppy did not stay with that woman long and now lives in a wonderful, loving home in VA. It felt so ironic to me, that at the very moment that I crossed paths with the right people, and the right information, I also found myself being crushed by some placements I was really not proud of. However, it was the culmination of all of these events, which resulted in the total evolution of my breeding program, my practices, and really my involvement in the world of purebred dogs.

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In the following years, I learned all about conformation, and I learned about health testing. At 6 and a half years old I followed through with all of the health testing for Nala. I wanted to prove to people and myself that my dog was not “garbage”. I wanted the screens for my future dogs and lines. It was important to me, and I knew it was important to others – because it was important to the breed. Nova and I started handling classes at 8 months of age, I was introduced to handling classes, by one of those same RRCUS members who came to my house to see my puppies. We moved just across the river to New Hampshire, and as we were getting situated in our new home, we were encouraged to enter our first show. The idea of going back to a show made my stomach turn, I didn’t want the judgement, people telling me my dog was not worthy, or ugly, or junk. However, at the encouragement of my new friends we drove to VT for our first stab at Conformation. Poetically our first actual ring time experience was at that same Tunbridge show that I had visited years ago. But this time, things were different. I was still so very new and green as to how dog shows work, and more than nervous about making a fool out of myself or my dog so I asked one of the RRCUS members who had come to my house a year earlier and who was now my friend, to take her in the ring for me . I can still remember the thrill of it, watching my beautiful girl, bred by me float around the ring, as I hid behind a stranger so she wouldn’t see me. I remember people clapping and me asking what happened? I had no idea how shows worked. To

my amazement - Nova went Winners Bitch and Best Opposite Sex over Champions that day, it was her first major, at her first show, at just one year old! Nova went on and finished her Championship with ease, in minimal showing. Living in New Hampshire, there aren’t a whole lot of options to get in the ring, and at the time, we weren’t traveling too far and wide for shows. With her Championship completed, we began working on as many health tests as I had learned about, and started the journey towards her Grand Championship. At about 2.5 years old, with all of our health testing done and clear, we took a break from showing - it was time to breed! I had a dog in my mind, which I had seen pictures of online, and had liked for some time. I had also met a few other dogs ringside, and had started meeting their owners. I was almost too scared to ask anyone about their studs, as my last search for a stud dog had left me a bit gun shy. I reached out to one of the local RRCUS members who had signed for me to become a member. To my delight she was willing to evaluate Nova, and speak with me on areas where there was opportunity to improve her. We discussed studs she thought might be a good match for Nova. She allowed me to meet one of her studs and helped me compare him to the other stud I had in mind that I had seen online. We went back and forth on who would most likely be her best match. It was a very hard decision and although either would have been a great option, I was shocked when she agreed that my original pick might be a better match. This meant I needed to reach out to a stranger and make this request. WOW what a moment! Amazingly, the owner of the stud dog allowed me to bring Nova, now a Champion, with health testing, to her home for breeding. Nova’s first litter was 11 puppies, they were beautiful! I went through all the steps of raising them, utilizing puppy culture techniques, socializing them and evaluating them. I brought in other RRCUS breeders to help take stacked photos, help with evaluations, and complete temperament testing. We determined which puppies were show quality, and which were pets. This was a whole new world for me, I was learning so much, and loving it all. When this litter was registered, because of my move from Vermont to New Hampshire ,and because of my new outlook on the breed, breeding and its purpose, and because of my new direction… it was time to start fresh. Supernova Ridgebacks was born! My bitch Nova was a turning point for me, so my new prefix was used for the first time on her first litter. From this litter, Lyra was my pick puppy. I wasted no time with her, now that I knew what I needed to do. We hopped right into handling classes, and I began showing her as soon as she hit 6 months of age. I was so proud of this puppy, she was fun, athletic, energetic, and so we began our adventure. Some wins, some losses, lots and lots of com-

I continued to familiarize myself with the world of conformation, attend shows, and make new friends, spending time ringside and gaining a better understanding of judging and ring procedures. I learned the classes, learned the difference between a regular show, and sweepstakes. I learned after years of showing, that winning BOBOH, means that you should STAY for owner handler groups (I didn’t even know that there WERE owner handler groups!) My network grew at shows, and online, and eventually after much coaxing from some of my new-found friends, we drove out to Ohio to attend our first National Specialty. I was focused on conformation and proud to say that we placed in sweeps, and made the cut in a very deep bred-by bitch class. As I had mentioned earlier, the National Specialty was truly an eye opener for me, it was at this show that I realized the extent to which people show, and engage their dogs in multiple venues. I hope to go back to my next specialty, and take full advantage of everything that there is to do there. Knowing that Nova’s next litter would hopefully be right around the corner, the National Specialty also presented itself as a great opportunity to put my hands on new stud dogs, and meet their owners. During the specialty, I was lucky enough to meet two studs that I really liked one of which ended up siring Nova’s next litter – a breeding that took place shortly after the Specialty. Nova’s second litter, ended up being a single ridged male puppy seemingly perfect and wonderful in every way. It was my first singleton litter, and presented a whole new learning opportunity, and more of a challenge than I could have imagined! Many people don’t realize this, but when you have a singleton, it is up to you as the person raising the puppy, to actually replicate all of the stimulation and social interactions that a puppy would normally experience with its’ littermates. I remember a moment when I was trying to mimic being a bully to my own puppy, knocking it off of the nipple. Nova threw me such a dirty look like WHAT are you doing to my baby? I stopped and thought… How have I arrived here?! It was a moment I look back on often, and laugh at, I am thankful for having experienced it, though we all know singletons are never what we aim for. At 8 weeks, letting that puppy go was such a challenge, we had formed such a bond, and I had really wanted to keep him for myself. However, the sire’s owner (who is nothing short of an amazing home) ended up wanting to keep him a decision I have never looked back on. So he went home, and lives with his father – who is a fabulous example of the breed. We get regular updates, and hope that he follows closely in his father’s footsteps. I walked away from wrapping up that litter, and

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pliments as she went in and out of growth phases and into maturity. During this time, I continued to show Nova here and there, to achieve points towards her Grand Championship.

placing the puppy with really big plans. I was ready to really get into lure coursing, Agility, and completing Lyra’s Championship, as she was in search for her final Major. And then… COVID hit. How does one really explore new worlds, when social interaction is at a standstill? So, we waited , we traveled to shows when we could afford time off and manage quarantine requirements Lyra showed well often winning where she was entered, obtaining Owner Handler Breed and Group Wins, however, finding shows, let alone majors in bitches, anywhere within a ten state radius proved to be a challenge.

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In the fall of 2020, amidst the first global pandemic of my lifetime, we had to make a decision on whether or not to breed Lyra prior to obtaining that final major or wait. As she was nearing 2.5 years of age, I believed this to be the prime time for breeding, and I didn’t want to miss it. She passed all of her health testing with flying colors and had a wonderful pedigree so we found ourselves an amazing stud dog whom we had our eye on for a while. He was titled, health tested, and with characteristics that would enhance areas I wanted to improve on Lyra. It was love at first site for them! Lyra’s litter was 9 puppies – it is hard to find the words, because I am so pleased with this litter. However, they are still young and as we know anything can happen. I took off almost an entire 2 full months to stay home and raise my first winter litter, 100% according to puppy culture. It was a huge amount of time and effort but so worth it. All of the puppies went home on full registration, except one which went to a pet home. They all went home with an extensive contract. And, for the first time, I put myself on as a co-own on every single one of them, something I am really excited and proud to have done. I am hoping that many of these puppies will end up shining in both conformation and performance rings.

Lyra is the best dog I have bred to date, when you consider the standard, even more so. While I love Nova, and Nala dearly, and while I tend to prefer a doggier bitch, oozing substance – Lyra exhibits everything that the standard calls for, from a lustrous coat, to beautiful angles, to correct efficient movement, to accurate height and weight. She is agile, workable, and has the endurance to really get the job done. Her temperament is smart, sassy, full of energy and desire to work. I am so proud to have bred her.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT OR HIGHLIGHT IN YOUR CAREER AS A BREEDER?

WHICH DOG DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR BREEDING PROGRAM? The answer to this question is debatable I think and really depends on how you consider your foundation. Foundation dog … if taken as the beginning it is clearly Nala. I wouldn’t be here today, without her. I wouldn’t love Ridgebacks, without having the relationship and amazing experience I did, raising her. I wouldn’t have been able to solidify my devotion to the breed without her. However, the foundation dog… if taken as the beginning of how I see myself as a breeder now? Then, could also be Nova – my first legitimate breeding, the dog I want to carry forward in my actions, in my program, and what will keep my kennel alive moving forward.

100% obtaining Nova’s Grand Championship having bred her from a bitch that so many people told me was such garbage that she should be spayed… finding a way through all of the politics, all of the red tape OWNER handling her to her Championship, and THEN to her Grand Championship? I could not have been more thrilled and for me, this was a huge deal. This was a professional feat, and personal feat, following years of scrutiny, I can’t quite put my feelings into this article in a way that does them any justice. This was an event that I was proud to celebrate with my family, and my very close network of dog friends. I radiated excitement for weeks as I waited for her AKC title to come in the mail. A close second to that, was competing at the 2019 National Specialty, and walking away with a

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WHAT IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THE BREED THAT YOU HAVE BRED TO DATE?

sweeps placement for Lyra, as well as making the cut in a very deep bred-by class. A thrill I will not soon forget!

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCE OR INSPIRATION IN BREEDING, AND IN WHAT WAY?

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I feel fortunate to have had a handful of people who not only influenced me in a significant way, but also took the time to really help me be the breeder I am today. From taking a chance on mating to my bitches, to talking out complex reproductive concerns. From encouraging me to attend conformation events, to pushing me to seek titles

in areas BEYOND conformation. While there have been many people who really have influenced me, and inspired me to better my program and my practices, I could not be where I am today without the following five individuals (in the order, in which they really came into my life): Ulla-Britt Ekengren, of ShadyRidge – She gave me the opportunity to breed Nala to a Kennel that was perceived as legitimate, and to use a stud that would help me move my pedigree in the right direction. She was the first person to ever show me how to evaluate breeding stock, and my own dogs. She introduced me to the idea of more extensive health testing and inspired me to start doing more, and make more informed decisions. While doors were being shut in my face, left and right,

Megan Brendell – She was my first point of contact from RRCUS. Megan was one of the group of RRCUS members/breeders that came to my house to evaluate the Chunga x Nala litter I had on the ground. She spent so much time, giving me direction and support on how to proceed, how to prove that I was doing things legitimately, and ethically. She introduced me to the sport of conformation, helped me find handling classes, and encouraged me to not only attend dog shows, but also to get my girls in the ring and prove them under licensed judges. She even took my bitch into the ring for the very first time, when I was too nervous to even

think about walking through that ring gate. Megan and I remain friends. Pat Homes – Pat was my handling instructor for the past 4 1/2 years. She took me in as almost a completely green handling student, and turned me out as someone worthy of owner handling my bitch to her Grand Championship, and winning Owner Handler Group Firsts. She wasn’t afraid to give me feedback. She wasn’t afraid to show me the best way to exhibit my bitches. She helped me not only be a better handler, but also be a better dog owner. She taught me how to work with my dogs, in ways that deepened the relationships I had with them. She was amazing, and had a way of making me and my dogs feel so special. She managed to come to shows often, at Tunbridge and West Springfield, just to support her students. She was an inspiration to me and many others in so many ways. Pat passed away this past winter and missed dearly by both my girls, the rest of her students, and myself. Cathy Ford – Cathy was also a member of the group of RRCUS members/breeders who came to my house during the Tunbridge shows, after the arrival of my Chunga x Nala puppies. She was also one of the individuals to sign and sponsor me for my RRCUS membership. She has always told me the truth as she sees it – good, bad or indifferent. I feel like I can ask her anything, ANYTHING, and get an honest answer, free from any judgement. She educated me on how to evaluate puppies at 8 weeks of age and introduced me to temperament testing. There is likely no way that I can repay her, for the knowledge that she has willingly and freely bestowed upon me. I have relied on her to complete temperament testing on two of my litters now. Asta Palmer – I met Asta really very much by chance. A few years ago, I was considering a male puppy and had reached out to a breeder overseas. However, I was informed that they didn’t have any available puppies. In lieu of importing, they directed me to Asta, who had imported dogs from that pedigree already. I Facebook friended her - but honestly, due to prior experiences I had reaching out to breeders domestically, I was afraid to even ask her about the possibility of getting a puppy from her. So, I took things slow. After the experience of having an intact male boarding with us while my girls were in season, I decided that adding a male to my pack was likely NOT the right move for me. However, Asta and I started to have a relationship via Facebook. I noted that she started liking my photos – which was amazing to me, as she was someone I really respected. I took a leap of faith and reached out to her by message, and she responded. We began conversing, and through conversation about my dogs, and her dogs – she has helped me in more ways than she probably realizes. She has spent countless hours messaging me about various stud dog considerations, reproduction questions, show protocol, documentation on things like health testing, litter stats, etc… all

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with regards to breeding my bitch Ulla-Britt took a chance on me and afforded me the true opportunity to really establish my program and goals.

things I was unaware of, and so appreciated the guidance. The time commitment she has made to me, and advice she has given – I will never have a way to repay this. Asta is also incredibly connected in the Ridgeback world, she helped connect me with so many wonderful people. After so many bad experiences, she may not realize this, but she restored my faith in the people of the dog world, my relationship with her, and the many people I met through her, really helped me find the comfort to really reach out to new people, introducing myself ringside, etc.

TO THOSE WHO ARE THINKING OF ESTABLISHING A BREEDING PROGRAM – WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE? Do your research, find a mentor, get a good dog (the best dog you can), and be ready to put in the effort and the time. There are no shortcuts –a mentor will help steer you in the right direction on where to get good information, and will be invaluable in bouncing ideas and thoughts off of. It helps to have a mentor who has similar breeding goals, but remember that it is okay to make your own decisions and follow your gut. Be ready to be a joiner – local all breed clubs, local regional club, the national breed club –

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Be open minded, and be humble – if you think you know it all… You don’t!

DO YOU WISH TO IMPART ANY ADVICE, OR SHARE ANY INFORMATION WITH OTHER EXPERIENCED BREEDERS? I am not sure that I should be giving advice to experienced breeders… I would normally consider using this as a platform to try to encourage breeders to give newbies a chance! But, having bred a number of litters, and having spent years refining my own puppy home screening… and further, having been fleeced more than once myself, I have a hard time trying to convince experienced breeders that some people CAN change. I have learned that I am a bit of an exception. I would mention however that “you catch more flies with honey”. Being unkind to people who are considering breeding does not always discourage them from breeding, it only discourages them from doing it correctly. So, what I will do, is (rather than impart advice) ask that those experienced breeders, and people who are established in the breed, remember to be more inclusive when you see unfamiliar peo-

ple. Try to take the time to spend talking to them ringside, try to introduce yourself, and if you don’t have time to answer their questions, maybe try and refer them to someone who will. I know it gets tedious, investing time in people and not feeling that you are getting anything back but, we all have the ability to keep the breed going, keep interest alive, keep people coming to shows and events, and ultimately, help find those future breeders to carry forward our work.

AS WE CONTINUE TO FACE THE IMPACT OF THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC – I KNOW YOU RECENTLY HAD A LITTER, HOW DID THE PANDEMIC IMPACT YOUR BREEDING PLANS, WHELPING, RAISING AND PLACING OF PUPPIES? Honestly, there really wasn’t a whole lot different for me! The fact that this was my first winter litter, was honestly my biggest challenge! I will say that the number of puppy applications was overwhelming. Trying to find people who really wanted a puppy, vs people who wanted company because of quarantine, was definitely a challenge. I think that a lot of people experienced some difficulty with veterinary services, however – as I am a vet tech, I luckily didn’t experience any issues with this. The biggest change for me, was that we were not able to have puppy parties to the scale we normally do. We also weren’t able to have puppy homes come and visit during those 6, 7 or 8 week periods as we would usually do meet and greets and get to know one another. Instead, we had a few small local families come over to do much of the socialization and worked with them at their homes to do much of the separation activities. People visiting / meeting them before final placements was tough – we had to make sure visitors were staggered, and masked, and lots of cleaning going on. Because of the timing, and spread of the puppy homes – I opted to deliver most of the puppies at 8 weeks. And of course, I had to quarantine for two weeks after dropping them all off to their forever homes. What advice do you have for other breeders and/or new puppy owners, on how to socialize and raise puppies during this challenging time? While the current situation really is a GREAT environment for passive socialization, truly socializing a puppy to all the things you want to during this time, does require a bit of innovation. We sent all of our puppies home with a long list of things

DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A MENTOR? I would like to think so, especially to a few of my peers, and of course to all of my puppy homes – whether they are show homes or not, I try to be their first line of defense for all things related to their puppy. From time to time I find myself in a position of mentorship with people who didn’t get a puppy from me, but clearly have no breeder resource to rely on, it is a position that I have a hard time shying away from, because I really do not want people to give up on our breed, or their puppy. However, as we all know it can be time consuming. So, it is not to say that it is without frustration and sometimes heartache.

INFO Name Deborah Country USA,

Higgins

Affix Supernova

Ridgebacks

That said, I realize I still have a lot to learn and experience myself. if someone came to me looking for a mentor… I would probably try and help them find a best fit for who they are, where they are, and what their goals are.

DO YOU ASPIRE TO EVER BE A CONFORMATION JUDGE? If I am being honest, no. This is not something that I have really thought of yet, I am really still enjoying being an exhibitor, and can’t yet imagine being on the other end of that.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE? I most admire a judge that gives every exhibitor their time in the ring. A judge who really allows each exhibitor and dog team a chance, looks them over equally and puts their hands on each and every one – that is a judge I admire. While I can appreciate some judges knowing right off the bat whether or not they will use a dog, I don’t feel that they should stop evaluating the others in the ring. I also appreciate it when a judge is able to put on a friendly face. It seems like such a small gesture, but it really goes a long way to making me feel more comfortable, and making my ring times more enjoyable, win or lose.

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to try and introduce their puppy to – we made it a “checklist” in order to try and make it fun. The checklist included various types of walking surfaces, noises, places, people etc. And, for the most part, it seems to have left the puppy owners with quite an impression. I am thrilled to see how innovative the puppy families are being, we have people taking their puppies to parks, to the beach, even the airport! Walking them on sand, gravel, mulch, tops of walls, on moving escalators, up and down stairs, in and out of water, training in dog friendly stores, working on attention with puppies in busy outdoor places. The best way to really set your puppy up for well-adjusted adulthood, is to make their world as big as possible. Take them with you, everywhere you can, and you will be just fine.

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OF COURSE BREEDER

Whippets since 1963 and

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Rhodesian Ridgebacks since 1995.

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IS IT TIME TO GIVE YOUR BREEDING PROGRAM

THE BOOT!?

was staring at a 26-page report, that tested one of my puppies for nearly 200 genetic conditions, in somewhat of a stupor. There are another 13 such reports in my “Embark” folder. Most of the conditions require a visit to Dr. Google to understand them. How do we breeders do it? There is just so much information to absorb before ever breeding a litter.

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Then we look at the best cross-fault matching, COIs (coefficient of inbreeding), longevity, temperament, and on it goes. Even with all of the hard work and research, it sometimes feels like the final decision is up to the flip of a coin. We need to decide what we can live with—what faults present an acceptable risk, and those that are deal breakers. In an otherwise superb specimen, for example, I have a tolerance to forgive minor cosmetic faults, such as offset crowns (to a degree), white foot/feet, throatiness, etc., but an absolute deal breaker for me is a rear lacking in angulation. Other breeders don’t mind less angulation, but find white unacceptable.

Armagh’s Black Siren Of Course

These differences in our preferences contribute to a more balanced breeding community. Imagine if we all had the same pet peeves? Where would we go when found our program in a corner with nowhere to go? Today, we can breed from dogs half way around the world, or long since gone on to chase lions in the sky, thanks to breedings from fresh chilled or frozen semen. This opens up wonderful possibilities for breeders. In my quest for genetic diversity, while still maintaining type, I devised a breeding strategy many years ago that has proven helpful in making some of the tougher decisions.

Ikazi Of Course Manwe. Imp. CR.

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Happy Together Of Course

There are informed advocates on both sides of the diversity debate. One side says that breed type (or personal type) is paramount, with little consideration given to genetic diversity. The other side says low COIs should take precedence over line-bred type. Obviously, this is an over-simplification of the matter and, ultimately, an observer can see the benefits of line breeding as well as out-crossing. Both positions have merit. And really, with so many other things to argue about, why meet in the middle? The Bootlace Breeding Strategy was born when I had a very clear concept of where I wanted to go as a breeder and how I wanted to get there. May you find something meaningful from my journey. My foundation bitch, Diva, possessed the qualities I wanted to preserve over the years. So, I place a mental image of Diva at the base of the tongue of the boot. Next, each lace represents both sides of the genetic diversity versus type discussions. As the laces weave in and out, up the boot, they represent a particular pairing.

Villagedog’s Great Catch Of Course.

One breeding, for example, is line bred, so the next is an outcross. Perhaps two generations are line bred, then two out-crosses. Then as the breeding program takes shape, that image of Diva rises up the tongue so that I still see her in the whelping box, all these years after her passing. Having that clear vision of where I wanted to go and how I wanted to get there has taken some of the pressure off when it comes to decision making. Not being afraid to lose one thing to gain another also helps. We can always get back that which we lost through careful breeding decisions. It may take a generation or two, but my preferred Ridgeback comes back, with the improvements I’ve made through ongoing research and peer discussions.

The Bootlace Breeding Strategy also lead me to form a habit where I bring in a new, unrelated bitch every few years. This bitch can be taken to any of my line-bred (or out-crossed) males giving good footing to both sides of the argument. Interestingly, my last two imports were from European breeders. Very likely my next will come from Europe as well. For my program, the dogs I’ve imported from Europe, have made very meaningful contributions to my program. Many of you are likely doing a form of the Bootlace Breeding Strategy already, as it is a balanced approach. Particularly considering all of the new tests, conditions, and considerations that seem to surface continually, that balance has never been more important.

GCh The Golden Buzzer Of Course - 8 weeks

If you haven’t tried this method, I say give it a go. Just don’t forget to keep your eye on your Diva, and keep that vision clear in your mind as you go forward.

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At the end of the day, this method has caused me to reach out and forged friendships around the world. For that, I am eternally grateful.

GCh The Golden Buzzer Of Course

INFO

Name Barbara

Turpin

Country Canada Affix Of

Course

Facebook ofcourserhodesianridgebacks

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UMLANI BREEDER

“If our youngsters are any like their ancestors, we’ve got it

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right!”

Umlani Chobe Nuin-Tara Moremi

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A heavy, slightly sweet scent hangs in the air. Next to my rondavel, two Crested Barbets are engrossed in their melodious duet. It is not easy to spot the singers in the bushes, but they cannot be ignored: male and female of these colourful, starling-sized birds have their own stanzas that complement each other to form the “Song of the Barbets” - the male intones the song and animates the female to the answering stanza that fits exactly into the gap. Barbets are not at all rare here in the Umlani Bushcamp, which belongs to the private Timbavati Reserve and lies to the west of the Kruger Park. In its green lushness and bird abundance, Umlani reminds me of the ancient wisdom of the Khoi-San people, who were once the masters here before they were increasingly displaced by the invading whites and the black Bantus: “Even the biggest bird has to come down from the sky to find a branch to sleep on,” says Bamuthi in Laurens van der Post’s classic “A Story like the Wind” - the book that has become something of a “bible” for owners and breeders of the Southern African Rhodesian Ridgeback dog. The author Laurens van der Post, for many years advisor to the British Crown on African affairs and close friend of the royal family, should know: He grew up on his parents’ South African farm under the care of a San nanny, imbibed their language and culture with his mother’s milk, so to speak, and learned as a young boy not only how to handle a rifle and a bush knife, but also his own male Ridgeback, “Hintza”.

Umlani Djuma Daymani ya Makololo

Not yet was I a breeder of Rhodesian Ridgebacks not even an owner. But the African virus had long since taken me over - already back then, when I was there at Umlani Bushcamp for the first time and took the practical exam of my training for the “Basic Game Ranch Management and Ranger Guide Course”. Unforgettable how I grew into close contact with animals and plants and was able to learn the art of finding my way in the bush and living in the rhythm of nature and the seasons from the rangers. Since then, the longing for Africa has never left me and also took on a very concrete form: one with four paws, so to speak, a muscular, elegant body with a concise ridge on the back and a head with two dark eyes looking intelligently, attentively and unafraid into the world. The Rhodesian Ridgeback, the legendary “Lion Dog” of the Khoi-San. The colonial masters also discovered this special dog, which - unlike the dogs they had imported from Europe - was adapted to the African climate. Over the next few years, pioneer breeders cross-bred European breeds to achieve a more pleasing appearance for the “ugly, jackal-like dogs” and used them as guards for their farms and families and as companions to hunt lions and leopards, buffalos, rhinos and other big game. Of course, our story, the story of the Umlani ridgebacks, did not play out quite so simply. Everything, so it seems, was much more complicated! That evening in the bush camp, while listening

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Gomoimba Bantu

Shangani Tefle Ilanga

Stefani with puppies of her F-litter (copyright M. Bossard)

to the Crested Barbets singing their duets, sipping my drink and thinking of the big birds of Bamuthi that must come down from the sky to roost, I remembered that I had actually become the proud owner of a Rhodesian Ridgeback for the past ten days! Bantu was his name and he was waiting for me in iYurophu, in Europe. Still blind and deaf, he was probably sucking on the teats of his mother Ambra right then at the German Kennel Gomoimba, making my departure from Africa a little easier than before: only two more months and I could pick up the wheat-coloured puppy my very own first Ridgeback!

OUR STORY

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Makololo Chanda Nandipa ya Umlani

Umlani Hwevera Analia Nyanjera

And so here comes our story, the story of the Umlani-Ridgebacks. It began in a beautiful old Jugendstil house on the shores of Lake Zurich, where I grew up with my sister in the loving care of my parents. Like so many little girls, Jessica and I were “dog crazy”. But my parents’ job and our everyday life were anything but “dog-friendly”. Being part of the post-war cultural theatre scene around the Zurich Schauspielhaus, my parents had little time for their daughters’ fancy wishes. But our father made up for that a bit by giving us girls book vouchers for Christmas. One of the very first books we bought was about dog breeds and we choose - today we would say virtually - the dog of our dreams: it had to be big, sporty and a hunting dog, even though at that time I didn’t really know what a hunting dog actually was. But the childhood dream became reality just a few years later: I shared my life with the English Springer Spaniel female Giada della Sibuia. The intelligent, gentle Giada was my first dog ever and shaped my image of a dog - my dog! - for a long time. My husband Daniel grew up with dogs, and when we met in 1998, he soon expressed the wish to have a dog as an additional family member. Unfortunately, my professional situation did not allow this at that time -

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Sarula Thaba Nchu ya Umlani

even then we were firmly convinced that a dog should never be a “ stop-gap “, such as currently in Corona times, but needs a lot of time and attention from its humans. Fortunately, the situation changed just one year later: I was now working independently and was able to manage my own time. One day, my husband and I were leafing longingly once again through the well-used dog book of my childhood. We came across a photo that I immediately recognised as one of my favourites from the past: There, behind a white paddock fence on a green pasture, were two elegant, wheat-coloured dogs that matched my image of a hunting dog, - gazing majestically over their “ estate”. Two Rhodesian Ridgebacks.

GREEN PASTURE, WHITE FENCES - THE SET-UP The next day, my husband happened to meet an old acquaintance, and as luck would have it, she was accompanied by a beautiful young female Ridgeback. Subsequently, Gomoimba Aisha came to visit us quite often and it finally became very clear to us: We wanted a dog like this, a Rhodesian Ridgeback! I called the then president of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Switzerland. At that time, there were hardly any websites and homepages where one could have familiarised oneself with breeders and kennels. François-Charles Otth immediately sent me a copy of a list of breeders, written on a typewriter - today this is hard to imagine! Howev-

er, there were only a few names on the list - the Rhodesian Ridgeback was definitely still one of the rarer breeds in this country then! But before I even started to call the names on the list, Aisha’s owner called me: She had contacted the breeder of her dog and he was planning his second litter. It was a repeat of the one from which Aisha came. The breeder was happy to reserve a male for us. How lucky we were! At that time, in 1999, the waiting lists of all breeders were very long and there were not many breeders anyway. We were even given first choice! In February 2000 we were allowed to pick up Gomoimba Bantu in Germany, “The little Swiss”, his breeder’s nickname since our first visit a few weeks previously. We were overjoyed, enjoyed life with the little one - and did not even think about showing or breeding with him. Only after some time did we realise that Bantu had a very interesting pedigree. He developed into a great male who had everything you could wish for in a Ridgeback: a correct, balanced build, a faultless ridge, an expressive, imposing head and an RR-typical, wonderful temperament - he was the perfect gentleman all his life. In autumn, the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Switzerland organised a club show. We were curious and took part - our first show. Little did we know that many more would follow. Bantu was placed in the junior class. Only a few weeks later we took part in our first international show - in Lausanne. One of the many shows that unfortunately no longer exists. Bantu won the youth class. One year later our male passed the breeding approval test in the RRCS - the be-

Shangani Tefle Ilanga, Bayoola’s Anga Sharifa, Gomoimba Bantu

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ginning of a successful career as a stud dog. Bantu has spread his wonderful heritage all over Europe and lives on in his many descendants. In the meantime, I had read just about everything there was to read about the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed. And, quietly at first, then louder and louder and no longer able to be ignored, the longing for a second Ridgeback awoke. My husband was on board and we agreed: it had to be a bitch and we also wanted to start breeding. Just before the end of 2002 we were able to pick up our Shangani Tefle Ilanga in the South of France. Ilanga means “sun” in the Zulu language - and that is exactly what she was: a sunshine! Her pedigree included such old African lines like Sarula, Umvutcha and Chucklennook. Sadly, our wish to breed with Ilanga did not come true - but for more than twelve years she was

the most wonderful companion you can imagine: a great personality and the boss of our pack with the incorruptible instinct of a true African Ridgeback. From Bantu’s last litter we got to choose a female in 2005. Our choice was Bayoola’s Anga Sharifa, and with her we subsequently had our A and B litters. Sharifa had a lot from her sire and on her mother’s side she came from the French Kennel de Teufelsort. We kept Sharifa in a “co-ownership” with good friends, but she spent a lot of time with us and was perfectly integrated into the pack.

OUR KENNEL TODAY At the moment four Rhodesian Ridgebacks live with us: Nandipa is the granddaughter of our male Bantu from the Makololo Kennel (until 2008 in the VDH, since then in the SKG), a kennel with which we have had a close friendship for many years. She is a rather small bitch with a beautiful head and winning expression and a very big heart - her courage sometimes almost borders on daring, and even as a little puppy she always knew exactly what she wanted - and how to get it. We gave her the name Nandipa in memory of a “big beast”, the elephant Nandipa, whom we were lucky to observe in Botswana - in the Okawango Delta - and who had also a big personality. “Nandipa” means “the gift” in Setswana and our Nandipa is a very big gift! Nandipa’s daughter Moremi from our C-litter is our “princess”: Athletic like her father, the Danish male Ökensandens Poma Von Yesekani and one hundred and fifty percent reliable, she is an enthusiastic and very talented mantrailer and an important support of the pack. And - typical Ridgeback! - she has the character of an African mimosa: don’t raise your voice in her presence

NOT QUANTITY, BUT QUALITY

Umlani Chobe Nuin-Tara Moremi

without a reason - you can be sure of a reproachful look. Since July 2020, Moremi’s daughter from the H-litter Hwevera Analia Nyanjera has also been part of the Umlani pack and is currently learning from her mother and grandmother what a good Ridgeback should be like. And from the father - which is rather unusual, as the male dog rarely shares the same kennel as the dam. For the last five years, we have had a male dog again: Sarula Thaba Nchu ya Umlani is Nyanjera’s daddy. In November 2015, a long-cherished dream came true and I flew - after a long, complicated paper war - to Linda Costa in Australia and took the barely three-month-old Thaba Nchu, a son of Sarula Penya and Sarula Lupani Biko, back with me to his new Swiss home. When I listened to the song of the Crested Barbets in Umlani at the turn of the millennium and thought about the dogs of the KhoiSan, while our first Ridgeback Bantu in the German whelping box was only a few days old, the idea of our own Umlani Kennel was still in the far distant future. At least the outline of a Rhodesian Ridgeback the way I imagined was already visible on the horizon - as a shadow silhouette, so to speak. We had come to Umlani to celebrate the turn of the millennium and to set off into a new millennium. There, amidst the great herds of elephants that came to the water holes day after day, surrounded by the magnificent African landscape that we loved so much and in which we felt so small and yet so much belonging, we really understood what Hemingway meant when he wrote: “Africa is not a destination - it’s a disease.” And already then I knew somehow that our dogs, our Rhodesian Ridgebacks, if we were ever be lucky enough to breed them, would have to carry the kennel name UMLANI, which means “a place to

Our first litter was born in 2008. Today, thirteen years later, we are planning our ninth litter. Compared to other kennels, those aren’t that many litters. But one thing is clear to us: it is not the number that makes the difference, but the individual dogs - it is not the quantity that counts, but the quality. We breed out of passion for the breed and feel committed to the goals that the pioneer breeders in southern Africa set themselves at the beginning of the 20th century: To breed healthy, strong and athletic Ridgebacks, dogs that do not tend to extremes in any way, but are balanced in all their characteristics and manifestations, “sound”, as the pioneer breeders called it. If they are also beautiful, i.e. if they correspond to the ideal of FCI standard no. 146 - all the better, then we are completely happy. Founder dog of our kennel is our first male, Int. Ch/C.I.B. Gomoimba Bantu. As father and grandfather of our first two breeding bitches Sharifa and Nandipa he is represented in all of Umlani’s offspring.

THE IDEAL RIDGEBACK... Umlanis should above all be healthy and “sound”. Fashionable trends - e.g. more and more angulations and exaggerated movements - cannot be our breeding goal, even if one sees such tendencies more and more at present and they are clearly overrated by all breed judges at shows. This contradicts the standard, which strives for an agile dog with a lot of soundness, a dog that is in itself balanced and must be able to run evenly and steadily with great endurance - and this also on rough, natural ground and for many hours. Just as the Ridgeback was expected to do in his African home in the bush and savannah, i.e. on uneven,

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rest” in the Zulu language. In 2004 we registered the name with the FCI.

M. Bossard with Umlani Bhekabantu Badrani Baha

parched ground or through thorn thickets and undergrowth.

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If our youngest are like their ancestors, then we have done it right. Then we have succeeded in preserving the best of the breed for the present and hopefully for the future. In Switzerland, every dog has to pass a breeding test. This assesses temperament and appearance, and the dog must pass a series of x-ray evaluations and the breed-typical genetic tests. Our breeding dogs have of course passed these tests and are free of HD, ED and OCD as well as heart disease. The Rhodesian Ridgeback was originally bred to guard his people and their belongings and to defend the farm in the wild Bushveld; moreover, he was taken along to hunt big cats such as lion and leopard, but also other fierce big game. This protective and territorial behaviour as well as the innate hunting instinct still form the heritage of the breed today - without these breed-shaping characteristics, the Rhodesian Ridgeback would no longer be the original dog. Knowing this and meeting the needs and requirements of these special dogs as a dog owner is an indispensable prerequisite for every Ridgeback owner. With regular training and adapted occupation, the Rhodesian Ridgeback becomes a wonderful companion even in today’s society and under living conditions that no longer correspond to pioneer Africa.

... AND THE IDEAL HUMAN Whether there is an “ideal human” for the “ideal Ridgeback” remains to be seen. But it is certainly important to proceed with the necessary pru-

dence and care when putting together such a team for life. Fortunately, we always have a lot of puppy enquiries and are in the comfortable position of being able to choose the most suitable people and circumstances for our puppies. Most of the time you can get an approximate picture after the first contacts - especially if you also have some experience and knowledge of people. We are looking for people with whom the dog can be a full member of the family. Whether the dogs will be shown or will later go into breeding is only of secondary importance to us - what is important is that the dog fits into its family and can lead a species-appropriate, dog-appropriate life there. With its suitability for sporting and hunting activities, the Ridgeback is suitable for active people who like to be out and about in nature. He is suitable for mantrailing, tracking, agility, bike-joring, dogscooter and as a horse-riding companion, and in recent years he has also been used more and more as a hunting companion, especially in Germany, where he is valued less as not so much a specialist but rather as a reliable all-rounder. Our task is to find out what our dog likes to do most and with many Ridgebacks this is clearly nose work - in whatever form. Both Bantu and Ilanga have passed tracking exams, Thaba Nchu, Moremi and Nyanjera are talented mantrailers. For Nandipa, whose small size makes her a good candidate for it, there is no better activity than agility. Even today, at almost twelve years old, she is still enthusiastic about it and would consider it an unfair punishment if we left her at home for reasons of age - of course, the jumps are somewhat lower than they used to be and we now leave

out some obstacles altogether, but for Nandipa, being there and taking part is still everything.

Our puppies are born in the “heart” of our home, so to speak: in the middle of our living space and in the company of all the other dogs. In this way, they are exposed to sounds and other environmental stimuli from the very beginning and are optimally prepared for their future family life. In the large whelping box they can go on their first discovery tours - and in between find security and strength with mummy. From the age of four weeks, they have direct access to the garden: Here they will find different ground structures that invite them to run and dig, as well as toys and learning obstacles in various designs. Playing means learning for life - we put great importance on a varied and balanced early imprinting, which gives the puppies the tools for their later everyday life in a family and their environment, house and garden. From the age of seven weeks, we take them on first trips by car - in the nearby for-

THE GREATEST JOY FOR A BREEDER... ... is a happy dog and his equally happy human. Staying in touch with our puppy owners is important and valuable to me and I am happy about every single one of them. Of course, I am also always there to share my knowledge and experience with our puppy owners - whether it is about keeping, feeding, training or education. Nothing makes me happier as a breeder than a phone call or a visit from a happy Ridgeback owner who tells me his Umlani is the best and most beautiful dog in the world. Whether this refers to a success in the show ring or on the dog field - or “just” a report about a particularly beautiful, happy moment in the life of dog and human - it doesn’t matter. The essential thing is that dog and human have found each other!

Umlani Bushcamp copyright Umlani Bushcamp

INFO

Name Stefani

Westphal

Country Switzerland Affix Umlani

Rhodesian Ridgeback

www www.umlani.ch

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HOW DO OUR PUPPIES GROW UP?

est or at the stables and in the fields, new worlds are waiting to be discovered and “taken in” by the young dogs. All our puppies have loved frolicking in the sand of the indoor riding arena so far!

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AUKSINIS FENIKSAS BREEDER

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From Lithuania with love

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It‘s funny, but at the same time so strange to realise that I‘ve been living with Ridgebacks more than half of my lifetime. While people my age did various random things, I went into dogs with all my passion. If not ridgebacks, I have no idea where I would be now. This breed was absolutely life changing - they showed the way to dog shows, breeding, dog training. But, actually, the most import is not the dogs, but all those people whom I‘ve met during all these years and with whom I became friends. Ridgebacks will never be „just dogs“ and this kennel will never be just about me - it will forever be about dogs AND extended family that surrounds me. My name is Sarune Kairyte, I live in a small European country – Lithuania. I breed under the kennel name „Auksinis Feniksas“ which means golden phoenix. Phoenix symbolises fire, eternal life, resurrection, rising from the ashes – with this mythical thought I thought that this will be the perfect choice for my kennel name and this name will live forever in dog‘s pedigrees. The kennel name was registered in 2006, so this year is very special, as we will be celebrating the 15 years anniversary.

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Let me tell you how I fell in love with this breed. It was March 2004 when I received a lithuanian magazine about dogs. There was a beautiful, brown, short-haired dog on the cover and, I am not kidding, it was love from the first sight. Magazine‘s pages went by and after reading an article about this breed, I knew that the Rhodesian

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From May 2007 till 2021 we have bred 9 litters. It‘s for you to decide if it‘s a lot or not. My main aim as a breeer is quality, not quanity. That‘s why our bitches only have 2 litters during their lives. We invest so much to have the best possible combinations and we cannot think we could do any better.

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Ridgeback is the perfect breed for me. It had everything I was looking for in a dog – large, strongly built but elegant at the same time, short haired... But that‘s just appereance, the true value of this breed hides inside. I fell in love with their temperament, that they are hunting dogs, but at the same time good guardians, that they are active, good with people, but not overly friendly. At that time Rhodesian Ridgebacks were a new breed not only in Lithuania, but in all the Baltic states. There was only one kennel in Lithuania and we decided to visit the breeders and get to know this breed a little bit better. My family and I were surprised of how well the dogwas the dog, how calm and protective she was. And it was decided – our next dog will be a Rhodesian Ridgeback. In February 2005 our first Rhodesian Ridgeback came to live with us. Her name was Neila, she was born in the Latvian kennel named Sinbest, bred by Marina Grinvalde. I will be forever grateful to Marina for letting us have Neila. This dog opened the doors to all the cynological activities that I could dream of and nothing would be the same without her. After countless trips and dog show wins it was time to plan our first litter. In May 2007 the beginning of Auksinis Feniksas was born.

In my early breeding years I was very interested in dog shows and I attended many dog shows back then. As the years passed, I started to realize that I am breeding not for the dog shows, but for the breed itsef. For me it is very important to have a correct anatomy, because the main feature of the breed is endurance. A Ridgeback should easily run 20 or more kilometers in one take, he should be a perfect companion in various dog sports. A true Ridgeback should still have his hunting instincts. That‘s why I am most proud of my dogs, who show great results in sports. I am happy about a couple of my puppies attending real hunts. And how lovely it is to hear words from a hunter, who says „That‘s how a hunting dog should work!“.

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Kipawa Lava Auksinis Feniksas – the first lithuanian bred Swedish bloodtracking champion [insert photo] Aleksandras Keiras started attending canicross in 2016. First he was attending to this competition with his first Ridgeback Chacha „Mahalin Maktaja Auksinis Feniksas“, then he started to run with Chacha‘s daughter Keira „Keira Auksinis Feniksas“ . Aleksas showed everyone that not only huskies and greysters could run in such races. Together with Keira they won multiple races and achieved such titles as „Baltic cup veteran winner“ and 2nd place in „Lithuanian capital cup“. Two other puppies attended in canicross too – Kuba Auksinis Feniksas with her owner Augustas and Island Bora Bora Auksinis Feniksas with her owner Nida. I must also mention that Aleksas attended dog biathlon competition in 2018, which was organised by Lithuanian state border guard service and in the class of civil men won 1st place! Also Nida attended another biathlon in 2020 and won 2nd and 3rd place in civil female class as well as Aleksas was 2nd! I can be also proud about Lure coursing wins. This only shows that Ridgebacks could not only be beautiful, but they are perfect breed for various sports.

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Now talking about dog shows... Until this day we have bred 15 champions of various countries and 5 of them are FCI International champions (CIB). I am very happy that other breeders notice my work and dogs with Auksinis Feniksas in their pedigree could be found in every continent except Anarctica.

In 2017, in European dog show in Ukraine, Auksinis Feniksas kennel was titled as „the best Rhodesian ridgeback kennel“.

MAHALIN MAKTAJA AUKSINIS FENIKSAS „CHACHA“ • CIB • Champion of Multiple countries • BOS in World dog show’16 speciality in Moscow • BEST BITCH in RR Club show in Slovenia in 2017

KEIRA AUKSINIS FENIKSAS „KEIRA“ • CIB* (pending confirmation) • Champion of Multiple countries • Best female movement + best female head in ELSA Club show in 2019 • Best Bitch and res.BISS in ELSA Speciality show in 2019 • Lure Coursing Champion

ISLAND BORA BORA AUKSINIS FENIKSAS „BORA“ • Lithuanian Champion • Poland Champion • Lure Coursing Champion

JAMBO KENYA AUKSINIS FENIKSAS „TAINA“ • CIB* (pending confirmation) • Austrian Junior Winner and r.JBIS winner in EDS CACIB show in 2019 • Russian Champion • RKF Champion • Belarus Champion • Grand Belarus Champion • Lithuanian Champion • Junior Lithuanian Club Winner

Island Bali Auksinis Feniksas

KITOKO AUKSINIS FENIKSAS „KITO“ • CIB • Champion of multiple countries • Best Baby in World dog show in Moscow 2016 • Lithuanian club Champion • BEST IN SHOW winner in 2016 • BEST movement in club show in Slovenia in 2017 • BEST male in ELSA Club show in 2019 • Best male movement in ELSA Club show in 2019

Island Bora Bora Auksinis Feniksas

ISLAND BALI AUKSINIS FENIKSAS „BALOO“

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• Norwegian Champion • Swedish Champion Unfortunatey during these corona times we couldn‘t attend any dog shows, but we are preparing for the future! We have very big hopes for our youngsters Dara (Dazzling KO Auksinis Feniksas) and Donna „Donna KO Auksinis Feniksas“ who were sired by the legendary male, Australian Grand Champion, Bearstar Doulen Ko. Hopefully these two beutiful girls will help us to continue Auksinis Feniksas‘ line in the future. I could never imagine that such a small kennel from a small country could achieve so much. And I could never imagine that I will ever have such a strong team around me which I could already call family. My main wish for new breeders is not to be blinded by titles, but to rely on people, who have a puppy from your kennel. Because a good kennel consists not only the breeder, but all the puppy owners too.

Keira Auksinis Feniksas

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Kitoko Auksinis Feniksas

INFO

Name Auksinis

Feniksas

Country Lithuania Affix Šarūnė

Kairytė

www www.auksinis-feniksas.com

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WRITTEN BY VINCENZO PENTERIANI

BHALU

THE BEAR DOG OF THE CANTABRIAN MOUNTAINS

got Bhalu just 10 days before the 2020 COVID-19 confinement in Spain from The Algarve Lion Hunters (https://es.algarvelionhunters.com/), owned and operated by Deborah Lee Marlow and Pat Creagh. They breed Rhodesian Ridgebacks in Portugal (The Algarve Lion Hunters is an accredited kennel by the Clube Português de Canicultura–CPC) with careful consideration for temperament, grace and form, only breeding from Rhodesian Ridgebacks that have ‘soft’ natures. I would say that Bhalu’s destiny was probably already been determined by his name. In fact, Bhalu means brown bear in the Hindu language. Similar to that of my first Rhodesian Ridgeback male, Karhu, which I got from Marianne Gellin in Finland (see RR EU Magazine Issue 1-2019) ten years ago and whose name means brown bear in Finnish. Why this ‘innocent obsession’ with giving the name ‘brown bear’ to my Rhodesian Ridgebacks? It is because brown bears

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PHOTO BY VINCENZO PENTERIANI

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have been a lifelong passion of mine, as have Rhodesian Ridgebacks. I am a researcher of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) working on the ecology, behaviour and conservation of brown bears in the Cantabrian Mountains (north-western Spain), and during the long days of COVID confinement I have found a way to combine my two passions, bears and Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Bhalu and I are currently living in a very small village in the Cantabrian Mountains, only five people more than 80 years old live here, and confinement was very different from the one in towns and apartments. Every day, during the more than two months of confinement in Spain, puppy Bhalu and I spent every minute of the day together, just him and me, many times alone in the forest surrounding the house. This was a perfect opportunity to develop innate Rhodesian Ridgeback hunting skills and teach him how to channel his senses into the finding of brown bears tracks and signs. By specifically focusing Bhalu on bears, I was also hoping to reduce those typical ‘collateral issues’ that come when you have a Rhodesian Ridgeback in the countryside. Actually, my first male, Karhu, was passionate about big mammals such as cows, horses, roe deer and red deer. The rule of his life was ‘the bigger the animal, the more exciting the chase’. And my female, Kuu (Moon in Finnish), is rabbit, cat and partridge obsessed. Honestly, I was very surprised when I discovered how quickly a Rhodesian Ridgeback could learn to use its natural hunting abilities, which undoubtedly compensates for the quick loss of interest in and focus on repeated tasks that is frequently characteristic of this pig-headed, independent breed. Brown bears are around the house, and so I started Bhalu’s training when he was just two months old by collecting some scat to bring home and gently encouraging him, through play, to find it. No more than ten minutes a day, but this was largely enough, and in less than a week

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he became an excellent ‘bearshit hunter’. Many of you are probably now thinking ...what degeneration for such a powerful lion hunter! But he was so happy to just walk in the forest finding bear scats with me that he quickly forgot about lions. However, bear scat is big and relatively visible and, thus, limiting Bhalu’s training to droppings would not have really helped me and my research team (www.cantabrianbrownbear.com) during our studies on brown bears in the Cantabrian Mountains. Some other less conspicuous signals are left by bears, and it is on these that I decided to specifically focus Bhalu’s attention. Here, I am talking mainly about those ‘hidden’ and more subtle signals of bear presence that are commonly called rubbing trees. Brown bears exhibit a set of marking behaviours, including urination, biting, scratching and stripping bark, as well as rubbing their back, shoulders and head on trees, which serve a vital function in intraspecific communication in their species. Except when the marks left by bears on trees are very conspicuous, such as extensive biting or large areas of debarking, the only evidence that may indicate the presence of a bear on rubbing trees is the smell left by the glandular secretion of its odoriferous glands. Actually, scent-mediated signalling is considered the main channel of communication in many mammalian species.To this aim, I have started to visit many different places where my research group and I have localised rubbing trees thanks to camera traps and the sometimes huge amount of fur that bears leave when rubbing up against tree bark. Bhalu was extremely excited when he discovered this new smell on rubbing trees. It was always

amazing to see how fast Bhalu was and how easy it was for him to identify the presence of a bear only by following the invisible trace of the bear’s scent. But, the most remarkable thing of his bear training was that I did not really need to train him to understand the importance that the finding of such a signal represented for me. Indeed, for Bhalu to understand the importance that the finding of such bear trees plays in my research, specific training was not necessary. Having started a new line of research on brown bear social communication, we urged him to find as many rubbing trees as possible, especially those where bear marks were not very conspicuous and, thus, visible to the human eye. Or to find new trees where we were not accustomed to looking for bear presence, because bears had not been previously detected there. Bhalu just quickly associated the peculiar smell of the trees where we continuously stopped when working in the field. After having seen that we often spend a lot of time at these trees, looking at them and, eventually, collecting fur, he just decided that a great game to play in the field is to find and show me these trees. No need for treats, I just need to inform him that we are walking in a bear area by saying ‘busca el oso!’ (‘find the bear!’), and he starts to focus on smelling trees. And when he finds a bear tree, the signal is always the same: he runs back to me, or he just turns to me if he is close or on a leash, jumps on me, puts his long paws on my shoulder, and kisses me, happy to have found this peculiar treasure deep in the forest. How magical, thrilling and astonishing it is to see Bhalu following what is for us a totally invisible trail, the smell of a bear! And

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Bhalu has thus become a crucial member of our bear team, not only due to the fact that thanks to his big, black nose he is able to find remote and inconspicuous rubbing trees, but also because he discovers bears in unexpected places, where the presence of bears of this expanding but still small population inhabiting the Cantabrian Mountains have still been undetected! However, it is imperative to point out here that when using a dog in a bear country it is extremely important to have a very good control on the dog. Actually, among the most prevalent scenarios of brown bear attacks on people in both Europe and North America is walking an unleashed dog with little or no control over it, a frequently inappropriate and risk-enhancing human behaviour. Evidently, it is better for a Rhodesian Ridgeback to walk and run unleashed in a forest, but this is only possible if you are sure that, if a sudden bear encounter happens (e.g., when walking along a forest trail), you will be able to call the dog to your side immediately. This also means that your dog should always be visible to you and it cannot be al-

lowed to roam far. For this reason, when walking in areas where bear density is high, Bhalu is always on a leash. A fairly long leash still allows him to check for signs of bear presence close to me. When the situation is safer, that is, when I am working in an area were the presence of bears is not certain or where bear encounters may be rare, Bhalu is allowed to be off the leash but only at a close distance where he is always visible to me, and with the confidence that he will respond quickly and positively if I need to recall him to my side. All these precautions also help if Bhalu encounters a wild boar or a pack of wolves. Rhodesian Ridgebacks have long legs, which greatly expose them to a wild boar charge, this being easily able to severely injure their belly. And wolves are very efficient hunters that may kill your dog if it encounters them alone and far from you. After just one year, Bhalu has become my best friend and an ‘official’ member of the bear team. He is a great companion with which to share carefree walks in the mountains or along a river, a packed lunch in the forest, or an intense brown bear search during fieldwork. When at home, we share breakfasts, we lie down on the same sofa, we sit together on the soft carpet in front of the chimney, and we sleep in the same bed. Evidently, when at home, Bhalu would seem like a nice, sleepy and calm house pet, but it is in the forest when the most primitive facets of the Rhodesian Ridgeback come out, and I am happy to see him enjoying a really wild life, the life which Ridgebacks have been selected for.

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THE ART OF TRAINING

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SHOW DOGS

Written by Stefanie Radke

Photo by V. Wienecke

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y name is Stefanie Radke, I am a passionate dog photographer, author and dog show handling trainer. I got my first purebred dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, in 2008 and started showing the year after. What began as a hobby quickly developed into a passion. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean I was good at it. For years I showed my dogs like everybody else. Our boys Ibamba of Sambesi Waters and Ndoki Fuming Hellboy achieved some nice results including both national and international champion titles. But my handling only got the first massive improvement when I met Kristina Pilatus in 2016, a professional handler from Croatia. She was introduced to me when I got Ndoki Highlander. Kristina had an approach to teach handlers and dogs that fascinated me. The second mile stone was when I found Eric Salas, former professional handler from the US and now dog show handling trainer. His way of showing dogs was exactly what I wanted to do, how I wanted to show my dogs. When I discovered him and his „Head straight“ method in 2017, luckily he was travelling in Europe. This gave me the opportunity to participate in workshops and take private lessons over nearly two years. Eventually Eric invited me to his train the trainer sessions and afterwards I was allowed to teach his method myself.

BEFORE YOUR PUPPY MOVES IN

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The whole process already starts before you get your puppy. What I learnt during the past years is that everything depends on getting the right puppy from the right breeder, if you are not a breeder yourself. Besides the excellent character and overall quality, the puppy must be socialized in the first weeks before you get it. If you buy your puppy from a breeder who does not put enough effort in sozialization, it will be very hard if not impossible to get the results that you want to have with your training. I had young dogs in my lessons where I had to spend weeks in making them familiar with basic situations like walking on different surfaces and stairs, not being afraid of noises and sudden movements, being used to other dogs, driving in the car, to name only a few problems. While you have to spend time on socialization with such a pooly socialized dog, you could already work on the bond between you and your companion and future show dog. Moreover, the puppy must have learnt that humans are great. That they can be trusted. That people help you when you are afraid or have a problem. Adults as well as children. Especially Ridgebacks which might develop the breed specific aloofness with strangers need to be properly socialized with people. It does not help when they are only used to be around other dogs. Please remember, we are talking about future show dogs.

These dogs will be around and getting touched by strangers all the time. Before you get your puppy, you should get some training equipment. It does not need to be expensive. Some yoga pads to work on different hights and surfaces and everything that can be used for the puppy to step on. It helps building confidence and trust when you can make your puppy stepping onto these things. I also would already buy a show lead and collar. The length of my leads for training and show is about 180 cm. This gives me the freedom to have a short lead, if required, but I can also give the dog some space in the right situations. Before the puppy comes to your home you should also think about the signals that you would like to use when you train your puppy for shows. I have

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my own language in the show ring so that my dog knows exactly what is required.

I have made all our three Ridgeback males up to national and international champions. The foundation for this success was to start early. Not on training them to stand and run, because that is what they can already do. I started working on my leadership, on gaining their trust and respect. Only when this is achieved can I expect them to follow me into the show rings with all the distractions and perform the way they performed. A good start is to find the right treat for each puppy. That can be individual. It is easy when you have a puppy that is food driven, but there might be a

In the beginning, when the pup has learnt his name and that you are the center of his life, you can use this phase to train off lead training. The puppy follows you everywhere and you can do great stuff together. It is essential to use the right time during the day for training. Most people train when they have time. In order to be successful you should try to train the puppy when the time is right. That means the puppy must be able to sleep after each training session. You should also think about the frequency and length of the training. Your puppy can only concetrate for a few minutes. Therefore, it is better to train more often. This is not any different than any other training.

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TRAINING THE PUPPY BETWEEN THE AGE OF ABOUT 8 TO 20 WEEKS

time in the pups life when it is more interested in prey. So I had some rabbit fur in my pocket to get the attention if required.

dogs to restaurants when they are young and as we live in the countryside they learn to be comfortable in the car, especially for longer distances. My dogs have enough space in the car to lie in every position and I don’t buy a car without air condition for the summer and stationary heating for winter. I know, for a lot of people this sounds like my dogs are totally spoilt brats and yes, that’s what they are. But when we arrive after long travel they feel relaxed and not stressed at all. This helps them and it helps me as well.

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You have now heard about the part of the training where a lot of people think it is not important. I can just tell you: it is important and makes your life so much easier!

A huge part that is very difficult at the moment is going to a dog school. Your puppy needs to have fun and there is no better fun than playing with other puppies. It is important though to find a good dog shool. That means that the puppies do not only play with each other, but that they also learn to keep calm and e.g. wait when other puppies are present. It is also very helpful when the puppy gets to know dogs from other breeds and therefore, sizes. Also puppies with a long coat can later be a distraction, if your dog is not used to it. I can tell you that Sonny was obsessed with small dogs with long coat. He loved Pomeranians. Every time we met them in the juniors finals main ring (as they are FCI group V there was always a Pomeranian in front of us was my feeling) I had to convince him that we cannot have one of these for him to play! I always go to shopping malls and hardware stores. Different floors, a lot of people who like to pet the puppy and sometimes even dogs which need to be ignored are a huge help when preparing for a show. When you want your puppy to go to shows later, it must be used to get touched everywhere and get its bite checked. Boys also get testicles touched. You should also consider that travelling with your later show dog will be much easier when it is crate trained and also used to be in a restaurant and hotel. I always take my

Another important point to learn for a show dog is steadiness. It is essential that the dog learns to wait without complaining. The dog needs to learn to stay calm, even when it is stressful around him, without whining or barking. What I always say is the more excited the dog, the calmer you must be. When the dog has learnt that you are the center of his life, you can also start training him to walk on a loose lead. The goal is that you don’t need the lead because the dog follows your hand. Which brings me to the next point: hand signals .

HAND SIGNALS

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I highly recommend to look for show training classes where different breeds are trained so that your puppy can get used to the atmosphere and the other dogs. I would also start at this age to work on the freestack. The puppy can get used to the routine when I lean forward, walk backwards and ask him to stay.

FUN TRAINING LINK

When the puppy has experienced all of the above and is comfortable with every single situation, I would enter the first show to get an assessment. I would enter a club show for different reasons: Club shows usually give the dogs lots of space so that you can make the stay for your puppy comfortable. Please note that, if the show is outside and most club shows are, you need to keep your pup-

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When your dog already learns at this age to follow your hand instead of being dragged by a lead, your life will be much easier. Especially when you show a dog that weighs more than five kilogram to throw into the lead. Your palm faces the direction where the dog should go. This is when you can also start practicing the patterns. But please note: you still have a puppy which means there are only a few minutes for training and the training should always be fun! If you as handler are not familiar with the patterns (triangle, up and down, e.g.) please do not train them with the puppy on your lead. Take a human instead who will give you feedback about your handling skills.

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py warm and dry. Another reason why I would enter a club show is that a lot of committes also organise show trainings the day before, e.g. in Austria. So you have the opportunity to practice and see what the status is before you go to the show. The third point is that club shows are special, you meet a lot of Ridgeback people and it is a nice way to support the respective Rhodesian Ridgeback club.

centrate better, I would also introduce a clicker. This is a very useful tool in dog training that can be used for trick training and training on pads.

I know that a lot of people don’t want to let the puppies play in the show ring. I do exactly the opposite. With a young dog I always go into the ring after judging is finished and play. If there is another puppy, I ask the owner, if it is ok to let them play together. Shows are supposed to be fun for the dog.

It is essential to be friendly, but very consistent. The more headstrong the dog, the more important this is. The training always should include parts where discipline is required, but also fun and it should always be finished with the fun part to keep the dog‘s motivation high. Moreover, the training ends with a success for the dog. Always.

OLDER THAN 5 UP TO 9 MONTHS

I recommend to record the training and monitor your own progress as well as the dog‘s. When you train the pattern you can ask a friend to give you feedback. Even with a young dog I would try to attend a show training class with different breeds every 4 to 6 weeks. It depends on where you live, but I drove up to 3 hours one distance to have a group to train with.

When the dog turns 9 months it is allowed to start in junior class. Until then you should use the time as well as somehow possible. I spend a lot of time with further socialization. So I try to find a dog school with young dogs of different breeds and mixed breeds. Moreover, I would extend the training of basics like getting touched by strangers (think of the smell of cigarettes, parfume, creme, desinfectants) and people wearing masks. Walking and trotting on a loose lead, even with increasing distractions, is a very important topic in this stage. When the young dog is able to con-

I would use every chance to gait the puppy on different surfaces. I would go to the woods, fields, run on concrete, sand, try to get into a training hall, also use different weather conditions. Let’s face it, not every outdoor show is in plain sunshine.

Before the dog is old enough to be entered in junior class, I would try to enter another show and get some real time feedback on my training.

OLDER THAN 9 MONTHS You should always be aware that a show is very stressful for a dog that has not been trained prop-

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STEADINESS TRAINING

The adolescent dog can be trained with a higher frequency, always friendly and consistent. When possible, I try to enter e.g. the Dalmatia Dog Shows in Croatia where you can enter the dog at up to 6 international dog shows. When the dog is already trained to a good standard, this gives a great opportunity to practice day after day and hopefully see the improvement. Each club organizes a club show and it is always worth to go there and support the club. It is also interesting to compete for junior club winner titles in different countries. Junior titles are a nice way to get critiques of your dog. However, you need to be careful not to get a show burn-out with a young dog. It is funny to see that a novice handler wants to work on intermediate training. An intermediate handler wants to work on advanced training, but an advanced handler works on the basics. You always have to go back to the basics. Because if the basics don’t work, the whole training falls apart. What I also would like to point out is the importance of the ring entry. I always ask my students when they and their dogs need to look perfect. Some say „In front of the judge“ but the point is that the judge might see you the second you enter the ring. So work on the ring entry and the correct speed for your dog. When your dog shows a behavior where you don’t know where it comes from, look at yourself first. Your dog mirrors you. It is a great advantage when your dog mirrors you, but it can also be the exact opposite, when you don’t move or stand correctly. So be very aware of your own posture and body language. Training your dog is a lot easier when you have a goal to achieve. World Dog Shows, European Dog Shows and Crufts are amazing events which are always worth an entry. You will see how much fun it is to show your dog when you have prepared him the way I described. It is not possible to cover every detail of training in such an article, but I hope it gave you an impression of what is required and how much effort it is to make up an excellent show dog.

Dog Show Handling

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erly. Moreover, it is a lot of stress for the handler who tries to show such a dog. It is also very frustrating for the judge who has to deal with such a dog. The older the dog is when you start training him for shows, the more difficult it will be to achieve the goal of a bombproof dog in the ring.

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DARINA

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OUR OLDY

F A B I E N N E P H O T O S

K R E F T

F A B I E N N E

K R E F T

OLDY DARINA

t’s just a dog. Yes so some people say!!

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There are many stories, and there is one about Darina that needs to be told.

Darina our heroine is simply a dream dog. She just turned 13 years old a few days ago. She is the very centre of our pack. A quiet, very sleepy dog who hardly ever growls. It’s enough when she takes her posture in the Ridgeback way. This quiet dog saved my life by being smarter than any doctor! I had an operation on my lumbar spine. It was only a small cut. The weeks went by. I was in rehab. I was not well. I was weak and tired. My back hurt but the doctors said the scar looked fine! Then I went home on the weekend. Darina came to me on the sofa as usual. Yes, as always, only this time she sniffed my lumbar spine and she growled at me. Something she had never done before. This time everything was different. She growled from the bottom of her heart, from deep inside.

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Darina had never growled at me before!

A few days later I was to find out what Darina meant by her growl. I had a massive inflammation in my lower back. No doctor at the rehab clinic believed it, even though my whole back was swollen. The whole thing ended with an emergency operation and the knowledge that Darina knew before anyone else. She kept the whole pack away from me. Zuritamu Darina smelled the germs! She was never trained for it, she just knew that there was something dangerous! The whole thing was to happen again, this time I understood her very well, how she suddenly growled five weeks after the operation, this time I knew there was another infection down there! With this inflammation everything was different. I didn’t get a fever. I went to the family doctor again and again. Something’s wrong, it’s inflamed! No, Mrs Kreft, everything looks fine. My dog is not wrong! Don’t be so hysterical. There’s nothing wrong! Darina became more and more nervous. She refused to

She growled more and more often, but nobody believed her. The whole thing went on for a fortnight. You get really nervous when a dog growls and stands in front of you. You know something is wrong but nobody believes you. A really stupid feeling. Then came the day, or rather the night, when it was almost too late for me. Darina was very restless all night, howling and whimpering. It didn’t help that my dog told me exactly that I had something bad! In the morning I came downstairs. Darina was standing in front of me growling at me from the bottom of her heart as if she wanted to say, if you don’t do something now, it’s too late. This time I went back to the family doctor with a high fever. She suddenly became very nervous. An ambulance was ordered. Off to hospital! All of a sudden? It ended in an emergency operation again. We could have avoided all this if someone had listened to my dog! Thank you, Darina. Yes, I owe Darina my life because if she hadn’t made such a fuss, I wouldn’t have let it go and believed the doctors. Then it would have been too late. When I came out of the hospital, Darina still sniffed at my lumbar spine right at the front door, then she was as happy as anything and really didn’t leave my side for weeks. Wherever I was, Darina was there. There had to be much cuddling and snuggling. Yes, Darina our heroine! You should be aware that RR are simply different. They will never listen perfectly. They will find rain repulsive. But when they are needed, they are there. Even if they are not trained. Darina and her nose are unbeatable. She showed us this again. The hay was being cut much too early. We had not yet looked where the fawns were. So, I went out with Darina and did some tracking with her. Something she had never done before. I was still wondering if this was going to work? Then she started, sat down and barked. She found a leg. Her nose was not even on the ground. She went on. Then again. This time it was Mama Deer’s droppings. Then, I wanted to stop but Darina didn’t, she struck again. Now it was a dead vole lying under the freshly mowed grass. After that Darina was finished and wanted to go home to her sofa very quickly, of course. Ch. Zuritamu Darina our heroine on 4 paws.

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I think everyone knows how it feels when a dog growls at you, but when it’s your own, it really makes you feel strange. I didn’t understand what she meant!

let any other dogs come near me, let alone cuddle with me.

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WRITTEN BY JAN KADLEC ENGINEER OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, GENETIC ENGINEERING AND MICROBIOLOGY PHOTO BY LUKÁŠ SKALICKÝ

DIABETES

ntention of this article is to take closer look at one of the diseases which you may unfortunately meet over the course of the life of your beloved companion. Diabetes is affecting the life of dogs in a similar way as it does humans. Diabetes is a serious condition and has to be checked during regular check-up by a veterinarian and if treated the status of health can be maintained at a reasonable life standard. Overall diabetes is the most common endocrine disease in dogs and it mainly manifests itself in middle aged dogs and in dogs 7 years plus. Endocrine system in which diabetes roots – is a system of several organs which regulate internal homeostasis of the body by excreting hormones which influence many functions of the body system. Particularly diabetes is caused by limited function of pancreas, which is major gland playing a role in glucose (simple sugar, which is basic molecule to get energy from) fate on the level of biopathway in metabolism of the body of a dog. If the pancreas gets into the state of limited ability to control levels of glucose in the bloodstream of a dog, it leads to similar problems like humans have. In case of diabetes in dogs we talk about diabetes I only since form of diabetes II has so far not been reported (insulin resistance) yet. Diabetes I is defined as an autoimmune disease when pancreatic cells producing insulin are destroyed by immune mediated response and therefore production of insulin is limited and control of blood sugar is off the limits which leads to problems described below. Overall insulin deficiency leads to altered mainly carbohydrate but also fat and protein metabo-

lism of a dog and manifests itself like hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia is the state of high concentration of glucose in the bloodstream of animals due to the malfunction of pancreas which cannot excrete enough insulin. Next symptom is polyuria which is a state when dog will drink and excrete too much urine – so if you notice such state you should have your dog checked by your vet accordingly, since this may be the one of the first and early symptoms. A later symptom of problem with diabetes in dogs is often unfortunately irreversible – cataract formation. Approximately 30% of dogs with diabetes later have reduced vision which develops within 5 to 6 months after diabetes problems has started and if diabetes is untreated by 16 moths 80% of dogs have irreversible cataract formation. How will you will notice, that anything wrong might be going on? And how can you recognize the early stage of disease and therefore prevent any long-term problems? As I mentioned already: too much urine excretion might be something you should notice easily. Next would be sudden poor state of coat of your Ridgeback without obvious reason, also weight loss – both are connected to sudden limited problems with utilization of glucose in tissue of your RR – in other words, those cells do not get energy they need to have to thrive. Is there any way to avoid diabetes by prevention? Well, there is one, since from 1/4 to 1/3 of dogs are diagnosed with obesity in veterinary practices and dogs with weight problems do tend to have an increased risk of pancreatitis and therefore diabetes, so any prevention in obesity can be under-

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WITH MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD.

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stood as a way to limit such a risk of developing diabetes. You might ask why – well it´s reported that close to the 30% of dogs with chronic pancreatitis later develop diabetes later in life. How to feed dogs with diabetes: in general, if we do suffer already from it, you can select specially designed diets for dogs which suffer from pancreatic problems. Such a formula will be composed with limited levels of simple sugars and starch to prevent fluctuation of blood sugar – it is mandatory by EU law for both to be declared on the package, so you will immediately know if this will be a suitable diet for your RR. Main starch component will be material with lower glycemic index – so for example nothing like rice or potatoes but more likely something like barley and etc. Level of fat in such a diet will be around 13% which is enough not to see any loss of body weight and

will not disturb the pancreas, which plays a role in fat absorption in the digestion process. In addition, you will notice moderate levels of insoluble fiber around the level of 6% which is ideal for diabetic dogs and increased level of L-carnitine which improves conversion of energy and regulates body gain mass. The level of protein will be high in comparison to regular dog diets – over 35%, which will provide enough protein for maintaining of body function.

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Ph o to by Pavlína Kolá řová Ph oto by Lu b i e S u tto n

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Written by Jarmila Podhorská ( Dragons of Highlands kennel) Translated by Alena Ka dlecová

LIVING IN A HUGE PACK

RR AND FAMILY

“

Forever you are responsible for what you have attached to yourself,” (Little Prince)

Do you believe in destiny? Do you believe that everything in your life happens for a reason to teach you something? Well, I do. I believe that everything that has happened to me in my life happened for a reason and it was supposed to bring something to my life, whether good or bad. It’s been almost 9 years since we brought home our red fortune named Safira. I desired for a ridgeback for many years. My husband and I lived in a 2 + 1 apartment at the time and had a cat and a ferret at home. As I say Safira was the perfect training for a child. She is my lifelong teacher. She taught me consistency without hardness, patience, responsibility. I bought Safira in November 2012 and our first son was born to us in December 2013. Today Safira is almost 9 years old and our pack has since grown by 4 members two dogs and two humans and just like our whole family she went through certain developments. When I was pregnant with my first son Štěpán, she lay with me whenever she wasn´t discouraged, even with kicks comig from my belly. When Štěpánek was born and I was returning from the maternity hospital after 3 days, I left the baby behind the apartment door, it was clear to me that there would be a lot of joy and wagging tail at home that the mistress was finally home, so I welcomed Sapira first, then I held her and my husband brought Štěpánek in a car seat inside. We let Safira sniff the little one, I still remember how the little one sneezed and she was terribly scared. She was distrustful of the little smelly creature, but even then a bond began to form. When I think back on all this, I have a smile on my face. Just as dogs and children during the time gradually have increased, so each of them went through a development. Štěpánek slept in the bed with us and Safira as well. Whenever I let him sleep in bed, Safira lay down next to him ... this lasted until he started moving. However, Safira gradually changed and developed with her behavior towards children. Her breeder warned me before handing over that they gave her the nickname Duracell

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Ph oto by Lubie Sutton, Pavlína Kolářová, Jarmila Podh orská

Photo by Lubie Sutton Photo by Lubie Sutton P h o to by Jarmila Po dh orská

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rabbit, which has not changed much to this day. Safira is cheerful, playful and likes her personal space, she is not the type of bitch who lets grass grow under her paws. For Štěpánek, it was so that when he slept Safira lay down next to him, as soon as he cried, she retreated to a safe distance. Until he was the age when he was just lying, she looked for a way to him alone. She guarded the baby-carriage outside, sniffed it at home, and occasionally kissed it. As he reached the age when he began to walk, as soon as he approached she got up and left. In general, both dogs and children should have boundaries and it is up to you how to arrange it. The child should not interfere with the dog’s personal space, climb on his bed or, dear lord, jump on the dog! Safira has been communicating with with us all her life, whether in a cuddle game or in any situation, by growling, barking, whining, she is a very comunicative Ridgeback and she always shows her opinion. One thing is the rules that a person should follow in the coexistence of a child with a dog, the other thing are situations where there is no need to intervene. I never let the children hurt the dogs in any way and I have taught them to respect each other. They are living creatures, but there were times when I just observed the communication between the children and the dogs. In 2015, our Eiwa joined our family. My breeder was looking for a new home for a bitch from her litter, who was eight months old at the time. And so Eiwa came to us. Eiwa is completely different from Safira. She is calm, composed, loves children and has no problem with anyone or anything. Her relationship with children is very positive, she likes physical contact and she is generally different in nature from Safira. As I say, every good child should have his dog. And so, after Eiwa, our Matyášek joined the family in 2017. After Maty, our daughter Stella was born to us in 2019. It is strange how you find out that the family

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Photo by Lubie Sutton

In 2020 we had our “C” litter from which our Arwen stayed at home. She is the daughter of Eiwa. Arwen and her development were completely different. It is completely different when you keep a puppy from your kennel from your own bitch. Your puppy will be born at home and will not actually leave. Puppy is born into a complete family where puppy just joins the process and works. Puppy finds out how the pack works, she has her aunt and mother behind her and the human pack is actually completely automatic for her. When Arwen was small puppy she sometimes growled at my children, she took them as siblings, the older she was, so it disappeared and today she knows

that where the children are and the food, where the children are fun and like a proper 9-monthold teenager with children goes to the same page and invents swindles together. She loves children terribly, Arwen is in fact the dog of my youngest daughter Stella. It is interesting to watch Štěpán with Safira, Matyáš with Eiwa and Stella with Arwen. As if they knew they belonged to each other. At the age of 7, Štěpán already has respect for the age of Safira and they are like old acquaintances, Matyáš and Eiwa are quite similar in their phlegmatic characters and Stella and Arwen have their ritual when Stella comes to open her mouth and waits for Arwen to give her a kiss then lie down and lie together. The family is like a pack. Each member in the pack has its function, it works quite naturally. Safira raised all my children for me, and one day I will remember these days with love. Don’t be afraid of children and dogs together, don’t be afraid of the large pack of both the human and the dog, it will always fit naturally and every piece of the puzzle will fit together.

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is actually a living organism that is moving in its own direction. Acquaintance with children always took place anyway, I have never prevented dogs from any contact with children. It’s as natural as children with dogs work. Every time I bring home a new one, a child or a new dog, a babysitter, my children’s friends, my children and dogs - they take it for granted „Hey, look, someone new, ok, welcome!“

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s ’ o Te Oatmeal balls RECIPE

These cookies are small, round, crunchy and delicious

YOU NEED

¾ cup of non-fat dry milk ½ cup potato (cooked, mashed) 1 cup oats + cup for coating ¼ cup flaxseeds 1/3 cup melted butter 1 large egg ½ cup warm water

Let´s get started 1. Mix dry ingredients, add egg and melted butter until mixture forms a ball of dough 2. Spread the cup of oats for coating on a breadboard and form small pieces of dough into balls rolling each in the oats 3. Put into oven for about 40 minutes medium temperature around 150°C Flaxseed are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. They have many health benefits for dogs, including healthy heart and shiny coat, they are also low in calories which is a perfect benefit for a dog owner – you can give more snacks to your dog, because we all know how hard it is to resist those doggies eyes – LOL :D

Bon

Appétit!

Share w ith us p ictures o f the result and the bes t o f them w ill be pub lis hed in up co mming is sue. email rr.eu.magazine@gmail.com E Teo´s cooking adventurres, Q teoscookingadventurres

We have asked some of our favourite photographers some question in regards to their work, read their stories.

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S EE THROU G H CAMERA LE NS.....

We are thrilled to introduce to you three brilliant photographers, they all have one thing in common....they see your dogs through their camera lens.

A “S

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OUR GOLDIES

MELANIE CONRADTS AN INTERVIEW

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Germany І justMOMENTS-Photography І www.justmoments-photography.de

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. HOW DID YOU COME ABOUT BEING A DOG PHOTOGRAPHER AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING IT?

we needed good pictures of those dogs too. So, I decided to learn it. I bought my first quite simple DSLR Cam, booked seminars and practiced a lot. This was around 2004.

Hi. My name is Melanie and I live in Magdeburg, Germany. I am married and mother of 4 children, an adult son of 21 and triplets of 5 years. I always felt a strong connection to dogs and had the dream to work with them. In 1998 the dream came true – I became a police dog handler. From this point I was fascinated by the individuality of each dog, loved to work with a reliable partner or just spend time with a good friend. When my first son was born, I had to quit the job as a dog handler for some time. But I didn’t want to be without a dog. That’s why I decided to share my life with my first Rhodesian Ridgeback and I fell in love with this breed. Right away the next Ridgeback came and another one. We loved to see the dogs playing and wanted to have nice photos of our dogs. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take them myself. We booked a professional photographer, but were really disappointed. Meanwhile I was back in the K9 unit and

WHAT TYPE OF CAMERAS DO YOU SHOOT WITH? WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LENS AND WHY?

For about 10 years I only took pictures of my own dogs, dogs of friends and our working dogs. I had so much fun and it was so interesting to meet all the dogs and their people, to see the relationships between dog and owner and the happy faces, when they got the pictures. Since 2019 l am able to live my dream as a professional photographer of dogs, horses and children.

At the moment I’m using a NIKON D750. Which one is my favourite lens depends on the situation, the dog and what pictures I’d like to take. In general, I would say I love my Nikkor 70-200mm f2,8 for action shoots, because I’m flexible, the focus is quick enough to get sharp pictures even if the dog is very quick and because of the aperture of 2,8 it

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has a really good performance in low light situations.

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? I think I am a person who is very openminded and can get inspiration everywhere. The most important inspiration for me is the animal in front of my camera. My shoots are very individual and I really try to catch the soul of the animal I’m photographing. Is it a quiet one with calm eyes where you can see so much love or maybe it is a dog that is really “wild” and loves playing and running or playing in water? Before every shoot I will ask the dog-owner to tell me as much as possible about their dog, to send some pictures and if they already have an idea on what types of pictures they want to have. Afterwards I’m looking for a nice location. In this part I am inspired by nature. Every season has its own magic. First light green and nice sunsets in spring when the nature is waking up. In summer there are so

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For portraits I prefer my Sigma Art 135mm, f1,8. The bokeh and sharpness of this lens are just gorgeous. If I want to show a bit more landscape around the dog or for studio-pictures I mostly use a Nikkor 24-70mm, 2,8.

many flowers or the possibility to take pictures in water. Autumn I love for all the nice colours and I really love to take photographs in the forest at this time. And winter can be great for gorgeous pics not only in the snow. You will have such special moody pictures - just don’t be afraid to go out, even if it’s wet or cold.

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DO YOU CONSIDER IT A CHALLENGING JOB? HOW DO YOU GET THE ANIMALS TO STAY AND “POSE” FOR YOU? For me it isn’t just a job. It is my dream, my passion, it is everything I want to do. Of course, it’s always exciting to meet the people and their animals for the first time, to hear their expectations. Every time I’m just as curious as the owners about what pictures we will get from the shoot. This depends so much on the dog and the relationship to its people. But I wouldn’t say it’s a challenge, because that’s why I love to be an animal photographer. It’s a little bit like taking pictures of children, when they don’t know that I’m taking pictures at that moment. I get so many wonderful pics, that I couldn’t plan. Of course, I also take pictures when the dog knows some commands. But the best photos I get just by watching the dogs playing or exploring the world and I’m waiting for perfect moments. That’s why I chose my name “justMOMENTS-Photography”. I love it to catch moments that some people wouldn’t see without my pictures, because they go by so quickly.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF BEING A FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER? AND THE MOST CHALLENGING?

I love to share my time with animals and people who love them as much as I do, love to be outside in every weather. It’s so fascinating to take pictures in storm or dust for instance. I have the chance to meet so many different induvial animals and the possibility to look in the eyes of really happy people, when they get their pictures. Do you know the typical smell of dogs or horses? I love it! (haha). It is great to cuddle the models and to get the experience when they trust me after a few minutes. And often there are so many funny moments. I think most of the time while I am shooting I am spending laying on the ground behind my camera or laughing. Last but not least I can live my creativity and decide by myself what I want to do and what not. The most challenging part for me is the time I have to spend in my office and do the paperwork, I would say. Normally I’m a quite chaotic and spontaneous person. That’s why that is the part I hate to do. ;)

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL SESSION FOR US. WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU’RE BEHIND THE CAMERA? Usually I meet my models at the location we chose for the shooting and go for a little walk with them. Meanwhile we speak about wishes and possibilities and get to know each other and the dog gets the chance to explore the place. Often in this situation we get the first nice pictures of a curious happy dog. I try to take first portraits because in the beginning of a session we will get photos without a long tongue hanging around. ;) After the first walk I try to take some pictures while the dog is “posing”

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at special places which I think would suit the dog. I always tell the owners that it’s really important to be patient and praise the dog a lot, because the animals don’t understand what we are doing and maybe my behaviour (lying on the ground in front of the dog and looking thru a black box) seems a little strange to them. If something doesn’t work, we just laugh and try something else. That’s why this

is also the part of the shooting when I mostly get nice pictures from the interaction between owner and dog. Last part of a shooting session is the “action shoot”. Now the dog can show all the power and energy and we will get dynamic pictures and often there are very funny results as well.

For the whole session I try to see the dog through the eyes of the owner and want to get photos which really show the dog’s individual traits. Hopefully when the people get their pictures, they will say. “Yes, that’s my dog!”

WHICH BREED IN YOUR OPINION IS MOST PHOTOGENIC?

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I don’t think there is a breed that is more photogenic than others. Every animal has his own charm and my task and my wish is to capture that.

ARE THERE OTHER DOG PHOTOGRAPHERS THAT INSPIRE OR INFLUENCE YOU? IF NOT, WHO OR WHAT DOES? Of course there are a lot of photographers that inspire me and not all of them are dog photographers or famous. It is so important to be openminded and curious, always try something new. That’s why I always say, you can get inspiration from other people, but never try to copy. If you do this you can only fail, because you can’t be the original. ;) Three outstanding dogphotographers who influence me are: Claudio Piccoli: His action shoots are just stunning!

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Anne Geier: I am overwhelmed of her photos of dogs in landscapes. Jana Jarmila: The photographer behind “lost.in.dogs” Her pictures are always different, surprising and emotional, just gorgeous.

IS THERE ANY ONE THING YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN OR PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO AN ASPIRING FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER I think the most important thing is to believe in yourself and to love what you do. To make sure I don’t forget about this, I do at least once a year something just for me as a photographer. This can be a trip to the sea or to the mountains. Maybe a workshop that I wanted to do for a long time or meet other photographers and just have fun. Especially for new photographers it is very important to not compare their pictures with the ones of other photographers too much. Just look at yours and decide what do you like in YOUR pictures and what you don’t like. Then you can do it better next time.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS OF YOUR OWN? AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ANIMAL? Yes, at the moment we live with three dogs. Our Ridgeback “Sundance”, a Laekenois mix called “Yuppie” and our “Peanut” a Hollandse herder boy. Unfortunately, those are the dogs that I photograph the least, because it is quite difficult to be the dog handler, animator and photographer in one person. ;) It is really difficult to say which one is my favourite animal. I love pretty much all of them. In former times we had two cats and I really love horses. <3 But there is one animal, for which I have a phobia: snakes.

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WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING? In this time many people think, why should I need a professional dog photographer and why most of them are so expensive. Everybody can buy a digital camera and take photos, which in my opinion is not just right but also important, because everybody should capture their own memories with their dog. There will be a time, you will be glad about every single picture, even if it was taken with a smartphone. But booking a professional photographer in my opinion is something different. You will get special pictures and memories. You will see that also YOUR dog has the talent to be a “super model“. And hopefully you will get emotional pictures of you and your dog. This needs a lot of time and talent. The equipment is really expensive, I have to pay for insurances, photoshop, website, seminars, online galleries and many other things. I drive a lot of kilometers not only to come to the shoots even to find nice locations. ;) I spend a lot of time to prepare a shoot, I’m at least 1,5 -2 hours on site and afterwards I have to sift through all the pictures and will give them the special look on the computer. If everything is ready you will get a nice and loving package with your memories printed and on a USB stick. All those things you should think of, if you consider to book a shoot with your dog. It isn’t something you do every day, it should be something special!

LENKA

HORVATH KOLLAROVA AN INTERVIEW

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Lenka Horvath Kollarova І Slovakia І www.loowyons.sk / loowyons@gmail.com

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF . HOW DID YOU COME ABOUT BEING A DOG PHOTOGRAPHER AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING IT? Hello, First of all, I would like to thank you for addressing me. My name is Lenka Kollarova, I was born in Bratislava, and I have been living in a small village in Hungary near the Slovak border for 7 years. I live in beautiful nature with my family, little daughter and my dream ranch with animals. I have two female Rhodesian Ridgebacks, a small Dachshund, three horses and a few other anumals :) I live my “little” dream. We have had Ridgebacks in the family since 1999 and since 2016 I have my Ridgebacks kennel Loowyons, where I like to apply my photography. I have loved animals and nature since I was a child and that was the main reason why I tried photography. First, my father, who has been photographing for many years, got me into photography. He

taught me from an early age to have a relationship with nature, and of course that includes animals. I gradually learned, watched and practiced. And I’ve tried so far. I’m still learning and I definitely don’t consider myself a professional photographer. It’s just my hobby, but a beautiful hobby. My first “photo model” was my first Rhodesian Ridgeback “Astor”- Carlos Aquila Bojnice, I spent a beautiful childhood with him and for 14 wonderful years I tried to photograph this dog. Even then, I found out that photographing dogs is not so easy, especially Ridgebacks :)

HOW DID YOU FIRST ENTER THE PHOTOGRAPHY WORLD? DID YOU HAVE FORMAL TRAINING? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PHOTOGRAPHER? As I mentioned, my father helped me with photography. When I didn’t have my own camera, I took pictures with one of his cameras. Later, I went to study at an art school in Bratislava, De-

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partment of Photographic Design, where I tried to photograph just about everything and saw photography in a different light.

In my photos I try to capture the “spark” of a given moment and in each of my photos I see its story. Every single photo is unique to me.

WHAT OR WHO GOT YOU STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING DOGS? Definitely my two Rhodesian Ridgeback girls Nalla (Angel Nalla Mungu) and Megann (Bailey Megann Mungu), but over time I found out that it is not a photograph as a photograph .. The two of them were my inspiration from the beginning, when I had no child yet. I could still take pictures of them and look for things that could be improved. Especially my girls already know in advance when we are goin to take photos and they know how to pose :) Gradually, when I went to exhibitions with them, I saw them in a different “light” and I had to learn how to properly photograph the Ridgeback like I had never seen them before. The right head, the right body, choosing the right background to make the dog stand out. It was all a new chapter in photography for me. I tried to photograph dogs at shows and other breeds, later came individual offers of Ridgebacks and photos of puppies in kennels. Of course, this would not be possible without the right help with photography. I can say

WHAT TYPE OF CAMERAS DO YOU SHOOT WITH? WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LENS AND WHY? I’ve been a maniac on Nikon since the beginning. I started with my father’s old cameras, like the Nikon F401S and Nikon F70, and my first SLR was the Nikon D90. I studied during school until it was time to fulfill my dream - the Nikon D750, which I’m currently taking pictures with and it’s my favorite and at the moment I don’t have to change it. As for lenses, my favorites are of course Sigma and Nikon. But my secret dream is Sigma Art. I’m currently taking pictures with my favorite lens, a classic for me - 50mm f/1.4G draws beautiful colors, has a beautiful bokeh effect, I really like it. I don’t use my other lenses that often, but they are also excellent, they are Nikon 24-120mm f/ 4G ED VR AF-S , Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR AF-S and the last Sigma 135-400 mm/f 4.5-5.6 APO DG ASPHERICAL RF

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? My inspiration are the moments around me. The beautiful nature in which I live is an inspiration for every day. And of course the animals and my little daughter. Sometimes I don’t even know where to start, whether to go take pictures of horses or dogs or a child :) I’m looking forward to every season and time when friends come with their Ridgebacks and we take photos together in nature. The Ridge-

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It was very interesting life and I’m glad I experienced it. I have been actively photographing animals as a hobby since 2010.

that photographing the Ridgebacks is the most difficult photo for me, but also the most beautiful.

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backs look great every season, but my favorite is autumn, they look excellent in autumn colours!

DO YOU CONSIDER IT A CHALLENGING JOB? HOW DO YOU GET THE ANIMALS TO STAY AND “POSE” FOR YOU? I have not yet reached the level of a professional photographer and I do not work as a professional. It is a hobby in free time and currently in addition to maternity leave. I am grateful for every opportunity I receive, and I always look forward to being approached by new people and when people return for another shoot. Fortunately, I have people around me who always help me with photography, because I am grateful

to them, because the right people are needed for the right pose. I have already trained my dogs for photography, but I also have my tricks on how to attract a dog so that it has the right look and so that both parties are happy. Every photo shoot is a new adventure, with friends or new people that I am always looking forward to and we will end it with a good sitting, for example for coffee :)

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF BEING A FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER? AND THE MOST CHALLENGING? To tell the truth... I’m not quite sure of this part “fine art”. Perhaps I am not quite there yet. I’m probably a natural classic that doesn’t like to start

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DESCRIBE A TYPICAL SESSION FOR US. WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU’RE BEHIND THE CAMERA? My photos are friendly in one word. The meeting takes place in a pleasant place in nature or

indoors, at which we agree in advance. We try to find out in advance what people’s expectations and accordingly we select the place. Part of my photos are also the scenery, which we will also agree on in advance. Whether I am photographing puppies, dogs, children or the whole family, I always have the necessary things that will interest everyone involved. When we take photos of puppies, we can’t do without a funny circus, when all the toys fly around :) And when the photos finally succeed, it’s the most beautiful reward for every photographer.

WHICH BREED IN YOUR OPINION IS MOST PHOTOGENIC?

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with something new. I tried to take photos in the studio for a while, but I didn’t like it. I love lifestyle photography in the natural environment, moments of people and animals and photography in nature. My latest passion: I’m trying to photograph newborns and babies, and it’s a nice experience for me. But I admire people who can do it and it’s their job and livelihood.

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Hah, good question! For me, it is definitely a horse, because it still has a direct photogenic appearance :) Then there is not much work with them. But you mean the dog breed - as a lover of Ridgebacks, of course that would be the chosen breed. From a photographic point of view, definitely puppies - any puppies :)

ARE THERE OTHER DOG PHOTOGRAPHERS THAT INSPIRE OR INFLUENCE YOU? IF NOT, WHO OR WHAT DOES?

From the beginning, my father was my idol as for every daughter. But of course I have my favorite photographers, which I really admire. Most Michele Bavassano, Janina Foldynova and Hannah Meinhardt. Of course I could name many more :)

IS THERE ANY ONE THING YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN OR PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO AN ASPIRING FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER? Continue taking pictures. Because there is still

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something to learn. I’m still learning on my own, try new techniques and new challenges are still coming. Photography is simple, but the most important thing is to process photography and learning in new programs is becoming more and more challenging than photography itself. This is an industry in which you have to keep moving forward. I will learn all my life.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS OF YOUR OWN? AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ANIMAL?

I would like to be my pet in the next life :) Animals are my life. I own horses, dogs, a cat and a “minipig”. But horses are my sweetheart, and in combination with Ridgebacks it’s the most beautiful photo! I wish everyone who takes photos to take photography from the heart and enjoy it, even if it may not be perfect. After all, no one is perfect. And that’s the beauty, the uniqueness of each photo!

SILVIA SCHINKELS AN INTERVIEW

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Germany І BwZ.photography І www.BwZ.photography | info@bwz.photography

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF . HOW DID YOU COME ABOUT BEING A DOG PHOTOGRAPHER AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING IT? My name is Silvia Schinkels, I am 41 years old and photography is my passion. I prefer to photograph dogs and horses, but also cats, families and of course I love animals and their people. The real passion started in 2015, but I also took photos before that. It happened in 2015 ... but more about that later. I live with my husband and our two Ridgeback girls on the Lower Rhine, on the flat land between fields and forests in western Germany.

HOW DID YOU FIRST ENTER THE PHOTOGRAPHY WORLD? DID YOU HAVE FORMAL TRAINING? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PHOTOGRAPHER?

BwZ.photography. Bhanu Wa Zulu means sky and sun. I’m behind it as a photographer, Silvia Schinkels. The name Bhanu wa Zulu (BwZ) is also very closely associated with our Ridgebacks. I registered it as a kennel name and our first Ridgeback was called Bhanu. Since I always like to have my own dogs in front of the lens, my photography should also be closely linked to the love for our Ridgebacks. Voila - this is how my baby was born in 2015: BwZ.photography. Bhanu Wa Zulu, translated from African (Swaheli), means something like sky and sun. Both are elements that stand for light and light quality and are therefore an irreplaceable component and elementary component of my photography, but also of all photographs. As already mentioned, I was born in 1980 and in 1999 I took part in courses and a more intensive approach to photography. Here, however, it was

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more of a means to an end, a necessary evil, and far removed from passion and calling. That was certainly also due to what was in front of the lens ... they weren’t animals. In 2005 we got our first Ridgeback. BISS Hillvalleys African Bhanu Zulu. Bhanu reached almost 15 years old, we had to let him go in mid-2020. With Bhanu in the family, attitudes towards pho-

tography didn’t change suddenly. Bhanu and two years later our new member Bheko (Corleo’s Cobheko Bean) were always models in front of the camera. At this point, however, I was far from having a real understanding of the basics of photography. What was once learned, almost forgotten, are pictures of the dogs taken - not properly photographed. The first digital SLR camera arrived, but as I said, I was still miles away from un-

At the time, photography itself was completely different. There were few wildlife photographers and the subject of professional photography was generally not very present. The desire for really nice pictures of your own dogs had been suppressed the main thing is that you have enough photos of your own animals. However, a mass of images is no substitute for what may be the only image of the heart.

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derstanding the relationships between different focal lengths and the light intensity of the respective lenses with regard to image composition. Workshops, training courses and seminars: I regularly attend workshops and seminars as well as personal coaching and have acquired a lot myself through a lot of training. It’s not just exciting to keep getting to know new colleagues. I’m particularly interested in the different ways of taking photos, the different angles of how we see our models and then photograph them. The exchange and the friendly togetherness. That doesn’t always work because there is often a competitive factor involved. Especially with commercially active photographers. But it’s not just the photography that makes it all in the end. The sympathy between the customer and me has to be right so that we can get involved. In addition, it is very common for photographers to shoot exactly the same, in the same place and at the same time, and the result just looks completely different in the end. Everyone has their own style of painting and that’s a good thing.

WHAT OR WHO GOT YOU STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING DOGS? How it all started:

The desire for many of my own pictures of the heart grew bigger and bigger. I had a very specific idea of what my pictures should look like. Just like I’ve seen my own dogs. I have looked at many dog pictures from many animal photographers and always discovered little things that I would have photographed differently. A “slightly more leg” would have been nice, because “that looks kind of unfavorable in the background”; often something bothered me. I started looking deeper into the subject again and it quickly became clear that a DSLR (digital single lens reflex camera) is very useful for beautiful pictures, but a suitable lens also helps. And yes, an image should never be edited to improve something - on the contrary. With the image processing I underline my own style of image and despite a good image “out of cam” I can make a lot more of it. Image editing has always been around. In the past, processing was carried out in the darkroom during analog times; Today, the small details are done on the PC - with calibrated monitors and appropriate image processing programs.

WHAT TYPE OF CAMERAS DO YOU SHOOT WITH? WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LENS AND WHY? In the meantime, with my good equipment, I can fulfill my ideas, but also the wishes of the customers and photograph the dogs so that they become pictures of the heart. I take photos with Nikon cameras (D850 and Z6) as well as with different

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bright lenses (f 2.8 or smaller). My absolute favorite is the Nikkor 300mm, f2.8. This focal length creates a unique representation that I just love for my pictures. But I have many other lenses as well as a mobile studio, so that recordings can also take place in bad weather or simply when the studio look is desired. All around I have equipment with which I can achieve the best possible technical results even under less favorable conditions (tight spaces, little light). As is so often the case,

the rest is a matter of taste. With the best camera you can take bad pictures, that is without question. But high-quality equipment does no harm in terms of outstanding image quality.

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? Inspiration ist everywhere ;) There are many possibilities here to realize myself

with my photography. Depending on the season, our fields offer a wide variety of flowers, the forests are ideal for capturing a wonderful play of light. In autumn our forests present themselves in magnificent red, brown and yellow colors. We have many lakes very close by, and here I prefer to take photos at sunset. It is such a wonderful light mood when the sun is reflected on the water, for me something very special. A multitude of parks and special places offer me, almost all around the year, the opportunity to capture an infinite number of flowers. Our wonderful, historic little old town is also only a short walk away. I have often staged many wonderful people and animals on many hundreds of years old buildings, alleys and paths. There are also a number of large cities in the vicinity that offer unique motifs with great parks. I am completely satisfied with the wide range of options I have here at home. But I am happy to travel to my customers if something is required that my environment does not offer.

DO YOU CONSIDER IT A CHALLENGING JOB? HOW DO YOU GET THE ANIMALS TO STAY AND “POSE” FOR YOU?

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First of all, it is important that the owner does not feel stress, because it only transfers to the animal. Everyone should have fun. I only need a split second for certain poses, so the dog doesn’t have to stop for long. For the animal, it should be more of a game, with breaks and lots of rewards. Every

command is resolved and the dog is rewarded. Under no circumstances should you set yourself firmly and want to implement it 100%. It is a work with animals, there is never anything 100%. If the dog does not want to sit then it is not forced to sit. I would rather offer him another position and ask if he might like to sit there then. If not, maybe he would rather lie down …

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF BEING A FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER? AND THE MOST CHALLENGING? The best about being a dog photographer is the special moments. Let me tell you about some special shootings… I’ll tell you about my passion, about animal photography. What exactly do I photograph? My main focus is on dog pictures, horse pictures and emotional animal-human photography. Action shots, classic portrait shots, riding pictures, pictures that show the bond between animals and humans, there are no limits to creativity. Anything in which the animals like to participate voluntarily and without compulsion is possible. Here I just have to mention that the idea of a very specific image is entirely possible, but the implementation of this idea is largely determined by the quadruped. For the animals, too, the situation is mostly new and unfamiliar, it is work with living beings that sometimes proceeds differently than previously planned, whereby the result does not have to be worse than initially intended. On the contrary, spontaneous twists and turns in the course of an animal photo shoot are often very refreshing.

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It’s just a special breed, I don’t have to mention how special ;-) To be able to portray the character of my models and to photograph the bond between the dog-human team is a challenge but also an affair of the heart. The shootings should be fun for everyone involved and represent a wonderful memory for people. It is not uncommon for a normal shoot to result in good contact or a friendship between the customer and me as a photographer. The most special shoot: There is no such thing for me. I always take photos with passion, no matter how it turns out. Whether in winter with snow or in summer on the beach, I like all the moments when I’m out and about with the camera. Of course. there are a lot of funny memories that I think back to often and fondly. There were my first three Dachshunds in front of the

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Of course, probably due to the fact that I can be a proud RR owner myself, I also have one or the other RR in front of the camera.

were all really nice and were happy about my visit. Most of them also did really well in front of the camera, yes, most of them ... here too there were one or two “very active” candidates who, despite countless attempts at the end, were “captured” in my pictures.

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The owners often do not trust the very “active models” to do a shoot. “My dog doesn’t listen” or “he never looks attentive anyway” are comments often used to fear not being able to get good results during the shoot. I tell you this is completely unfounded. Every dog, really every dog, every horse and basically everyone can be photographed at the right moment in such a way that ultimately beautiful, wonderful and great results are achieved. People have to get involved and animals shouldn’t be infected by people’s nervousness. The shoot should be fun for everyone, and so are the results. You can see stress. Fun too, I’ll put you in the right mood.

camera ... two were really “well behaved models”, simply persuaded to sit down, stand here or walk there ... but the third was the “photo crasher”. His passion was clear, repeatedly, suddenly, storming into the picture from the side, or spontaneously turning away from the group picture ... his looks also often told me: that bores me! ;-) Nevertheless, many wonderful pictures were taken and the owners were so enthusiastic that I will soon be able to take them again. I am really looking forward to this. Shootings on the beach are always special. Thundering waves, the salty air and dogs running across the beach. Ridgebacks enjoying the water, a feeling of limitless freedom. We like to spend our holidays on the beach in the Netherlands out of season, at times when tourists are a little quieter. After a 2 hour drive, the destination is reached from our home and we are in our little paradise. To be able to offer shootings here as well is a privilege and therefore always special.

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But I also have fond memories of a shoot with 11 huskies in the snow. It was really impressive how the pack greeted me on the snow-covered lawn in the large garden. I was alternately sniffed, cuddled or nudged playfully. At the moment I didn’t have enough arms. They

Active models are also puppies. Puppy shootings are always special. I don’t need to tell you how great puppies can smell and how beautiful puppies are, regardless of their breed. What could be nicer for the dog parents than pictures of the little ones at the breeder? And to have cuddling and play moments with the little rascals during the shoot is always an extra bonus for me as a photographer. The complete opposite and no less special are the old dogs. The sprightly retirees who know exactly what they want. At the Ridgeback, the dogs that improve their stubbornness and not only know what they want, but also do it easily. When we know that time is running against us and we can no longer have the oldies with us forever, then these shootings become very special. I also like to capture the moments, of humans and animals, where neither feel observed. These are those special moments, a natural look, no forced smile, interaction without pres-

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sure. These pictures are often taken during a short break, which I offer my customer, because such a shoot is usually an unfamiliar effort for the four-legged friends. A moment in which nobody feels observed. Togetherness. Especially with older dogs, a very special relationship between dog and owner can usually be felt. To be able to hold onto these moments for eternity is magical. Animal welfare: A shoot with an animal welfare dog will be fondly remembered. I voluntarily take photos for animal welfare in order to have better chances with beautiful pictures to find dogs for their “forever home”. A very young dog with a not very nice past was registered in order to get nice pictures for his mediation. Such an open-minded dog, so cuddled and grateful for every bit of attention. Every look that was directed at him, every touch, the dog was just friendly and happy. Grateful. Maybe a human thought, but it never let go of me. I still think a lot about the little guy. He found a really great home. Not with us, although I’ve thought about it :)

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL SESSION FOR US. WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU’RE BEHIND THE CAMERA?

there are pictures to choose from with different backgrounds, portraits, cuddly pictures, action pictures, classic still pictures ... everything to make the owner’s heart beat faster while looking at it. Bhanu has been exhibited successfully at home and abroad for years - at that time it was still rare as a Livernose, because there were very few Livers at that time. Thanks to my experience there, I can assess the conformation very well, especially with the Ridgeback, and see the strengths but also the weaknesses. A Rhodesian Ridgeback is always an impressive representative of its breed, you should be able to see that in pictures. Especially when certain flowers can put the dog in the limelight, such as the heather blossom, the magnolias or the rape, shoots are in demand. Then also males have to stand by their man and be immortalized on pictures with pink flowers ;) Nature accompanies my photography all year round, but summer often suits the Ridgebacks the most. At all times of the day, often also at sunrise and sunset. Often there is no need for distracting motifs such as flowers or the like, just a free area to capture the magical and special lighting mood and not distract from it.

What does a shoot with me look like?

Autumn is also very special with its diverse, beautiful colors. I really like it when the leaves on the trees turn yellow, brown or dark red. Every forest becomes a magnificent play of colors. These colors are simply very special to the Ridgeback.

We usually go for a walk together and take pictures of the dog in different places. There are pauses, no pose is held for too long or even forced. What the dog offers is accepted and at the end

In landscape parks, on lakes or rivers. Wonderful pictures have already been taken on old disused buildings (Lost Place). I like to implement what is liked and desired.

I myself attach great importance to empathy, as I just mentioned, trust has to be right. However, if you have only found each other over the Internet without personal contact, how should you decide whether or not sympathy can exist? Exactly, for this reason I will give you an insight into my work and describe myself as best I can. This is how you get to know me a little and you can decide whether you want to place enough trust in me for your very own photo shoot experience together with your dog, your favorite horse or both together.

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RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

WHICH BREED IN YOUR OPINION IS MOST PHOTOGENIC?

A city center also often offers a lot of leeway, sometimes a special front door, a house wall, a fountain, a barn door or simply the street background with facades is a backdrop that a dog, especially an RR, can put in the limelight. However, you can actually conjure up great pictures from almost any landscape or location. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a simple field or a small garden. My imagination, or that of the customer, has few limits as to what is allowed and what pleases, I like to implement. On my website I have described in detail for my customers how a dog photo shoot or a horse photo shoot runs or can run. There are a few things to consider, which I discuss before each appointment. Especially with the current situation, I don’t take photos in the studio. In nature I can keep my distance to my customers without any problems. Of course, enough photos are shown in the portfolio to get an insight into my style of painting in order to be able to estimate what kind of pictures you can expect from the shoot / from me. In addition to a few words from some of my previous customers, I also wrote down a few personal things about myself.

For the owner, every dog is certainly the most beautiful, and that’s exactly how it should be. In the beginning I was very focused on the Rhodesian Ridgeback, but that has now changed. For me privately to live with the dog, it will always be the Ridgeback. I love this breed and of course also very much the look. Due to the many shootings with different breeds and mixed breeds, I have to say that every dog is beautiful! Every dog is individual and everyone has their own character. To be able to reflect that in the pictures is the challenge that makes it particularly exciting.

ARE THERE OTHER DOG PHOTOGRAPHERS THAT INSPIRE OR INFLUENCE YOU? IF NOT, WHO OR WHAT DOES? I follow a lot of different animal photographers on Instagram and Facebook. As I have already written, here in Germany there is a lot of competition and envy. Sometimes it is very nice to take photos together and compare the pictures. In the end, everyone has their own style. Influencing can sound negative. Copying someone else’s pictures or trying to be as suc-

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My website says “never take photos of something that doesn’t touch your heart!” That’s why I’m an animal photographer - and I believe you can see that in my pictures. It is also important to me that I touch you with my pictures.

IS THERE ANY ONE THING YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN OR PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO AN ASPIRING FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER? There is a big difference between just taking pictures and doing it commercially for customers. There are a lot of rules, a lot of facets that make up the whole. Photographing is a very small part of it. Anyone who is thinking of registering a business and taking photos for customers should deal with it early enough and plan and prepare everything well. At the beginning of my business registration, I definitely underestimated the scope, it’s just about more than just taking a few pictures. It is, however, the case that the fun of dealing with the different characters of the animals predominates. That the joy of the owners when they hold their finished pictures in their hands outweighs the feedback about wall pictures, immortalized forever with their favorite picture. When I then hear: you have captured my dog exactly as he actually is, it touches me. That is one of the reasons why photography became a passion. I see the character of an animal in the pictures. So, the fun and passion of what I achieve with my animal photography outweigh the stressful areas of a trader. Because that’s exactly what my photography is about. To give duration to the moment. Capturing the emotions and depicting the character. To the one picture of the heart. To memories for eternity. To be able to contribute and to be part of it is a privilege. A famous photographer (Henrik Cartier-Bresson) sums it up: “Photography can do something very special, it saves us from being forgotten. There is always something that continues to work, that remains in our memories - like an engraving. It’s about triggering emotions. We look at the photos and at the same time experience the memories we associate with them…

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS OF YOUR OWN? AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ANIMAL? For many years we had a cat, even when the dogs moved in here. I spent my childhood with horses but never had my own. We currently have two Ridgeback girls, Eywa (Eywa by Bawean`s Hope) and Ziwah (Bonganis go to BwZ Ziwah). And as long as it is possible, Ridgebacks will probably always live here.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING? Yes, very much. All animal photographers hear very often that everything is too expensive, after all, it’s just pictures. We all spend money - especially in today’s society - on so many things, often on things that we later realize we may not need them at all. Of course, we don’t have infinite amounts of money and we have to budget. But we save for things that are important to us in order to be able to afford them. Why did the lasting memories of our “fur children” not deserve this status? Why is it not worth “this price” for many? At the latest when we can no longer walk the path of life together - these memories should be worth more than anything else, right? None of us know how long we are allowed to spend with our loved ones. One thing is clear: from the moment you notice that nothing works anymore, nobody will want to put the dog in front of a camera. Those who want that anyway won’t get a photo from me at this point. No picture is worth the fact that a living being has to go badly for it. If you can already see in the pictures that the fur child is not doing well, then you will only reproach yourself later for having missed the right time. It doesn’t have to be, do it now. Not because of me - because of you! So, I would like to dedicate the last few lines to a matter close to my heart. Don’t wait too long. Our Bheko was torn from life at the age of 10. He suddenly had seizures and had to go to the clinic. CT, diagnosis of brain tumor and we had to let him go. I am grateful for all the pictures I have of him. My heart’s pictures are there. It’s life-size on the wall in our living room. Always present, in the picture and in our memory. But the pictures help me a lot. Our Bhanu was almost 15 years old. He had a great dog life and in the end just couldn’t take it anymore. I was able to deal with his loss differently because he was not torn from our lives so suddenly. But that is individual and certainly different for everyone. It doesn’t matter how and when we have to accompany our fur children on the last journey - afterwards the memories are forever, lasting. Captured moments. Your heart’s pictures. It’s an RR magazine, of course I consciously chose Ridgeback pictures. In addition to my own dogs, only customer pictures can be seen.

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

cessful as someone else. The focus should be on yourself. You have to like the pictures yourself and you can’t lose yourself.

dog Highway To Hell Slunce Zambezi

health Titles (short)

C.I.B., Ch. SK, Jch. CZ, ClubCh., MultiJBOB, JBIS

Pedigree Name

Highway To Hell Slunce Zambezi

Nickname

Teo

Date of birth

26.2.2016

Height

66,5 cm

Weight

42 kg

Teeth

Full dentition, scissor bite

Hip dysplasia

Elbow dysplasia

Osteochondrosis

Negative

Lumbosacral Transitional Vertebra

0, L7

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy

CLEAR (not carrier)

Spondylosis deformans

Negative

Degenerative myelopathy

N/N (not carrier)

D-locus (color locus)

D/d (carrier of dilution mutation)

B-locus (livernose gen)

B/B (non-carrier)

Malignant hyperthermia

CLEAR

Hemophilia (factor IX)

CLEAR

DNA

Complete genetic profile

Early Onset Adult Deafness

High confidence CLEAR

pedigree

titles

First generation

INTERCHAMPION C.I.B.

Highway To Hell Slunce Zambezi S I R E

CHAMPION OF SLOVAKIA JUNIORCHAMPION OF CZECH REPUBLIC WDS 2018 AMSTERDAM res. CLASS WINNER CLUB CHAMPION OF ČKRR CLUB CHAMPION OF KCHRR BEST DOG OF ČKRR 2017 BEST IN SHOW JUNIOR (2017 lDS, Czech. Rep.) MULTIPLE JUNIOR BOB WINNER

D A M Second generation

D A M

S I R E

D A M

Rex Ventors Trinity

S I R E

Amber Grand Star Qwandoya

Emma True Angel Slunce Zambezi

A’Hill Mozambique Star

Mkai Leoridge

Bahati Slunce Zambezi

Third generation

Candidate for: CHAMPION OF CZECH REPUBLIC

CHAMPION OF POLAND CHAMPION OF AUSTRIA SIRE

DAM

SIRE

DAM

SIRE

DAM

Rex Ventors Iving

DAM

Tolasana’s Sitanka

CHAMPION OF SLOVENIA SIRE

A FEW WORDS

ABOUT TEO

Bayo Kabo Slunce Zambezi

Heshima Ya Kimba Grand Aquarius

Assa Pretoria Rose

Karoskloof TT Simply Red

Rouxridge Nala Of Leoridge

Rhodys Pride Leoridge Mufasa

Fourth generation

contact

A unique dog, balanced in body and soul. A kind character, braveheart, always in good mood and loves to steal food.

This is Teo.

Alena Kadlecová facebook-square alena.jilkova

INSTAGRAM-SQUARE Lalajilkovic  j.alena.jilkova@seznam.cz

www.ridgeback-star.webnode.cz

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M A W A N D A

M O O N

B R O S S

Z I O N

OUR COVER D OG

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

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CAN YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOUR COVER DOG FOR OUR READERS?

I always knew that given this little wonder is in my care, I want to show him as much of the world as I am capable of, and try out as many things together as we possibly can. So I decided to introduce him to the water very early – in part because I myself love to be next to the water. We regularly go to the beach ever since, in fact, we have even learnt how to sup together. Other than that, we love to do guardian training and have also tried coursing, but Zion loves agility more than any other sport. Zion is a highly intuitive, sensitive dog. He senses the happiness or sorrow of his loved ones, be it a human or any of his quadrupedal friends.

WHAT IS HIS BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT? There are a variety of things that fill me with pride regarding Zion, but perhaps the biggest of them is the fact that although we started competing quite late –when he was already two years old–, in one and a half years we managed to win 12 champion titles, among them multiple grand champion accolades. I sincerely hope the shows will soon get going again and we can collect the thirteenth title. In 2019 we successfully received a BH certificate, which I am particularly proud of, as we all know it is no small feat with a Rhodesian Ridgeback. But we even managed that together. Last but not least, even in this odd year of 2020 we got into the top three in Best In Show in a domestic competition, which holds special significance to me for personal reasons.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT SHOWING? The most important thing is that we do it together. We started it relatively late, as I dismissed the idea of putting so much effort into it. Nevertheless, we tried it out following the persuasion of the breeders. We entered this world as sort of outsiders, without my knowing anything about it. We began to train and go to coaches, we worked hard and eventually the results also started to get better. Beyond the success of the past two years, we have also managed to meet a lot of new people, both of us making new friends along the way. Not to mention the many wonderful places we got to visit and the experiences we had together thanks to this journey. I am happy I made a series of photos of all the trips we had, it is such a great feeling to look at all the beautiful places we have visited throughout the years.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS? It would be great if we could plan in 2021 like we did in other years. However, the past year had brought about substantial changes in all of our lives, many shows had to be cancelled or rescheduled. Even here in Hungary the EDS planned to be held in Budapest needed to be postponed until December of this year. So far this is only a delay, I personally really hope that by the second half of the year we can come together again with other beautiful Rhodesian Ridgebacks in Budapest, Brno or perhaps somewhere else.

FACTSHEET Name CIB Multi Grand CH. Mawanda Moon Bross Zion – breeder: Kobzos Gábor • Sire: Mkanqawi Akiiki Alvin x Dam: Bulawayo Baobab Fana • Contact: www.zionridgeback.dog, facebook www.facebook.com/virag.orczi

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

It was love at first sight. When I first set off to visit the litter, I had no idea how I would eventually choose among them. What would be the reason to pick one over another? At the end, it was not difficult at all: He was the only pup that refused to come up to me on his own. Still, I chose him, perhaps exactly because of this. I knew he was the one I needed. I gave him the name Zion, which translates to sign or portent. We have been doing everything together ever since.

zhanna_g@inbox.lv j.Alena.jilkova@seznam.CZ