RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE ISSUE 4/2020 by RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK MAGAZINE

DEAR READERS

ear readers, I am happy to present to you another nice issue. I hope, that you all, including your four - legged friends are enjoying the Summer as much as possible. Let´s learn in this issue more about feeding raw diet and about dangerous ingredients for your dog. If you are on holiday now, there are so many options on what you can do during summer with your Ridgeback and one of the popular sports is agility. So discover in this issue what this sport is about and perhaps try it with your Ridgeback. We are sure you both will have an amazing time. After doing some sport let´s make ice cream for your dog. Of course in this issue, you will find much more! Yes, I am talking about more than 170 pages about the breed that we all love so much! So make yourself a cup of coffee, relax no matter where you are, and enjoy reading. See you soon!

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 I S S U E 4 / J U LY 2 0 2 0

CONTENTS R H O D E S I A N

— RIDGEBACK REVEALED

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

— AVOIDING THE PITFALLS OF EXPORTING

— HENK SALM AN INTERVIEW

— RED HOT LINE BREEDER

R I D G E B A C K

E U

M A G A Z I N E

— COLLARS YES, NO, WHEN

— STANDARD ISSUE

— CUTANEOUS VASCULITIS

— STINNE ELGAARD AN INTERVIEW

— KIZIMBI BREEDER

— DYKUMOS BREEDER

— BLOOD TRACKING WORK

— BLOOD DONATING WORK

100 — AG ILITY WORK

116 — MAZOE OLDY

106

— DOG TRAINING AN INTERVIEW

122

— B.A.R.F. NUTRITION

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

130

— DANGEROUS FOOD NUTRITION

138

— BEHIND THOSE AMBER EYES

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.

Teo’s

144

— TEO’S COOKING ADVENTURES

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,

146

— SEE THROUGH CAMERA LENS.....

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 I S S U E 4 / J U LY 2 0 2 0

ABOUT THE BOOK

he book, comprising over 150 pages, was written for the purpose of helping beginners and those somewhat advanced

to understand what the Breed Standard of the Rhodesian Ridgeback is asking for, what it means and its purpose. It will hopefully also help you understand how the various body parts interact with one another. I have been assured that the book will also be helpful to more advanced owners and even to learner judges. It used to be that people bought puppies from well-established, knowledgeable breeders. Many of those breeders would take the time to educate their puppy buyers, or at least those who showed a genuine interest in showing and breeding with the intention of nurturing and promoting the next generation of knowledgeable breeders. All too often these days, all you get is a puppy and a Diet sheet - and that’s pretty much your lot! RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

The rest you have to figure out for yourself. I am hoping to fill in some of that information gap with this book. I trust that you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing this book. Should you still have questions after reading it, I would be glad to answer them – either in the blog or by email. Please write to me at ridgebackrevealed@gmail. com and I will reply soonest. I don’t claim to have an answer to every question. I do however have a great circle of friends together with whom I am confident we can provide solid and factual

replies.

The Rhodesian Ridgeback Standard explained and exemplified

EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK by Timmy U. Ralfe

REVEALED

This book was written for the purpose of helping the reader understand what the Rhodesian Ridgeback Breed Standard means, what it calls for. It is for people who show their dog, but who don’t really understand why they are placed f irst, third or last. Perhaps, after reading all this, they will be able to look at their dog (and the competition) with a new understanding.

MOVEMENT Straight forward, free and active Oh yes… just those five words, and yet not all that easy to understand. Moves straight forward? Well yes, it is not a crab, it’s a dog. But of course it is not all that easy, not all that “straight forward”. Movement is always evaluated at the trot, never when walking or at the gallop. It has little to do with speed. Good movement is all about propelling the body forward effortlessly, smoothly, with strength and grace. Movement is probably easiest to understand when you start by looking at it on a video, in slow motion at first. Watch a dog coming towards you, remembering that the column of bone, from the top of the upper arm down to the paw, should remain as straight as possible. Not vertical, but straight. If it were vertical, it would look like a wind-up toy, like a little hairy robot. The dog’s legs converge towards an imagined centre line. Below is a drawing to show the straight lines required (Fig. 1). Straight, in this context, is never really STRAIGHT like a ruler. Rather just an unbroken line.

Fig. 1 Straight column of bone going and coming

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RIDGEBACK

Any looseness in the upper arm, any flapping of elbows, pasterns or feet are a sign of unsoundness, and a waste of energy. That might not make a big difference for a little lap dog, but a Ridgeback is supposed to be able to be on the move all day long, and therefore soundness and endurance is of great importance. Equally faulty are “tied” elbows. Often found when the lower ribcage is very narrow. The dog’s legs are likely to stand a bit like an A-frame, and there is a slightly greater space between the front feet than between the elbows. The elbows then don’t have the ability to move forward and backward along the ribs, and to take a nice long stride. Sometimes the brisket still develops a bit more in a dog with a narrow front, and the condition improves. A barrel chested dog, on the other hand, will also have trouble moving correctly, his elbows will stand too wide for his legs to converge properly towards the centre under the dog.

Fig. 2 Lovely front on a youngster

A lovely forechest on a very young male, about 8 months

he is moving. Just teach him to focus on you, to follow

old, (Fig. 2) already nicely suspended between the front

your hand as you take him around the ring. That is high

legs. It will likely fill out some more with maturity.

enough.

In the show ring, the judge might make you run in

The ideal trot from the side: the head and neck will be

a triangle – away to the right, across to the left, and

slightly lifted (see Fig. 3); the back and loin will remain

another left turn to go back towards the judge from

firm. There will be no bouncing, no jarring in the topline,

the second corner of the triangle. Or he might just send

just smooth forward movement. The tail will continue

you away and back, and then ask you to take your dog

the topline, with a gentle upward sweep to the tip. The

around the ring.

foreleg will reach forward and touch the ground under

Either way, this will enable him to assess your dog’s RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

movement going away, in profile, and coming in.

the muzzle, follow through, converting the momentum into forward movement. It is the job of the forequarters, to receive the force from the hindquarter action and

Watching the dog moving in profile, it should look

to carry it forward. The shoulder, elbows and pasterns,

effortless and powerful. Moving on a loose lead is always

together with strong, elastic, long muscles and tendons

preferable to the dog being strung up high, its head

provide spring, they absorb and ease the impact.

being held up by the handler. Dogs just don’t move like that naturally for any length of time, it looks unnatural and affects their true movement in a negative way.

This is what it looks like when the dog is constructed correctly, and is allowed to move on a loose lead, at just the right speed.

When the head is pulled up and back, the neck muscles tighten appreciably, the front legs paddle up in the air, the dog being unsure exactly where to put down his feet with each stride. The dog is pulled off balance, he will tighten his shoulder and back muscles as well, and he will appear to be prancing like a Lipizzaner horse. That looks nice on those white horses, but it is not at all appropriate for this breed. There will be minute hesitations with each step, instead of the beautiful easy flow of a confident trot. Also, the dog will try to rebalance himself, every time the handler pulls or pushes

the dog. Please believe me when I tell you, it is NOT necessary to have your dog’s head up in the air whilst

Fig. 2 Excellent long, low strides

Nice easy long strides, the diagonal timing perfect, the topline firm, (Fig. 3) a picture of at this photograph, I would believe that he could probably do this all day long before he gets sore or tired. The feet stay close to the ground at all times. Note how the lead is allowed to be slack (Fig. 3), permitting the dog to keep his balance and rhythm. The length of stride front and rear is the same, making for “smooth sailing”.

Fig. 4 and Fig 5 Legs, pasterns, hocks straight, converging towards an imagined centre line

The trot should be diagonal (Fig. 6), meaning that the back leg on the one side goes forward at the same time as the foreleg on the opposite side. Length of stride is important. Even more important is that the length of stride in front is the same as the length of stride in the rear. That sounds silly, doesn’t it? How can one be different than the other? Well it can, and it often is. This is simply because the angulation and the length of bones, differs front to rear. I often see fairly straight fronts, paired with beautifully angulated hindquarters. But on rare occasions it also happens the other way around: more angulation in front than in the rear.

Fig. 6 Nice, reachy diagonal trot

When left to their own devices, dogs with that problem will adjust their speed so that they don’t trip themselves, or they will switch to a much more comfortable little canter, or they choose to pace. However, in the show ring, the handler makes the dog move at the speed that s/he thinks is appropriate, and then these faults are revealed. If the natural stride of the rear is longer than that of the front, the dog will instinctively do everything to avoid tripping himself. Some move very wide behind, some will lift their front and/or back legs higher than required in order to cause a little time delay, and some will crab. If the natural stride of the rear is longer than that of the front, the dog will instinctively do everything to avoid tripping himself. Some move very wide behind, some will lift their front and/or back legs higher than required in order to cause a little time delay, and some will crab.

Fig. 7 This dog is crabbing

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strength, harmony, effortlessness. Looking

The left back foot is “overtaking” the left front foot (Fig. 7). In order not to trip herself, she twists her leg or pelvis slightly, so that the back foot lands inside of the track. Imagine what a strain this must be on the dogs’ muscles; not just for one stride, but over a longer distance. In a shorter bodied dog the result might look something like Fig. 8 on the move. Such dogs do indeed lift their feet higher than would be necessary for the trot. They lift the feet so high to cause a small time delay, to give the other foot a chance to get out of the

Fig. 7 This dog is crabbing

way (Fig. 9). Some go as far as giving an extra little flick-up of the paw.

Fig. 8 Seriously crabbing. Note that the feet on the right are lifted very high. Poor Pluto

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simple

rule:

anything

that

looks

exaggerated or unproductive in movement is a fault. Feet (front or rear) raised high off the ground are a waste of energy. So are twisting hocks and pasterns, loose elbows, hocks and knees - all indicators of a weakness. In an adult dog, pasterns and hocks should be strong, firm and flexible. Not rigid and never loose. It is really hard to actually see those deviations at first. I suggest you video tape your dog moving, and watch that video in

Fig. 10 Short stride

slow motion over and over, until you really see – because it happens so quickly. A

dog

(Fig.

10)

with

very

moderate

angulation front and rear. Note how short this forward stride is. He looks like he is “very busy going no-where fast”. At least he has a bit of angulation, so there will be no hard jarring impact, he is just not very efficient.

Fig. 9 Lifting feet higher than necessary

Let’s consider that for a moment: let’s assume that this dog above has a stride that is about 10 cm shorter than a well angulated dog. That is about 4 inches. No big deal. Or is it? Over a distance of 1 kilometre, the dog marked (Fig. 3) a few pages back, might take about 1250 strides. The dog above (Fig. 10), taking a shorter stride, would have to take about 1430 steps. And that’s just for ONE kilometre! During a good jog or even just a nice long walk, several kilometres will be covered – that makes for a lot of extra work for a dog, just to cover the same distance.

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Fig. 11 Uneven length of stride A dog with good angulation in front, very moderate angulation in the rear is really in trouble (Fig. 11). Watch ring-side, no matter what breed. Every now and then you will see a dog that seems to be rather busy trying to keep up with his handler. Every few strides, he will do a little hop and skip with the backend. Then the stride seems to be “normal” again for a few steps. Often, it will try to slow down the eager handler by lagging behind. It could be an old injury of course – but much more likely you are looking at a dog that has more angulation in front than in the rear. Try as he might, his backend is not keeping up with the front, and that little skip helps him to make up for the little bit of distance he loses with each stride. You are not likely to see that kind of movement when the dog is off lead. He is instinctively aware of his short comings and will adjust his speed accordingly in the trot. Alternatively, if a bit more speed is required, he will quickly break into a gallop, much sooner than a well-constructed dog would do. This is something you might also want to look out for when you are selecting a puppy. All small puppies will start out just stumbling rather than walking at first. Soon they start to play and now they tend to “hobble”. It’s a kind of tripod bouncing mini-gallop, as they

Fig. 12 Lacking angulation front and rear

learn to coordinate their legs. From around 7 weeks, they can trot quite nicely; some sooner than others. Watch carefully. Which one

The above dog is very straight, in shoulder,

trots, which one still does the tripod-hobble? The one with correct

pastern, croup and hindquarters (Fig. 12).

body length and angulation will probably be trotting rather than

His strides are short and choppy; there

hobbling.

will probably be a hard impact which jolts through the shoulder and the hip, and the topline will bounce. This will eventually cause much wear and tear in all the joints, particularly elbows and patella. Cruciate ligaments are also at greater risk of being damaged in dogs with straight stifles. All you can do, if you have a dog like this, is keep him lean well into his old age to minimise the wear on his joints, try to limit his exercise to soft surfaces and keep him out of the gene pool.

Pacing Some dogs have a tendency to pace (Fig. 113-116)), meaning that the legs on the same side go forward and back at the same time. Giraffe move like that naturally. Well, they have to, if you consider how long their legs are, compared to the distance between their front legs and back legs. There are a lot of reasons why a dog might prefer to pace, rather than move diagonally. Most often, he does it in order not to trip himself. If his body is a bit short, the back foot coming forward might just tap the front foot going back. When pacing, this can’t happen, because the legs on the same side are moving in the same direction. Problem solved. A lot of dogs with sore backs and loins also tend to pace. The muscles of the back and loin are not required to do as much work in this mode, the topline remains quite straight but does a roll from side to side, which is more comfortable for the sore back.

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Old dogs, exhausted dogs, heavily pregnant dogs, overweight dogs – all of them often tend to choose to pace. So do dogs with more angulation in the rear than in front, and short-bodied dogs. And some do it “just because they can”. When your dog trots next to you, look

down

and

observe

what

his topline is doing. If it shows a rolling motion from side to side, he is probably pacing. Often, a little nudge against the neck or shoulder blade whilst on the move will make him switch back to his diagonal trot. Slow down, move him at an easier speed and hopefully your dog will respond by moving diagonally. In

some breeds pacing is acceptable.

Fig. 13 Pacing

ABOUT THE AUTHOUR

1970s when I moved from Germany to South Africa. A German Shepherd Dog

and Great Danes at first, then Irish Wolfhounds joined the family. In the year 2000, two American Staffordshire Terriers were added to the pack, quite a challenge… but also a breath of fresh air. Since 2014 two medium sized mixed breeds have taken over our lives. I began to judge in the mid 1980s, and I am now a senior international judge for 4 groups (Gundogs, Herding, Hounds, Working). I have judged in America, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Ireland, Germany, Croatia, Namibia, Zambia, as well as in South Africa of course. Although I have neither owned nor bred Rhodesian Ridgebacks, I have judged the breed all over the world. I think for the purpose of writing this book, not being a breeder is actually an advantage, since my vision of the breed is not clouded by loyalties to certain bloodlines or by dislikes of certain competitors.

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y journey in dogs started in the early

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YES, NO, WHEN

Wri tte n by

Timmy U. Ralfe

My dogs always wore some type of collar, whether at home, on walks or just visiting. There were never any problems, it never occurred to me that this could be dangerous, and nobody had warned me. I had been actively involved in dogs for over 24 years already, when the unthinkable happened. In 1996 I ran a basic obedience and show training class for Irish Wolfhound puppies. We started when they were about 14 weeks old. Great fun, so many youngsters running around in my garden, playing, learning. Each owner brought their puppy for one lesson a week, and it was obvious the puppies looked forward to those classes, squealing with delight as they entered my property. Those pups were 5 months old – which means they were quite tall already (being Irish Wolfhounds, close to the size of an adult Rhodesian Ridgeback) when I received terrible news. The owner of one of the pups had taken her for a walk and to do some training. Afterwards she stopped at a friend’s house, who had a litter brother. The friend was a veterinarian, and the pups were left to have a good old romp in the back garden, whilst the owners sat down for a chat and a cup of tea. Suddenly they heard some yelping, screeching, panic! They rushed outside and found the two dogs entangled. The male got his lower jaw stuck under the bitch’s collar. It hurt, so both of them twisted and turned in wild efforts to get free... but that only made it worse. Three strong and able adult persons were there, on the spot, but try as they might they could not get those dogs disentangled in time to save the female’s life. When they finally managed to get her free, they put her straight onto oxygen and did everything possible to resuscitate her – but in vain. She was gone. The male had serious injuries to his lower jaw, but at least in time he recovered. Both the owner of the bitch and the vet got quite severe bite wounds

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COLLARS

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during all the turmoil. The owner of the bitch was of course absolutely devastated and I felt terrible for her. The pup’s name was Bronwen, and she was beautiful. This was a class of 12 Wolfhound pups. The very next week almost exactly the same thing happened. This time both dogs were wearing simple handmade leather straps. Lightweight stuff, like Chamois, just a little bit thicker. It looked smart on those two wheatens. They were at home and the dogs were most fortunate in that the owner was right there, saw what was happening AND he happened to have a sharp pocket knife to hand. He grabbed the dogs and tried for several minutes to cut the leather strap, but they would not hold still, they were bucking, fighting, in pain, choking and afraid for their lives! Eventually he just hacked at that collar with his knife and managed to sever it, releasing the dogs from this awful situation. This time it was the male who had the more serious injuries: a severely bruised throat and his eyes were bulging and bloodshot for quite a long time. The female lost two teeth in her lower jaw, but at least both dogs survived. The owner of those two

dogs told me that he would not have believed the strength those two youngsters developed in that fear situation. I was so shocked about all of this, I wrote emails to all my dog friends, telling them about what had happened. It was only then, that I was told about all the horror stories! Dogs snagging their collars on nails, screws, door handles, fence poles, sawed off branches – the list was just endless. Often the owners were at home when it happened, but the dog was unable to make a sound in this horrific situation and they found him or her hanging with front feet off the ground. Just as often, the owners were there, saw what was happening but with all their strength they could not help their dog out of that situation in time. Since then, my dogs no longer wear collars – unless I am attached to the other end of the lead. If the lead comes off, the collar comes off too. It is as simple as that. I am not telling anybody what to do. I am just telling everybody what has happened, what can happen. That is the promise I made to Jackie and Bronwen on that terrible day back in 1996.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOUR A professional journalist and author, Denise Flaim was an award-winning reporter, columnist and editor at a top-circulation daily U.S. newspaper before leaving to publish magazines and books about dogs. Her Revodana Publishing imprint (www. revodanapublishing.com) produces high-quality dog books. A breeder of more than two decades under the Revodana prefix, Denise is an American Kennel Club judge, judging all Hounds and some Working breeds, with an emphasis on Molossers. She has judged Ridgebacks at club and all-breed shows in Italy, Germany and Denmark. Denise lives in New

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York with her husband, their 16-year-old triplets and two Rhodesian Ridgebacks.

What Dalmatians can teach us about our original standard and eye color Written by

Denise Flaim

o explain breed standards, one well-worn metaphor is the building of a house: The breed standard is the blueprint, the breeder is the builder, and the judge is the building inspector. It is a thoughtful comparison, but flawed in one respect: Builders all speak a universal language, that of measurements and their relationships. A 45-degree angle is the same whether you are in Budapest or Baghdad. A European builder might cut his wood in metres, an American in feet, but there is universal agreement about those units, and how to convert one to the other. Breed standards, however, are not so cut and dried. They hinge on words, not numbers, which makes their interpretation more delicate. A better metaphor might be a historical governing document, like the British Magna Carta, or the United States Constitution: In order to understand them deeply, fully, one needs context: What was feudal England like in the Middle Ages? What was the experience of a colonial American? For this reason, democratic nations have bodies of constitutional law to get to the raw truth of what these documents intended. Similarly, with our breed standard, we need to transport ourselves back to 1920s Bulawayo, and see the newly inked Ridgeback standard in the context of the Dalmatian standard from which it was so liberally borrowed. If we do, we can see that one of the most common misinterpretations of the Ridgeback standard – that relating to eye color – arises from taking the words of that standard on their face, without digging deeper to tease out the original meaning.

Let’s start with this phrase from that first Rhodesian Ridgeback standard: “Colour of the eyes harmonising with the colour of the dog.” That three-letter word at the very end has created a tremendous amount of confusion throughout the decades, and it has been replaced in different standards in an attempt to add clarity. Here are its various mutations around the world: FCI Standard: “Colour of the eyes harmonising with the colour of the coat.” AKC Standard: “Color of the eyes harmonizing with the color of the dog.” (unchanged from the 1922 standard, except for Americanized spelling) Canadian Standard: “Colour of the eyes harmonising with the colour of the nose.” Who is correct? With a flourish of the maple leaf, we must say the Canadians. First, let’s acknowledge that the Dalmatian standard was an inspired choice to use as a template for the Ridgeback. While there is no Dalmatian blood in the Ridgeback – at least as far as we know! – both breeds are endurance trotters, built to run alongside a horse or wagon all day without tiring. Obviously some modifications were needed to address the Ridgeback’s added function as a hunter of large game, requiring more size and bone, as well as a more sloped croup in order to give speed when needed. But if you take a good Dalmatian, pump up its size and bone, angle that croup appropriately (stop before ski slope!), paint it red and add a ridge, you are on your way to Ridgeback type.

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STANDARD ISSUE

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Incidentally, this historical and phenotypical connection between the Ridgeback and Dalmatian is the reason both are found together in the most remote section of FCI Group 6: Not because either breed has any significant contribution of Scenthound blood – neither does – but rather because no one is quite sure where else to put them. Among AKC groups, the Dalmatian is found in the wide-ranging Non-Sporting Group, the cynological equivalent of that drawer found in every household containing items that are useful and important, but don’t quite match up with enough of anything – like cutlery or underwear or dish towels – to warrant a space all their own. Back to our comparison of the two breeds. Like the Ridgeback, the Dalmatian has two nose colors – black and brown. In the Dalmatian, nose color corresponds to the color of the spots: again, black and brown, which is also called liver. It is genetically impossible for a brown-nosed dog to have black anywhere on its body, whether pigment or fur. The phrase “Colour of the eyes harmonising with the colour of the dog” comes directly from the Dalmatian standard. The coat color of a Dalmatian is white, so is that what this phrase intended? That the eyes should be as light as possible, to the point of being clear? No, the Dalmatian standard intended those dogs with black spots (and therefore black noses and black pigment) to have dark eyes, and those with brown spots (and therefore

brown noses and brown pigment) to have amber eyes. In other words, in the Dalmatian standard, the “color of the dog” is the color of the spots, which is the color of the pigment, which is the color of the nose. The long-ago architects of the Canadian standard borrowed almost word for word from the South African standard of the day. And their document has stayed true: The Canadian Ridgeback standard has not been changed since it was first adopted in the mid-20th-Century, not even to add descriptions of gait or temperament, which were not provided in the original Ridgeback standard. But the Canadians had the infinitely good sense to make that one important word change, from “colour of the dog” to “colour of the nose,” because they recognized how much confusion it would generate otherwise. While the American standard has left the phrase “color of the dog” unchanged, this preservationism has not been helpful, either: The AKC’s “Book of the Dog,” which presents each standard along with an interpretation, incorrectly says the eyes should match the coat color. And almost every AKC judge – or American Ridgeback breeder, for that matter – is unaware of how to correctly interpret the phrase. If and when the AKC Ridgeback standard is again modified, this clarification should be at the top of the list.

I am certainly not the first person to point out this inadvertent error: Respected breeder-judge Richard van Aken of South Africa has been saying this for years. But it is important for breeders and judges alike to realize that the standard is leading them astray on eye color, which, while not the most critical aspect of Ridgeback type, is an important contributor to correct expression.

There is one more clue contained in the FCI standard confirming this interpretation. And that is this: Standards should not – let’s say it more vigorously, they cannot – contradict themselves. A standard cannot ask for one thing in one of its sections, and then say the complete opposite in another. This, however, is precisely the case with eye color. Under “Eyes,” the FCI standard contains that problematic “Colour of the eyes harmonising with the colour of the coat.” But earlier, under “Nose,” the standard says: “A black nose should be accompanied by dark eyes, a brown nose by amber eyes.” How can that be? If a dog with a black nose should have a dark eye, how can the standard say that if has a light coat it can have a lighter eye? In short, it can’t.

Next time

The bite

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Understandably, given all this confusion, over the course of time, the phrase “colour of the dog” was changed to “colour of the coat” in the FCI standard. This implies – again, incorrectly – that dark-wheaten dogs should have dark eyes, and that light-wheaten dogs can have lighter eyes, regardless of nose color. It is also genetically impossible, for example, that a dark-wheaten livernose to have a truly dark eye, as genetically the darkest that can be achieved with that pigment is deep amber.

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AVOIDING THE PITFALLS OF EXPORTING A H o w - To G u i d e F o r Evaluating Placements Abroad (US)

Written by

Asta Palmer, Jenna Greeby

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efore you decide to export a puppy to the United States or Canada, I encourage you to take some time and do your homework about the buyer – whether an individual or breeder. The United States in particular, has a very large number of novice homes looking to get into the breed, without regard to ethical breeding practices, and worse - puppy mills (also sometimes referred to as… backyard breeders). At first glance, many of these prospects (start-ups and millers alike) appear to be just like other responsible hobby dog breeders and loving owners. Often times with a polished homepage, usually including a nice write-up which may emphasize they do not exhibit in conformation as their dogs are just healthy, cherished family pets. They are sure to include photos, of course – the puppies and dogs are somewhere in nature, preferably there is a small child hugging the dog’s neck. All of this is intended to pull at your heart strings, and provide a sense of security to prospective exporters and buyers alike. They have learned how to “sell” the correct image; one of a responsible and ethical breeder. However, to the trained eye, these pages are full of warning signs – lack of information is a BIG one! Look for registered names, and birth dates of the dogs they highlight on their page. Are you able to find any references to pedigrees, pedigree links, or any detailed information on the sire or dam? Are there specifics on any of the dog’s health testing, or results? If this basic information is not provided up front, it should be viewed as a red flag. Anyone that isn’t willing to openly disclose registered names, pedigree information showing the bloodlines behind their dogs, and specifics on health testing, or protocol - should be viewed with

skepticism. More questions should be asked, to fill in those gaps… but generally, this type of information is readily shared on websites of reputable breeders here. Unfortunately, there is a long list of kennel names which are known to breed for the sake of sales, and not adhere to any code of ethics, or commonly accepted ethical standards. The list is mostly well known by our breeder network, and have been in the game for some time now. Many have gotten savvy to our ever watchful network – and have become keen on what to expect, what to say, and what not to say. This is why it is so important to dig deeper, ask questions, seek answers, and verifying information any time you see missing information! Luckily, we have tools available to help you verify the answers you receive on these pointed areas of concern. Hopefully, this article will not only outline considerations for export – but can be used as a resource moving forward! For on-line pedigree research within the US and sometimes beyond, I would recommend the following database we call RR Post. This site has been put into place by a small team of very dedicated fanciers. Over the years, they have consistently grown and maintained for our benefit and use: https://www.wendelboe.com/pedigree.html If you were interested in looking into a breeding program here (though sometimes foreign dogs are included), you can type in their kennel name, select search, and easily review the results, individual dog details, and multi-generational linked pedigrees. Dogs are populated into this database monthly either upon earning an AKC (American Kennel Club) title or by producing a litter that is

https://www.akc.org/sports/titles-and-abbreviations/akc-titles-sorted-alphabetically/ As time passes, the world becomes more connected, and information becomes much easier to find. It seems that some puppy mills have smartened up about the importance of titles and appearance of show accolades when selling pups. As an example, don’t be too surprised if you stumble upon a photo or two of young pups with giant ribbons and huge wins listed – Best in Group, Best of Breed at 6 months of age, etc. While it is not impossible for a puppy to be this highly rewarded in AKC ring, it is not that common. If you dig deeper, many of the puppy mills are actually touting wins from UKC (United Kennel Club) or IABCA (International All Breed Canine Association) rings. Often times, breed entries are very small, and some of these brags can be won without any competition at all. These clubs are not able to award AKC titles – thus the results are not officially recognized. There is only one official kennel club that is recognized by FCI, KUSA, and ANKC in the United States, and that is AKC. In Canada, the official club is the CKC (Canadian Kennel Club). Please be aware that there exist other alternative kennel clubs that are NOT recognized by any other kennel clubs. Their pedigrees and standards are not recognized, and also their titles are not recognized by AKC, CKC, or any other official kennel club. While ethical breeders will sometimes use those unofficial shows for puppy practices or as a more casual means by which to introduce new show homes to the world of conformation (as they are much more relaxed than those of AKC or CKC) - there are oftentimes little to no competition at the breed level. Advertising UKC or IABCA wins as AKC or CKC wins is simply unethical and represents another significant red flag. A quick search on RR Post link above can help one understand if the breeder they are considering is actually participating in AKC events or if they are presenting unofficial results or “Championship”

titles from alternative kennel clubs in hopes that the buyer will not know the difference, or know enough to check their validity. In addition to RR Post, which is Ridgeback specific - one can also view a dog’s AKC title record on the AKC’s official site. To access this level of dog specific information - you can establish a free account at the following link: https: //www.apps.akc.org/apps/online_accounts/index.cfm Once your account is established, be sure to sign in, and go to the MY AKC link at the top right corner, then select MANAGE DOGS, and ultimately - ADD A DOG. To add a dog, you will need to enter either dog’s partial or full registered name, or registration number. Once you have added your dog of interest, click on dog’s registered name within your dog list, and at the bottom of the screen you’ll see these options: Dog Information, Litter of Origin, Ownership, Titles & Points, and History. Any and all title information shown under the Titles & Points option will include verified AKC Wins.

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then registered with the AKC. When researching a kennel name in the database, pay attention to which type this breeder appears to be. Conformation titles are called pre-fix titles, and would only appear at the front of the registered name. Performance and obedience titles on the other hand are suffix titles, and will be listed at the end of the name. While titles do not necessarily prove the quality of the dog at hand, or their bloodlines, it can certainly tell a lot about the breeder. Are they involved in the breed? Are they training their dogs? Are they trying to make sure that their dogs conform to the breed standard? Are breed specialists recognizing these dogs are worthy of a title? If someone spends no effort to train and title their dogs, but are claiming to be breeding for bettering the breed, I would have some serious questions about it. Here is a link to all of AKC title abbreviations that might help you learn more about what sports a breeder might be involved in:

The next step in assessing the breeder or litter of interest, is health testing records. Once again, do not simply accept a one sentence statement in an e-mail, or posted on the prospects website, that says the dog has good hips, normal elbows, and all other results clear. Press for proof. In the United States, only official OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) results should be considered when assessing the dog at hand or better yet - the breeder’s track record. Health records can easily be checked, and verified on the OFA’s site: https://www.ofa.org/.

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On their site - you can type a kennel name or dog’s registered name in the upper right corner and see what results pop up (if any). Beyond individually listed tests and results, OFA also offers what has been termed the CHIC (Canine Health Information Center) Program. There is a tab dedicated to information about this program, and if you click into it, you will find the list of RECOMMENDED PROTOCOL of specific health screenings BY BREED. These Protocols are developed in concert with the parent club for each breed and often times take into account specific issues affecting the breed. At this time, passing on hips, elbows, thyroid, and exe exams are considered to be a bare minimum to obtain a CHICH certification by OFA standards. Ethical breeders here also regularly test their breeding stock for Degenerative Myelopathy, cardiac, deafness, patella, EOAD (early onset adult deafness), JME (juvenile myoclonic epilepsy), and other potential health issues. In many cases, you will find that tests are duplicated, as some tests are only valid for a year or

should be retested as the dog ages – such as eyes and thyroid. For this reason, OFA has developed a color coding system for dogs that have current vs. expired CHIC certifications. If you find that your OFA search results in spotty or no health test records for the dog or kennel in question, don’t walk, RUN! I would further warn you to be mindful of vertical pedigrees related to your search, here, this day in age, we expect to see full health testing results many generations deep - not just for one generation. If you see that parents and grandparents that are lacking health testing, or consistently omitting a standard test (example Thyroid) it is often times a red flag. Alternatively, a reputable breeder in the US, importing from you, will want to see similar information re health testing - including Thyroid. So, now that you’ve spent time researching the prospective breeder buyer’s bloodlines, conformation & performance achievements, and health testing records - you are at the point where you have likely made a decision on whether or not you are ready to proceed, and whether or not this buyer is a good match for you and your export puppy. However, I would suggest taking one more step before you bid that beautiful puppy bon voyage – dig a bit deeper into the breeder who is buying your puppy. Find out if this breeder is a member of RRCUS (The Rhodesian Ridgeback Kennel Club of the United States) or any of the regional Rhodesian Ridgeback clubs. There is a breeders’ list available on-line that can easily confirm membership status: http://rrcus.org/breeders.php.

http://rrcus.org/pdf/RRCUS_Code_of_Ethics.pdf. Perhaps your breeder of interest is a member of a regional club? Here is the list of regional clubs which are recognized by our country’s Parent Club: http://rrcus.org/regional_clubs.php. So - if the prospective buyer or breeder you are currently looking into is not involved in any of the above noted Clubs, has no available or current OFA records, has no verifiable, titled dogs on RR Post or AKC site… then you might be talking to a backyard breeder. No matter what this person tells you, all signs point to one conclusion: they are most certainly not working on preserving the breed, but rather breeding for the sole purpose of income. Remember, here in the US, the AKC does not establish or govern the ethics of breeders – in fact, to the contrary, they award levels of breeders (bronze, silver, gold) based upon VOLUME. Be aware that AKC is foremost an official registry in its capacity – they issue and track registrations, oversees pedigrees, record event results. It is only to a degree that they monitor conduct of judges, exhibitors, and breeders. While the AKC does sometimes perform kennel field inspections they do not perform litter inspections as they do abroad. They also do not place restrictions on how many times nor at what age dogs are allowed

to be bred. The AKC registers any and all the litters, and allows breeders to decide on how pups from each litter get full or limited registration. Once your puppy lands in puppy miller’s hands, the AKC will not help you recover that puppy no matter what proof of poor quality of life or other complaints you might have. They are not a penal or regulatory authority. They will not get involved in contract disputes. Puppy millers and backyard breeders here are known to breed indiscriminately and in high volumes with little to no regard where those puppies land. They also do not take dogs back if a new owner can no longer keep a dog- because of this, many of these dogs land in rescue or high kill shelters. Since puppy millers are well known to many local (and not so local) breeders, they know they will be unable to purchase new bloodlines from local breeders. That is where importing from overseas becomes an appealing and easy answer – a gorgeous pup with new bloodlines, full registration with breeding rights, no enforceable contract, and no one to answer to. What could be easier (or more tragic)? Sometimes, all it takes is a few “big win” photos on a glossy homepage to convince a breeder from overseas to sell without doing any further research. Once your puppy is here, breeding begins, oftentimes well before puppy even reaches adulthood. And if you think that your puppy being bred continuously by a puppy miller is bad, remember, it is not only that one puppy miller that just got access to your pup. Many other puppy millers will be soon flocking at the door to use your poor pup, or their get, in their breeding programs, too. If your pup is lucky, he/ she might end up rehomed after their breeding career is over, but you have no idea what horrors that puppy will have to endure for all those years while being a mass production machine. Make sure the prospect actually is a breeder worthy of collaborating with. I hope that this article provides some good insight, provides all the tools, and encourages foreign breeders to do the legwork before sending those puppies off across the Atlantic! RR-Post, AKC, OFA, RRCUS and then breeders’ directory! If this breeder is not listed in breeders’ directory, look up other breeders listed in the area where this breeder resides. Don’t be afraid to reach out to us… ask us for recommendations, ask to verify that this person is indeed a responsible Rhodesian Ridgeback owner and breeder. There are some excellent RR Club groups on FB now. Please use them to reach other breeders and double, even triple check all the information before putting that puppy on the flight! There’s been an uptick of Rhodesian Ridgeback imports from Russia and a couple of European countries that landed in very unfortunate breeding facilities, and un-savvy homes. Don’t let your puppy become the next victim!

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While being a member does not necessarily make you a good breeder – membership is considered to be part of the process here, and tells you that they have agreed to adhere to the Parent Club’s Code of Ethics, which can be found here:

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Wri tte n by Photo by

Alena Kadlecová Alena Kadlecová

Yo u m i g h t h a v e e x p e r i e n c e w i t h b l e e d i n g tip of the ear or tail of your ridgeback and nothing what you have been doing helped to heal the ear completely and if you were lucky and bleeding stopped it was soon back and worse. Maybe your dog suffers with C u t a n e o u s Va s c u l i t i s . C u t a n e o u s Va s c u l i t i s Lets learn more about this disease

asculitis is a term used to describe a variety of skin diseases that are caused when inflammation targets the walls of the blood vessels. This inflammation tends to affect the small blood vessels of the skin. Vasculitis is not a diagnosis in its own right, as it can be associated with a number of different causes. The inflammation is thought to be the result of an abnormal immune response. Genetics may as well play a part in the development of cutaneous vasculitis. Vasculitis is a very variable disease; some cases are relatively mild while rare cases can be much more serious. Unless an obvious underlying cause can be identified and corrected, the vast majority of dogs and cats require long term medication for the rest of their lives to control the disease. However, despite this, the prognosis for the majority of cases is usually good. An important part of the management of cutaneous vasculitis is to identify the underlying cause and correct it. However, once the abnormal immune response has been stimulated, the removal of the initial trigger may not be enough on its own. Drugs to reduce the abnormal immune response are therefore needed in the vast majority of cases, especially in those (idiopathic) cases where no trigger is found. The types of drugs needed depend on the severity of skin lesions present and whether there are any signs of internal organ involvement. In milder cases of vasculitis, mild anti-inflammatory drugs can often be used to control the disease. Where ulcers and bleeding lesions are present, more powerful immunosuppressive medications are usually needed.

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CUTANEOUS VASCULITIS

Vasculitis usually develops at sites such as the ear tips, nose, lips, tail, inside the mouth and at sites on the paws like the footpads and claws. Lesions also often occur over boney prominences such as the elbows and hocks. When vasculitis is severe and when it occurs suddenly, inflammation results in bleeding and interruption of the blood supply to the skin. Affected animals present with bruising (bleeding into the skin), blisters and ulcers (Figs 1 and 2), and animals are frequently depressed and in pain. In milder cases, where disruption of the blood supply occurs more slowly, clinical signs include hair loss, scaling and scarring. In order to reach a definitive diagnosis, skin biopsies are usually required.

CUTANEOUS VASCULITIS IN EARS. WHAT CAN CAUSE IT AND HOW TO HELP HEALING THE WOUND?

Damaged tip of the ear

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The inflammation is thought to be the result of an abnormal immune response. This abnormal response can be triggered by a number of different things: Parasites. Parasites can cause a bleeding tip of the ear very quickly. Your dog just starts to feel uncomfortable, he will start to shake his whole body and scratch every inch of his coat. Parasites can cause eczema/itchy skin and your dog, through scratching, is distributing the parasites all over his body including ears, and the ears will start bleeding. If you do not solve the problem with parasites, no matter what else you do/try to heal bleeding ears, it will never be healed. So protect your buddy against parasites!

Dirty ear

Ear inflammation. Just try to understand first signs of ear irritation – head shaking and ear scratching. If ears of your dog are perfectly clean this should be considered and treated in exactly the same way as eczema/itchy skin. If ears are full of wax or sebaceous material in the ears, your dog probably has an inflammation. Wax or sebaceous material in the ears - these discharges provide an excellent medium for the growth of bacteria, fungus and yeast which combined with the inflammation caused by self-mutilation, can rapidly progress to serve ear infection. Treatment usually involves eardrops containing anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and antifungal drugs to break the cycle. This treatment is often effective in the short term, unfortunately the problem often recurs because the cause is not being tackled. So your job is to check the ears of your Rhodesian Ridgeback and keep his ears clean. Vaccines and some types of drugs. Many drugs have been implicated in the formation of vasculitis, and a thorough drug history is therefore vital in animals where vasculitis is suspected.

Dirty ear

SO WHAT SHALL I DO TO HELP HEAL THE WOUND IF MY DOG SHOWS SIGNS OF VASCULITIS? Irritated ear

Healed ear

The First step: A lot of dogs with ears down especially in the summer when they like to swim has a problem with inflammation of ears. It happens quite frequently and vets can really quickly check the ear. He can also put the wax under the microscope and tell you if it is bacterial or yeast and give you a proper treatment. If the dog has yeast in the, ears which is incredibly itching/irritating the dog, and he starts to shake his head like crazy – then anything that you do to stop bleeding the would is just in vain. The first step is really to clean his ears inside with that fluid obtainable from the vet and try to keep his ears inside clean so he will calm down with shaking his head and scratch his whole body.

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Vaccines are also responsible for some cases of vasculitis. In particular, a characteristic presentation of vasculitis has been reported following the administration of rabies vaccine. Various infections including bacteria, viruses and protozoa (single celled organisms) have also been implicated in cases of vasculitis and rare cases can be triggered by internal cancer. A subset of cases do not have an identifiable trigger and are termed ‘idiopathic’.

The Second step: is to help boost the immunity system. As has been said above the wound and bleeding come as the result of an abnormal immune response. So help your dog with some additional nutrition. Vasculitis is classified as a skin disease so really great additives are Biotin, Zink and of course to boost immunity give your dog an extra amount of Vitamin C. And the last step: Lubricate the ears and apply the patch to the affected area, or stick the ears to the head. However, it has a disadvantage if the dog has an infection in the ears, ears must breathe, they must have access to air, so ears must be often be ventilated. Or if you can sew on a machine - make your dog “summer” hat. Summer hat can be made from meshes. This hat will let the air access to ears and when the dog will shake his head, ears will not be damaged so much cause fabric will slow down ears from slapping again and again. References 1. Willows veterinary centre https://willows.uk.net/specialist-services/pet-health-information/veterinary-dermatology/cutaneous-vasculitis/ 2. Dogtime https://dogtime.com/dog-health/56997-cutaneous-vasculitis-dogs-symptoms-causes-treatments

Summer hat

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A JUDGE Greetings from Denmark

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS. First of all, I would like to thank you for asking me to do this interview. My name is Stinne Elgaard, and I live in Denmark with my 3 Rhodesian Ridgebacks. I am very lucky to live very close to huge areas of beautiful nature, and I love to take long walks with my dogs.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED? My first encounter with a Rhodesian Ridgebacks was back in 2003, when I attended a socializing event with my mixed breed Oliver. It was a lovely bitch – who knew how to express herself! I started to look a little closer to this breed, and I quickly fell in love…

WHEN DID YOUR LOVE OF DOGS BEGIN? PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PAST AND PRESENT DOGS. I was born and raised with dogs, so my love for dogs is something I had from childhood. As soon as I moved from home, I wanted to get a dog of my own. My first dog was a mixed breed, as the common belief here in Denmark is that they are healthier… In my case it really wasn’t true. I got my second dog Oliver about a year later. Sadly, the two dogs did not get along very well – today I think it was mostly due to pain from both sides. As I had to say goodbye to my first dog, I wanted to have a healthy and well socialized dog. I started looking into the breeds, and came across a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Fuca – and I was in love! She was RIDGEBACK – strong, reserved and very special! Soon after meeting Fuca, I got to

meet Caziba and her ‘servants’ Jette and Lars. A long-lasting friendship was born, and today Jette and Lars are the proud servants of Kika – a girl from my C litter. Caziba just made it even clearer, that I needed to have a RR. My first RR was born in CZ in kennel Chiwitsi Ingwe. Her name was Zuki and she was a combination of African import and CZ stud dog Amal Silesian Harta. She was an amazing character and truly RR. I lost her shortly before New Year 2019 nearly 13,5 years old. Everybody knows that RRs are like potato chips: you can’t have just one!!! So, in 2006 I had to get another RR baby. Her name was Ami and she came from CZ Kennel Nyathi. She was the most caring and sweet girl, but she didn’t really like showing, and it turned out she had a problem with her back. Ami enjoyed her life as a kennel nanny, and loved to play and take care of our puppies. I lost her in 2016, just short of 11 years old. Zuki wasn’t the best show dog, but had some great qualities – and she gave me my A litter in 2009 with the Swedish sire Rex Ventors Ikaros. From this litter I kept two puppies; Zippo (Akizuri Ika Asani) and Diwa (Akizuri Ika Abudiwa). They both became MULTI Champions, and are both still enjoying their lives with me. I had my C litter in 2014 with Diwa (Akizuri Ika Abudiwa) and the Canadian sire Tropaco Troyan Argos of Coso. From this litter I kept a boy – Chumi (Akizuri Chumani by Argos). He truly made all my dreams come true in the show ring, and he has been extremely successful. The best part of him is actually not his beautiful exterior, but his amazing character. He is the most balanced and charismatic male I have known.

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

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STINNE ELGAARD

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CHOOSE TO BECOME A JUDGE?

to the show scene or for those who are just super nervous. I always aim to give people a nice experience, even if I can’t give the dog the best critique.

When I was planning my A litter, I really had a strong wish to improve all I could in every way. So I studied pedigrees, looked at other combinations that had been previously been done with my pedigree etc. But I also had to understand the standard and exterior of the RR. Typically, when I set out to do something, I always put a lot of effort into it. This meant that my interest and knowledge for the structure and exterior of the dogs were awakened.

DID YOU EVER HAVE A MENTOR? ARE YOU MENTORING NEWCOMERS?

In 2010 I attended an open course at the Danish Kennel Club, for young people with interest in becoming judges. Afterwards, I was asked if I would like to start the education and I naturally said yes! In 2014 I had my license and was authorized to judge the Rhodesian Ridgeback. I have judged many shows since my authorization, and have been honored to judge in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, CZ and the Netherlands. Next year I am very looking much forward to judging in Switzerland. And I hope to be able to see Ridgebacks all over the world in my future judging career. To me, almost every show is a highlight. Whether it is seeing some beautiful dogs or judging a special event. But also, its the little things. I love the fact that I am able to become a part of peoples lives and stories –it could be the start of a new show career for the puppy, for people new

No, I didn’t have a formal mentor. I learned from everyone who was willing to give me a little piece of their knowledge. I was really “learning by doing”, and the many bad critiques on Zuki forced me to educate myself to be able to understand what the judges meant. Yes, I love to mentor and help new judges in our beautiful breed. I am often contacted by new judges, who have questions and I do my best to help them understand the key points of the breed.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE TYPE? The type is what defines a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Naturally everyone knows that the ridge is a clear characteristic for our breed, but what else makes the RR a RR? For me it is the combination of elegance and strength. Not many breeds have this combination of beauty and muscles. At the same time, it is a thin line – not too fine and not too heavy. In addition to this, I find the movement to

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be a big part of the type. This is a dog who should be able to run for hours and hours, thus it has to be very agile and possess a great amount of stamina.

IS THERE SOMETHING WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN THE BREED? I love the breed as it is. But of course, you sometimes see some exterior faults that seems to “trend” from time to time. As long as breeders are aware, and are open to see their own dogs’ faults, I think our breed is in constant development.

EVERY BREED HAS SOME PROBLEMS. WHICH IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM IN RR? I can mention many problems in our breed, I don’t think we have just one common problem. One breeder might struggle with one problem and another breeder will struggle with something else. Personally, I think it is hard to get the correct balance of elegance and strength, without getting too heavy or too fine. In my opinion, too many breeders focus on improving just one point of the dog. Instead, you need to focus on the overall picture in order to improve the breed.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE OTHER JUDGES OF THE BREED TO BE AWARE OF? Our breed can be somewhat skeptical with strangers. Many judges know that the RR can be reserved or aloof with strangers, and therefore they try to be very sensitive and careful when approaching the dog. But instead, the RR might see this as a strange or weird behavior and react to it by avoiding the contact. You need to approach the RR with confidence and calmness. Naturally, the scared or insecure dog will react no matter what. Such a dog must be handled with care, as a bad experience can affect it for life. Many young RRs go through such a period. Just give them time or dismiss them rather than pushing them to be handled.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE? WHICH CHARACTERISTICS MAKE A GOOD JUDGE IN YOUR OPINION? A judge who is kind and positive, and l able to evaluate the dog according to the standard and use the different quality gradings.

The judge should always judge the same line, and stay true to the type he/she prefers. This way, you can clearly see how they interpret the standard. Even if I don’t quite agree with their decisions, I have respect when a judge stays true to their line of judging.

WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU SEE IN THE JUDGES TODAY AS OPPOSED TO THOSE IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER?

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As I haven’t been judging for many years, I don’t see a lot of differences. I have been showing dogs for more than 15 years, and during this time I see a bigger difference. Mostly due to the fact that there are more specialty judges today. When I started showing, it was quite often an all-round judge who perhaps didn’t know as much about the breed as the specialty or breeder judge.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A JUDGE. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS. I had many memorable moments throughout my career, but the most memorable was just last year. I was judging a show in Denmark and had the huge honor to judge my old friend Inanda Mellberg Edelrood. I used to show him in his younger days, and I have added many of his titles to his name. It was quite emotional to suddenly see this special boy standing in my ring! It was his 13th birthday and he came to the show

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just to say hello – and goodbye. As I have spent many hours at shows and in hotels with this guy, I naturally had a very special bond with him. Thank you once again Elisabeth for showing him this last time to me.

WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THE DOG SCENE OVER THE LAST DECADES? Did I change or did the dog scene change? Over time, all relationships will naturally change and develop. Some in a good way and some in a bad way. For me, as I have immersed myself deeper and deeper into the world of dogs – breeding, showing and judging – it has meant that the way other people see me as a person has definitely changed. I started out from scratch. I was absolutely no-one. I had a bitch of “Very Good” quality, so usually I wasn’t even placed when showing her. From there, I have moved into what I would say is probably a more and more professional position. But I am still just me. I am still the same person who started out more than 15 years ago, as a completely unknown rookie. Has the dog scene changed? Well, I would say yes. We see more people breeding and showing their dogs. And many have become extremely professional or even pay professional handlers to show their dogs. The competition is getting harder, and this also means that sometimes the friendly, nice atmosphere changes into a more competitive feel.

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? Over the last 10 years, more and more breeders have joined the RR world. The world is getting smaller – we have easy access to finding the right breeding partners, and almost everyone in the breed has a huge network of RR owners and breeders all over the world. I think the overall quality of the RR has been improved during the last 10 years. But I also see some characteristics slowly turning into more rare variations. For example, it is clear that the light wheaten RR is decreasing in numbers.

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO THE BREED TODAY? The greatest threat to our breed is a challenge split in two. We deal with various health issues, and some are very quickly recognized and dealt with due to some breeders’ hard work and dedication – and especially due to the fact that they are being open about it. Sadly, some of the health issues are not “as popular” as others. An example was the JME (Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy) that was very quickly addressed and everyone tested their dogs. This is naturally a disease that clearly shows signs in the affected dogs, and not only hurting the dog itself, but making it

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painful for both owner and often also the responsible breeder.

the selection based on several points, not just the distance you need to drive.

Another example is the EOAD (Early Adult Onset Deafness). Even though many breeders were open about this issue, and a DNA test was developed – there doesn’t seem to be the same amount of interest about this heath issue.

New and old breeders need to read and try to understand the standard. Listen to old breeders, even if you do not agree with their type, it might give you some different points of view and this way you will actually learn something.

The other part of the challenge lies especially in the hands of new breeders. They need to educate themselves, not only about the standard and RR exterior, but also about health issues and how to deal with it. But bear in mind; the longer you breed, the harder it will be to not eventually have some issues to deal with in your own breeding. Listen and learn from the old breeders who are willing to give you advice.

Don’t breed for the show ring. Breed for the standard.

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 can be maintained by new breeders. But they need to study and educate themselves. It simply isn’t enough to breed your sweet bitch with the RR in the nearest village – it can be the best dog for your bitch, but you need to make

WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO ALL SERIOUS YOUNG BREEDERS? Look, listen and learn. Be humble. Take advice or listen to everyone willing to let you learn from their own good and bad experiences. But make your own decisions and find your own way or team up with an older breeder who you feel comfortable with.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING? To all who have been reading this interview – thank you for your time! I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you RReuMagazine for your amazing magazine!

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INFO

Name

Stinne Elgaard

Country Denmark Affix

Akizuri

www

www.akizuri.dk

akizuri@gmail.com

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Photo by Karin van Klaveren

AN INTERVIEW WITH A JUDGE Greetings from Netherlands

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS. My name is Henk Salm, I am 59 years old. I grew up in my parents’ house with a Dachshund and later a Dutch Shepherd and during the years also several cats. Since my 21 i’ve been living with my wife Edith. I have had several breeds of dogs such as German Shepherds, Jack Russell, Bouvier des Flandres and Dalmatian. Most of these dogs were “second-hand” dogs. During my working career I worked as an Asset Manager at several banks. Since January this year I started with 3 partners and old colleagues my own business in Asset Management.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED? About 18 years ago I became fascinated with the Rhodesian Ridgeback and now 18 years later, so far I have owned in total 17 Ridgebacks.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR JUDGING CAREER. WHEN DID YOU START TO JUDGE AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME A JUDGE? My first Ridgeback was Mexx and I started showing her in 2006 at the Club Match of the RRCN. Showing my dog made me interested to learn more about cynology. I decided to follow studies organized by the Dutch Kennel club. This was my first step in the study program to become a judge. When I started this study it was not my intention to become a judge. It was just my interest to learn more about cynology. But every time you pass an

examination you get a step closer to becoming a judge. And finally when I passed all examinations which took almost 4 years, and eventually I also wanted to take the last step to become a judge. In 2014 I passed with success the examination for the breed Rhodesian Ridgeback (FCI authorized).

DID YOU EVER HAVE A MENTOR? ARE YOU MENTORING NEWCOMERS? I do not have a certain person as a mentor. Of course I talk with other judges about the breed. In 2021 there will be a Ridgeback examination in the Netherlands for judges who want to get the Ridgeback as a breed on their portfolio. I was asked to take part in the examination committee for this examination. To make these judges ready for the examination they have to study and there will be practice days were I have to teach them about the Ridgeback. So in that way you can say that this is a sort of mentoring newcomers.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE TYPE? Breed type refers to basic form. The entire dog must be taken into consideration in determining proper type. I think that without type the breed loses its identity. The breed standards are based on breed type. To understand the type of a specific breed, you have to answer questions like: Where was the breed developed and what was its purpose? And what kind of body structure, character and coat did he need to do what the breed is bred for? When I read the general appearance in the RR breed standard, it says all about type: The Rhodesian Ridgeback should represent a well balanced, strong, muscular, agile and active dog, symmetrical in outline, and capable of great endurance with a fair amount of speed. The emphasis is on

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HENK SALM

agility, elegance and soundness with no tendency towards massiveness.

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IS THERE SOMETHING WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN THE BREED? Not especially. I like the Ridgeback the way it is. I do think we should be less strict on the ridge. The ridge is purely cosmetic and has no contribution to the functioning of the dog. Many Ridgebacks have a ridge that does not match the description of the standard. Think of a ridge that is too short, too narrow, too wide or offset crowns. I can’t understand why we can accept other deviations from the standard but not for example a good ridge with three crowns. An otherwise excellent Ridgeback with such a ridge should, in my opinion, be able to get an excellent at a show. It goes without saying that the ridge will be taken into account in the final placement of the dogs. I am also a judge for Dalmatians. The spotting of the Dalmatian is exactly described in the standard just like the ridge. Only when judging we turn a blind eye to the Dalmatian when it has too much spotting and therefore does not match the standard. We have to realize that in more and more countries there is resistance against pedigree dogs in general because of health problems. The Ridge-

back is a popular breed, only RR breeding has a narrow base because many of the same males are used. In addition, RR Clubs or RR Associations demand more and more health requirements. To keep the population healthy we will have to broaden it. By allowing excellent Ridgebacks in type and construction but with a small ridge error to be bred we can broaden this base and keep the breed healthy. As an extra precaution in the beginning, Associations can set a condition to the number of breedings with these dogs.

EVERY BREED HAS SOME PROBLEMS. WHICH IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM IN RR. Well I think the most serious threat at this moment is cancer. Not only in RR but in all kinds of breeds.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE OTHER JUDGES OF THE BREED TO BE AWARE OF? I see the breed changing. The muzzle becomes shorter and the under jaw less powerful, the eyes become more oval where they should be round. We lose bone, the chest becomes less deep, front angulations are straight and the rear angulations

I see a difference between all-round judges and breed specialists. This difference was always there, but I suspect that the knowledge of the breed is decreasing in the all-rounders. The Ridgeback is a seemingly normal built dog only many are mistaken in the variation within the breed. (Massiveness type like to Greyhound like). Many new judges aim to judge as many breeds as possible and everyone is free to do so. Only I don’t believe in that. With the Ridgeback this often results in all-round judges overlooking breed specific characteristics, such as coat colour and athletic build. The emphasis is placed on wrong points like the ridge and a showy movement regardless of whether it is an effective movement for the work for which the Ridgeback is actually meant. Don’t get me wrong, there are many good all-round judges with much more experience about dogs in general than myself. However, over the years I have noticed a trend in some all-rounders that doesn’t benefit the breed. The Ridgeback is in some countries a very popular breed with a high number of entries at shows. The breed deserves to have judges at shows who are well informed about the standard and the breed.

sometimes over angulated, the croup becomes too round or steep and the movement lacks reach and power. Judges have to pay more attention to this and some of them turn a lot of these points and too easily give the qualification excellent.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE? WHICH CHARACTERISTICS MAKE A GOOD JUDGE IN YOUR OPINION? A judge should judge the dog and not the handler. It should not matter who presents the dog. Unfortunately, sometimes the opposite is proven. A judge should also have a good knowledge of the standard of the breed and be able to translate this to the dog. Unfortunately I see colleagues making choices and I sometimes ask myself if they know the standard or if they make the choice on what they personally like to see.

WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU SEE IN THE JUDGES TODAY AS OPPOSED TO

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A JUDGE. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS. Judging RR Club shows and specialties is always nice, but judging in Australia was something I will never forget.

WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THE DOG SCENE OVER THE LAST DECADES? When I started showing it were the owners themselves who presented the RR. In recent years it has become more and more professional and more owners and breeders hire handlers to show the dogs. Little by little the presentation is becoming more like the American way. Judges should not be impressed by the handling so that the handling doesn’t become more important than the dog itself. Of course I also prefer to look at a dog that is well presented; that makes it easier. However, a judge has to remember that it is a dog show and not a handling competition.

DO YOU SEE ANY DIFFERENCE IN RR OF TODAY COMPARED TO RR OF 10 OR MORE

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THOSE IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER?

YEARS AGO? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES YOU SEE? I think the variation has increased. In addition, you see certain trends over the years. For example, when I started showing you saw far too many dark dogs. Over the years this disappeared but lately I regularly see Ridgebacks with a coat colour that is too dark.

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO THE BREED TODAY?

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The biggest threat is the popularity of the Ridgeback itself. In the Netherlands there is currently a lot of demand for Ridgeback puppies. This popularity attracts the wrong breeders who are only busy multiplying for money. These are mostly breeders who breed outside the RR clubs and use the same males. There are examples of males that have been used 40 times in the Netherlands

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outside the RR club and that is disastrous for the gene population. We have seen what impact the movie 101 Dalmatians had on the breed. We may hope that the Ridgeback will not go that far, but we are on our way to do some serious damage to the breed.

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? A good knowledge of the breed standard and a good eye for the dog. Over time there will always be differences, because some parts of the breed standard can be interpreted differently. This can lead to preferences for what one likes. As long as we maintain the type. The Ridgeback of 100 years ago also looked a bit different than today, but we recognize the type immediately. As long as we keep dogs and lines within the population that

INFO

Name

we can fall back on to use them. We have to be aware in advance that it takes many generations before we have repaired a breed mistake.

WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO ALL SERIOUS YOUNG BREEDERS? Make sure you know the standard and learn to look at your dog, both in stack and movement. Start breeding with dogs which are excellent in type and of course with a good health. Be critical of your own dogs you are going to breed with and recognize what could have been better in your dog. Also look at the parents, brothers and sisters and any previous litters of the mother and look for the similarities you can use in your own breeding. Breeding is focused on trying to slightly improve the lesser points, but in any case make sure that the quality of your own dogs does not deteriorate. Trying to keep good quality is sometimes harder than you think.

Henk Salm

Country The

Netherlands

Affix

Paerdecroon

www

www.paerdecroon.com

paerdecroon@hotmail.com

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KIZIMBI BREEDER

As we have always had dovecots at our stables and our ridgebacks have always been accompanying me when I was working at the stables, it seemed like a perfect name for my kennel, as it to me represents the miracle

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of new life and also working together with Ridgebacks.

Photo by Vesa-Pekka Lindgren

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Photo by Svetlana Valueva

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y name is Ursula Limnell, breeder and owner of Kizimbi Kennel in Finland. The meaning of Kizimbi is “dovecot”. As we have always had dovecots at our stables and our ridgebacks have always been accompanying me when I was working at the stables, it seemed like a perfect name for my kennel, as it to me represents the miracle of new life and also working together with Ridgebacks. I have been involved with the breed for over 30 years. My first encounter with the breed was when I took long term care of my friend´s Ridgeback-mix “Benzi”. Benzi had originally been a stray dog on Barbados and my friend´s family started taking care of him and brought him to Finland. Benzi had an amazing temperament and I wanted to find out what breeds he originated from. He looked like a Ridgeback, with ridge and everything. At that time, it was not possible to buy a Ridgeback puppy from Finland; there were only a few breeders and a long time between litters. I contacted breeder Marianne Gellin from Ikimba Kennel and she helped me get my first own Rhodesian Ridgeback from Janet Parker, breeder and owner of Rejan Kennel in England. My first Ridgeback was Rejan Isadora. Here in Finland I got help and “breeder advice” with the puppy from Marianne. We have had Ridgebacks at home for more than 30 years, but I started my breeding around 10 years ago. Already when I was 18 years old, I said I am going to breed Rhodesian Ridgebacks when

my most active horseback riding years are over. It took me 20 years to keep my word. Since I got involved with the breed, we have at all times had between four and six Ridgebacks living with us as our family members. At the moment we have four Ridgebacks at home. In addition, I currently have 3 placement bitches, living in different families. So, the breed is familiar to me since a long time back and during this whole time, I have been actively learning about and following the breed. I currently am and have been vice president of the Finnish Ridgeback Association for many years. I am keen to participate in Association activities and in developing the Association. The first Ridgeback I had, with thoughts on possible breeding plans, was: C.I.B. FI & EE & LV & RU & RO CH HeVW-16 VW-16 VW-17 PMVW-17 Ikimba Damyanti “Myy” B. 03.10.2008 ( s. Corleo’s Cat Walker d. Zimbalooba Ikimba Mtilda ), from Marianne Gellin, Kennel Ikimba. Myy turned out to be an amazing dog for breeding and she gave birth to 3 litters of beautiful offspring. Most of the dogs bred by me are sold as so called “pet dogs”, meaning that there is no pressure to take them to dog shows or competitions. The most important thing for me as a breeder, is for the puppies to find loving homes where they can live a happy dog´s life. I don´t have a certain “type” of Ridgeback I prefer in my breeding. Throughout history, there have always been Ridgebacks with difference in size

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and appearance and I find this as an affluence of the breed. If the overall proportions are balanced, it doesn´t matter if the dog is smaller or bigger – a good dog is a good dog. Health, temperament and good movement are the corner stones of my breeding. Health is the biggest rock and foundation for my work as a breeder. It seems that allergies have become more common also in our breed. I encourage owners of dogs bred by me, to have official x-rays taken of hips, elbows and the whole back of their dogs. I arrange group x-rays for owners of Kizimbi dogs. I am actively participating in the lives of dogs bred by me and I am always a phone call away from any news regarding the dogs – good or bad. I encourage all Kizimbi dog owners to contact me also when news are not so good. It is especially important for me as a breeder, to know of any health issues the dogs might have. Good nerves and overall temperament are important to me. I have done an official mental test on most of my own dogs and I encourage Kizimbi dog owners to also take their dogs for mental testing. During the years, I have learnt a lot and my own point of views have changed quite a lot compared to the beginning of my journey with the breed. I have understood that no matter how much you want, you cannot have an impact on all things. Every breeder will have failures, even if you always try to do your very best. You have to learn from the failures. You must be able to honestly look at your breeding work and dogs and be able to see

both the good and the bad. This way the continuous learning process is ensured, and it becomes apparent what things you need to pay attention to in your own breeding. My aim is to constantly develop and to be open. I attend a lot of dogs shows also abroad and I always try to learn more about the breed and at the same time to get to know other breeders. Being a breeder involves a lot of both joy and sorrow. The miracle of birth always stuns me. Every new life is always equally amazing! The other side of the coin is having to say goodbye to our four-legged friends, it is always as painful and sad. I hope I still have many years ahead of me as a breeder and as a participant of different hobbies with our dogs. I have mostly been active in dog shows, but we have also participated in lure coursing and blood tracking. In Kizimbi dogs we have many talented dogs represented, on a wide range of different activities. In lure coursing, we have multiple dogs that have had a good running career. Personally, as a breeder, I am most proud of success in achieving championship titles in working dog sports. Kizimbi has won the Finnish Ridgeback Association speciality show BIS breeder title many times, judged by judges from different countries. In addition, Kizimbi is the only Finnish kennel that has been in the Finnish Kennel club “Breeder of the Year”-competition listing (all presented breeds in Finland included).

To mention a few successful Kizimbi dogs: • C.I.B. FI & CR & EE & LV & LT & RU & BALT & GE & CY & RO & BG & MD & ME & AZ CH W-12 JW-12 KIZIMBI UMUHIMU (s. Mahaba’s Lamarde Perro Charleston d. Ikimba Damyanti) Many group and BIS wins and placements + Finnish Ridgeback Association Top Showridgeback placements. • C.I.B. NORD & FI & SE & NO & EE & LV & LT & RU & BALT CH RU JCH RO GR CH RO CH HeW-14 KIZIMBI TIKITI (s. Chivas Ayaba d. Ikimba Damyanti) Many group and BIS wins and placements, Finnish Show Ridgeback winner 2016 and 2017, Finnish Show Dog of the Year 2016; placement 37. of all breeds in Finland. • C.I.B. NORD & FI & SE & NO & EE & LV & LT & RU & BALT & BY CH RU JCH RO CH LT JCH LV JCH EE JCH BALT JCH LTJW-16 KIZIMBI ROHOYA SHEIKHA (s. Ikimba Tumomak Sheikh d. Kizimbi Umuhimu) Many group and BIS wins and placements + Finnish Ridgeback Association Top Showridgeback placements.

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• C.I.B. NORD & FI & SE & NO & EE & LV & LT & RU & BALT CH RU JCH RO CH HeJW14 KIZIMBI TUTUMA ( s. Chivas Ayaba d. Ikimba Damyanti) Many group placements + Finnish Ridgeback Association Top Show Ridgeback placements. 1 x Lure Coursing CAC. • C.I.B. NORD & FI KVA-M & FI & SE & NO & EE & LV & LT & RU & BALT CH RU JCH EE JCH RKFV CH EEW-19 KIZIMBI SAVANA SIHIRI (s. Farmers Guardian African Akono d. Kizimbi Ukamilifu) LURE COURSING CH, Finland Lure coursing Cup Winner, Finnish Ridgeback Association Lure Coursing Winner. • FI & SE & EE & LV & LT & RU & BALT & BY CH RU JCH RO GR CH RO CH LT JCH LV JCH EE JCH BALT JCH KIZIMBI SAVANA SARAKASI (s. Farmers Guardian African Akono d. Kizimbi Ukamilifu) 2 x Lure coursing CAC • FI KVA-M FI CH HeJW-15 KIZIMBI SAVANA KIMIA (s. Farmers Guardian African Akono d. Kizimbi Ukamilifu) LURE COURSING CH In addition, there are 19 Kizimbi dogs who are show champions in multiple countries, working dog trial champions and a total of nine dogs, who have a Winner title from international dog shows and six dogs who have Lure Coursing titles. The most important “job” of our dogs is to be a loved family member, everything else is just a hobby and doing things together. The breed

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swept me off my feet already 30 years ago and this breed is still The Number One. I like the independence of Ridgebacks and their ability to work without help or support. I also like how they can read their owner like an open book, they are the most wonderful and loyal friends and if needed, convincing guard dogs. With a Ridgeback you always work together as friends and have mutual respect for each other. A good Ridgeback – the perfect balance of power and nobility! I wish you all a wonderful Summer and let´s all stay healthy!

INFO Name

Ursula Limnell

Country

Finland

Affix

Kizimbi Kennel

www www.kizimbi.fi

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DYKUMOS BREEDER

I cannot begin to imagine how dull and different my life would have been if I not stumbled across this magnificent breed.

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- Asta

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PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR KENNEL TO OUR READERS. My name is Asta Palmer and I am the founder and owner of Dykumos Ridgebacks. I was born and grew up in Lithuania, and I’ve been living in the United States since 1999. I’ve owned Ridgebacks since 2007, and bred my first litter in 2010. I am currently an AKC Bronze Breeder of Merit, and a Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the US (RRCUS) member in good standing. I have been grateful for my daughter, Gabrielle McCormick, who has shared so much of this journey with me. She bred her very first litter this year, and I am proud to have her use my kennel name – as she has been such a significant part of Dykumos since inception.

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Together, we have enjoyed learning about the many canine sports that the American Kennel Club (AKC) has to offer. At this point, we have competed in conformation, lure coursing, rally, obedience, endurance trials, nose work, barn hunt, herding, tracking, agility, tricks, temperament tests, and all three levels of Canine Good Citizen. Our dogs have been the catalyst behind many exciting road trips – we have been fortunate enough to attend National Specialties in different regions of the United States and Canada. I have also had the pleasure of attending dog shows throughout Europe, as well as attending the Rhodesian Ridgeback Congress in Canada and the World Dog Show in Denmark. I feel honored to have been invited to visit some of the most esteemed breeders across the globe – for purposes of evaluating litters, meeting prospective owners in per-

son, learning about their breeding programs and stock, and collaborating over potential matings. I cannot begin to imagine how dull and different my life would be had I not stumbled across this magnificent breed.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE A DOG BREEDER IN THE FIRST PLACE? I’m proud to say that I have owned purebred dogs since I was 12 years old, however, I did not contemplate getting involved in breeding until a few decades later, when the right Ridgeback girl entered my life - Isis. She was a truly beautiful example of the breed, and had an excellent pedigree. I was fortunate enough to be mentored by a number of people within the fancy, not to dead-end her bloodlines and to breed her. I am indebted to them for pushing me to pursue that first litter, and for guiding me past the many hurdles I encountered then, and now. I am grateful for all the joyful memories, and every moment I get to share with Isis’ kids and grandkids, none of which would have been possible, had it not been for that first breeding.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED? During my years in College, I was the President of our International Club. As a part of my role, I was responsible for organizing cultural events. We had a number of students from South Afri-

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ca. Every time they’d return from their Christmas or Summer breaks at home, I would ask them for photos so that I could use them for displays and slide shows. I noticed these gorgeous hound dogs in the background of many such photos, and so I asked if they were of one particular breed. I went home and researched the breed, and found that it was an ideal fit for my lifestyle, it was the perfect

dog for me! I spent countless hours over the next few months researching everything I could about the breed, its history, and global pedigrees. I spent time browsing breed clubs across the word, and perusing through photo albums of a countless number of kennels. There were some sites that I seemed to not be able to leave because I could not take my eyes off their dogs. I seemed to perpetually circle back to Ceasar, Vizara, Jockular, and Chitonga. I knew that I wanted to have a Ridgeback just like the ones I saw in their breeding programs. In the six months that followed, I sent out many e-mails to a number of breeders in Europe, briefly telling them about myself and asking if they would consider placing a puppy of theirs with me. I did not receive a single response. At the time I did not understand why, but – now, I do. I was a puppy inquiry, with zero experience in the breed, and no connections or referrals. To make matters even more bleak - I lived overseas, and was fresh out of College, with no way to prove what kind of life I could provide for a pup. I was so desperate that I actually sent a few e-mails to Ceasar’s owner saying that I knew she owned a stud and was not breeding litters, but perhaps she could tell me if he will be siring a litter somewhere because I wanted his puppy so badly. Knowing what I know today - I would not have sold to me! It wasn’t long before I realized that I would probably not be able to import a puppy, with the bloodlines I was so set on – so I began looking for one closer to home. I went on both the RRCUS and Regional kennel club sites in the South Eastern

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part of the US and looked for links to breeders’ homepages. Many did not have a homepage at all and those that did, either lacked information, or were terribly outdated. I contacted a number of breeders, and got few responses. I finally ended up getting on the waitlist of a breeder in Florida who happened to own one boy with Ujamaa lines and was expecting his grandpups at the moment. She was a club member of the regional RR Club. Five months later, I found myself making a 12 hour drive to pick out and pick up my very first Ridgeback - Dodo. And so the journey began… the first of many, many drives.

biggest dream is about to come true - Ceasar’s baby is coming to my home!!!! Neila’s red girl will be coming to join me! I could not be happier than now!”

As life should have it, a week after I brought Dodo home, I found out that the first litter of Rhodesian Ridgebacks was just whelped in my homeland of Lithuania. I could not believe my eyes when I saw that the sire of that litter was none other than Ceasar – the very same Dutch male who made fall in love with the breed! I immediately messaged the breeder of that Lithuanian litter only to find out that all the puppies had already been reserved. “Please let me know if by any chance a pup becomes available. I do not care if the pup is show or pet. I just want a Ceasar baby, any Ceasar baby!” I said. I could not believe my luck when the breeder contacted me and told me there was a cancellation for one of the show girls. Miss Red – ISIS - was MINE! I immediately sat down and wrote an e-mail to Ceasar’s owner and it started like this:

My first two dogs were a Caucasian Shepherd Dog and an English Cocker Spaniel.

“My name is Asta McCormick and I’ve written you couple of times before. This time I’m writing you with a totally different mood and the most joyful news ever! To this day I still cannot believe that my

And that was it. That was the moment when I knew that I would never be without a Ridgeback by my side ever again.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PAST AND PRESENT DOGS. My family was vacationing in Estonia when I was 12. We visited a farm owned by one of my father’s friends - my dad plopped one of their puppies in my lap saying I could take him home. The following 12 hour drive home was unforgettable. During my teenage years, a local kennel club built a basic agility course right next to my house. I found myself spending most of my free time there. It wasn’t long before my Cocker Spaniel could run the course with his eyes closed, at an incredible speed. I enjoyed working with dogs so much that I started offering to walk and train my neighbors dogs for free. Living in an urban neighborhood in a country with a strong culture of purebred dogs, I had the pleasure of interacting with and learning about a number of different breeds. I always thought that I would end up with a Deutsch Drahthaar or a German Shorthair Pointer “when I grew up”.

WHAT IMPROVEMENTS DO YOU WANT TO BRING TO THE BREED WITH YOUR BREEDING PROGRAM? I don’t necessarily see that my program, or any other, should be aiming to bring improvements to a specific breed. I, like many others – consider myself to be a preservation breeder… the goal ultimately is to breed to the standard, and preserve the form and function of the breed. Ridgebacks were bred to be – highly functional, intelligent, athletic, hearty, resourceful, and gorgeous – all in one clean package. Every breed has breeders, with preferences, that aim to “better” the breed by introducing, exaggerating, or carefully selecting for some specific traits which these breeders consider to be extremely important. As a collective group – Ridgebacks are no better. I however, believe that such an approach is detrimental to our breed and causes more harm than benefit. It is not about the best bone, furthest reach, a true singular shade of wheaten, the perfect ridge, or (insert any particular trait). On the same note, it is also not about the fastest Ridgeback on the field or the top placing Ridgeback in Agility. It is about balance, efficiency, endurance - and about remembering the purpose for which they were bred. This is an endurance breed, an athletic breed, which was bred to help hunt and to also protect the family. A Ridgeback is required to be more complex and well-rounded than many other breeds. A breeder reducing their goals to individual traits alone, or to traits that don’t lend to a truly versatile hound, is an insult. Ultimately, the main goal of my program is to be able to produce functional Ridgebacks that carry forward a timeless appearance, resembling dogs from 10, 20, even 30 years ago whom we still remember and who continue to be a source of inspiration to new breeders. Many of these dogs, were the epitome of a Ridgeback. I love when more senior breeders share their personal stories about such iconic dogs- how they raised the litters, how they made their “pick”, and stories of the many amazing adventures and achievements

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Gabby and I currently share our home with 7 Ridgebacks: Isis’ daughter HATTIE (a perfect blend of Isis’ and Uwanja kennel’s lines in Finland), Hattie’s daughters PEACHES (Vyrtuous lines in the US) and VESPER (Ohiniya lines in the Netherlands), Isis’ great-granddaughters FLASH and FLIRT (whom we imported from Lebombo kennel in Czech Republic and whom we thank breeder Sarka Partlova for), Gabby’s heart dog NYSSA (Cataraqui lines in Canada), and our Nicaraguan visitor VERA (Isis’ granddaughter with bloodlines linking us to Luanda kennel in Slovakia and Copperridge kennel in the US). Our pack will undergo a split next year as we hit another milestone, and support Gabby as she moves to Miami for her studies at Florida International University.

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that followed. While I am remiss for not meeting many of these dogs personally – I can definitely relate to that feeling! It is that feeling, which keeps me involved in the breed, and steadfast in my dedication to breed true to the standard, and to the ultimate purpose the Ridgeback was designed for. Ribbons, accolades, and other fluff is just extra, the goal is to look at a dog – and know it is a good one.

We moved six times and lived in 4 states together (SC, IL, MI, and FL). We traveled and hiked in 25+ states and did quite a few trips to Canada. Isis introduced me to (and mostly aced) conformation, rally, tricks, all CGC levels, herding instinct, bird and small game qualifications, endurance trial, temperament test, therapy dog test, nose work, barn hunt, and obedience. Isis truly was my once in a lifetime girl.

WHICH DOG DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR BREEDING PROGRAM?

While Isis was a great foundation, as a breeder, I am not blind to her weaknesses - I keep them in mind every time I assess a new litter. It is important to keep your goals, and the shortcomings of each dog in mind, to avoid becoming kennel blind. That said, seeing a glimpse of Isis in a pup, two, three generations later can still make my heart skip a beat. That is exactly how Vesper (our pack’s youngest member) ended up staying with us. Despite having a wonderful lineup of show homes hoping to take her home, she was an Isis clone… obvious from the moment she entered the world. Upon seeing it – I knew immediately I would not be able to part with her. I am so thankful that I heeded that intuition, because I could not imagine life without her in our home!

The foundation of my breeding program was, undoubtedly, ISIS - AKC GCH CH CAN CH Votre Amour Auksinis Feniksas, CGCA CGCU TDI RE TKN ET TT HIC HRQ 1&2. Not only was she a beautiful and intelligent example of the breed, she was a phenomenal brood bitch and mother - passing down her wonderful genes to just about every dog that has lived under our roof to date. We have had a few additions to the program – however, they also went back to either the sire’s or dam’s side of Isis’ pedigree. I cannot even begin to summarize all the life’s most important moments and incredible adventures that we’ve shared together! She saw me through many life-changing personal and career milestones. She helped me raise Gabby and was the most patient nanny for Isabella. She was an amazing mom to her own babies and a wonderful grandma and great-grandma to the young ones.

HOW DOES IN YOUR OPINION RR DIFFER FROM OTHER BREEDS? Well, of course, anyone who’s owned a Ridgeback will tell you that there is no going back to any other breed once you’ve owned (or rather, been owned by) a Ridgeback. Ridgebacks do not consider themselves to be dogs. They are people.

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They do love to play with other dogs, but they always find a way to remind you that they are not just a dog. They are just like us, people (maybe even better than people sometimes). I wouldn’t have it any other way.

DO YOU SEE ANY DIFFERENCE IN RR OF TODAY COMPARED TO THE RR OF 10 YEARS AGO? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES YOU SEE? Since I am answering this question for a magazine based in Europe, I think I should expand on this a bit more than just differences in the past decade, as there also seem to be considerable differences in different geographic regions. There exists a significant gap between what is often seen in the European ring versus the US ring. So, the following commentary on the subject might miss the mark depending on where the reader is, and what issues are prevalent in the rings closer to them. That said – the majority of my program derives from more or less old European/Russian/Australian lines. We live, and mainly show in the Southeastern Region of the US - my dogs tend stand out in the ring - oftentimes appearing longer, shorter, redder, and houndier looking than most of our competition. The judges, who recognize

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my dogs, oftentimes say that they remind them of Ridgebacks they remember from the 80’s and 90’s. I always take this as a big complement – that not only are we doing something right, but that we are also breeding to a timeless standard, not a trend, not a region, not a judge, not just what we think will win in the ring. Going back to the answer about my program – breeding dogs that don’t look different from dogs ten years ago, IS the goal, and that view sets preservations apart from amateur breeders. It is always a huge pleasure to meet another fancier who recognizes your dog for the traits which used to define the breed, but which may have been lost or minimalized at some point in the past few decades. Breeding is not a sprint. Breeding is a marathon. Trends may not change the written standard – but they are certainly a threat to the greater interpretation of our standard, and the general understanding of what is “correct” – so we all have responsibility to avoid them. I believe it would be incredibly difficult to generalize all breeders in all countries, or to identify a singular trend globally of all the breeding programs and practices out there. What I can say based upon my 13 years in the breed here in the United States, is that there does seem to be an overall shift towards a “more is better” mentality - more angulation, more prosternum, more justification on how much white is OK, more importance placed upon exaggerated movement (which is contrary to the endurance objective of the breed and efficiency of movement we strive for), more height… and these are just a few examples. What appears to be rewarded in the ring seems to be increasingly removed from that sound endurance

It seems to me that there is an increasing number of European breeders trending in a similar direction when it comes to selecting dogs for extreme angulation, exaggerated movement, and, in some regions, more size. This appears to be happening in concert with an increase in foreign breeders importing from the US… so it should come as no surprise that these characteristics are now bleeding into programs worldwide at a seemingly faster rate. To conclude… when I look at the archives of notable winners over the past few decades, it seems many of them would be easily overlooked in a

ring today – structure, bone, size, and movement being so different from the alternative. The overall trend towards a more refined and elegant dog, with a temperament suitable for the average household, seems to have taken ahold almost worldwide within the past ten years.

WHAT IN YOUR OPINION MAKES A PERFECT DOG? There is no such thing as a perfect dog. Every dog has strengths and weaknesses. All breeders set out with the purpose of breeding that perfect dog, or Ridgeback. However, I usually don’t start listening to them until they are able to see beyond that “perfect dog”, and start to truly comprehend that breeding of animals is seen in shades of gray, rather than black and white, red and green, correct and incorrect. As a breeder, you have to stop asking yourself whether or not a dog is perfect, and start asking what you want for each dog, what each dog needs, what you are willing to tolerate as a variation from those wants and needs, and where you draw a hard line in the sand. I believe the answers to these questions tend to change for each owner and breeder with every new experience, every new dog, and every new litter. All that we learn and see, combined with our prior experience, can be utilized to make decisions, form opinions, and ultimately shape how we move forward. It is so important to avoid assessing a dog as a standalone animal. One really must put themselves through the paces - take the time and learn about the entire pedigree of a dog, the entire breeding program it came from,

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dog ideal which a Ridgeback was initially bred to be. In doing so, it seems that we have created an environment where an in-standard correct dog is pegged as “moderate” – however, the meaning of this label has ventured closer to mediocre, unimpressive, rather than conforming to what the standard calls for. Selecting for extreme angles results in a very different movement and ultimately changes the dog entirely. Same goes for the size. There are some areas in the US where RRs in the ring are so large that an in-standard dog has little to no chance of being noticed for anything other than an outlier or small - especially if it is a male. I have personally heard judges compliment a dog for his quality and then say that they did not give the win to the dog because they’d like to see more size. Conversely, I have seen judges award wins and say that the considerable size did not deter them. To me – this indicates lacking form an education stand point about why the standard calls for the size and package it does. More size, does not mean better Ridgeback.

and the philosophy of the breeder before drawing any conclusions.

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A perfect Ridgeback to me is a sound, intelligent dog who has the four pillars in place. One of my mentors used a metaphor of a chair for evaluating a RR. Four legs stood for health, temperament, conformation, and intelligence/working skills. If one is missing, the chair will fall. What a great concept!

WHAT IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THE BREED THAT YOU HAVE BRED TILL NOW? It is a loaded question because that “best example of the breed” could be assessed very differently based upon focus on certain qualities, what your program needs, or how you interpret the standard and the many defined qualities within it. You can’t select an example based upon wins – as we all know, the dog with the most amazing winning track record might not be the best producer or even the best representative of the breed. Do wins and titles help improve the breed? On the other hand, the best producer might not have made it to any shows at all, but could have produced excellence in all the progeny. Does that make such dog a success or is he/she a dud because there are no big wins, ribbons, or brags to go along with that progeny? How about a dog who has excelled in multiple high level canine sports and raised the bar to the highest scores by breed, but by today’s strict standard, lacks perfect

structure, is missing some teeth, has a kink tail, does not have the best health, and/or was never bred. Would that be a contender to the best example in one’s breeding program? Which of the three scenarios feels like the biggest success? You might get a wild variety of different answers on this question depending on whom you ask. That said, I strongly believe that the quality of a dog lies in what it is capable of preserving and passing on to the next generation. It is difficult to rank dogs in anyone’s breeding program (let alone my own) and select one that is the BEST… and, that is because each dog is a piece of a puzzle with different strengths and weakness and only together can they give you a picture of what one’s breeding program is about. I firmly believe that quality is not attained by breeding one exceptional dog, but rather seeing consistently correct dogs and with favorable qualities from generation to generation. I would also like to note as a breeder, I do not focus on placing all of the “show quality” or “show potential” pups in traditional show homes. I strive to place the very best pups from each litter, in homes who may get involved in showing and then, hopefully, in breeding. That said, some of my very best homes never end up showing or breeding at all – some of my very best dogs never end up showing or breeding at all. Since I strongly believe that brood bitches are the cornerstone of everyone’s breeding program, I will mention a couple of ladies from our first generation who have made me especially proud for being their breeder:

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HATTIE - AKC GCH CH Dykumos A Strident Sun, CGCA CGCU TDI RAE TKA TT RATI RATN ORT123 ET (Ra X Isis) HERA - AKC GCH CH Dykumos Sucha Stroke of Luck, CGC TDI JC (Ozzie X Isis) Hattie is a very special girl who currently runs our house. I knew she was my keeper from the second she was born. Highly energetic, mischievous, and always engaged - she made for a very busy puppy. She stood out in her litter despite never really standing out in any tangible way – not the biggest in size, not the best prosternum, not the best head, not the nicest ridge, and so on. And yet, she was the one – the puppy with the best balance of all of these qualities without missing a beat – smart and intuitive, sound in body and mind, really just the perfect combo! And so she stayed. Hattie ended up expanding my Ridgeback experience into canine sports beyond what I had experienced with her dam, Isis. While Hattie was not crazy for Lure Coursing, she aced nosework - earning all three scent recognitions at her first trial, without any formal training. In barn hunt, progressing to open class in just one weekend. In rally, earning all 10 RAE legs in just a few weekends… often on the same days she did barn hunt and competed in the conformation ring. She easily mastered all the levels of Canine Good Citizen (CGC, CGCA, CGCU). She has proven her sound mind easily passing her temperament test (ATTS). She has proven her sound body, running the RRCIS Endurance Trial – 12 miles at 4mph with health checks (ET). She has also greatly enjoyed achieving multiple trick dog titles – up to the Advanced level (TKA). While I generally don’t assess my keepers in terms of what part they might play in my breeding program, the hope is always there. Hattie fulfilled that, and is playing a very large part in my program. Six of her progeny from her second litter landed in exceptional show homes – four girls are here in the US (Michigan, Georgia, California, and my house!), one male is in the UK, another in France. Two girls from her third and last litter stayed in my breeding program here in Florida, and the one male resides in Pennsylvania – all three youngsters already enjoying both performance and conformation rings, with titles and brags from their first National at just 6 months of age! Hera will forever be the girl who got away. She lives a very happy life in a loving family who was just not interested in the world of Dog Shows. Hera went to the Rhodesian Ridgeback World Congress along with her brother, completely green and with zero training, and they both managed to win or place in their classes at all the adjacent specialties of the event. They also won Best Brace - I was so very proud to showcase them. In the US, Hera titled within a few weekends and went on to start winning group placements – a

promising career even as a young, green bitch. She was a quick study on the Lure Coursing field, and loved the few outings that we made. However as her owners were not interested in getting involved further in sports, conformation, or the breed, Hera was retired young. I was fortunate enough to breed her, and she did produce some exceptional Dykumos progeny which helped me ensure that her wonderful bloodlines and qualities were continued. As far as some stud dogs of significance go, here are a few Dykumos studs who have proven themselves as wonderful studs so far: • BRODY - AKC GCH CH Dykumos Orange You Glad It’s Summer, CGC CGCA TKN (Hapi X Hera) • CAIRO – MBPISS, MULTI CH Dykumos Deives Odakota DeCairo (Lennox X Isis) • HORUS - AKC, CAN, INT CH Dykumos Sucha Throwback, CGC TDI RN SC (Ozzie X Isis) Here is the list of Dykumos RRs who hold BIS or BISS wins to date: • MARVEL – BPISS CAN CH Dykumos Marvel Eyes at Angelridge (Horus X Nyssa) • NOCHE – BPIS AKC CH Dykumos Sol De Noche At Krystal (Arlo X Hattie) • PRESLEEY – KUSA MBPIS, BISS Dykumos Deives Editon To Afrika Of Gondwana (Lennox X Isis)

• RIGGER – BIS CAN CH Dykumos Thatsa Country Hound (Hapi X Bella) • GEORGE – BISS AUS GCH Dykumos Deives Thunder Heart, CGC (Lennox X Isis) We have some very exciting puppies that are growing up and gearing up to hit the ring as soon as post-apocalypse shows will reopen. These are the kids to keep an eye on: • ARYA - Dykumos Resistance Is Futile, STAR CGC TKI (Daario X Hattie) • GAVIN - Dykumos Chava’s Not Over You, CGCA TKN (Brody X Chava) • KHALEESI - Dykumos The Spark That Will Light The Fire (Daario X Hattie) • MEEYA - Dykumos Hope is Small But It’s Everything, CGC (Daario X Hattie) • NUKE - Dykumos DEFCON 1 Burning Up The Sky, STAR CGC CGCU TKN RN (Sky X Hattie) • PHANTOM - Dykumos The End Is The Beginning At Trailhead, CGCU TKN (Brody X Chava) • PEACHES - AKC CH Dykumos Baby I’m A Star, CA BCAT CGCA CGCU TKA TT (Daario X Vera) • QI’RA - Dykumos First Light In The Sky, CGCA CGCU TKA (Sky X Hattie) • VESPER - Dykumos Tangerine Trees and Marmalade Skies, CGCA TKA (Sky X Hattie)

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• VIVIAN - AKC CH Dykumos Chava’s Gone With The Wind, CGCA TKN (Horus X Chava)

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT AS A BREEDER? WHAT IS THE BIGGEST HIGHLIGHT IN YOUR CAREER AS A BREEDER? Honestly, there has not been a single highlight, or greatest achievement that compares to the reward I derive from comradery. The best part of this adventure, of being a breeder has been meeting like-minded people who share my passion for the breed. I also take great honor in being able to introduce amazing new people to the world of Ridgebacks. These moments, the people I have met… by far outweigh any placement, ribbon, title, or reward.

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCE OR INSPIRATION IN BREEDING/ AS A BREEDER AND IN WHAT WAY? Throughout my journey in the world of Ridgebacks, I had a pleasure of meeting many wonderful friends, breeders, and mentors. While I cannot list everyone and share each and every one of the great experiences that we shared together, I would like to especially thank Helen McCune of Jendaya, Linda Friedland of Elangeni, Maria Ki-

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erkegard of RidgeRules, Martine Harm of Mafinga, Nike Lakerveld of Ohiniya, Sarka Partlova of Lebombo, Shawna & Gared Chastain of Vyrtuous, Valerie Michaud of Cataraqui, and Yvette de Haart, the owner of Isis’ sire Ceasar van de Jack Bulls Hoeve. Each and every one of them have truly played such a critical role in helping me and supporting me as I worked to make Dykumos Ridgebacks what they are today. I have been fortunate to have have learned and shared so much with them – they are very much a part of what we breed each year. I would also like to thank Adrienne Peterson, Alison Ankiewicz, Debbie Bonsteel, Jenna Greeby, Joy Carmichael, Julie Valdez, Kimberly Kinsaul, and Melissa Nute – who are currently dedicated to raising the youngest Dykumos generation on the ground. Each of them and their Dykumos dogs play such a big part in our bright future.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE? I admire a judge who gives each dog proper amount of attention and who assesses each dog against the breed standard instead of looking for the showiest or best presented dog in the ring on the day. Let’s remember that the main purpose of conformation ring is to assess potential breeding stock. Awarding a mediocre or poor specimen of the breed only because they are perfectly handled by a famous handler might do more harm to the breed than one might realize.

TO THESE WHO THINK OF STARTING BREEDING. WHAT ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BECOME A BREEDER? Be patient and do not rush to acquire the first available show quality pup. Not every show puppy is worthy of potentially landing in the breeding program. Also, one breeder’s pick of the litter might be another breeder’s pet quality pup, so be selective. It may also be key to mention here, that a pick puppy from one litter, could be far less quality, than the pick puppy from another litter – so know the parents, know the pedigree, and know how to assess before you proceed here. If you don’t know yourself – find a mentor who shares your vision and is willing to work with you through this process. Take the time to study the bloodlines that have drawn your attention. Do not just check out current dogs and their show/breeding records, but research health & temperament records as many generations deep as you can, and then study a good number of generations in the pedigree to see what bloodlines/breeders came together to create that current generation that you admire. Meet the breeders behind the bloodlines you like! If you acquire a puppy from them, you will become a part of their Ridgeback family. Make sure

you pick the Ridgeback family that you would like to belong to, learn about their breeding philosophy, goals, ask them to tell you about their successes and failures, their dogs’ strengths and weaknesses, etc. Meet their dogs! Photos and wins are nice, but being able to meet the dogs in person can tell so much more. If possible, go to some local events that they plan to attend and observe. Put your hands on the dog – watch them move – watch them react to their surroundings, their people, you! Prepare to wait for the right puppy from the right breeder. Remember, no breeder can custom order puppies and despite lots of careful planning, genetics can sometimes throw surprises. Some breedings take, while others unfortunately often times do not. Some litters can turn out exceptional, while others fall very short of expectation. It is not unusual for people to wait 2-3 years for the right puppy. If you want to make a careful addition to your household, or your program – be careful! Buy the very best puppy bitch that you can buy. Every breeding program is built on quality brood bitches and a hope that the right quality studs will improve the breeding program that one has started out with. If you start out with a poor specimen, you cannot expect to produce quality progeny. Very few people have been able to overcome this (I can literally only think of one). Breeding is hard as it is, so help yourself by not settling for mediocrity.

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After you buy your show quality puppy girl, do not expect her to become your foundation bitch. You

did not buy a brood bitch, but rather a promise of one. She has to grow up, prove herself in conformation and performance ring, pass all the health testing, and have a solid temperament. Make sure that she has proven herself worthy of giving back to the gene pool. Rely heavily on your mentors when making a hard decision of whether your show girl is worthy of being bred. If you decide to breed your show bitch, prepare to spend a lot of time and effort looking for the right stud. Remember, each dog is a piece of a puzzle in one’s breeding program, and each dog has specific strengths and weaknesses. Learn what weaknesses your bitch has and look for a stud who not only does not share the same weaknesses, but who has also not produced similar weaknesses as what your potential brood bitch has. Ask experienced breeders you trust to assess your potential brood bitch for you and pay attention to what they are seeing in your bitch. Ask them to assess the studs you are considering. Many first time breeders try to find the most titled, the most popular, (insert other brags here) stud instead of trying to match the right one to their specific brood bitch. Learning from experienced breeders to assess dogs’ strengths and weaknesses will help you avoid making this rookie mistake. When you have narrowed down your potential stud dogs, do in depth health/pedigree/temperament/ progeny research of those stud dogs before you make any decision. Finally – the stud dog owner is likely to become part of your Ridgeback family… so make sure that you are prepared to maintain that relationship and the need to responsibly share information prior, during, and post the breeding process. At minimum - most stud dog owners will

want to keep in touch and request specifics on progeny – litter stats, health, titles, etc. They may also want a puppy back as a fee… in which case they further immerse themselves into your family and your program.

Thank you for inviting me to share my journey through the RR world! I am looking forward to making many new connections and friends in the years to come! Please feel free to reach out to me at dykumos@yahoo.com or visit us at http://www.dykumos.com

• German • Hungarian • International (C.I.B.) • Latin • Latvian (2) • Lithuanian (2) • Mexican (3) • Nicaraguan (3) • Pan-American • Polish • South African PERFORMANCE TITLES

DYKUMOS RHODESIAN RIDGEBACKS, HOME OF:

• 2 BCAT (BCAT) • 2 Coursing Ability (CA) • 1 Coursing Ability Advanced (CAA) • 38 Canine Good Citizen (CGC) • 12 Canine Good Citizen Advanced (CGCA) • 9 Canine Good Citizen Urban (CGCU) • 1 DCAT (DCAT) • 3 Endurance Trial (ET)

BISS WINNERS

• 5 Junior Courser (JC)

• South Africa

• 7 Rally Novice (RN)

• Australia

• 2 Rally Advanced (RA)

BIS WINNER

• 2 Rally Excellent (RE)

• Canada

• 1 Rally Advanced Excellent (RAE)

NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONS

• 1 Novice Barn Hunt (RATN) • 3 Senior Courser (SC)

• 11 AKC Champions

• 14 Trick Novice (TKN)

• 3 AKC Grand Champions

• 8 Trick Intermediate (TKI)

• 5 Canadian Champions

• 5 Trick Advanced (TKA)

• 1 Canadian Grand Champion

• 4 ATTS Temperament Test (TT)

FOREIGN CHAMPIONS • Australian

• 2 X Recipient of the Prestigious RRCUS George Sexton’s Annual CGC Award

• Austrian • Colombian • Croatian

INFO Name Asta

Palmer, Gabrielle McCormick

Country USA Affix Dykumos

Rhodesian Ridgebacks

www www.dykumos.com

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Last, but not least - find the right repro vet, read canine repro books, join canine repro groups on FB, about other breeders’ experiences, go through all the group files available to you. Ask breeder friends to let you come and observe/help them whelp their litter. Learn as much as you can BEFORE you have your own first litter. Set aside a reasonable amount of funds for unexpected whelping/rearing expenses. And ultimately - expect nothing to go as planned!

• Czech

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Photo by Divernitsky Animal Photo

RED HOT LINE BREEDER

From Ukraine with love

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Our charismatic Barra (C.I.B Mulichampion, Club Champion, Europe Veteran Winner Podarok iz Afriki Barra Joy) was born in Moscow. Her breeder is Elena Vasilchikova. Barra’ mother was South Africa imported Glenaholm Molao and her father was the legendary Russian male Ezop, the father of many champions, he was born in Moscow from SA imported Sabu Alexander. Sabu was the son of Shangara Sabhuku and gave to his progeny old SA blood. Barra was living with us until he was almost 14 years old … Our talented Grand (2 x Eurasia Champion, C.I.B, Multichampion, Club champion, World Veteran Winner Heshima ya Kimba Grand Aquarius) was born in South Africa, his breeder is Anke van Wyk. Grand went to the rainbow bridge a year before Barra, at the age of almost 13. It was very difficult period of time for all our family, but what we could do… Grand and Barra gave us so much: new friends, adventures, shows, coursing competitions, travelling and, of course, a lot of real love of real Rhodesian Ridgebacks. We miss them very much, they are in our hearts forever. I have thanked their wonderful breeders many times for such dogs and I will never tire to do this. I often write from «us» in this text…because without my family it would be impossible to reach such successes with our dogs. So, why a Ridge-

Photo by Karin van Klaveren

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My name is Tatyana Volkova (Red Hot Line kennel), and I am living with Rhodesian Ridgebacks since 2006. That year was a year of Fire Dog, according to Chinese Horoscope, and it was an exact destiny year for us – 2 Fire Ridgebacks – Grand and Barra came to our home and of course, to our hearts, to stay in them forever.

Photo by Selesta’s Photo

Photo by Divernitsky Animal Photo

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back? I have owned dogs from childhood. Different breeds I had before RR. I started showing and breeding whilst in high school, with Schnauzers. And I always changed the breed after my dogs went to the rainbow bridge… so there will be no comparison. But with RR – it is impossible. I tried. This breed couldn’t be replaced in my family. If Ridgeback knocks into your heart, your life becomes much more interesting and soon you can’t even imagine, how you could live without this lovely, cheerful and clever friend. Ridgebacks will join you in all your journeys with great pleasure. They will take you for a walk in Summer and in Winter. We did and do so much things together. Rafting, trekking, horse riding. We tried a lot of disciplines, even agility, and always with success and fun. Now my happiness is to follow the successes of Barra’s and Grand’s progeny, Grand already has grand-grand-children. As for my family – now we have Red Hot Line Yolka at home, she is from my co-owned line-bred litter to Grand lines, she is rather young girl – 1,5 years old. So, Red Hot Line kennel is a rather big family of RR owners living in Ukraine and abroad, united by the love for this wonderful breed from South Africa. Among our dogs and among the dogs we bred you can find winners and prize-winners of the biggest European Shows, but the main thing - you can find them as real Rhodesian Ridgebacks with nice correct temperament, good at sport activities (obedience, lure coursing, etc.) and as lovely family dogs.

Lets look at some history of RR breeding in Ukraine. In fact, the first RR appeared in Ukraine in the year of 1994. The first female was imported from USA by a sailor. She was without documents and first experiences were very far from what we would consider to be “right” breeding now. That female had a nice pedigree (if one is to believe the owner) but she was imported without papers and all her progeny was therefore also without FCI registration. The first dogs with FCI documents were imported to Ukraine just at the end of the Nineties, mostly from Russia, Sweden, South Africa. The first FCI (UKU) registered litter was bred in Ukraine in 2002. The breeder of that litter was Kirill Korotkov. Dam was Simbashana ‘s Olga, aka Simba, imported from Sweden and it was the one and only mating in her life. Sire of that litter was a male also imported from Sweden LOVFALLAN’S Master, who was living in Moscow with Irina Malinina. 6 male puppies were born. One of them was kept by the breeder, and this male became RCAC winner at Euro Dog Show 2004. It was the first time that a dog bred in Ukraine became prize—winner at a big international show abroad. Afterwards, Kirill emigrated with Simba and his son to Canada. The first huge success came to Ukraine in 2009: the titles of some main shows were given to Ukrainian Dogs — Heshimayakimba Grand Aquarius (SA Imported) became Eurasia Cham-

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pion in Moscow, Konsuello Flying Legs became Europe Champion in Dublin, Aresvuma Zulu Zuka (Russia imported) became World Champion in Bratislava. And there was a Ukrainian bred female among them– Konsuello was born in Ukraine, in 2004, from mating her mother Rosita with a USA imported male – Boston (he was living in Russia , Moscow). She became Europe Champion, Interchampion, Multichampion, EDS (2xRCW, 2007 and 2008) and Eurasia’ prize-winner (2xRCACIB). Konsuello was also a working dog (obedience training). The mother of Konsuello — Rosita also was born in Ukraine from Russian imported parents with American lines. In the year 2009 the owner of Konsuello Flying Legs, Tatyana Maryina, had registered the kennel name “Lion Chaser” and bred her only litter from Konsuello. 3 of the 5 puppies of this litter became Champions of the breed. The most successful was Multich. Abeni Zema Lion Chaser aka Zema. She became BOB at the Speciality Show in Paris (WDS-2011), but she never was mated and this successful line stops developing here. We tried to organize the club, but in fact we haven’t finished this idea. To tell the truth, it was my idea, but we do not have many dogs to work with (except my RHL team) and not many real RR people. We organized some RR specialty shows, but now UKU (FCI) do it every December as an additional show during our 2 x CACIBs – so, we have no reason now to be active in this field, especially in this strange time of quarantine. May be in the future, we shall see.

Every September, for more than 12 years, we organize Rhodesian Ridgeback Day. It is a non-official holiday with obedience and lure coursing, picnic for owners and different funny competitions. At RR day – everybody is welcome to come and share the fun with us - all Rhodesian Ridgebacks, with documents, without them, with ridge on their backs or without them — it doesn’t matter. And it is nice to see as a lot of pet-class dogs are very talented in sport and different training and the main thing — how much they are loved by their owners. Nowadays we have several RR kennels in Ukraine. And an interesting fact –even the best females from our RHL family here very seldom have more than one litter in their life, some even have none. Practically the same situation is in other respected kennels. And I am speaking about really nice females - champions. If to speak about the whole country – we have no more than 10 litters per year (including “occasional”, “for health” and other “wild” breeders matings, it is a pity, but it occurs, of course, as everywhere). So, not so much puppies, as in other breeds. Thai ridgebacks, for example, have many more litters now in Ukraine, if to believe our popular sell-buy site - OLX. Of course, it is good, but the fact is interesting. We are not obliged by UKU to do HD, ED, OCD tests, but normal breeders do it, of course. DNA tests we make at shows, Laboklin representatives usually come to our CACIBs. I don’t know how it will work now, in quarantine times, but will see.

In Ukraine it is rather easy to find homes for petclass puppies. A lot of people say that they don’t want to show dogs, don’t want to breed, they just need a lovely pet dog. That is why all of us (breeders) are trying to fulfill the waiting list of «show potential» puppies’ owners long before mating. And that is why co-owning and co-breeding is so welcome in our RHL family.

Photo by Karin van Klaveren

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Now…I can just wish strong health to all of us, ridgeback-lovers, and to all our dogs. Hope that soon people will manage to live in the world, that covid -19 has changed and we will meet somewhere at big shows again.

Photo by Elena Ignatova

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INFO Name Tatyana

Volkova

Country Ukraine Affix Red

Hot Line kennel

www www.redhotline.org

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Nida and Bora Photo by Diana Petniunaite

BLOOD TRACKING

WRI T T E N BY J O H A N N A S E G E R L U N D (MOHAGET’S KENNEL) PHOTO BY VICTORIA WRANGELL

am so happy that I get a chance to write this article so I can share my experience with all of you, because Bloodtracking is definitely one of the best activities for my dogs.

Bloodtracking is a kind of teamwork between a dog and the owner. It is the best to start to train your dog early when it is still a puppy. It is a super way to build self confidence in your dog and it is amazing to see how your dog will develop after every tracking session you do together. I enjoy to see them working and tracking because this is in their nature and I am happy to see how proud they are when they show me where to go and even prouder when they find the hoof hidden somewhere in the woods. So, here are some facts about blood tracking, how to train and also a little bit about the tests we have in Sweden. According to Swedish law, a blood tracking dog must be available when hunting. The dog does not need to be present for the entire hunt but it must be in place within two hours and it must be able to track down injured animals. This will ensure that hunters are able to find the game and end its suffering. Blood tracking dogs are also used after traffic accidents which involve wild animals. In order to produce good and reliable blood tracking dogs, most of the Swedish Kennel Club’s (SKK) hunting dog clubs organize courses and tests in blood tracking. Almost all dogs who like to track are suitable to be trained in blood tracking. Besides a dog, for training you need a harness or collar, a 10 meter long tracking line, a hoof - usually the lower part of the hind leg from a deer - and blood. Blood from cattle or pigs can be used instead of blood from game. The blood can be bought frozen in the grocery store or at butcher. For each track, only a small amount of blood is used, what is not used can be frozen again and saved for the next training session. When it comes to the harness or collar it is up to you and your dog what type you want to

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TRACKING

use. Something soft and comfortable for the dog to work in. It is also important that this harness or collar is only used when doing blood tracking so the dog associates the gear with the activity. When laying the blood track the blood is dropped out on the ground or close to the ground with approximately one meter distance between the drops. At the same time the hoof is dragged on the ground emitting its scent. Difficulties added to the track can be distances with no blood where only the hoof has been dragged and also angles, with and without blood. At the end of the track the hoof is left as a prize for the dog to find. Usually, some time would elapse before an injured animal is tracked by dogs. Therefore, the blood tracks which we do for training or tests also need „to sit“ for a while before our dogs get to work.

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When going out to the track with your dog, use your normal walking collar and change to the tracking harness/ collar right before entering the track. This gives a signal to the dog that it is now time to work. When first starting the training with your dog you show it the start of the track with your hand and calmly encourage it to work. Your dog will most likely start sniffing the blood and maybe even lick it. Give your dog time to follow the track, and as the dog starts to move in the direction of the track you praise it calmly and follow. Start training early to be at a distance from your dog to let it work independently. If the dog stops encourage it to keep working with your voice and praise when it keeps doing so. Don’t try to go close to try to help it, here the dog needs to do the work and not simply follow you. The goal is to have the dog working independently on a distance of at least 5 meters from you. In case of tracking a real animal it is important not to disturb or stress it, therefore a good blood

tracking dog should walk at a steady pace that you can keep up with, and it should be done as quietly as possible. Many dogs can get a little scared of the blood at first, while others are in a hurry to get to the end of the track. It is important that you „read“ reactions and behaviour of your own dog to see what it needs from you. The more cautious dog needs your support and encouragement, while the eager dog needs to be calmed. At the end of the blood track some dogs are very delighted to find the hoof while others don’t want to deal with it. In any case you should praise your dog and give it a treat, so that your dog understands that the tracking assignment is over and that it has done a good job. Here it is also time to change back to the normal collar, yet another signal for the dog that the work is done. Practice „reading“ your dog and take the training step by step from easier to more complicated tracks. As mentioned above there are blood tracking tests arranged by the hunting clubs in Sweden. The dogs‘ ability to track in an appropriate pace is judged. In these tests the blood tracks are 600 meters long and the judge uses 2 deciliters of blood. Only the dog, the owner and the judge are present and sometimes there are students around to watch and learn. The first class to start in is the „Aptitude test“. This track is laid 2-5 hours before the dog is allowed to start. The judge tells you exactly where the track starts, so you can show it to your dog. If the dog manages to find the hoof without help within 30 minutes the test is approved. Also, the judge observes what your dog is doing and also how you behave as the handler, and how you manage the situation. Only when the dog has passed an approved Aptitude test it is possible to start in the Open class. This track is of the same length but has been laid 12-24 hours before the dog starts tracking. In this test

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more difficulties such as angles and distances without blood are added. At the start you are given an area of 25x25 meters where the track starts and the dog needs to find the start of the track within this area by itself. At the end of the track you stop your dog and the judge fires a gunshot or a starter pistol. Thereafter, you tell your dog to continue the tracking. This is done to create the most similar situation possible, as after a real hunt. Here the judge wants to see that the dog can keep working even after the gunshot and find the hoof. In Open class the dog can be awarded first (maximum 45 minutes time limit), second, third or no prize. A particularly good performance with first prize in Open class can be rewarded Honor prize by the judge. This if the dog for example coped with disturbances from nearby game but tracked excellently anyway. A dog who has won three first prizes in Open class, judged by at least two different judges, is awarded the „Swedish Blood tracking Champion title“. Anything can happen in the woods and we never know what you will meet and how the dog will react.

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I always go to track with the expectation that we will have fun today and see what the track and woods will give us. A rabbit running in front of us on the track might make it or break it. Either my dog will keep working and even get a Honor prize or my dog will chase after the rabbit and forget all about tracking. This won’t get us any prize but at least it’s a good experience and the dog got some great training.

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W R I T T E N BY A D R I A N A B E N Č I Č OVÁ PHOTO BY KATEŘINA PREUSSLEROVÁ

BLOOD DONATING SAVING LIVES

Did you know that dogs can also become blood donors? It is not a common matter, but when a dog is in danger of death, the dogs do not hesitate and help.

we could not always go to help.

Many dog owners have no idea that their pet can give other dogs an auxiliary paw and save their lives by donating blood. Like humans and our four-legged pets they often suffer from health problems and injuries and then blood transfusions are needed to save their lives.

The most beautiful feeling is probably when you see a dog that was literally on the verge of death, without signs life, and it is visible that the transfusion saved his life, over time you see him running, he enjoys life, so it’s worth the effort and it makes sense.

The cases when a dog needs blood differ. It can be, for example, an accident in which loses large amounts of blood - car accident, poisoning, hematopoietic disorders and coagulation, autoimmune diseases and a problem are also ticks, which can transmit bacterial and parasitic diseases to dogs. Therefore, dogs more often need blood during the summer, especially for babesiosis, a disease transmitted by ticks, it attacks red blood cells.

WHICH DOG IS A SUITABLE DONOR?

Several veterinarians state on their website that if they have a dog on their surgery table, they may find their patient in dire need of blood, and need to do a transfusion by no later than three-quarters of an hour after arrival. For this, they usually call their patients or shelters. For the first time, we were approached directly by an acquaintance of mine, who needed a transfusion for her 4-month-old puppy. At that time, I had an Irish Setter, Andy, who donated blood twice. At present I have my three Rhodesian Ridgebacks listed in the dog blood donor database, so we are contacted directly by veterinarians, or I respond to calls on social networks. For the last 8 months we were donating blood 4 times, although requests for help were much more. Unfortunately,

Maybe these few lines will appeal to you and you will join your dog as blood donors.

Like a human blood donor, a dog must meet important criteria in order to donate blood. The dog should meet the following criteria: • Ideal weight over 25 kg, · • Older than one year and younger than eight years, • Regularly vaccinated and dewormed, • Must not suffer from any serious diseases, must be completely healthy at the time of collection, • Must not be the recipient of transfusions and other blood components, • The bitch should not be in a heat or have puppies, • At least three months must have passed since the last donation, • The dog must have a manageable and balanced nature

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TRANSLATED BY ALENA KADLECOVÁ (JÍLKOVÁ)

UNIVERSAL DONORS These are breeds such as German Shepherd, Greyhound, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boxer, Doberman or the Irish Wolfhound. In dogs, the main 8 blood groups are internationally distinguished, which are indicated by abbreviations DEA - positive or negative (DEA = canine erythrocyte antigen). DEA 1 is the most clinically important because it most often causes severe transfusion reactions. The vast majority of dogs have group DEA 1 positive. The second option is DEA 1 negative - these dogs should only accept DEA 1 negative, otherwise a violent transfusion reaction may occur. The universal donor is a DEA 1 negative. The universal recipient, on the other hand, is DEA 1 positive. Unlike human blood, dog blood can only be stored for 28 days. Because in Slovakia transfusions in dogs are fairly rare, an official blood bank or database of suitable canine blood donors does not exist. However, you can search for the group “DOG BLOOD DONORS” on the social networks.

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This group has existed for 6 years and with the help of it it has already managed to save many dogs lives. The idea of creating a kind of database of dog blood donors was in the head of Anna Paľovová, who together with Katarína Račková Müllerová, manages the website. It is important to say that dogs have much more blood types than humans, so they are not looking for donor with a specific group, but a cross-test is performed. It takes place right where you the blood is required, that is, where the dog is sick. That is, they test both blood types. If they match, a transfusion may occur. The patient’s specific blood type will be known if the dog has already had a blood transfusion. The transfusion lasts about 15-30 minutes, with blood drawn from the forepaw or from the vein on the neck. Blood is usually taken in the amount of 1 percent of the dog’s weight. Therefore, for example with a dog weighing 50 kg, the veterinarian can take up to 500 ml of blood. The dog should have peaceful regime after collection for one or two days, just like a person. Materials with the consent of Anna Paľová were used in this article, for which I thank her. Both in saving human life and in the fight for the dog, every second decides.

Do not hesitate, become a dog blood donor and save the life of a dog in need.

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AGILITY WITH

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RIDGEBACKS

Written by Lucie Linhartová (kennel Beatus Canis)

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Ph oto by Kenn el archive

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gility with a dog is very similar to parkour with a horse. The purpose is to run the track in the correct order of obstacles without any mistakes within the fastest possible time. It all started when I bought my second RR, a female, for which I had been waiting for almost a year. I knew from the beginning that I wanted a female for both shows and working, and for breeding in the future. The choice was clear and in the spring of 2017 I brought home a puppy (Hoor Nazira Manwë „Zara“) from the kennel Manwë. Zara and I started going to simple agility training from the age of 6 months, when I started teaching her basic exercises such as running through a tunnel, circling and jumping.

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Zara really liked agility from the beginning. I saw she was having a lot of fun, so I thought I would continue with it. Over time, we added other obstacles, such as a balance beam, an A-frame, a long jump, a fabric tunnel, a seesaw, a circle, and last but not least, we taught the slalom poles. Zara loves to get lots of treats, so I taught her to conquer any obstacles by giving her a treat as a reward. She prefers dried meat. I taught her to walk on the beam, run over an A-frame and over the seesaw by holding a treat in front of her and she followed it. It was enough to show her any obstacle just once and then she ran it beautifully and she always received rewards after completing an obstacle. Zara grew up and we started training more seriously. Every workout was perfect and Zara received lots of praise. Her training runs were always clean; that is, the course was completed without a single fault. So I began to think that I would move on to competition level and perhaps even pass an exam. I started to find out about the conditions and rules. Zara was the first RR to try an unofficial agility competition at our training school. I entered us in the beginners category. In this category Zara ran a beautiful 2nd place out of a total of 12 dogs. We entered a few more events at this level and Zara always performed well. Most of the time she was placed. After a few competitions, once she had mastered the slalom poles and and the seesaw, I started to enter her in the advanced category and even there Zara was successful. Through the agility club, I found out the conditions of the official competitions and applied for a performance card. Any dog can take part in official competitions, as long as it is older than 18 months. The competitor must have a performance certificate and the vaccination of the dog must be up to date. The categories are divided according to the height of the dog at the withers (XS, X, M, ML and L) and according to performance. Performance is divided into A1, A2 and A3. Only teams (handler + dog) that have not yet competed in performance category 2 or 3 can compete in category A1. In order to pass the A1

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Category A2 is open only to teams that have completed the A1 competition at least three times without penalty points under at least two different judges. Only teams that have completed the A2 competition at least five times without penalty points and

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exam, the team must run the course in the correct order. The evaluation of the team is done according to penalty points. The marks are excellent, very good, good and without evaluation. The total number of penalty points is the sum of the penalty points obtained when completing the course (eg dropping a jump, poor performance on zone obstacles or refusal) plus the points given for exceeding the standard time.

placed no lower than third place, under at least three different judges, can enter the A3 category. The A3 champion is the team that finishes not lower than third place in the agility competition of performance category A3 for three consecutive years without penalty points, at least three times each year of the three-year period and under at least two different judges in each year of the three-year period. The three-year period begins with the first such placement to be counted, and in the event of its expiration it passes to the next placement to be counted. The three-year period is then calculated from this further placement.

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The official exams were not as easy for us as I expected. Every competition was different, sometimes we were doing great and sometimes we didn’t. The problem was that Zara anticipated what would happen, and immediately after the whistle blew, this usually meant disqualification for us, because she ran to a different obstacle than she was supposed to. I could see how happy she was and how much she enjoyed it, the expression in her eyes always said “let me run, don’t

hold me back!” So we began to devote ourselves to this. Well, our training efforts have been fruitful and Zara passed the A1 exam with the mark excellent and in first place - I must say that I was never happier. To continue to the A2 category, we need to do two more runs, which must also be with the mark excellent. But it’s not all that easy with Zara, because most of the time we can’t turn the perfect training sessions into perfect performances at the show, because she feels the atmosphere, and she goes into it to the fullest. Unfortunately, with Zara, it means she starts too soon, she might run all the obstacles without me or she will jump around me and bark, trying to say to me “My lady don’t just stand here... RUN!”. It is a great pity that in these competitions, whether official or unofficial, we do not meet any Ridgebacks, usually there is a large predominance of border collies, for which this sport is excellent, but Ridgebacks can also do very well. Mostly Ridgebacks have the advantage of being calmer and make fewer mistakes than border collies, but that’s also not the rule.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A TRAINER

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DOG TRAINING

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. I have had dogs since I was a child but have focused on advanced cynology for the past 10 years. My first dog bought was a Patterdale Terrier and I was looking for some sport to do with him. I went to a dog show and there I saw a demonstration of Agility sport - dogs running over obstacles. I wanted to try it, at first just for the fun of it. Subsequently some small successes started to drip in and I continued until I got to the national team of Slovakia. Infrastructure conditions in those days were not really supportive to seriously run dog sports in Slovakia, as there was no hall suitable for dog training throughout the whole year. This lead to an idea to open the RSDC - Rose Speedlight Dog Camp indoor kynology hall. We have celebrated 5-th anniversary this year. Thanks to that, it has opened new perspectives and I have started dog training in addition to Agility. There are more facets now in my portfolio: I’m a Handler and as the holder of the specific licence I can also train Defence. I am also a Breeder. Gradually over time I brought home other breeds of dogs, we currently have 8 of them. Patterdales and Aussies are my favorites. Furthermore, last year I have successfully completed my exams and have become an official Agility judge.

WHAT WAS IT THAT DREW YOU TO DOG TRAINING?

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As mentioned already, I saw Agility for the first time at a show and the sports demonstrated did take my heart. I was immediately attracted as the sport looked athletic and I feel as an athlete myself. What more, it was clear that the dogs were

excited about the sport as well. So I tried it and started to enjoy it very much. Agility is an extremely demanding & challenging sport full of wonderful emotions, no matter whether you succeed or fail. It is quite addictive as well. Dogs learn Agility quickly, but handling them takes a bit more time. The human component of the team greatly affects the overall result. If you want to do Agility at an advanced level, the handler needs to be perfectly prepared. When you come to the European Championships, for example, it is not your dog alone that decides the race, the human element is equally decisive. Just imagine – you stand in front of 1000 people, everything stops, you are there with your dog and you need to be able to manage the stress, you have to remember up to 22 obstacles and control the dog at full speed. Dogs can run up to 6 meters per second, so the course of 220 meters can be completed in less than 40 seconds. And all this in full concentration. It is a very demanding sport and learning process concerns mainly the humans. And what brought me to training other people? My performances at the competitions have gradually made people to come up with requests for training them. Initially I resisted, but as soon as I opened the hall, training activities just jump-started. Nowadays I have a lot of students myself. However, I still continue to develop my training skills as not every well-performing agility handler makes necessarily a great coach.

DO YOU OWN A DOG? PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PAST AND PRESENT DOGS.

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My first dog was a Patterdale Terrier. Currently, together with my wife we have at home 8 dogs: 4 Patterdale Terriers (11 years, 5 years, 4 years, 2 years), 3 Australian Shepherds (11 years, 8 years, 7 years), and 1 Malinois (2 years).

WHAT IS YOUR TRAINING AND TEACHING PHILOSOPHY? It needs to be said that in today’s modern Agility, there are different schools and different types of teaching approaches. There is not just one type of handling. My style which I would describe as “natural type of handling” is based on work with weight shifting. With correct control of that, the dog can actually be controlled even without commands and without the use of any gestures. This approach originates from wolves. When wolves chase their prey, the alpha does not tell them where to turn, they only watch alfa when he leans with the body to the side so they already know whether to go to the right or to the left. I do use voice commands as well, but usually can show the dog by my body movement what is needed from him and commands act as confirmation only. I dwell mostly on positive types of trainings and prefer good communication with the dogs where I clearly set the desired exercises. Together with the dog and his handler, we develop the needed skills and encourage them with positive motivation.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE KEYS TO A DOG TRAINERS SUCCESS? It is definitely a good mood and a positive atmosphere at the training. Even though I might have had a bad day, I always leave my mood at the

doorstep and go to training with a positive mind. All clients apart from the fact that they want to improve in the sport, also come to the training to rest a bit. It is a form of relaxation for them, a form of escape from everyday stress, it is a hobby. The second thing is trainer’s expertise. It is important not to stop learning, continue working on personal improvement and gaining new knowledge and methods. One can never say one knows everything. I attend a lot of seminars myself and also have my own coaches, as I personally find it necessary to train under supervision as well. And last but not least, key to success is regularity of trainings.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON REASONS DOG OWNERS COME TO YOU? The group of people I train is very diverse - from a 7-year-old girl to a 60-year-old lady. Primary reason is the drive to achieve good results. I think my strength is the ability to pass on the knowledge and my patience in explaining the skills to the students. And on top of that, each group training session is a lot of fun and we have a good laugh.

WHAT MISTAKE DO YOU SEE OWNERS COMMONLY MAKE? My experience from trainings showed me an interesting common pattern. People in general do not know how to correctly work with rewards. This leads to problems with dog’s attention and focus. Another mistake is excessive dog motivation – overexcited dog is hard to work with. Separate group of mistakes also originate from wrong athletic and physical coordination.

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WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MISTAKES EXPERIENCED HANDLERS/ DOG OWNERS MAKE? I don’t like when dog is trained in hard way and too early in the age of dog. In my opinion every dog needs proper time to develop skills adequate to his abilities. Another area for improvement is competition preparation: warming-up and cooling-down exercises. Dog is not a tool and needs respectful treatment. It is also important not to stop working on one’s own development.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR THESE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINING? I do come across people who become a coach too soon, not ready to teach someone else. Consequence of this inevitably is, that students of such trainers are not achieving sufficient results. My advice definitely is: do not be in a hurry to train others. Patiently work on your skills, develop and

test-try your methods and wait until people start requesting you to train them. Wait until life brings it along. It is also important to work with different breeds, as each breed has their own pros and cons.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR RELAXATION YOU AND FOR YOUR DOGS , WHAT PASTIMES DO YOU ENJOY? I have the advantage of having a pack of dogs which live our life with us and accompany us all the time. I enjoy going for a walk with our dogs into the nature. As a relaxation tool I often do nosework with my dogs. We also pay a lot of attention to the physical condition of our dogs – they do fitness training and swimming. As for myself, I personally play indoor football, Futsal, for 17 years now. This sport taught me a lot and I use experience from Futsal in Agility, especially spatial orientation and speed. Both sports provide an excellent balance between collective and individual sporting activity for me. I really enjoy running a few Agility courses in the morning and then play Futsal match in the evening. Now I have a 6-month-old daughter and she is for me excellent relaxation non-plus-ultra.

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INFO

Name Juraj

Ruža

Country Slovakia www www.rsdc.sk

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RA D N SA

IC L E

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MAZOE

N D

MO NT HS O

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OUR OLDY

S A N D R A

E L I C H

A N D

H E R

OLDY

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MAZOE

ur girl Mazoe was born on 18 September 2004. So that makes her 15 years and 9 months old at this moment. She survived a twisted stomach, allergies, she has a heart murmur since the age of ten and lately two epileptic seizures. She is a tough cookie. In November 2004 when she was 7,5 weeks old, she came to live with us. Our household had two cats and three kids, a one year old, a three and a four years old. In May 2006 another RR girl, named Khami, came to live with us. Within a few days Mazoe accepted her and they became partners in crime. Mazoe never allowed Khami to lay in her bed. Sometimes they shared a spot. Everywhere we went, visiting family, friends or vacations, Mazoe and Khami went with us. Otherwise our family was not complete. Mazoe is very adventurous and likes to discover new things. We spent a lot of vacations camping in Croatia. Here we swam every day in the Adriatic sea. Yes, some Rhodesian Ridgebacks do swim. Here in the Netherlands only Mazoe swam to fetch a stick and then Khami would take it from her. That was their thing. Mazoe is a girl who is not very affectionate, but in her own way she shows that she loves us. And spe-

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We also took a lot of walks with her litter mate Mazi. In 2015 we met another brother named Thimba, who lived in Bonn, Germany. Sadly they left us in 2018. In October we lost Mazoe’s “sister” Khami at 13,5 year old. Mazoe said her goodbyes and that was it for her. Only the first times on the beach she missed her “sister”. In and around the house she is still her naughty self. She still likes to walk although she is slower and wobbly. So for the long walks we take the stroller. She shows us where the snacks are and still eats like a... well a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Every day is precious and one to celebrate.

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cially the kids. Every walk we took with the kids, she always walked close to them. Looking at me as if to say „It’s okay, I will keep an eye on them mom’ And with other little things she shows she loves us. She acts tough but she is a very sensitive soul.

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PHOTO BY KATEŘINA NOVOSÁDOVA TRANSLATED BY ALENA KADLECOVÁ (JÍLKOVÁ)

B.A.R.F. IN PRACTICE PART 2

How to feed B. A .R.F. properly ? What do we need, how much do we need, how to calculate it all? At f irst everything looks complicated, but believe me, it’s not complicated.

WHAT’S IMPORTANT: • Maintain roughly the amounts and ratios of feed rations • feed colorfully When feeding a dog it is most important to follow its needs. Advice and recommendations, tables and percentages are for guidance only. Each dog is different and therefore we have to adapt the feeding according to the dog‘s needs. Because the dog digests fresh food very quickly, it is advisable to feed an adult dog twice a day at about the same time so the stomach will not be completely empty. Puppies, young growing dogs and sick dogs should be fed multiple times per day. We do not leave food available all day, but only at the time of feeding. Fresh food spoils very quickly, especially at higher temperatures. Therefore, what the dog does not eat within 10-15 minutes, remove and store in the refrigerator. The temperature of the food served is also important. Never serve food directly from the refrigerator or even frozen. Cold food very often causes digestive problems. The optimal temperature is room temperature or even better, the body temperature of the dog (ie 38 ° C). We pay more attention to food temperature in puppies and sick dogs.

Meat and bones can be served minced, sliced or even in large pieces. The dog has a digestion that is adapted to devour and gradually digest large pieces. Such food can be well digested and absorbed. Therefore, feeding larger pieces of food is more beneficial for the dog.

FEED RATION The ration depends on the age and condition of the dog. The calculated ration is indicative and must always be adapted to the individual. The volume of feeding is calculated from the so-called ideal weight. Ideal weight - it is the weight that an individual should have at a given time. This means that the feed ration is based on the weight that we require the dog to have, not the one that it currently has (unless it is ideal). In a thin dog we count with a higher weight, otherwise with a lower weight. What the ideal weight is for your dog, only you know yourself. It is not possible to follow any table or comparison with parents or siblings from the litter. Ideal for a Ridgeback if it has palpable ribs, the last 2 ribs may be visible in motion. Remember that excessive weight is harmful to a dog!

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WRITTEN BY K AT E Ř I N A N O V O S Á D O VA M A N W Ë K E N N E L , W W W. M A N W E . E U

Adult dog • feed ration volume: 2-3% of ideal weight • composition of ration: 50-60% meat / 20-30% bone / 20-30% side dish • Frequency of feeding: 2x daily

Puppy up to 3-4 months • Feed ration volume: 6-10% of ideal weight • Composition of the ration: 60% meat / 20% bone / 20% Annex • Frequency of feeding: 4-5 times a day

Puppy and young dog (up to 12-18 months) • Feed ration volume: 4-8% of ideal weight • Composition of the ration: 50% meat / 30% bone / 20% Annex

Beef + Chinese cabbage

• Feeding frequency: 4x daily, gradually reduced to 2x daily

Senior • Feed ration volume: 1.5-3% of ideal weight • Composition of the ration: 40% meat / 20% bone / 40% Annex • Frequency of feeding: 2x daily

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FEEDING PREGNANT AND NURSING BITCHES The period of pregnancy, birth and subsequent care of puppies is a very difficult period for the bitch. If we give her maximum care and the best feeding, everything will be easier for her. Many farmers during pregnancy and breastfeeding are switching, albeit temporarily, to fresh food because they know that industrial feeds often do not meet the high nutritional requirements during that period. A well-fed Ridgeback bitch is able to fully take care of a very large litter of puppies, without the breeder having to supplement feed the puppies.

Pork cut, trachea + mix of vegetables, lettuce

The same rules apply to feeding a pregnant bitch as to an adult dog. The composition of the food is the same, only the amount varies, as the demands of pregnancy increase.

1.-28. day It is not necessary to change anything in the way of feeding, we do not increase the amount of food served or add any special food supplements. We can add folic acid up to 5mg / day (for a bitch weighing about 35kg) to support proper development of the fetus. At the same time, it is advisable to add a vitamin B complex. During pregnancy

Poultry stomachs + fresh herbs, sprouts, fruit, salad

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we do not add calcium. It is not necessary, on the contrary, we could rather harm the bitch.

There is still no need to change anything. Neither the composition nor the amount of feed. We continue to add folic acid and vitamins gr. (B)

35.-43. day The bitch is in the middle of pregnancy and often becomes very hungry. However, we monitor the amount of feed and increase the ration by only about 10%. The administration of folic acid is no longer relevant to the development of the fruit. Vitamins B can be administered throughout pregnancy. It is advisable to add quality animal oil - fish or cod liver. Unwashed beef tripe + raw egg yolk

44.-49. day The bitch is visibly growing and has an increasing need for food. We do not change the composition of the food, just increase the rations by another 10-20% (ie 20-30% compared to the original ration). Divide the feeding into 3 times a day.

50.-63. day We increase the ration by up to 50% compared to the original ration. Some bitches in this period find it difficult to digest more bones. If necessary, reduce the amount of bones in the diet to 10-20%. Divide the feeding into 3-5 portions a day.

BIRTH Mix of minced meat (beef, chicken) + mix of vegetables, salad, raw egg yolk, dried herbs for dogs

Birth can take a very long time and is very exhausting for the bitch. Some females refuse to feed shortly before and during delivery, others do not. If the bitch wants to eat, we can offer her light chicken or turkey meat with broth or just a strong broth of bone. Fluids are very important both during the birthing process and during lactation. After the end of labor, it is advisable to offer the bitch quality, easily digestible proteins - lean chicken or turkey meat with broth and overcooked rice. This will help alleviate any digestive problems that may bother the bitch after giving birth. We will start with the addition of calcium citrate + Vitamin C to avoid complications in the form of eclampsia. Calcium citrate and vitamin C are served until the weaning of puppies.

NURSING BITCH

Mix of minced meat (chicken, rabbit) + vegetables, rice, fresh herbs

Nutrition of the nursing bitch is very important. Only a well-fed bitch can take care properly of her puppies. The breeder then has less work, because the bitch will do everything alone. Ridgeback females are able to fully take care of litter of up to 14 puppies without major interference from the breeder.

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29.-34. day

It is not necessary to change the composition of the ration. If the bitch can tolerate it, we can include fatter meat (beef with fat, beef udder, duck, etc.). During this period we do not feed unwashed beef or lamb tripe because of the possibility of a larger number of bacteria. It is advisable to supplement the ration with liquids. It can be a broth of bones (if the bitch has diarrhea after delivery, then a non-fat broth), it can be fresh goat or sheep milk, but also plain water or vegetable juice. Fluid intake is very important for milk production. Bitches during the first week often refuse to leave the puppies, even for a moment, so it is necessary to offer them fluids and feeding. The need for feed increases in proportion to the number of puppies, can be up to 5 times greater than normal. We offer food up to 6 times a day. Suitable supplements are vitamins B, calcium citrate and vitamin C (for a bitch weighing about 35kg - 500mg / day) and fish oils (eg cod liver oil, which has a high vitamin D content).

Pork + vegetables, lettuce, wild garlic, buckwheat

During the third week of life puppies need the most milk, then this requirement gradually decreases. In proportion to this we gradually reduce the amount of feed so that at the end of the eighth week, the feed ration is about the same as before pregnancy. If the bitch is in a worse nutritional condition, leave the amount of feed higher and vice versa. Demanding care of puppies and hormones can leave a bitch in a worse condition, she may have skin and coat issues. We will help her with supplements. Suitable oils are borage, fish or krill oil and vitamins B and zinc.

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REARING OF PUPPIES 1.-2. week Puppies are exclusively nursed by their mother, we do not feed them unless necessary. It is common that 1.-3. the days after birth, puppies may lose weight slightly. From day 4 the puppies should start gaining. Although the weight gains are small, it does not matter and there is no reason for artificial feeding. Artificial milk can cause puppies unpleasant colic and other digestive problems. Puppies are also less willing to drink from the bitch, because it is more strenuous for them. Breast milk is also very important for the immunity of newborn puppies. Very small puppies are guarded so that the larger siblings do not push them away from the teats, or we place those smaller pups on the better teats at the appropriate moments. Soon they will catch up with their larger siblings.

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Veal + vegetables, wild garlic + pasta

At the end of the third week it is advisable to start with the first baby foods. Suitable is raw lean

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4. week If we have not started to feed puppies, it is high time, because their needs are rising and only breast milk will no longer be enough. Some bitches in this period will begin to regurgitate food for the puppies. We don’t stop them. It is the best way for puppies to start their proper digestion. However, it is then necessary to modify the bitch’s menu so that the food is suitable for puppies. Duck necks

During the 4th week we feed lean meats, with lower fat content, ground bones, as a side dish vegetables and rice. Add goat milk or special porridge for puppies. We feed twice a day

5th week We add other kinds of meat and muscles (stomachs, hearts), dairy products and side dishes in the form of vegetables and fruits, rice, couscous, oatmeal. Puppies already have teeth, so we can start to cut the meat into small pieces to be able to bite. We can still add goat’s milk and special porridge for puppies. We feed 3-4 times a day, depending on how often the bitch is nursing them. Puppies should be fed 5-6 times a day.

6th week Yogurt + fruit (kiwi, banana, apple)

Puppies can gradually be offered all kinds of meat and offal. Entrails do not give too much (max 20% of the meat) to puppies, as they can cause digestive problems. Feed 4-5 times a day. We can still add goat’s milk and special mash for puppies.

7th week We start feeding whole bones. Suitable are chicken wings or necks, or chopped chicken skeletons. At the begining puppies are not eating whole bones, they are just nibbling meat on them, later they begin to eat them whole. The bitch will gradually stop nursing the puppies, therefore feed up to 5 times a day.

Cottage cheese + fruit (banana, apple), raw egg yolk

In the seventh week it is advisable to include industrially produced food as a single ration. Especially if we know that puppies will be fed with such food. Usually, there is no problem with the intake and digestion of granulated food. The granules should be soaked in water, broth or goat’s milk, or mixed with mash for puppies. Puppies will recognize the familiar taste and will be more willing to taste something new.

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chicken, turkey or rabbit meat, which is ground and mixed with goat’s milk or mash for puppies. We make a porridge that must not be too thick (would stick to the roof of puppies‘ mouth) or too thin (they could inhale the liquid). If necessary, puppies can start to feed from about 14.-15. day with a porridge of meat and milk. Otherwise, it is sufficient to start with a side dish around day 20 of life. Feed once a day.

8th week In the eighth week the puppies go to their new homes and so they should be used to different kinds of food. If not, we have the last few days to catch up. The bitch is no longer nursing and so the feeding is up to us. Feed as needed about 5 times a day. For the new home, the puppy should go equipped with a package that includes feeding for several days and instructions on how to do it. We recommend suitable sources of information, we recommend suitable accessories for puppies. Just so the new owners will not be afraid to continue to feed the puppy with fresh food.

HOW TO DETERMINE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF FOOD FOR PUPPIES Puppies should eat the food within a few minutes and leave nothing in the bowl. After feeding the puppy should be lively and playful. If they leave food and immediately fall asleep after eating, they are overfed and it is advisable to reduce the amount of food.

Sardines in oil + tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, boiled chicken eggs

SUPPLEMENTS FOR PUPPIES

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There is no need to add food supplements for puppies under two months of age. Everything they need is in breast milk and quality feeding, which we serve.

THE TRANSITION TO FRESH FOOD

Goat kefir + corn flakes, blueberries

If you have read up to here and are determined to try to feed your dog fresh food, please follow these rules to avoid unnecessary harm to your dog. Going for fresh food, B.A.R.F. can be done at any age. It is easiest in puppies and young dogs, which are still developing their digestion. But it is not a problem in adult dogs, seniors or dogs that have health problems. There we just have to take into account the current state of health and consult the experts on the most appropriate procedure. A transition from one day to the next is best. So one day granules and the next day already fresh food. • for the first week or two we serve only lean muscle (chicken, turkey, rabbit, lean fish). The meat may be raw or slightly cooked. Served with cooked rice or boiled potatoes with carrots. • the meat can be ground or sliced into small pieces (slices), which we will increase over time to bite-size for the dog

Boiled chicken eggs + buckwheat, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes

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• the offal and fatter meat will be added during the second - third week • we start to give whole bones at about 3.-4. week. Puppies up to 6 months of age can be given whole bones during the second week. In seniors up to the 4th week or later, depending on how well the dog digests. Ground bones can be included in the diet as early as the second week even in adult dogs. • If the dog does not want raw meat, we can initially cook it briefly • as a side dish we serve initially mixed vegetables, fruits, overcooked rice, oatmeal. Only later can we add pasta, buckwheat, couscous and more. Despite all our caution, the dog can get diarrhea or vomit. If this happens, for some time we will

remove the meat from the diet, after which the situation arose and return to the beginning - to lean non-fat meat + cooked rice or boiled potatoes with carrots. Most dogs can handle the transition without any problems and within 3-4 weeks are able to accept different types of meat, viscera, bones and side dishes. You can observe within a short period of time what effects the new type of feeding has on the dog. At first, owners often notice a smaller amount of feces, better muscles, gradually improved overall condition and coat. Even less voracious dogs are looking forward to their bowl and enjoy feeding. The decision on how and how to feed your dog depends on each of you. When you decide, remember that the dog is a carnivore!

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

FOODS / PLANTS DANGEROUS FOR YOUR FURRED FRIEND

The purpose of this article is to take a closer look at some foods which you may have in your household or plants you might have in your garden, and your Ridgeback could accidentally swallow or nibble on. Of course we can go on forever, since there are a lot of poisonous plants so I picked the most common ones and I divided those in two groups, one is named the „black list“ – those which will definitely mean poisoning. The other list is named – “not just black or white” – since sometimes panic is not quite justified due to lack of information. So, let´s take a look then at a few picks to give you a quick guide on what you should keep an eye on.

on source) of grapes for 20 kg weighing dog. In another study: clinical signs of problems determined from blood samples were estimated on level 15 g of grapes per kg, 2 times a day (which means 600 g grapes per day for a 20 kg weighing dog). Overall - till today it is still unclear which precise agent is responsible for such an outcome and mainly be aware that raisins can be more dangerous than grapes themselves, since raisins are more concentrated and Ridgebacks can more likely swallow up more raisins to reach critical level of poisoning than eating 500 – 1,500 g of grapes.

“BLACK” list – definitely no go. The following should be out of reach of any dog in the household, to avoid accidental ingestion.

Chocolate – is almost in every household since most have sweet tooth, but not such a good idea for dogs though. Chocolate is mainly made of sugar and crushed cacao beans which contain alkaloid (compounds with strong physiological effect) named theobromine. This alkaloid is responsible for the toxic effect of chocolate if eaten by a dog. Theobromine digestion results in tachycardia. Restlessness, mainly fibrotic lesions of the heart were identified. You can expect serious effect if approx. 150-250 g of dark chocolate is eaten by an average 40 kg RR. Luckily for dogs, most of the lower quality chocolate you can find in stores has limited amount of cocoa beans, since it´s the most expensive part of chocolate production, so it is less dangerous if eaten. Also watch out if you´re about to buy mulch for your garden, since if cocoa bean shells have been used for production and your dog eats it, it can result in similar problems as chocolate digestion, so just keep an eye on it to be sure. Watch out with cocoa powder, if you´re about to cook anything with it, since cocoa powder is more concentrated than regular dark chocolate.

Grapes – are often mentioned in many articles as very dangerous if digested by a dog. Discussed was a variety of substances like mycotoxins, heavy metals, pesticides and all of those proved to be negative as a source of the problem. It is postulated that the cause may be a nephrotoxin or anaphylactic shock leading to renal problems. Excess sugar intake has also been suggested, resulting in a disturbance of sugar metabolism, but this seems unlikely as dogs are not known for susceptibilities to high sugar intake. The poisoning seems to occur with grapes and raisins of all types: those purchased from a store or grown at home, grape pressings from wineries, seedless and seeded varieties. Known reported cases (connected to grapes) with renal failure have the following common cause: quite high dosage to reach acute/fatal problems, approximately 1057 g per body weight of dog was needed to see such a case. That means 200-1140 g (depending

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WITH MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD.

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Avocado – had been reported several times as poisonous to dogs. Cases have been described in southern Africa, when dogs indigested avocados resulting in abdomen enlargement, heart and liver damage (similar to horse or goat symptoms if indigested also). Avocado plant does contain a compound named persin, which has antifungal properties and this compound leaks into the flesh of fruit from the pit in the middle. If the flesh is eaten by a dog vomiting plus diarrhea will occur, possibility heart & lungs damage is likely, due to fluid accumulation and resulting in breathing problems, so please store them out of reach of your dog. Spirits, Beer, Wine – common denominator here is of course alcohol (ethanol to be chemically precise) content. Dogs in general are not biochemically able to metabolize ethanol like humans do / although hangover can be pretty painful for us also. If any product with ethanol content is ingested (alcohol beverage, mouthwash, any rotten fruits or dough with yeasts where ethanol is already present due to fermentation) it results e.g. in lethargy, metabolic acidosis and breathing problems – so do not let your RR consume it, even if he likes leftovers of beer for “fun”. Chewing gum – it seems to be obvious not to feed your RR chewing gum. The main cause of problems is actually the compound named xylitol, which is mainly used in sugar-free chewing gums. Xylitol works as sweetener which we humans can taste but we cannot metabolize it and it just passes through us without any kcal gaining. In a dog´s metabolism, this compound affects

insulin levels in the bloodstream. If it is ingested, the level of insulin spikes and sugar in the blood stream is rushed into the body and a dog may suffer from weakness, have a seizure, or it may even result in a coma. In most severe cases it causes liver failure. Reaction to Xylitol is almost immediate – within 30 minutes some of the symptoms will occur. Rule of thumb here is to avoid any access to chewing gums / candies, sweetener or toothpaste which might have xylitol content in it. Pits – pits of any stone fruit like peach, cherry, apricot, plums, nectarine do contain certain levels of a compound called amygdaline and if glucose is separated from it, cyanide is released due to a chemical reaction. Amygdalin is also present in almonds after which it is named. Though the level of released cyanide from seeds is not very high and a large amount would have to be eaten, plus those kernels would have to be chewed to release seeds into the digestive tract, they can cause problems with breathing and even death. If you spot any sign of laboured breathing and dilated pupils, go to your vet immediately. In the long term neurological impairment, for instance in walking, has been described. Onions & Leeks – one might think than onions & leeks would be innocent plants, but the opposite is the truth. Both contain compounds of sulfur one particular compound n-propyl disulphide is widely acknowledged as a toxin, which causes trouble for dogs if ingested. The cause of action is quite complicated but the result is basically anemia because red blood cells (erythrocytes) suffer from hemoglobin (protein which binds oxygen

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and enables oxygen to be distributed in the body) damage and regeneration, so hemolytic anemia develops and the dog is unable to distribute oxygen in the body. Severe toxicity for regular sized 40 kg Rhodesian Ridgebacks ranges from 600 g to 1,200 g. If 200 g of onion would be eaten you can already notice problems. It is important to note, that any cooking or drying of onions does not lower toxicity of onion or leek, so you have to be careful with any table scraps you serve. Gastro-intestinal problems would be first symptoms, later on you would notice poisoning symptoms connected with damage to red blood cells, which usually involves heavy breathing, weakness, dark color of urine. Macadamia nuts – in general nuts can be problematic, particularly macadamia nuts. This is a similar story to grapes, already mentioned above. The compound which causes toxicity is unknown, whether it is constituent of the nut itself or some kind of unknown mycotoxin (bioactive compounds created when molding takes a place) or something else – the dose for a RR weighing 40 kg ranges from 95 g to 2,500 g – which is pretty big range, but anyway watch out for any human food which might contain macadamia nuts. Poisoning manifests itself by affecting mainly muscles – so your dog will face walking problems, tremors, swollen limbs, digestive disturbances etc. Elderberry – is quite common bush in the middle European latitude. Similar to stone fruit pits, elderberry contains amygdaline which will break into the cyanide in digestive tract of dog, so if eaten any leaves, bark, branch or fresh fruits (ripe and

cooked fruits are consumed by humans) it will lead to problems like vomiting, diarrhea, in serious cases it will even result in a coma. Signs of toxicity manifest themselves within 20 minutes after indigestion. It is unlikely that fruit would be consumed, just watch out that you don’t accidentally play fetch with elderberry branches.

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Rhubarb – is quite a common plant in the garden, so one might think there is not much to be worried about. Well there is. Here lays danger, even for us humans – rhubarb leaves contain a compound named calcium oxalate in crystalline form, which causes irritation when it gets in touch with mouth tissue. Stems which we do eat in cakes do contain some, but in very low concentration – this is why we should not eat too much of it. On the bright side: that irritation is so unpleasant that it deters dogs from eating much of it. The problem is if part of leaves is swallowed e.g. by a playful puppy, it will cause irritation of gastric tract leading to diarrhea, blood in the urine in more severe cases. In very serious cases kidney failure can be looming. “Not quite BLACK or WHITE” list: do not be worried if you use following properly and in accordance with producer’s guide line.

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Potatoes – are sometimes viewed as dangerous for dogs, at least it is my feeling when I talk to people but not rightfully. Potatoes are great source of starch and if treated properly, there is no danger to dogs. The danger of potatoes is hidden in the skin. If the skin of potato is greenish or you can spot sprouts on tuber it means it has started to produce some alkaloid compounds (to be specific solanine and chaconine) which function is to protect tuber from pest´s infestation. If such a tuber would be served to dog it can lead to digestive troubles like vomiting, diarrhea or breathing problems. That means if the potatoes are properly picked, peeled and cooked, they won´t cause any trouble to a dog. Just one more remark, also foliage is a source of those alkaloids, so if you are gardening them be careful that your RR wouldn´t nibble on those. Tomatoes – are from family tree of plants like potatoes and therefore also tomatoes do produces same alkaloid solanine like potatoes do. Ripe tomato won´t cause any troubles if eaten, but foliage or greenish tomato can cause irritation of gastric system, weakness. Aloe Vera – if you happen to be fan of this plant just be aware it´s not so much fun for dogs if they eat it. It´s not especially palatable but, surely puppies can chew on it and it will be problematic. Sap in outer skin of leaves of Aloe vera does contain compounds named saponins which cause irritation of the digestive tract, the same basically would also happen to you if you eat it. The inner flesh which humans use in beverage production and so on, has many benefits and you can buy a lot of aloe vera treated extracts with many benefits to your RR like immune system support, antioxidant activity and etc. Just be careful around the whole plant in a pot and go for specialized products.

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Garlic – sometimes is added into the one basket with onion, but here I would like to distinguish between those two. Garlic also belongs to the same group of plants like onion & leek and therefore the similarity with produced metabolites is not a surprise. If garlic is used in a quantity which is not desirable it can lead to the very same problems which were described about onion / leek. On the other hand, garlic or wild garlic is not dangerous if used in reasonable doses for dogs and have benefits like natural anti-parasitic, antibacterial effect plus improvement of digestion. Reasonable dose of dried garlic for adult RR: 1 g/day over the course of 7 days maximum. In sense of cloves one or two crushed cloves maximum over the same time period. To reach levels of toxicity a Ridgeback would have to eat over 3 several complete heads of garlic, which is pretty unlikely.

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Ph oto by Linn e Kuivasto

BEHIND THOSE AMBER EYES Mahiri Retta´s Akeila by Djastin “HASLA”

ho is there? What are you feeling? How can I make your life easier? Those are questions that are emerging into my mind. More frequently day by day. This is my story of sharing life with Hasla who has major deficiencies in her temperament. It was my mom’s dream to own a Rhodesian Ridgeback. She had been admiring them for over 25 years and finally that dream came true in June 2015 when our first Rhodesian Ridgeback Hasla moved to our family. It soon dawned on me that it was no longer my mom’s dream but mine too. I had been waiting to get a Basenji but had to listen to my heart and change one lion hunter into another. We knew that it was critical to invest our time and resources making Hasla into a good citizen. We went to see big dogs, small dogs and other puppies. We travelled by car, train, and subway. We practised all the skills that would be valuable when she was an adult. When Hasla was old enough we started puppy school. Being youngest student there was she shined and my heart was filled with pride and joy. Months went by and Hasla continued her grow into a clever young Rhodesian Ridgeback. She got praises everywhere she went being dog social, wise and calm. We connected in a way that I had never connected with a dog. In 2016 Hasla got a little sister Gilla. From the first day they were best friends. I was so proud of her jumping into a role of a big sister so perfectly. Hasla had been living with two Chinese Cresteds and I saw the joy in her eyes when she got a sister that spoke the same language. Little I knew that all was about to come crushing down in one year. Hasla had been dog social but that changed when she turned two. I knew that it was not uncommon to not get along with dogs of same sex as an adult, so I was not worried about that. The thing that got me on my toes was that Hasla seemed to be scared and showed signs of aggression due to that. We adjusted to the situation and continued seeing only males. Luckily for us we had many friends with boys only. Hasla continued being best big sister to Gilla and never showed any signs of aggression towards her. She had always been excellent in reading my emotions. She knew exactly when I was happy and when sad. After that not so magical two years I noticed that it got quite extreme. Hasla got overly sensitive to my emotions and she thought that every feeling I showed was pointed to her. She got stressed to the point of mania when I was sad or angry. Hasla had been used to left alone, but that changed

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Written by Sanni Kuivasto

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too. She knew exactly when I was about to leave home and did not want to eat or go out before that. When I got her out she did not want to pee and peed inside when I was gone. It got so bad that I just had to leave her without food and feed her when I got back. She also started destroying my apartment. When I got home, she wanted to get out at any cost and if she managed in that she ran away. Longest time me and Gilla spent looking for her was over two hours.

twelve months. That did not ease her fears but made her loose the last spark in her so we stopped the medication. Specialist told us that usually in these cases behavioural problems get worse when the dog gets older and unfortunately, she was right. What makes Hasla’s situation trickier is that she has multiple different fears that would need to be assessed separately and improvement in some section can cause the other problems to get worse.

It breaks my heart seeing that the things she used to love the most such as travelling by car or running on ice gets her nowadays distraught. There is no way we can plan long trips with her since those car rides get her to pant and shake until the car stops regardless of the duration. We have tried medication which should help if the dog is suffering from traveling sickness, but it has not helped. Nor has helped smaller space or larger space in the trunk. I have also tried to make her sit in the back seat without any improvement. The fear is not only emerging at traveling by car, but also when we use trains, busses or subways.

Hasla’s symptoms have ggotten slowely worse. So slowly that it has become our new normal and we have adjusted to that. We know that Hasla can not be left alone without a dog friend, Hasla can not visit our grandma during the summer because there is too many insects. Hasla can not travel by train, car, bus for long times because it takes such a huge strain on her. As a five-year-old she is still the best big sister there is taking care of Gilla and Dekla. Hasla is no longer the official leader of our pack and in most of the situations Gilla has taken her role, but that suits Hasla. She loves being protected by someone who has stronger mind. Hasla is the best bunny and personal trainer there is and she is a natural talent in agility but unfortunately we can’t attend to classes where there are other dogs. She can’t cope with the environment filled with unfamiliar dogs and noices.

My previous apartment was old and made little noises due to the temperament changes. Those noises scared Hasla to the core. She did not sleep and she woke up to every little noise. Needless to say that when she did not sleep nor did I. It was horrible six months of my life. Luckily our new apartment isn’t making those noises and even she stresses our leaving she is not so panicked. We have visited behavioural specialist and Hasla was on calming medication for little bit over

Never did I imagine being facing a decision whether my physically healthy dog was living life good enough to be lived. There have been times when making the final decision has come almost touchable. Last time it was this spring when Hasla’s fear for insects got so bad that she panicked

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and ran away multiple times in the short period of time. It took from ten minutes to almost an hour to catch her.

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I have cried tears that could fill if not an ocean a lake. She has given me so much, but in the other hand has taken even more. As I wrote our lives have adjusted to Hasla not the other way around as it is with Gilla and Dekla. There are short moments when I see her as she was as younger dog. Those moments are how I remember her and why I keep on going even though at times I do not see any light in the end of the tunnel. I wish that Hasla could talk to me and she could understand me when I am telling her that everything is fine, and I am going to protect her from the world. Before Hasla I thought that every dog was a clean sheet of paper to start with and only our actions affected how the dog is growing out to be. Hasla has made me realize how critical it is to evaluate temperament and use that information in the choices we are making. Dogs are not only their pedigree, numbers, and letters in a paper. The most important part of the dog can be found within and if temperament is lacking characteristics needed to live normal life it will lead to horrible consequences, which I have experienced first-hand for over three years. There are million questions and million what ifs. I will do my best not to look back and continue our life day by day and enjoy those diminishing moments with Hasla when I see her as she once were. Hasla I love you till the very end. “There is a beautiful thing inside you that is thousands of years old. Too old to be captured in poems. Too old to be loved by everyone. But loved so very deeply by a chosen few.” ― Nikita Gill

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With love

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s ’ o Te Ho memade D o g Ice Cream is a sup er eas y, healthy and e xce llent nutritio us treat to co o l do wn yo ur best friend during very ho t summer. RECIPE

Ice cream YOU NEED 10

seas o nal red fruits chopp ed

(s traw berries, cranberries, raspberries ..)

1 b anana (rip e b anana is the bes t cho ice) 1 cup appro ximate ly 260g natural creamy yo gurt at leas t 10% fat (greek yo gurt)

+ icecube form

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Put the mixture into an icecube form then put it into a freezer. Freeze overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours. Serve to your dog in very hot days.

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Appétit! e freezer

m in th a e r C e c I e th p e e NOTE: K weeks. 6 m u im x a m r o f

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 four 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

BORIS GLUKHAREV AN INTERVIEW

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Boris A Glukharev І Moscow, Russia І instagram.com/dogupfoto

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. HOW DID YOU COME ABOUT BEING A DOG PHOTOGRAPHER AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING IT? Hello. I come across this question in each and every interview. How did you come about and why? Nobody knows why I’ve come about it, maybe there is a kind of destination in this life, or just genes have met in such a way, that my neurosystem was assembled as it was, that I feel drawn to work with dogs. Yes, I’m a dog photographer. No cats, no horses, no freestanding people. I take photos exclusively of dogs. But why? Probably because this is my comfort zone, where I can fully reveal myself, feeling emotionally safe. Dogs never lie, their emotions are true and sincere. I endeavour to be sincere with everyone, though not all the people can empathize, so they always expect a catch in my actions. But I’m like that, thus I feel completely open with dogs. I photograph each dog for myself, and I always think about how should my dog look in the photo, and how to show its best sides. I feel proud when

they win big shows and understand that it’s our joint win. Where do I come from? I was born in Moscow, graduated from secondary school and the International Institute of Advertising with speciality of an art director. Though I did not become an art director of an art space and do not work in advertising, this knowledge and practical skills helped me to gain experience in cynology. Communication with furry clients is another important part of the photography. How do I see my future? I’m always thinking about it, but the final result stays unchanged. I’ll work with dogs and feel my necessity and involvement. It is not a coincidence that true cynologists who love their job live long lives. Dogs share their souls and their lives with us. To our regret, this is also our curse, as dogs live with us from their birth, and we attend them throughout their lives, and then we have to pay our last tribute to them when they leave to the rainbow, realizing that we have much longer lives than they do. Sometimes looking through old photos of dogs that have gone

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already, you realize that only pictures never forget their image, character and mood.

When I first went to elementary school, I was presented with a film camera. It was an ordinary “soapdish”, nothing special, but I started with photography. Nobody explained to me how to combine the lines of thirds in a composition so that there is an excellent shot, for some reason I intuitively understood this. And I shot a lot. Half a year later they presented me with an SLR film camera Zenit-M. And my hobby gained new scope in the knowledge of photography. I shot everything I saw. Tons of poor shots went into the trash. I’ve developed films sitting in the bathroom, and printed photos using a photographic enlarger. Funny story from my life. When everyone went to bed, I took an enlarger with all the nec-

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

they make house more lively. After all, spiders are always busy, they never come out just like that. Therefore, I always yearned for animals.

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

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I shoot with Sony A7 RIII with a 70-200 2.8 lens. For me, this is a universal lens for photographing animals. It is very convenient to work with, both at shows and in nature, and a focus of 200 mm blurs the background well enough, but does not flatten objects, like lenses with the longest zoom. Medium zoom also allows to avoid distortions of dogs’ images. E.g., if you take a picture of a dog with a wide-angle lens from the top, the legs of the dog will turn out to be tiny, and the body will be huge. Opposite effect will be when you take a picture of the dog from below. Exception may be only if the dog is surrounded by a large compositional environment, which must be played up. essary accessories, a red flashlight, etc. I sat in the bathroom, and arranged the baths with fixative and developer. I had prepared the material for printing, and soon the process was in full swing. Suddenly my mom decided to go to the bathroom and turned on the light! All the work went to pot, and I had to start all over again the next night. It was a real pain. Many photographers who did not experience this, should try it. Digital photography is not everything that film is. Officially, I work as a dog photographer since 2008, 12 years I have given to this profession. My first dog show was “Eurasia” held in February, 2008. For me it was something new and immense. I saw so many dog breeds that I could not even imagine. It was a great discovery in my life, and I began to study these breeds, their origin, nature and destination. And the more I learned, the more it aroused my curiosity.

WHAT OR WHO GOT YOU STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING DOGS? As I’ve said before, nobody knows why we love this or that. Why does someone love boiled onions, and someone hates it. I think it’s just a combination of microchips in our brains and images of our childhood, as a child experiences’ imprinting in early childhood (impressions that affect future personality). Someone is scared by spiders, lizards, snakes. I’ve been always different. I was never afraid of either spiders or snakes. Walking across the village and seeing a crawling grass snake, I always picked it up to look how big, smooth and legless it was. Then I let it go and those, who were nearby, looked at me in horror. Spiders in my house, for me, are a good sign,

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? Everywhere. I can find inspiration even when I eat ice cream. And so I can create new ideas just walking in the forest. Also I can derive something from films or pictures of other photographers, not only with dogs. At the times when I was just starting to photograph dogs, there were no artists who could inspire, these were technically correct pictures, but without any idea. I wanted something more, a beautiful background, a subject, but at the same time it should be still a zootechnics’ stuff. Correct stand, viewpoint, turn of the head. I’ve not reached the perfect picture in my work yet, but I do my best. And the more I reach, the more I understand that it can be done better.

DO YOU CONSIDER IT A CHALLENGING JOB? HOW DO YOU GET

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WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF BEING A FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER? AND THE MOST CHALLENGING? There are various complications in taking pictures. Quite often dogs do not like to be photographed. They will do everything in order not to look good in the photo. They’ll not look where they should, they’ll not pick up ears. And of course, these are the difficulties that you have to solve by try-outs and psychological tricks. All this excites me even more, since a hard way makes the result more valuable. Another problem is the weather. It often happens that the weather changes during the session, and it can be anything, wind or rain. So you have to come up with something on the go. If it’s windy, we’ll find a shelter where there will be no wind. If it rains, we’ll either wait, or we take pictures in the rain that could also be practical. It all depends on desire of the owners.

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

THE ANIMALS TO STAY AND “POSE” FOR YOU? I can’t call it a job. First of all it’s a study and new contacts. Before photographing a dog, one

First I look that the background fits, that there is nothing objectionable. Then we place the dog in the right place for me. After we placed the dog, we start taking photos. Usually we do it together with a handler that helps to catch the correct angle of the head, and also controls that all legs of the dog are in proper position. Besides the fact that I’ve learned to photograph, I’ve also learned to put dogs in a stand by myself. Only so could I understand how does the handler interact with the dog, and it became much easier to explain them how to shift the center of gravity of the dog, or how to make the angles more pronounced, or moderately pronounced, it all depends on the breed and on what we need to get. When I take pictures, there is only one thing I think about: that no curious passerby will spoil the frame.

WHICH BREED IN YOUR OPINION IS MOST PHOTOGENIC? There are no breeds that are photogenic or

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should get acquainted, should communicate to understand a character. All dogs are different, some are shy, some are suspicious, but some, on the contrary, are too sociable. And then you understand who you are working with. It’s easy for me, as I’m doing it for a very long time. At first, of course, it was difficult, as you need to understand the specificity of breeds. I’ve conversed a lot with breeders about what would they like to see in their dog’s photo. I made a lot of mistakes before I understood how to work. And over time, I’ve developed an ideal program that lets me tackle a task easily. You know what separates an amateur from a professional? An amateur first does something, and then looks at the result. A professional first sees the result, and then does it. And it works in everything.

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non-photogenic, everything depends on the breed phenotype of the dog, on its temperament and experience of the handler and photographer. Sometimes a dog does not fit the breed standard, so you have to find angles to hide flaws and show advantages. Some dogs are charismatic, and despite their drawbacks, charisma covers them all. And some dogs like to work with a handler, and for them it’s like a game. Much depends on the experience and ability of the handler to motivate the dog to work. Therefore, dogs in all breeds are more photogenic or less, but we do not give up and search until we find a way to solve these imperfections.

ARE THERE OTHER DOG PHOTOGRAPHERS THAT INSPIRE OR INFLUENCE YOU? IF NOT, WHO OR WHAT DOES? I’ve got a lot of inspiration from various photographers of various genres. Unfortunately, cynological photography as a mass culture was born not long ago, so that an agglomeration

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of outstanding photographers has not been formed yet, and I can say that I am not the one either. I understand that I still have to work on myself a lot. But there are photographers in other genres, fashion photographers, weddings, children, cars, food, etc. And each of them has own individuality. Also I often watch good films in terms of camera work and postproduction. How the shot was made in the film, how it was affected by light and color. I took the necessary from all of this to build my own individuality. There is nothing to be ashamed of in taking something from others, because you will not learn to speak until you are taught it. The same is in photography. You should always learn, only then you’ll perfect your skill of individuality. To my regret some photographers are trying to copy me, to do the same as I do, and even to make a similar signature on the photo. It’s a pity, but thereby they are killing their individuality, because they will never be either me or themselves, it will be more like a distorted reality, as they do not follow the path of inspiration, they just go the way of demand and popularity.

IS THERE ANY ONE THING YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN OR PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO AN ASPIRING FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER? First of all you have to understand if you really want to do this. You do not become a photographer just because you’ve bought a camera. In addition to photography you’ll have to study psychology and phenotype of dogs, and physics – otherwise you’ll not know how the camera works and how to deal with light. You’ll have to study software that processes photos, and much more. Unfortunately, when you touch upon one speciality, you automatically involve a number of specialties, since only integrated thinking can bring you good results.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS OF YOUR OWN? AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ANIMAL? Yes, I have a three year old Dobermann at home. And guess – what is my favorite animal?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING? Unfortunately, we live in a world of an endless progress, sometimes the market dictates the conditions to work faster, to get timely results, it is dipping us into the stream not allowing to think about what we really want to do, forcing us to race for outstripping and to do what the market dictates. If money requires silence, then art requires thoughtfulness. Ludovico Buonarroti’s father did not want his children to work with their hands, as nobles should not do the work of peasants. But Buonarroti tended to art, he modeled in clay. But his father was beating him. And then he decided that he would create with his eyes. Every day he came to the workshop, and looked at a huge boulder of marble. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. he looked at it, not uttering a sound. And people, seeing him, asked: – What are you doing? And Buonarroti answered, I am creating. And then he went home for a dinner. After 5 years, this boulder of marble turned into a statue of David. Nothing can decide as time does. Art should not be turned into a fast food. Only true art lives forever. Translated by Andrey Makarov

MAGDALENA STOCKSCHLÄDER AN INTERVIEW

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Magdalena Stockschläder І Germany/Poland І HUNDErt Blicke www.hundertblicke.eu - FB/Instagram: @hundertblicke - fotografie@hundertblicke.eu

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. HOW DID YOU COME ABOUT BEING A DOG PHOTOGRAPHER AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING IT? Hi there. My name is Magdalena Stockschläder (I know very difficult name to spell). I come from Poland, but the place where I live and call home, is northern Germany. Together with my husband and our two dogs we are living in a beautiful, small village between the magical moors. For over 9 years I have worked as a professional fine arts domestic animal photographer under the name HUNDErt Blicke and I travel the world to photograph dogs and horses. There is no country too far away to visit, if I can find beautiful animals or breath-taking landscapes there. I like it best if I can combine those two. I didn’t plan to be a dog Photographer and still I’m not very sure

if I can call myself that. But for sure most of my clients are dog’s owners. The same as all my photographer friends I have also started from taking pictures of my own dogs. But the true beginning was pretty different. I wanted to be a painter so first I have started to draw my dogs. My first dog was my first model and that was more than 25 years ago. Huh… I think I’m getting old.

HOW DID YOU FIRST ENTER THE PHOTOGRAPHY WORLD? DID YOU HAVE FORMAL TRAINING? FOR HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PHOTOGRAPHER? I started my fine art photography education in 2002 in Poland and I call it my beginning. Since that time I have been taking pictures professionally. I’m trying to visit some educational tours or

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WHAT OR WHO GOT YOU STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING DOGS? I was always attached to the art. My dream was to be a painter and do it for living. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any place at the school of art in my city. I was shattered and started looking for “something with art” which I can do during the time between my exams. So this is how I started to learn photography. In the beginning I was confused about all the technical stuff connected with this. All those shutter speeds, lenses, aperture made me feel really stupid and it was quite overwhelming. But with the time I could really work well with it. I have also learned there, how to photograph with analog cameras and how to develop the pictures myself (which helps me even today). To feel the structure of the picture, to know everything that can go wrong, before we have ready pictures in our hands, made it a very exciting process to me. I would lie if I said I miss it. The digital cameras are so much easier and cheaper to work with. But to

get in touch with that amazing world, gave me a very different basis for my future work. I will never see the photography as an easy art. For me it has much more meaning as for many of my younger colleagues who don’t know how the first tools worked. At school I worked on a lot of projects and very quickly I discovered that the nature and specially dogs are very good models and those are the topics that make me happy. I was always feeling bad in the studio so I chose a report and outdoor photography as my favourite. Until today I share these feelings so you will always find me outside. This is how the story began. Since 2011 I’m working in Germany as a professional fine art photographer and take pictures of dogs and horses in their environment.

WHAT TYPE OF CAMERAS DO YOU SHOOT WITH? WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LENS AND WHY? I’m completely enchanted with Nikon since the very beginning. All my favourite Photographers in the past and during the school years were using Nikon gear so I promised myself that I will do the same when I have enough money. My current camera is a digital single-lens reflex from Nikon. It is called d850 and it is my third “Nikon”. My favourite lens is most certainly the tele zoom 70-200mm, 2,8f from Nikkor. It is the best lens I have ever used. It is an all-rounder, so you can take pictures of very small dogs the same quality as the biggest horses. It doesn’t matter if it is motion capture or standing portraits. It is always difficult to

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workshops each year since then, as I think there is still so much to learn and see. Education is a process and should never be stopped. Somebody who says he is done with education is also done with art life. Specially in photography where each year comes a new system to learn or new method to show your pictures. It is very exciting kind of art because it is extremely connected with the technical side. Of course on the beginning of my education I was more like a poor student, so my gear was not so professional as I wished for. But step by step everything came to the point where I am today. So it is already 18 years since I have started. Yes, I’m definitely getting old.

predict where the animals will move or what they will do. So the zoom allows you to fix to any situation you might be facing. It saved my life in many situations. I also like the prime lens 85mm, 1,4 f for the portraits of medium and small dogs. Thanks to this lens you can create amazing looking photos and give a wonderful depth to them. But you have to be careful. A few centimetres this way or that, and the focus is lost. This is a lens for very patient and calm people and of course the same goes for the models.

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WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? My biggest inspiration will always be nature itself. She gave us so many beautiful moments and circumstances with the weather, that we don’t have to look very far to get the best ideas. Sometimes they come to me when I’m just walking with my dogs. Sometimes it is the location I find or see. Sometimes it is a story or a song that I heard. I really love to take pictures and this is what helps me be inspired all the time. If there are times that the motivation or inspiration is lost, I try to visit museums and get in touch with different kind of arts. I still love paintings and they inspire me a lot. It is also a good idea to take different kinds of photographs at times. Especially if you are doing it professionally. When I’m photographing a lot of horses, I try to do next a lot of pictures of dogs. If the dog’s photos just become too much then I just look for another topic or maybe I’m ready to come back to the horses. I try to keep myself fresh with ideas and not to overworking a single topic. This helps me to be inspired and creative most of the time. Traveling helps a lot too.

DO YOU CONSIDER IT A CHALLENGING JOB? HOW DO YOU GET THE ANIMALS TO STAY AND “POSE” FOR YOU? Most of the dogs are very well trained so it is pretty easy to get

them in a good pose. The fun starts with puppies and very young dogs or those one who have never learnt something. You must expect them to do anything. Mostly I leave myself more time for such a session and take whatever comes my way. I have already had session where I was not only taking pictures, but also leading a dog and trying to calm down the owner. It is very hard to do so many things at the same moment but is not impossible. As a dog photographer you have to be very patient and wait for a perfect moment. And then you have to be just very fast. After years I can say it is not more challenging than to capture people who are sitting in one place without moving. As an animal photographer you just have to be flexible and spontaneous. The animals are not robots and something can always happen that can’t be predicted. The big help with posing are the owners of course. I try to use their help as much as I can during the sessions. First of all, the dogs are much more interested in their people than in me and secondly the owners know the “secret” words to keep the attention of the dogs. And there is always something to eat! The snacks work in every situation. We only have to find the right ones.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF BEING A FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER? AND THE MOST CHALLENGING? The best part of being a fine art photographer is the contact with

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DESCRIBE A TYPICAL SESSION FOR US. WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU’RE BEHIND THE CAMERA? There is no typical session. All of them are different. The only one thing that happens all the time is that I’m meeting with my customer and we are going for a walk. I’m completely addicted to the light so the most important thing for me is, to find the best spot, to use it fully – so most of my thoughts during the session are around this topic. I try to make every session original and a good memory for my clients. I want them to feel comfortable and as co-creator of the session. I choose different places, go from one to another and take pictures of the dog in portrait and in motion. I’m very spontaneously during the sessions.

I try also to fulfil the wishes of my customers and this is also what I’m thinking about. The breeder’s session looks totally different as the one for the pet’s owners. There are many small rules that help to take the best pictures. With the years of experiences, it becomes easier.

WHICH BREED IN YOUR OPINION IS MOST PHOTOGENIC? This is a very tricky question. Of course it is Rhodesian Ridgeback breed! They have such unique mimics and through their colour and posture are also easy to photograph in any situation or weather. The big brown eyes are always curious, shiny and full of life. Doesn’t matter how old they are they always look good on the pictures. Rhodesian Ridgebacks are for sure one of my favourite breeds, not just because I’m also the lucky owner of them. But I have to admit, Ridgebacks are made for free stuck photos and they have to be in a good mood. In the free nature, or when they can run without borders you will see their power and elegance. As far as a dog of this breed has absolutely no interest to cooperate with you, you can forget everything. They are magnificent but only when they want. Sometimes I have the feeling I’m taking pictures of cats or the Royals. But this is of course what makes them very special to us. I’m very happy that I have had the possibility to take pictures of so many of them. All the Ridgebacks look different and I’m still so impressed with their behaviour. It always makes me happy when I can photograph them again.

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amazing animals all around the world. I’ve been lucky enough to photograph animals in 9 countries already, and there are still so many amazing places I want to go to. But also the ability to speak without words about what you feel is an important aspect of my work, which makes it the best part. A freedom to create anything you are only dreaming about. This is what I would say is the best part about being a fine art photographer. The most challenging is that you are your own boss, and you have to do much more beside taking pictures. Sometimes it’s very hard. Nobody will teach you this and you will make millions of mistakes until you go to the place that works for you. I wish I would have enough money to employ a few people so that I could only focus on taking pictures (LOL!). Maybe one day that will be possible.

ARE THERE OTHER DOG PHOTOGRAPHERS THAT INSPIRE OR INFLUENCE YOU? IF NOT, WHO OR WHAT DOES? I don’t have any person who influence me in my photos. But the everyday situations do. I’m a very empathic person who is strongly connected with the problems of the world. If there is something happening that makes me angry or sad I will quickly show it in my photos. There is always something to say or show and pictures are my way to connected with the world. My inspiration is still nature. This is a place where I can clearly think and feel. My photography is a never-ending story about my own feelings and thoughts. The animal world is just perfect medium for me to release all the emotions that are hidden inside me.

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IS THERE ANY ONE THING YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN OR A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO AN ASPIRING FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER? I love to tell stories in my pictures and this what I really miss in nowadays photography. So If you have just started please be sure you will take pictures with meaning and full of small tales. There is nothing more boring as a technically fantastic picture which is not saying anything. Specially in the last times where we have so much of “professional”, self-made photographers and the internet is full of photos. There is nothing wrong to show them but they have to stay in our memories for more than few seconds. And this is what happens with photos without meaning. We are scrolling through the feeds and not staying there. Be a person who speaks to the world through photographs, but also have something important to say. The second thing is to practice a

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lot. Just grab your camera and do as many photos as you can. Take millions of models and learn to be a storyteller. Photography is a part of art that is strongly connected with the technique. You will get better the more you practice. The more photos you will take and the more different models you will have. It will make you more self-confident and prepare for the unexpected situation where you will react with peace and not with panic. Remember: the worst pictures is the one that was never made.

even more dogs and have even more Ridgebacks, as it is the best combination to have

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

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING?

I have and will always have dogs, as long as my health permits. Since 2004 I have a Rhodesian Ridgeback. This is my favourite breed and I’m so happy I can share my life with LeeLoo my homebred girl. Since many years I have learned so much about the breed and I have met so many representatives of the breed. I used to be a breeder and I was participating in many dog shows. But those days are over. I understood that there are more important things for me. To have a dog rather, than breeding and fighting for the titles or for power in the clubs. The everyday contact with the dogs is something unique. We should appreciate it more and spend more time with our pets. For three years we have also lived with an adopted mixed breed from a shelter. He shows us so much love and forces us to enjoy every day. It is also the best companion for our Rhodesian Ridgeback girl. I hope in the future we can rescue

In recent times I have been visiting a horse called Luna. She is bringing me a lot of peace which I need these days. The dogs and horses have a great power to cheer us up. If we would spend more time with the animals, we would be happier. My favourite animals are dogs and horses of course.

To be a photographer of the dogs and horses is the best that could happen to me. It helps me during the most difficult times and allows me to speak without words, the language of the arts. I live my dream as I wished for, only in a different way. I can’t imagine that I could do anything else professionally. Even if it is not very easy to be your own boss sometimes. But all this struggle is worth it. At least by the next session, you will forget all your troubles and worries. You can let yourself to flow with your emotions, feelings and ideas. You will make new memories and meet more amazing animals. Yes, this is something that I would not want to miss from my life. Maybe this is not a job for everybody, only for those who will fight for it and then it becomes the best time of their lives. Thank you for the invitation to do this interview, I have enjoyed it a lot and I hope you will enjoy it as well.

FRANK WEGNER AN INTERVIEW

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Frank Wegner І Germany І WolfensteinArt Fotografie І www.wolfensteinart.de

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. HOW DID YOU BECOME A DOG PHOTOGRAPHER AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING IT? On the night of 2 April 2013, I lost my Princess Leah. A nasal tumor had taken her life and shattered mine. Life had changed suddenly. No day was like before. She was my first dog. I would never have believed the pain her loss would cause. A dog. A famous quote from the great actor Heinz Rühmann: “Of course you can live without a dog, it just isn’t worth it.” How right he was… In that same year we found the female Ridgeback Abeni, which gave us new happiness in life. The year after that Beyla joined the family, and life was perfect. From now on I wanted to capture every movement, every situation in pictures from the beginning and make them unforgettable. See how they play as babies, and when they grow up and enjoy their lives. A photographer friend and others told me that my pictures were different, with a lot of feeling,

authentic and they could touch the soul. I should make more of it and offer photography sessions. I am an educator and have a good job. And now I also work as a photographer.

HOW DID YOU FIRST ENTER THE PHOTOGRAPHY WORLD? DID YOU HAVE FORMAL TRAINING? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PHOTOGRAPHER FOR? I got my first impressions of photography through my father’s GEO magazines. He had a good camera, but he didn’t make any money from it, it was just his hobby. I never had a formal training. In my opinion you can only learn the theory. To take pictures you have to bring the right moment and the right feeling with you. The best camera doesn’t take the best pictures.

WHAT OR WHO GOT YOU STARTED WITH PHOTOGRAPHING DOGS? I first studied and photographed my own dogs. Then I was approached by interested parties

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WHAT TYPE OF CAMERAS DO YOU SHOOT WITH? WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LENS AND WHY? Nikon D850, Nikon P 900, Nikon D40x I use only Sigma lens, because I see the difference.

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? An eye for the essential, attaching a new dignity and mindfulness to the small, insignificant and seeing the special in the apparently ordinary. That is the most important part of photography, only

you have to see it. Every moment and every place can be inspiration.

DO YOU CONSIDER IT A CHALLENGING JOB? HOW DO YOU GET THE ANIMALS TO STAY AND “POSE” FOR YOU? Every job is a challenge. You have to deliver. One of the most difficult jobs is animal photography. You can anticipate certain movements, but not always.

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

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I don’t consider myself an art photographer, others do. Even if some of my pictures are shown at exhibitions, the viewer has to see this as art. The challenge is to move people.

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

IS THERE ANY ONE THING YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN OR PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO AN ASPIRING FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER? I’ve met some people and street photographers in the past.Unfortunately, the exchange in animal photography is not that great. An aspiring photographer doesn’t need my tips or advice, mostly they can do everything.

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

I don’t like posed situations. I never liked it when the photographer asked me to smile. Neither do people like it in front of the camera. It’s the same with a dog. If he should sit, he stands. Should he stand, he sits. Often the owner is impatient, then I step in and do it myself. A lot of calmness and no pressure are the most important things.

Last year our Abeni had puppies. The wonderful Lisha has now made our kennel complete.

WHICH BREED IN YOUR OPINION IS MOST PHOTOGENIC?

Anisa Ghanima Lisha

I love my Ridgebacks, but all animals are photogenic.

ARE THERE OTHER DOG PHOTOGRAPHERS THAT INSPIRE OR INFLUENCE YOU? IF NOT, WHO OR WHAT DOES? There are certainly good dog photographers. But it is often the situations that I’ve never tried before. I have a lot of ideas, but haven’t tried them yet.

Our Royal African Ladies: Ilanga Abeni Jamala Bakari

My favorite animal..?? Rhodesian Ridgebacks

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING? My apologies for the poor English. Very special Thanks to Alena Jilkova and Snezka Kuralt

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J O L A

K R Y S T E C K A

W I T H

A M A N I

OUR COVER D OG

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CAN YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOUR COVER DOG TO OUR READERS?

WHAT ARE HIS BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS? His major achievement so far is a win at the Czech Club Exhibition KCHRR in September 2019. He was just a junior back then, but apart from getting Best Junior and BOS awards, he also won the Best Movement (1st) and Best Ridge (1st) categories, while placing second in the Best Head (2nd) category. We are even more proud of the results since Amani was accompanied by my husband, Jacek instead of professional handler.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT SHOWING? Exhibitions are important, but not the most important, they last only a moment. The real value is a great contact every day, it’s a look in the eyes when no commands are needed anymore, because we just understand each other. I love watching my guys go chasing and going crazy together, then they’re really happy and me too.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS? In the future, I would like Amani and Balu to train fitness regularly. We’ve got the first steps behind us, and I can see that they both like it. I also do not exclude the third Rhodesian in our house. More information on www.amaniridgeback.pl

FACTSHEET Name DOTTY PAWS Sangoma (Amani) • Sire: vWW, C.I.B., MultiW KENNEBEC’S FINAL ANSWER • Dam: CHPL BIMBELELA BY THANZI OF Sangoma

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

We were dreaming about living with Rhodesian Ridgebacks for a very long time, however intensive workload combined with home constructions forced us to postpone this dream until more peaceful moment and more free time. That moment came four years ago, when Balu Afrikanas Sunny Haus arrived at our home. Two years later he was joined by our little treasure DOTTY PAWS Sangoma – in short Amani. Amani (on the cover) is a really extraordinary dog, who brought so much love and joy into our lives, and he also loved Balu with all his heart. As most Rhodesians, Amani enjoys to run in huge empty spaces and play with toys, “tidy up the garden”, and he very much enjoys to cuddle.