RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE ISSUE 13/2023

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK

Once again, we present to you a brand new edition of our magazine. To all those who have contributed to our content and offered unwavering support, our heartfelt gratitude.

In this issue, we’re thrilled to shine the spotlight on work with our beloved Ridgebacks. From heartwarming tales of friendship to a practical advice on strengthening the bond with your family members, puppy owners, this edition is a heartfelt tribute to the extraordinary connection between us and dogs.

As we embrace the wonderful stories within these pages, we eagerly anticipate our next issue. Our editorial team is hard at work, curating exciting content for the upcoming issue. Get ready for a deeper exploration of the standards that define our beloved breed.

Your Voices Matter

Our magazine thrives on your interests and passions. We invite you to share your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions with us. Your valuable input helps us create content that resonates with you on a personal level. Whether you have a heartwarming story, expert knowledge to impart, or creative ideas to pitch, we wholeheartedly welcome your active participation and collaboration.

In closing, we extend our heartfelt thanks once more for your unwavering support. Your enthusiasm continues to inspire us to deliver quality content with every issue. Together, we embark on this journey to explore the enchanting world of Ridgebacks, nurturing connections based on love, understanding, and companionship.

Stay tuned for more stories, enlightening articles, and a deeper dive into the universe of our beloved breed in our next issue. Until then, may your days be filled with joy and happiness.

With warm regards,

Timmy and Zhanna

Snežka,

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RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK

EU MAGAZINE

ISSUE 13 / SEPTEMBER 2023

EDITOR

MAGAZINE TEAM

ASSOCIATE / TRANSLATIONS

ASSISTANT EDITOR AND TRANSLATOR

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

LAYOUT DESIGN & GRAPHICS

SNEŽKA KURALT STARR DESIGN (SLOVENIA)

SALES & PR

ZHANNA GODJAJEVA (LATVIA)

AN ACTIVE STUD RR OWNER WHO LOVES TRAVELLING AROUND THE EUROPE SHOWING RR.

OFFICIAL DESIGNERS

SNEŽKA KURALT - STARR DESIGN (SLOVENIA) FCI JUDGE SPECIALIST, RR OWNER, GRAPHIC DESIGNER

LICENCE OWNER

SNEŽKA KURALT

PREPARED AND COLLECTED BY EDITOR

NAVIGATING THE BREEDING LICENSE MAZE

A European Overview for Rhodesian Ridgeback

Abreeding license for dogs is a legal permit or authorization issued by a relevant governmental authority or kennel club, allowing an individual or breeding establishment to engage in the breeding of dogs. The purpose of a breeding license is to ensure that dog breeding is conducted in a responsible and ethical manner, with a focus on the well-being and health of the dogs involved.

From country to country, the rules and requirements for obtaining a breeding license vary significantly, with some nations placing the responsibility on breed clubs, while others rely on state unions.

In this comprehensive overview, we will guide you through the world of breeding licenses for Rhodesian Ridgebacks in Europe.

Note: We sent our forms to clubs around Europe and received these responses. Regrettably, some clubs did not respond to our request. We hope to expand our research to other continents and will provide updates in the next issue. We asked the following countries for a report: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic (2 clubs), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany (3 clubs), Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

Club Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Österreich

Country Austria

www www.rhodesian-ridgeback.at

Contact email geschaeftsstelle@rhodesian-ridgeback.at zuchtwart@rhodesian-ridgeback.at

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES

Grades (if there are any) Normalzucht - Standard Breeding Körzucht - Selective Breeding Elitezucht - Elite Breeding

Under the RRCÖ

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license X-Ray at 18 months.

Breeding Age:

• Female from 24 months to 8 years, in the 8th year of life only with veterinary clearance

• Male from 20 months

Necessary health test HD A, HD B (only with breeding partner HD-A), ED, OCD-free, LTV-free, no kinky tail, no Dermoid Sinus, JME, DM-clear (carrier N/n only with partner N/N), Hem B(RR)-clear, D-Lokus D/D (carrier D/d only with partner D/D), ISAG 2006, DLA-haplotypes Heartexamination every 2 years, only healthy RR are allowed to breed.

Dentition Full scissor bite, max 2 P1 may be missing (breeding partner must have a full scissor bite)

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) Yes, if male and female already have offspring from a natural mating.

Mental Test (yes or no) YES

Recommended but not mandatory health tests

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding

Genetic Diversity, DogCheck (Feragen)=Genetic Screening

According to FCI rules: The genetic diversity of the offspring should be higher than that of the breed average.

Club Český Klub Rhodéských Ridgebacků z.s. (ČKRR)

Country Czech republic www www.ckrr.cz

Contact email predseda@ckrr.cz

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES

Grades (if there are any) NO

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license

Under the club

After passing Xrays which can be done not earlier than at 18 months.

Necessary health test HD, ED, OCD

Dentition Maximum missing 2x premolars

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) For 1st litter only by permission from national kennel club, for 2nd litter without restriction.

Mental Test (yes or no) NO

Recommended but not mandatory health tests LTV, SPINE, genetic tests (DM, BLUE-DILUTE, JME, EOAD)

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding NONE

Club Rhodesian Ridgeback Breeder´s Club – » KCHRR «

Country Czech Republic

www www.kchrr.com

Contact email anunnaki@anunnaki.cz

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES

Grades (if there are any) Yes - Elite class, which is composed of three subsections; health evaulation (HD, ED, DNA profile as well as three separate DNA tests), exterior evaluation (requires a club champion title, CAJC or CAC awarded at an international show) and a behavioral test.

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male

when to get a license

We fall under the national kennel club.

18 months

Necessary health test Yes (HD, ED)

Dentition Can be missing two teeth from either the premolar or molar section.

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) Being inseminated for the first time falls under the national kennel club, subsequent cases are handled by respective clubs.

Mental Test (yes or no) YES

Recommended but not mandatory health tests

All avaliable ones are generally recommended case by case to owners.

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding There are no restrictions however the club recommends to avoid inbreeding.

Club Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Denmark

Country Denmark

www www.ridgebackklub.dk

Contact email formand@ridgebackklub.dk

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES

Grades (if there are any) 2

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

National Kennel club, advised by breed club

Age of female/male when to get a license 2 years

Necessary health test grade 1: AD and HD scores grade 2: min AD1, HD C No matter what you must always breed to a better score than your own dog

Dentition no rules

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) no rules

Mental Test (yes or no) NO

Recommended but not mandatory health tests

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding

DNA, tests for EOAD, DM, JME

Avoid too close breedings, eg 6,25% or cousins are too close.

Club Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Ireland

Country Republic of Ireland

www www.rhodesian-ridgeback-club-ireland.org

Contact email secretaryrrcireland@gmail.com

Breeding licence (yes or no) NO

Grades (if there are any) N/A

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

N/A

Age of female/male when to get a license N/A

Necessary health test Not by the IKC

Dentition No rules

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) Yes but must be followed by natural mating

Mental Test (yes or no) NO

Recommended but not mandatory health tests

The breed club recommends hip, elbow x-ray & JME status. The ridgeback club has a code of ethics, pre-approved by the Irish Kennel Club, stating these additional health tests required by our members.

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding Not father/daughter, brother/sister

Club The Ridgeback Club of Finland

Country Finland www www.ridgeback.fi

Contact email hallitus@ridgeback.fi

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES, but not obligatory (called Breeding Inspection of Exterior) Grades (if there are any) EXC, VG, G, S

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license

Club arranges it and two FKC judges do the examination and give report.

Must be at least 2 years

Necessary health test HD, ED, spine (LTV, SP, VA) x-rays

Dentition full dentition and correct bite, recommended (no obligatory rules)

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) Dogs must be over 24 months or bitch has her 3rd heat. Bitch is not over 8 years. Obligatory x-rays. * FKC rules, see under Mental Test (yes or no) Recommended, not obligatory

Recommended but not mandatory health tests OC x-rays, gene tests for DM, JME, Hem A+B, Blue dilute, EOAD

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding Club recommendation: not more than 6,25% in 5 generations

FKC = Finnish Kennel Club

* 1.3 Ethical guidelines

The reason for artificial insemination must not be the unwillingness or inability of the female or male to perform normal mating. The FCI breeding rules state that artificial insemination should not be used for animals that have not previously reproduced naturally.

The general breeding strategy of the Finnish Kennel Club follows the guidelines of the FCI. According to the breeding strategy, only dogs that can breed naturally and take care of their puppies can be used for breeding. Both female and male must be willing for natural mating. Males that have not previously been able to mate normally or that have a deficient sex drive should not be used for breeding, even with the help of artificial insemination.

Artificial insemination is justified, for example, when: veterinary reasons (injury, preventing the spread of infections, etc.) require it the distance between the residences of the male and the female is so long, that the cost/time required for the insemination journey constitutes an obstacle to insemination it is desired to create a long-term breeding program by recovering male sperm research work is being carried out

Artificial insemination is not acceptable when: the male or female has impaired reproductive capacity the male or female has a disease or defect known to be hereditary or an exaggerated structural feature that prevents normal mating the male or female suffers from or inherits a serious hereditary disease or defect the use of artificial insemination leads to the overuse of individual males so that the breeding base becomes narrower. Furthermore, it is recommended that the bitch to be inseminated with frozen sperm has previously had at least one litter born naturally from normal mating.

Club Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Hungary

Country Hungary

www www.rrclubhungary.hu

Contact email info@rrclubhungary.hu

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES

Grades (if there are any) / Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license

The management of the breeding license is under the club (RRCH).

A bitch that is at least 24 months old and up to 8 years old on the day of mating can be bred. A bitch under 24 months old and above 8 years old may only be bred with the specific permission of the Breeding Commitee. This permission must be requested in written form by the breeder, explaining the reason.

Above 6,5 years, a health check of the bitch (cardiac ultrasound and complete blood count) is recommended. Males can be bred above 8 years, under general veterinary control. A male that is at least 18 months old on the day of the mating can be bred. No breeding licence can be issued for males under 18 months.

Necessary health test

• HD: HD ‘A’ and ‘B’ can be bred only. HD ‘B’ dog can be bred only with HD ‘A’

• ED, OCD: Only clear can be bred

• JME, DM: Clear and carrier can be bred (carrier can be bred only with clear)

The dog must be at least 18 months old on the day of testing. RRCH will accept the results of radiograph examinations from a veterinarian who is the member of the Hungarian Pet Orthopaedic Association. If the veterinarian is not a member of this Association, he must send the results to the Hungarian Pet Veterinary Orthopaedic Association for assessment.

Dentition Scissor bite as described in the standard. 1 missing tooth is not an exclusion from breeding.

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) Besides natural mating, fresh, chilled and frozen semen insemination is accepted – if it is in accordance with the relevant FCI regulations.

Mental Test (yes or no) NO

Recommended but not mandatory health tests

• LTV Spondylosis

• Genetic heart

• Thyroid

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding Mating with relatives from the same line, siblings, half-siblings, father and daughter, mother and son is prohibited by the RRCH Breeding Commitee. A bitch can be mated to one male per breeding cycle. In cases of dispute, a DNA test must be requested to confirm paternity. Registration can only be started after DNA test had been completed. Dual-sired litter is not permitted by the RRCH.

Club Rhodesian Ridgeback Club de France

Country France www www.rhodesianridgeback-clubdefrance.fr

Contact email rrcfpresidente@aol.com

Breeding licence (yes or no) Every one can demand a kennelname (affix) at the French Kennel Club, la Société Centrale Canine (SCC). Both parents need to have a pedigree. When puppies go to their new owners in France, they have a birth certificate and not directly a pedigree. (Puppies going abroad get an export pedigree).

In France there exists an exam called »confirmation« which for Ridgebacks can be done from the age of 15 months and which will transform the birth certificate into a pedigree. It can be seen as the permission to breed. According to French Kennel Club rules, you can only breed with dogs who have a pedigree but dogs without pedigree can have puppies without official documents. Imported dogs also need to pass this confirmation exam to have their foreign pedigree recognized in France. During the confirmation the dog is assessed in relation to the standard and the judge decides whether it will pass or not.

Everyone can breed when both parents have a pedigree. You do not have to be a member of the breed club. However, if you breed more than one litter a year, you need a certificat/ diplôme from the gouvernement confirming your competences (ACACED): 2 days of education and an exam afterwards.

Grades (if there are any) See the table: system of »cotation«

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license

Necessary health test

Dentition

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?)

If you consider the »confirmation« as a breeding license, it is the french kennel club.

The dog must be at least 15 months old as that is the minimum age for the » confirmation« for the Ridgeback

See the table

Points of non-confirmation: lack of an incisor, a canine or missing 2 teeth contigous (PM1 or M1 excluded)

Insemination with fresh semen can done by every veterinarian. Insemination with cooled of frozen semen: can only done by an veterinarian accredited in reproduction (postuniversity specialisation) and officially autorized by the french kennel club.

The veterinarion who has practiced the AI needs to make a stamp on the declaration of the mating for the SCC with a proof of his autorization by the french kennel club.

Mental Test (yes or no) It is a part of the Test of Natural Aptitudes (TAN) done by the RRCF.

See the table below with the health tests recommanded by the club. The SCC has no mandatory health tests. Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding Forbidden by the SCC: mother-son and father-daughter, brother-sister combinations.

Recommended but not mandatory health tests

We have the system of »cotation« with levels from 1-6, see the table below. It is not obligated to have a cotation higher then 1 to breed, not even for the members of the RRCF.

Level 1 means the dog is confirmed.

The other levels are set by the breed club. Underneath the table for the »cotation«.

For Elite B and Elite A: at least 3 dogs of the offspring of at least to different litters need to be confirmed and DNA tests must be correct (meaning the parents declared on the pedigree are really the parents proven by DNA testing). Elite B means the dam or the sire has a cotation 1, Elita A means the dam or the sire has a cotation 4. We are waiting for the treatment of adapting our table by the French Kennelclub: Dd is of course also accepted for breeding on the condition that the dog is bred to a DD. The same applies to JME and DM: carriers have to be mated to free dogs.

Kennelclub Guidelines:

According to the french kennel club (la Société Centrale Canine) you can’t breed a bitch before the age of 15 months and she cannot have a litter after 9 years. She can have a max of 8 litters. She can’t have more then 3 litters in 2 years.

Breeding club RRCF guidelines.

These guidelines are obligated for Club breeders who have signed the »Charte d’Elevage«, an ethical breeding code, which would make them a preferred Club breeder:

Being a club member for at least 2 years

Having produced at least already one litter

First litter: the bitch must be minimum 2 years (even if the SCC authorises it from 15 months), last litter: not after the bitch is 8 years.

Having done all the health tests recommanded by the club with results corresponding

The bitch must be in excellent health

One litter a year maximum and no more then 3 litters for one bitch in her life and not more then 2 caesariens.

For stud dogs: only matings with bitches who have passed their »confirmation«, if the bitch is french.

The studdogs must have passed the same health tests as the bitches, as recommanded by the club, see the table above.

Club No club, just kennel organisation

Country Luxembourg

www https://fcl-dog.lu

Contact email /

Breeding licence (yes or no) The breeder must hold a breeding permission from the with Ministry of Agriculture (issed to the breeder for the activity as such not to the dog).

Grades (if there are any) /

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license

National Kennel club

Minimum age 15 months

Necessary health test HD- Allowed combinations: A-A – A-B – B-B– A-C

ED- Allowed combinations: 0-0 – 0-1 – 0-2 – 1-1 – 1-2 DNA profiling accoring to ISAG2006 is also required.

Dentition /

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) /

Mental Test (yes or no) Yes – prior to breeding a dog has to pass a temperament test organised by the National Kennel club

Recommended but not mandatory health tests / Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding /

Club Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Nederland (RRCN)

Country The Netherlands

www http://www.rrcn.nl

Contact email secretariaat@rrcn.nl

Breeding licence (yes or no) NO

Grades (if there are any) /

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license /

/

Necessary health test Hips, Elbows, JME, DM

Dentition No check

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?)

Forbidden in The Netherlands unless male is ill or dead (vet needs to sign certificate)

Mental Test (yes or no) NO

Recommended but not mandatory health tests /

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding

Forbidden: Female x Grandfather, Father, Brother, Halfbrother, Son or Grandson. And also forbidden Uncle/Niece, Aunt/Nephew, Nephew/Niece combinations

To breed in our kennel: 2x Excellent at a CAC or CACIB show. Female minimum age of 22 months for the first mating, for males that is 18 months.

Club No club, just kennel organisation

Country Poland www www.zkwp.pl

Contact email zg@zkwp.pl

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES

Grades (if there are any) NO

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

National kennel organisation

Age of female/male when to get a license female 18 months / male 15 months

Necessary health test none

Dentition Scissor bite

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) Confirmation from vet who made AI

Mental Test (yes or no) NO

Recommended but not mandatory health tests NO

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding NO

Club The Slovak Ridgeback Breeder´s Club (SKCHR)

Country Slovakia

www www.skchr.sk

Contact email skchr@skchr.sk

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES

Grades (if there are any) Excelent from club/specialty show and excelent from national or international show (CAC show)

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license

Under club

18 months, but bitch can be used for breeding in age of 24 months, stud 18 months old

Necessary health test x-rays hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, spondylosis and ltv(lumbosacral transitional vertebra) is necessary for breeding licence, but for permission of certain mating genetic tests for JME, DM and D-locus are mandatory(in case one of dogs is carrier other has to be clear)

Dentition 2 missing teeth are allowed

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?)

First litter have to be from natural mating

Mental Test (yes or no) NO

Recommended but not mandatory health tests

OCD x-ray, EOAD test, heart and thyroid examination

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding none, only FCI recommendation

Club Rhodesian Ridgeback Club de España (currently status: Recognized; working to become Collaborator of the RSCE)

Country Spain

www www.rrce.es

Contact email rhodesianridgeback.club.espana@gmail.com

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES, but by Spanish Government not by the Kennel Club. This breeding licence lets you breed in a given place (for example your house or kennels) without this licence you can't breed. If you do you can receive a fine.

Grades (if there are any) Núcleo Zoológico de Cría

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license

Necessary health test

Breeding license by the Spanish Goverment. The National Kennel Club (RSCE) is who makes pedigrees and mating documents etc also who dictates the rules in breeding as ages, health,... The clubs can not make pedigrees. They can have more restrictive rules for breeding to their breeder members.

RSCE:

Male: >9 months <12 years

Female: >1 year <10 years

RRCE:

Male: >9 months <12 years

Female: >18 months <10 years (recommended >24 months < 8 years)

RSCE: No

RRCE: Mandatory: Hips and Elbows certificates. Blue diluted mating carrier x free.

Dentition NO

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?)

Mental Test (yes or no)

Recommended but not mandatory health tests

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding

RSCE: Veterinary certificate and DNA.

RSCE: NO

RSCE: No

RRCE: Haemophilia B, DM, JME

RSCE: No inbreeding

Club Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Slovenia

Country Slovenia www www.rodezijski-grebenar.si

Contact email info@rodezijski-grebenar.si

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES

Grades (if there are any) The condition for obtaining a breeding permit is a physical assessment (excellent, very good). Then, the dog is assigned a level from 1 to 2. Additionally, a dog or bitch can also receive a conditional permit, which comes with specific requirements for the first litter.

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license

Breeding license by the Cynological Association of Slovenia. (State Breeding Commission for FCI 6)

A breeding license can be issued to dogs and bitches from 15 months of age, provided they are in good mating condition, exhibit a normal “sex” drive, and for bitches, up to completing eight years of age.

Necessary health test NO (However, during the examination, the commission strictly evaluates height, teeth, and the dog’s willingness to undergo the examination. The height must not exceed the standard’s specified values.)

Dentition Scissor bite, Compelete set of teeth

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) According to the Breeding Rules of the FCI, it is recommended that the first litter be a result of natural mating. However, with the permission of the national canine organization, exceptions can be approved.

Mental Test (yes or no) NO

Recommended but not mandatory health tests HD, ED, OCD

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding In principle, inbreeding is not allowed. However, exceptions may be made for mating when there is a stud male and a btch in a relationship only in the third generation, or in cases where VK expressly allows this and provides justification for such permission.

Klub rodezijskih grebenarjev Slovenije

Club Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Schweiz

Country Switzerland

www www.rrcs.ch

Contact email info@rrcs.ch

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES

Grades (if there are any) approved for breeding for life approved for breeding with breeding control

Under the club in accordance to the rules of the national kennel Club

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license 18 months

Necessary health test x-ray (HD, ED, OCD.LTV), Tests (DM, JME,D-Lokus, Hämophilie B)

Dentition Complete scissor bite, except all p1 may be missing

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) According to the Breeding Rules of the FCI (first litter has to be a natural mating)

Mental Test (yes or no) YES (is a part of the breeding license)

Recommended but not mandatory health tests

Not yet. Is the responsibility of the breeders

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding First Degree matings are not permitted, For close related matings needs a written permission of the breeding commission

Club The Swedish Rhodesian Ridgeback Society (SRRS)

Country Sweden

www www.srrs.org

Contact email sekreterare@srrs.org

Breeding licence (yes or no) No breeding license*

Grades (if there are any) No breeding license

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

No breeding license

Age of female/male when to get a license No breeding license

Necessary health test In order to register a litter in the Swedish KC, both parents must have known status on hip joints (HD) and elbows (ED) before mating.

Dentition No requirements.

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) According to Swedish legislation, dogs that cannot reproduce naturally are prohibited from breeding. In the case of AI, the responsible veterinarian must certify that the male and female are not assessed to have reduced sex drive or inability to mate naturally.

Mental Test (yes or no) RECOMMENDED BUT NOT REQUIRED.

Recommended but not mandatory health tests

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding

For information

SRRS's general recommendation is to carry out genetic health tests when necessary, e.g. when an intended breeding combination based on available information about the breeding animals or their relatives may entail an increased risk of disease in the offspring.

For the SRRS' puppy referral the COI must not exceed 6,25 %, calculated on five generations pedigree.

In Sweden, the requirements set by the KC for registration of puppies with FCI pedigree are quite basic since they include all breeds (and the conditions within different breeds are very variable). Instead, each breed club works with breeding recommendations relevant to the specific breed, but these are not requirements for registering puppies. On the other hand, they may be a requirement for puppy referral.

Currently, SRRS imposes the following requirements on the breeding animals in order for the litter to be presented on the club’s puppy referral:

Both male and female must be at least 30 months old at the time of mating.

Breeding animals must be X-rayed grade A, B or equivalent on the hip joints (HD) before mating.

Breeding animals must be X-rayed grade 0 on the elbows (ED) before mating.

Before mating, the breeding animals must have received the quality award “Very good” or higher at an official dog show.

The litter’s inbreeding coefficient must not exceed 6.25 % calculated over five generations pedigree. These requirements are under review, and will be updated in the fall of 2023.

For traits with unknown inheritance, such as HD, ED and mentality, the relatives’ results should be taken into account to get a more reliable picture of what a breeding animal inherits to its offspring. Therefore, it’s recommended that *all* Swedish rhodesian ridgebacks, even those not intended for breeding, are X-rayed on hips and elbows and undergoes the Swedish Behavioral and Personality Assessment (BPH).

65 % of the Swedish rhodesian ridgebacks born 2015-2020 are X-rayed on hips and elbows.

50% of all Swedish rhodesian ridgebacks born 2015-2020, and over 80% of all Swedish breeding animals, have participated in the Swedish Behavioral and Personality Assessment (BPH).

Club Norwegian Rhodesian ridgeback club

Country Norway www www.rhodesianridgeback.no

Contact email rhodesian.ridgeback@klubb.nkk.no

Breeding licence (yes or no) NO

Grades (if there are any) If you want to advertise on the club's website, you must follow the club's requirements for puppy distribution.

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license

To get puppies registered in the Norwegian Kennel Club, you must follow the requirements for ethical dog breeding.

In the Norwegian Kennel Club, the minimum age is 18 months. The Norwegian Rhodesian Ridgeback Club recommends waiting until the dog is 30 months old.

Necessary health test AD/HD, not have Dermoid Sinus (DS) or be operated on for DS

Dentition Teeth are not a separate topic

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) The same rules apply here as for pairing

Mental Test (yes or no) NO

Recommended but not mandatory health tests mentally test

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding

The breeding must serve the purpose of preserving and preferably expanding the genetic variation in the breed. Matador breeding and strong inbreeding should be avoided. Pairings must not be made between siblings, father/daughter, mother/son or similarly close pairings. Half-sibling matings or matings with a similar degree of inbreeding should be avoided. The degree of inbreeding is calculated on the basis of a 5-generation pedigree; when using imports, the pedigree information available for 3-5 generations is used.

Club Deutsche Züchtergemeinschaft Rhodesian Ridgeback e.V. (DZRR e.V.)

Country Germany www www.dzrr.de

Contact email geschaeftsstelle@dzrr.de

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES

Grades (if there are any) NO

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license

Under the club

18 months, start of breeding 24 months bitches, 20 months males

Necessary health test DM JME Dilute HD ED OCD x-rays

Dentition Full, only 2 first premolars or one other tooth Insemination (when and what are the conditions?)

After the first litter, ask for permission of breeding commision

Mental Test (yes or no) YES

Recommended but not mandatory health tests IVA

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding It is not allowed to breed with 1 degree relatives and with brothers or sisters from the same parents, if different litters , breeding with half-siblings: ask for the permission of the breeding commision

Club Club E.L.S.A. e. V. Country Germany www www.rr-club-elsa.de

Contact email hill@rr-club-elsa.de

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES

Grades (if there are any) No grades

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license

Under the club

Both, female and male can get the license at the age of 20 months. However, breeding isn´t permitted before the 2nd year of life (female and male). Females and males must be mated for the first time naturally.

Necessary health test X-ray (HD/ED/OCD/LTV) JME

Dentition A complete scissor bite is aimed for, two missing P1 are tolerated. However, dogs with two missing P1s may only be bred to full dentition breeding partners. If a P2 or P3 is missing, the dog can possibly be approved for breeding for a litter with appropriate breeding guidance (mating with a male/female from lines that have full dentition), coordination with the breeding commission and offspring control. After the offspring control, the dog can be released for one or 2 more litters.

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?)

Insemination is possible in exceptional cases. It requires the approval from the Breeding Committee of Club ELSA.

Mental Test (yes or no) YES WITH GUNSHOT

Recommended but not mandatory health tests Blue Dilute / DM / EOAD / Ridge-Gen

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding according to VDH requirements

Club Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Deutschland e.V.

Country Germany

www www.rrcd.de

Contact email info@rrcd.de

Breeding licence (yes or no) YES

Grades (if there are any) Breeding classes (choose for breeding, championship breeding, performance breeding)

Under the club

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license

Licence can be done up from 18 months, however the licence can be archived up from 24 months for both female and male

Necessary health test X-ray (HD, ED, OCD-shoulder, lumbosacral transitional vertebrae)

Lab tests (DM, JME, haemophilia)

Dentition Scissor bite with all teeth.

The absence of a maximum of 2 first premolars is tolerated. Breeding permission can be granted for one litter if there are additional missing teeth (up to 2 premolars or M3), with a requirement for a follow-up examination before further breeding use. Partners of dogs missing more than 2 first premolars must, in any case, have a complete set of teeth.

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?)

Yes, when male and female got puppies before on a natural way and with prior RRCD management exception permission. Ther are additional restrictions related to frozen semen.

Mental Test (yes or no) YES

Recommended but not mandatory health tests

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding

Dilute, B-lucus

First degree mating’s (e.g. mother+ son, father + daughter, sister+ brother) are not permitted

Club Belgian Rhodesian Ridgeback Club (BRRC)

Country Belgium

www Ridgebackclub.be

Contact email bestuur@ridgebackclub.be

Breeding licence (yes or no) No license required but conditions for obtaining a pedigree

Grades (if there are any)

Is the management of the breeding license under the club or the national kennel club?

Age of female/male when to get a license

Basic breeing rules are set by the national kennel club. Additional rules laid down in the Ethical Code of the BRRC

24 months for female dogs

18 months for male dogs

Necessary health test HD A or B ED 0/0 x 0/1

Degenerative myelopathy

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy

Dentition No specific rules

Insemination (when and what are the conditions?) No conditions

Mental Test (yes or no) Dogs should be in good mental condition; no specific test Recommended but not mandatory health tests

Rules regarding line breeding or inbreeding

Haemophilia A-B Blue dilute

Combinations in the ascending or descending line and between brothers/sisters are forbidden. Breeding between nephews/nieces is allowed

The

information was provided by the clubs. In the editorial office, we did not modify the provided data.

by Barbara Turpin Of Course Rhodesian Ridgebacks

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR LITTER EVALUATIONS

Successful litter evaluations can make or break a breeder’s reputation. Even with eyes on the puppies for eight weeks or more, sometimes our bias can lull us into the wrong decision.

I’m the first to admit that I am a sucker for a beautiful face and an outgoing temperament. Sadly, those two qualities are not enough to carry a breeding program forward. So, how do we eliminate that bias and end up with the most promising puppy in the litter?

Follow these steps to help get the most out of your litter evaluations.

Do stacked shots every week, starting at four weeks. I start taking stacked shots this early for a number of reasons. I often have breeders who live far from me who are intersted in my best dogs and they are eager to see pups and watch them develop. Starting at four weeks gives them time on the grooming table or stacking apparatus, so they gain experience every week. It also gives a benchmark so that you can watch the pattern of development over the next four weeks. Ask yourself if the puppy gets stronger each week, weaker, or do they equally catch your eye from week to week? Another benefit of doing this is that it can make up for an off day. Sometimes, try as we might, we just don’t get the stacked shot we want. Taking weekly shots can help make up for that.

Evaluate every puppy in the litter. In order to get the most out of your breeding program, evaluate every puppy, regardless of cosmetic faults. This practice will help you to assess the overall quality of a particular pairing. Not all pairings produce what we hope for. Use the complete picture to make decisions going forward.

Take photos. Photos help to minimize bias. That cute face and silly antics that charm us so much can’t be seen, typically (there’s always that one puppy!), in a photo. But consider getting the most out of your photos by putting the images into a grid. It makes for a much easier comparison.

Get extra eyes on the puppies. It’s nice to have other breeders look at our pups to help us see what we may be missing. I’ve found it extremely helpful to get breeders of other breeds to help as well. We can have individual bias, but we can also have breed bias. Stepping outside of our regular

networks, that may only be looking for certain characteristics, can help to highlight puppies we may otherwise overlook. It also helps us to see a fault that we’ve become used to forgiving. Select critical evaluators. Some evaluators just give overall impressions--pretty colour, cute pose, that one seems sassy! Those well meaning critiques don’t really help the serious breeder, though they can be great fun to receive. Select people who give good descriptions of what they like or dislike. Those people are like gold. For example, I have a good friend who breeds world class Afghans. Admittedly, she is a topline snob. My toplines can sometimes be soft, so I look to her to help me correct that in my program. Ask people that you wouldn’t normally ask. Their contributions may surprise you.

Watch and learn. As much as possible, sit with the puppies with your camera in hand. Do you see a pup trotting across the yard? Get that photo or video. My Afghan friend has started using videos for stacking. Then she takes screen shots of the best stack. For my purposes, I find those images a little grainy, but they are good to have nonetheless. Have an evaluation party. At eight weeks, invite a handful of breeders over for that important evaluation time. Be sure to include at least one breeder not of our breed. Do your stacked shots and then look at them together on a computer screen. Have them watch movement and assess temperaments.

The final selection. If you are looking to keep a puppy for your breeding program, be sure to ask yourself, honestly, what traits will best complement and strengthen your current line. If two pups are relatively equal, select the one that best matches how you wish to progress.

Use free editors. I like to use a free editor called befunky.com. You may have other programs that you are already familiar with. Be sure that all photos are taken directly on side profile, with the pups on eye level. The more consistent your photos, the more accurate your evaluation.

TREATS

Whatever treat you like to use, consider storing it in the freezer. This helps to prevent spillage and helps the pup to hold that stack longer. I generally

try to have several to choose from in case pups get bored with one. An easy cheat is to take single portion yoghurts and canned cat food. Put them in the freezer as they are, and when you are ready to take photos, just peel off the tops.

RED FLAGS

Have you ever noticed when a puppy will habitually move a rear leg forward, regardless of how many times you place it in the correct position? This often happens with slipped hocks. In my opinion, this is the least understood fault in our breed and can be one of the most debilitating. The hock drives the dog, and if it is faulty, it ruins movement, makes a dog prone to chronic hock injuries, and can even lead to broken bones in the hock. These specimens are best placed as pets. Be sure puppies don’t have any injuries that could be causing them to favour a leg or other body part. We know that our breed plays hard, even as puppies. A muscle strain can cause an otherwise

nice puppy to look poorly built, when, in reality, it is lovely.

Consider how the pup hangs in your hands when lifting it. Once you develop a feel for how a stronglyconstructed pup feels in your hands, it gives that first clue that you may be holding your keeper. Poorly constructed dogs, typically, fidget and fight on lifting. Obviously, there can be many other factors that will cause this, but if it happens week after week, you may be dealing with a pet, as opposed to a show or breeding prospect.

A BLIND EYE

Several years ago I attended a litter evaluation being done by another Ridgeback breeder. For fun, I had them blindfold me and I did the entire evaluation blind. They included one puppy twice to see if my evaluations were accurate. We all had some good laughs and I learned a very valuable lesson. Remember how I mentioned injuries

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7 WEEKS

earlier? Well, there was one puppy in the litter that had quite a roachy topline. I was very puzzled by this, as I knew the pedigree well and there just weren’t dogs with this fault in the background. As examined this particular puppy (though, at the time I didn’t know it was him, of course), I ran my hands down the inside of his rear legs. Well, what do you know! The inside knee on one side was swollen. He had a soft tissue injury to his knee. “Is this the pup with the roachy topline,” I asked. Sure enough, it was the pup whose topline was off. As the knee healed, and the swelling went down, his topline leveled out.

CONCLUSION

Even the very best puppies in the litter may not always end up being the best, or most competitive, or pass health tests, etc. on maturity. Be prepared to place young adults that are not meeting your standards.

Study puppy pictures. Develop an eye for a puppy. Remember that balance matters and a puppy with no angles at eight weeks, will not have them as an adult.

Be sure to keep all puppy photos so that you can go back and compare once the dog has reached maturity.

I had a puppy a few years ago that looked amazing at eight weeks. Then he fell apart. He looked horrible for about two years. And just like that, once he matured, I saw that same, beautifully balanced puppy that captivated me at eight weeks. That dog has gone on to become one of my best producing studs.

The moral of the story is to trust your eye, once cultivated, and be patient. Forget about that 18 month old that looks like a cross between a Plott Hound and a Spider Monkey. If you have evaluated correctly, you will get that beautiful dog back. I promise.

DOG NAILS

IMPORTANCE OF PROPER CARE AND MAINTENANCE

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Maja Kljaic Neomele Kennel

In the wild, wolves and coyotes keep their nails short through digging and running after prey for hours while hunting. Nails or claws, serve a variety of functions for these animals as well for our dogs, including digging, traction, defense, climbing, and grooming. But our dogs are not wolves and coyotes and they do not live in a wild so it is us that have to help them to keep nails in good condition. There is really huge number of dogs with overgrown nails that can be seen on social media photographies and dogshows and this is something we should be concerned.

There are many functions of nails and our dogs really use them for the following actions on a daily basis. Here are some reasons why it is important to take nail- care:

Traction and Stability - Nails provide dogs with traction and help them maintain stability while walking, running, or navigating different surfaces. The nails dig into the ground, preventing slipping and providing a secure grip.

Digging - Dogs have an instinctual behavior of digging and their nails play a crucial role in this activity. By using their nails, dogs can loosen the soil, create holes or dig for various reasons like burying objects, creating a den, or searching for prey.

Defense and Protection - Nails serve as a defense mechanism. In self-defense or when feeling threatened, dogs may use their nails to swipe or scratch, aiming to deter or repel potential threats.

Grooming - Dogs use their nails for grooming purposes. They may scratch themselves to relieve an itch, remove debris from their fur, or clean hard-to-reach areas like their ears or face.

Marking Territory - Dogs have scent glands in their paws, and scratching the ground with their nails helps distribute their scent and mark their territory. This behavior is often observed in outdoor environments where dogs want to establish their presence.

Climbing - Some dogs, particularly those with more flexible or agile bodies, may use their nails to climb objects like trees or fences. Their claws provide them with grip and allow them to navigate vertical surfaces.

Even if it maybe seems not so important, proper care and maintenance of nails play a crucial role in the overall well-being and health of our loved dogs and it is important to work on it on the early puppy age, especially because Ridgebacks have really fast growing nails.

RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS START IN EARLY DAYS

Responsible breeders who prioritize the health and well-being of both the mother and the puppies will include proper nail care as part of their breeding practices.

They play a crucial role in the early socialization and care of puppies, including handling their paws and introducing them to nail trimming tools and procedures. This helps to desensitize the puppies to the process and make future nail trims less stressful. Early exposure to nail-care helps puppies become well-adjusted and confident adults.

Introducing puppies to nail trimming tools and procedures, as well as other grooming activities, during their critical socialization period can have several benefits:

Desensitization - exposing puppies to nail trimming tools and procedures at a young age helps them become accustomed to the sensations and sounds associated with grooming. This reduces the likelihood of them developing fear or anxiety related to nail trimming in the future.

Positive Association - Responsible breeders can use positive reinforcement techniques, treats, and rewards during nail trimming sessions. This creates a positive association with the process, making puppies more willing to cooperate during nail trims later in life. But, the first nail cut is approx. at the age of 10 days, and if the breeders continue to do it regularly, puppies will be used on it and no treats will be needed.

Safety - Regular nail trimming is important for a dog’s overall health and comfort. By introducing puppies to the process early, breeders contribute to the long-term well-being of the dogs they raise.

Good Habits - Puppies who are introduced to grooming procedures like nail trimming are more likely to accept these activities as a normal part of their routine. This sets the foundation for a lifetime of good grooming habits and easier maintenance for their future owners.

Bonding - Regular handling and grooming sessions provide opportunities for positive interactions between puppies and their breeders. This helps foster a strong bond and trust between the

puppies and humans, which can carry over into their relationships with future owners.

IMPORTANT JOB FOR BREEDERS AND HOMEWORK FOR NEW PUPPY OWNERS

It’s important to note that the socialization and training provided by breeders should be continued efforts from new puppy owners. Early experiences and positive associations set the stage, but ongoing maintenance and reinforcement are essential for ensuring the puppy’s comfort and cooperation with grooming procedures throughout their life.

Trimming is also necessary for the safety and well-being of both the mother and the puppies. Puppies have sharp claws that can accidentally scratch and injure the mother’s sensitive teats area while nursing. By keeping the puppies’ nails trimmed, the risk of such injuries is minimized, ensuring a more comfortable nursing experience for the mother and the puppies can achieve a more secure and effective latch during nursing, which is crucial for their nutrition and growth. If the mother is in discomfort due to scratches or injuries caused by sharp claws, she may become agitated or avoid nursing altogether.

We all know that puppies are also playful and energetic, and they can inadvertently scratch themselves or their littermates during play.

Trimming their nails can help prevent accidental scratches or cuts, reducing the chances of self-inflicted injuries especially in their rough play. Scratches and injuries caused by sharp nails can create openings in the skin, making both the mother and puppies more susceptible to infections. By preventing such injuries through regular nail trimming, the risk of infections is reduced. When it comes time that puppies go to their families (8-12 weeks) responsible breeders provide

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Left: proper alignment with short toenail. Right: angled alignment because of long toenail.

Long nails can hurt your dog. Long nails can deform the foot of your dog and injure the tendons over an extended period. As the long nail hits the ground, the pressure puts force on the foot and leg structure.

guidance and advice to new owners on how to care for their puppy’s claws and leave this task to the new owners.

Transition to a new environment is the ideal time for the new owners to start getting the puppy accustomed to nail trimming. It allows the puppy to settle into their new environment and build trust with their new family, making the grooming process easier. Soon or later the nails will come to the schedule, so it is important that new owners continue with what breeders have already started.

But unfortunately not every owner follows this and takes it seriously. Or they do not care, or are afraid and concerned to do it, and nails are growing and growing, the quick (the quick houses nerves and blood supply) in the nails is following and “kabooom” there comes a problem.

Once short nails that helped to maintain the dog’s comfort, mobility, and overall health, became overgrown and the dog is in problem because these too long nails can pose significant risks to a dog’s health.

One of the most common issues associated with long nails in dogs is the difficulty they experience while walking. Overgrown nails can alter the dog’s gait, leading to discomfort and pain. As the nails grow too long, dogs may shift their weight unnaturally to avoid putting pressure on the nails.

Posture and proper alignment are crucial for dogs to maintain balance and distribute their weight evenly. However, long nails can disrupt this balance, leading to postural issues that strain the dog’s muscles and joints. The risk of injury can be increased whenever the body must compensate. Over time, this can result in discomfort, musculoskeletal problems, and a decreased quality of life for our dogs.

It is like when we have something in our shoe. Normally, we do not continue to walk or walk nor-

mally because we feel the pain. Overgrown nails are just like that, and our dogs cannot get rid of it…They have to continue to walk with this “thing in the shoe” and trying to compensate the pain with changing the balance and we do not want that our dogs feel this discomfort, do we?

LONG NAILS CHANGE THE FOOT BIOMECHANICS.

More weight is distributed off the toe pads and onto larger central pad. During movement long nails reduce toe’s range of motion in flexion whilst the foot is in contact with the ground. At the point of impact, there is a loss of shock-absorption in the foot since the toes are forced into flexion due to rotational force caused by the overgrown nails. Angulation changes within foot place extra tension on the digital flexors running up the caudal or rear side of the leg. Adverse effects on joint angulation can continue up to the limb, reaching then shoulder and hip.

Once the range of motion in the limbs is restricted and there are force imbalances in muscles, ligaments and tendons, the body compensates through the axial or spinal region which can create a poor topline.

Splayed or sore feet are another consequence of neglecting nail care in dogs.

When nails are excessively long, they can force the dog’s toes to spread apart unnaturally, resulting in splayed feet. This condition can cause pain, strain the dog’s muscles and joints, and lead to balance problems and further mobility issues.

Moreover, overgrown nails can cause ingrown nails, a painful condition in which the nails curl and grow into the paw pads. This can lead to inflammation, infections, and further complications if not addressed promptly by a veterinarian.

Nails well Maintained

Proper posture occurs when is no presure from the nail pushing into the floor and back into the nail bed.

Nails too Long

Whole-body posture changes can occur due to the dog needing to shift weight backwards in a attempt to relieve nail pressure.

Accidental injuries are also more likely to occur in dogs with long nails.

Snagging, tearing, or fracturing a nail can cause pain and bleeding, requiring veterinary attention. Additionally, a dog’s nail getting caught on an object while running or playing can lead to sudden jolts and jerks, potentially causing injuries to their paws, legs, or other parts of the body.

To prevent these health issues, nail trimming is crucial.

INTRODUCING “MANICURE”

Regular attention to your dog’s nails ensures they can lead an active, comfortable, and happy life by your side especially because Rhodesian Ridgebacks have fast growing nails and if you leave nails to overgrow or you want to trim the nails every second year, your dog will be in huge stress because is not used to it.

Reward and praise your dog with treat after every nail you cut, kiss your dog and have a positive attitude! You want them to associate nail trimming as a loving experience! Use all the best tricks in the initial phase so your dog does not become a drama queen.

You can do this gradually introducing your dog to the clippers or the grinder and getting used to having their paws handled. Gently touch and handle their paws while providing treats and positive vibes.

Slowly introduce the sound of the clippers without actually using them and then gradually progress to clipping a small portion of the nail.

It is also good to trim the nails while they are tired and sleepy.

Start on the hind feet, because the nails tend to be a little shorter and less sensitive than the front leg nails. If your dog loses patience very quickly,

try cutting one nail a day. As long as you are consistent, the best schedule is to trim the nails every 16 days. (2 x month)

It is also good to be completely calm and confident in this procedure because Ridgebacks are experts in reading our body language and energy. If your Ridgie reads your inner panic or stress be sure that the dog will also become stressed. After a while and continuous work on getting your dog used to this, your dog will be accustomed and you will always be able to fix the nails without any stress and no need to visit the Vet and have a nightmare with fixing your dog’s nails. It is better to do this on your sofa.

Some RR owners started to introduce and trim the nails during the walks. Dog is focused on surroundings and it is easier to start the process. It is best that one person is giving a dog some treats and the other tries to cut the nails while dog is standing. Just as like when the horse gets horseshoe. One try, one treat….and start with the hind legs. This is maybe a good way to get your dog into the nail care process.

Understanding the anatomy of a dog’s nail is essential for proper nail care and trimming. It’s important to trim the nails carefully, avoiding cutting into the quick, which can cause pain and bleeding.

A DOG’S NAIL CONSISTS OF SEVERAL COMPONENTS

Nail Bed: The nail bed is the area beneath the nail that attaches it to the toe. It is rich in blood vessels and nerve endings. The nail bed is responsible for nourishing the nail as it grows.

Quick: Running in the centre of each claw is a section of nerves and blood vessels called the quick. The quick is the living part of the nail that extends into the nail itself. The quick is visible as a pinkish

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area within the light coloured nail. In dark coloured nails you will not be able to see the quick and should carefully trim each claw little by little, until you can see a black spot in the centre of the claw. If you go any further than this, you might cut into the quick.

When cutting your dog’s claws, the section containing the quick should be avoided as it will be painful for your dog and is likely to result in bleeding and drama.

Nail Matrix: The nail matrix is the tissue at the base of the nail where new nail cells are produced. It is responsible for nail growth and determines the shape and thickness of the nail.

Nail Plate: The nail plate is the hard, outer part of the nail that we see. It is composed of compacted layers of keratin, a tough protein. The nail plate provides protection to the sensitive tissues underneath.

Cuticle: Dogs have a small, thin layer of skin at the base of the nail called the cuticle or eponychium. It helps protect the nail matrix and keep out dirt and bacteria.

Claw or Talon: The claw or talon refers to the entire structure of the nail, including the nail plate and underlying tissues. It is the functional part that a dog uses for various activities such as walking, running, and gripping.

WHEN TO TRIM YOUR DOG’S NAILS?

If your dog is standing on a flat surface, their nails should not touch the ground. A good indicator that your dog’s nails may need a trim is if you can hear their nails clicking loudly as they move around on hard or tiled floor in your home.

Nails should be neither too long or too short. Having enough length to provide grip when toes are used for forceful acceleration yet do not tap the ground at the walk or trot.

Regular trimming will keep the quick short and it will not be extended.

Dogs whose nails have not been trimmed for a long time should be trimmed cautiously because long claws will also have a long quick. If you want to shorten the quick, you have to cut nails every week.

Once the insensitive nail is thinned out and isn’t supporting the quick, the quick will dry up and recede. This will allow you to cut your dog’s nails even shorter, but for that you will need months to fix.

Use only “scissor” type clippers. Guillotine style clippers crush the toe, and this could be painful. Never put the whole nail in a clipper.

When you trim your dog’s nails with clippers hold the clippers at a 45-degree angle.

crumbly sole of claw

sole of

Clip each nail carefully, so that you don’t accidentally cut into the quick, which is the live part of the nail.

NEVER PUT THE WHOLE NAIL INTO CLIPPER! CUT IT PIECE BY PIECE TILL YOU DO NOT GET CLOSE TO THE QUICK - LIVE PART OF THE NAIL!

Otherwise your dog will feel the pain and then it is probably The END...Finito! Good bye.....

Drama is ON forever probably if the dog starts to connect the pain with clippers!

And don’t forget about declaw!

Declaw sits higher on your dog’s front leg and also has a nail. This nail does not get worn down on pavement or walks like other nails but this nail usually curls over and needs to be trimmed also regularly.

The perfect cutting range ends right before the blood supply (the quick)

Front paws are more likely to get overgrown nails and should be cut more often than the rear paws! You should always cut parallel to the bottom.

WHAT IF YOU CUT TOO MUCH AND THE NAIL STARTS TO BLEEDING?

If your dog moved at the last second, you couldn’t see what you were doing for whatever the reason, there’s no need to panic if you cut the nail too

short and the nail started to bleed. Yes, it can be distressing to see your dog’s nail start bleeding, it’s important to know that this situation is not life-threatening.

Stay Calm! Do not make fuss or drama! It’s essential to remain calm to help both you and your dog stay relaxed. Dogs can sense your emotions, so staying composed will help prevent your dog from becoming anxious.

Simply press a pinch of styptic powder, corn starch or flour to the nail and apply pressure until it stops bleeding, and hope that your dog does not go into drama mode because any future attempt of “manicure” will be possible horror for your dog.

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You can also use also the antibiotic powder. Although the amount of blood lost can look dramatic, it is unlikely to cause a healthy dog any problems.

Dogs might instinctively try to lick the bleeding nail. While it’s not harmful, it can hinder clotting. You can distract your dog with treats or engage them in a calm activity to prevent licking.

Remember that accidents happen, and most dogs recover quickly from minor incidents like a bleeding nail. However, if you notice any signs of infection, prolonged bleeding, or if your dog seems to be in discomfort, it’s best to consult your veterinarian for professional guidance.

THE TOOLS

The choice between clippers and dremels depends on your dog’s comfort level, your own comfort and experience with the tools, and your dog’s individual nail characteristics. Some dogs might prefer one method over the other, and it’s important to introduce either tool gradually and positively to help your dog get accustomed to the process.

No matter if you choose clipping or grinding, both are equally efficient and safe ways to trim your dog’s nails. Clippers are cheaper and less noisy, while dremels are louder and more expensive but more precise and efficient.

This clipper is pretty silent and does not disturb our dogs, and it is easy to handle!

The blades are very sharp and cut smoothly and easily even the smallest parts of the nail..

Even with lots of use, the stainless-steel blades always hold up great, maintaining their sharpness for many years. Millers are comfortable to hold, quiet to use, and easy to maneuver around each nail thanks to the size and thinness of the blades.

These nail clippers also have a quick-guard safety feature and safety lock for safe storage.

Nail grinders are great for dogs that don’t love clippers as well as dogs with black nails since you can’t see the quick and there is less possibility to injure the quick.

WHAT TO DO IF IT YOUR DOG IS MASTER DRAMA QUEEN?

You did everything…. you gradually introduced trimming, you had plenty of patience, positive reinforcement, and gave your dog a whole bag of treats….and your dog still has a anxiety nightmares or shows even aggression?

Some dogs can develop negative associations or extreme reactions to certain procedures, including nail trimming, despite the best efforts of their owners.

If this is the case, do not force your dog to have their nails trimmed, but you should consider consulting your vet or behaviourist or start from the beginning step by step. They can assess the situation, identify potential underlying issues, and recommend appropriate strategies. A behaviorist can create a customized behavior modification plan to help desensitize and counter-condition the dog’s negative response. This might involve breaking down the process into small, manageable steps and gradually building positive associations.

If nail trimming remains a challenge, you might explore alternative methods such as using a scratching post, outdoor walks on abrasive surfaces, or using special nail files designed for dogs.

Changing a dog’s negative response to nail trimming takes time and consistent effort. It might involve months or even longer to make significant progress. It’s crucial to be patient and persistent while prioritizing your dog’s emotional well-being.

It may take months, even maybe a years to train your dog so the trimmimg becomes comfortable, but in the end, it will be worth it, because your dog needs it!

Listen to the click click click, it’s time to take control, Grab those clippers, let’s tend to their precious soul. With patience and with care, we’ll trim them nice and neat, And restore the harmony to their tiny paws and feet.

WRITTEN BY DVM ALEXANDRA VITER, KENGAROO KENNEL, DNIPRO, UKRAINE

ROCKET LULLABY Shattered Peace, Unbroken Spirits

Our lullabies are the sounds of sirens and rockets at night. On February 24th, we were awakened by the sounds of explosions; Russian missiles had bombed our city. How many beloved things do you have in your home? When you hear explosions, you hold onto the most valuable thing with both hands. I took my dogs, a carrier with a cat, and documents.

In the first three months of the war, I was engulfed in wild fear. I didn’t know where to run, I worried about my family and my dogs, I couldn’t sleep peacefully, and I didn’t know what would happen next. But my husband and I stayed in the city. We are

veterinarians, and we were needed here. We have our own veterinary clinic, and we take care of our staff. We couldn’t leave and abandon everything.

In the spring of 2022, few veterinary clinics and pet stores were open. We were one of them. People could chip their animals for travel, vaccinate them, buy food. We helped with document processing. The thought that I was needed at home calmed me down, although even during work, I was extremely nervous. My family, all of whom are doctors, also stayed in the city. We all made the decision to be more useful in our workplaces.

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

In March, I couldn’t find the usual dog food for my girls: Kayla, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, Ru and Vangari, Basenjis. I had to give them whatever was available, but it caused an allergy in Kayla, and she scratched herself badly. But there were no other options. There was also a shortage of food for people in stores. I remember my messenger constantly ringing. Every day, we talked to friends and Ridgeback owners. I am immensely grateful to the European aid group, RR, from Ukraine because they helped transfer money, buy food, find accommodation, and transportation for Ukrainians from RR who were left homeless. My Ridgeback breeders, Maja and Mirela, offered me to come to Croatia with my dogs for safety. Although I couldn’t leave my husband and go, the thought that I had somewhere to go and that I had loving friends calmed me down a lot. It gave me strength.

Before the war, my husband and I were planning to have children, open a second clinic, attend many dog shows. I brought a dog from the EU for breeding, which had just become a Baby Champion. I didn’t travel to shows in other countries because I was afraid to leave the country and come back while my loved ones might be dead. Now, I’m happy that my dogs are alive, healthy, and have strong nerves. They are not afraid of explosions, but they always wear collars with tags that have my contact information. Many dogs get lost during explosions. My hormonal system went crazy from stress, and the doctor prescribed antidepressants. Many Ukrainians have depression, even if they don’t realize it. They need help. Almost every family has experienced death or injuries. My family lived in the occupied city of Mariupol for 14 days. Their house burned down, but they brought a 14-year-old little dog with them, nothing else. One of my employees had her father killed by a shell on the front line. The military came to our clinic to inform us about it. I will never forget that day. On Facebook, I try to post more positive news, but displaced people come to the clinic every day. Pets with PTSD, many people start crying when they tell their stories. Every day, you’re strong, brave, in a good mood, and smiling, but then you can hear a song and burst into tears. We are strong for others.

Dogs are my haven of tranquility, daily walks, falling asleep together under a blanket, playing fetch, even amidst war and death. I plan to breed only after the war ends. A responsible and thoughtful breeder would not breed Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies knowing that during an explosion, every-

one could die, that during an air raid, you cannot save them all, that during the curfew at night, you cannot call a doctor. Right now, our goal is to preserve what we love.

Kayla carries birds and was raised as a gun-dog, but during the war, the hunting season is closed, shooting is prohibited, and it is terrifying to walk in the fields as they may be mined. Every Ukrainian is afraid of loud sounds, and I don’t know how long it will take. We try to choose safe places for her to continue training; currently, she retrieves pheasants and partridges without a gun.

I want to express my gratitude to all my friends from RR who write words of support and help us –it saves us. I hug everyone with love and gratitude.

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

SHARRON TAYLOR

AN INTERVIEW WITH A JUDGE

Greetings from Australia

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS.

I started with my first Rhodesian Ridgeback in 1980 which I exhibited successfully and soon after another arrived. Prior to this I exhibited Labradors which my mother bred. I have also owned a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Border Terrier which I exhibited both successfully. I am an All Breeds judge (BIS) and previously a qualified obedience instructor. I also spent 20 years working a veterinary nurse. I have bred champions not only here in Australia but also New Zealand, South Africa, USA and Japan.

WHEN DID YOUR LOVE OF DOGS BEGIN? PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PAST AND PRESENT DOGS.

I have always loved dogs. My parents tell me the first word I said was the then family dog’s name! I have had many successful dogs including Best In Show at both Breed Specialty, National Breed Specialty and All Breeds shows.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED?

I was introduced to the breed when a Veterinarian was attending to one of the horses I had at the time. This large, short coated, brown dog just wandered around the paddock with the horses

and quietly laid down and watched proceedings. What a dog! The search then began to find one of these dogs. The next weekend the same dog was shown at a local show with the veterinarian’s wife – and so the hunt for one of these dogs began in earnest.

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

I entered into the judges training scheme in 1992 and have had my All Breeds (BIS) Licence since 2010. I became a judge so I could learn more about other breeds of dogs and at the same time educate more judges about the Rhodesian Ridgeback. I have judged all over the world and every time I judge regardless of where, it is a highlight for me. I particularly love judging the baby puppies (3-6 months) and our veterans.

DID YOU EVER HAD A MENTOR? ARE YOU MENTORING NEW COMERS?

I did not have one mentor but had many and took from all what was important to me and I watched

and watched and read and read and researched and researched – something I find today is not done by many new comers. I hand wrote out pedigrees and memorised them along with those dogs’ virtues and faults. I read lots of material on dog structure (not breed specific) and matched what I read to photos and drew lines to faults that I could see in some photos generation after generation.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE TYPE?

I define type as the sum of the entire breed standard. It encompasses the breed characteristic, structure, temperament, movement and physical condition. Over the years I have seen Rhodesian Ridgebacks with more type than others and sadly at the moment I believe the Rhodesian Ridgeback type has more variance now than it has ever had in the past.

IS THERE SOMETHING WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN THE BREED?

I love the breed the way it is. The breed standard certainly could do with more description (the extended breed standard would be a good start!) I think every person who intends to breed should be made to sit exams covering skeletal, topography, husbandary and the breed standard just like trainee judges need to do as ultimately they hold the key to producing show quality dogs for the ring.

EVERY BREED HAS SOME COMMON PROBLEMS. WHICH IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM IN RR?

Besides our hereditary issues there are many structural issues with Rhodesian Ridgebacks ie lack of angulation front and rear, incorrect croups. I am seeing some introduction of “herring gutted” dogs – this is a serious fault as it restricts the heart and lung capacity, so affects form and function. Another issue is incorrect coats – coats that are too long and thick almost the same as a Labrador and these coats give the ridge a more prominent appearance which can fool judges so often into thinking these dogs have superior ridges where in fact their coat is incorrect and seems to me to be related to a lot of the skin issues we hear about in the breed.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT OF WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE A JUDGE OF THE BREED TO BE AWARE?

The correct type, stable temperament and correct colour – mahogany plays no part in this breed regardless of how “pretty” it may look.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE?

A judge I can follow when they are judging even if I do not agree with them so long as I can follow what they are doing I’m ok with that. A kind judge to the dogs as well. A judge that is kind to the exhibitors and gives everyone the same amount of judging time and looks interested in the job at hand.

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS MAKE A GOOD JUDGE IN YOUR OPINION?

Knowledge of our breed and breed standard and a pleasant demeanour with a kind and respectful attitude to the exhibitors and dogs. A judge that judges the virtues and does not judge only by a dogs faults.

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

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

I find the newer judges don’t seem to be educated in breed specifics (across all breeds). It would seem to me compared to 40 odd years ago we have moved towards the more generic show dog to be the winner not the dog that has the most correct breed characteristics and type and this is across the board in all breeds.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A JUDGE?

For me I have so many – so many great dogs have been shown to me and I am most grateful for this privilege. But one that does stand out to me is a dog I gave Best of Breed to at a 2000+ show in Europe who went through to win the group under another international judge and this dog then went on to Runner Up Best in Show under anoth-

er international judge. This was so very satisfying to me.

HAVE BREED STANDARDS CHANGED VERY MUCH SINCE YOU BEGAN YOUR JUDGING CAREER? DO

YOU

SEE ANY

IN RR OF TODAY COMPARED TO RR OF 10 YEARS AGO? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES YOU SEE?

DIFFERENCE

The breed standard hasn’t really changed that much in the last 40 years. I see today a more elegant functional hound overall. The heavy coarse almost mastiff types are rarely seen these days. I think temperaments are better now for the show ring – our dogs are more animated than they were 40 years ago.

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO RR TODAY?

The greatest threat I see is over breeding. The newer breeders who have no mentors, who do not educate themselves but are more about producing lots of puppies for the pet market. This will only do a disservice to the breed in the future.

There are less breeder enthusiasts at shows. There seems to be an increase in the “10 minute wonder” exhibitor and those that must win at all costs and have the big winning dog without doing the time to really learn about the breed and have the breeds interest at heart.

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?

EDUCATION! This can be done at a local level (breed clubs) with some success. Also breeders need to assess litters closely and really only have the very best enter the show ring and the litter box. Breeders need to be prepared to mentor and be honest in their opinions and new breeders need to take this on board and not be offended. After all we are all in this game for the same reason – the Rhodesian Ridgeback!

WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE PIECE

OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO ALL SERIOUS YOUNG BREEDERS?

Do your time. Don’t rush to breed. Learn about the breed, educate yourselves. Talk to breeders of other breeds to learn about structure and temperament. Watch the better breeders and how they go about breeding the better dogs. Talk to lots of different breeders not just one breeder. So many start with a male first then get a female and for some reason they seem to feel it is imperative they use that male for breeding. Sometimes this is just not the case and hard decisions should always be made. Research the dogs you are intending to breed from. Look at the parents and siblings and as many siblings behind them of grandparents etc. When you start to see the same fault then research the opposite sex and make sure the same fault does not appear in the other line. Sometimes this is hard which is where research is imperative and it is so much easier these days with the internet and Facebook. Beware the breeder that tells you a stud has not produced any issues!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING?

Thank you for allowing me to participate in this article. I wish you well in the future.

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

SNEŽANA KURALT

AN INTERVIEW WITH A JUDGE

Greetings from Slovenia

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS.

My name is Snežana Kuralt, and I hail from the picturesque country of Slovenia.

After completing my education, I embarked on a professional journey as a graphic designer and landscape architect. During my career in companies I held various responsibilities, including the esteemed roles of head of marketing, public relations, and project manager for the education department. These roles provided me with invaluable experience and allowed me to hone my skills and cultivating fruitful relationships.

However, as life often presents new opportunities and paths to explore, I made the decision to transition into the realm of freelancing and currently,

I work as a freelance graphic designer and brand developer, what allows me flexibility and creative freedom.

My deep passion for animals, especially dogs, has led me to into self-education in animal anatomy. This knowledge has proven to be invaluable in my endeavors as a Rhodesian Ridgeback judge. It allows me to keenly assess the physical attributes, construction, and movement of these majestic creatures, ensuring that the breed’s standard is upheld and celebrated.

Beyond my professional pursuits, I am a firm believer in giving back to the community. I actively engage in various initiatives aimed at promoting responsible dog ownership, canine welfare, and education with my desire to contribute positively to the canine community.

WHEN DID YOUR LOVE OF DOGS BEGIN? PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PAST AND PRESENT DOGS.

My love for dogs has been a part of me since childhood. Growing up, I was always surrounded by dogs and cats, which fostered my deep affection for animals.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of sharing my life with two Ridgebacks, Cubo (Multi CH RBIS, BISS(SI) Myöllnir Kyala and Cana (Dikeledi Ayaba), both of whom have unfortunately passed away. Currently, I am blessed to have a beautiful female named STARR (Multi CH, GR CH Just A Flirt Of Luanda) who unexpectedly came into my life. She has brought so much joy in our lives.

Due to my deep affection for Rhodesian Ridgebacks, I decided to actively engage with fellow enthusiasts of the breed. As one of the founding members of the Club of Rhodesian Ridgeback Slovenia, I played a pivotal role as the Vice President. This involvement allowed me to connect with like-minded individuals and contribute to the promotion and betterment of the breed within our community.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED?

My introduction to the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed was a true serendipity. It happened one day while I was strolling through a park, and there, I witnessed a magnificent Rhodesian Ridgeback gracefully striding alongside an older lady. In that moment, a spark ignited within me, and I felt an instant connection to this breed.

As I observed the Ridgeback’s regal appearance and confident demeanor, I couldn’t help but see a reflection of myself in this dog. Just like the Ridgeback, I too possess (smile) an outer charm, but there is also a spirited and feisty side to my personality. It was as if the dog’s presence resonated with me on a deeper level, and I knew right then and there that this was the breed I wanted to have by my side.

Driven by curiosity and a growing fascination, I delved into researching the Rhodesian Ridgebacks. I wanted to explore their characteristics and understand if they truly aligned with my own temperament and lifestyle. What I discovered during my research only further confirmed that this was indeed the right dog for me.

I recognized that owning a Rhodesian Ridgeback would be more than just having a pet. It would be a dynamic and fulfilling partnership, where the dog would bring out the best in me, pushing me to grow and evolve as an individual. This realization further cemented my decision to start this wonderful journey with Rhodesian Ridgebacks as my chosen breed.

SOME OF MEMORIES

“Pictures speak louder than a thousand words.”

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

As a Rhodesian Ridgeback dog judge, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to not only admire and evaluate these magnificent dogs but also to share my knowledge and passion with others who appreciate the breed’s exceptional qualities.

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

My journey as a judge began with a deep desire to immerse myself into the world of Rhodesian Ridgebacks and expand my knowledge about the breed. I saw becoming a judge as an opportunity to learn extensively about Ridgebacks, not just from a theoretical perspective but through hands-on experience. It was a way for me to get even more deeply into the breed and gain an understanding of its various lines and populations across the globe.

In January 2011, I obtained my judge’s license for Rhodesian Ridgebacks, along with licenses for other breeds such as Posavski Gonič (Posavatz Hound), Istarski Ostrodlaki Gonič (Istrian WireHaired Scent Hound), and Istarski Kratkodlaki Gonič (Istrian Short-Haired Scent Hound).

Over the years, I have had the honor and privilege of judging various prestigious events and shows. I have presided over specialty shows, club shows, as well as national and international shows in countries such as Slovenia, Slovakia, Denmark, the Czech Republic (multiple times), the Netherlands and Germany (multiple times), Switzerland, and more. Each opportunity to judge has provided me with valuable insights and a deeper understanding of the breed’s standard through variations within different regions.

One notable highlight in my judging career was receiving confirmation as an International Judge in 2015. This recognition further solidified my standing in the judging community and opened doors to expanding my judging activities. Currently, I am working on broadening my judging engagements to include the whole 6th FCI group, which encompasses a diverse range of breeds. While my judging career has been rewarding, it has also presented unique challenges, particularly in light of the global pandemic. Unfortunately, the eagerly anticipated EDS 2020 in Slovenia, where I was invited to judge, had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 situation. However, I remain optimistic and await the opportunity to participate in such esteemed events in the future.

My journey as a judge has been a fulfilling and enriching experience. It has allowed me to com-

“A picture is worth a thousand words”

bine my love for Ridgebacks with my passion for learning and growing within the realm of cynology. I am dedicated to continuously expanding my knowledge, refining my skills, and providing fair and insightful assessments to contribute positively to the breed and the wider dog show community.

DID YOU EVER HAVE A MENTOR? ARE YOU MENTORING NEW COMERS?

Yes, I have been fortunate to have a mentor who guided me during my journey as a judge. My mentor, who is an experienced all-rounder judge, provided me with invaluable insights and shared their wisdom on the nuances of judging. Guidance and advices have played a significant role in shaping my approach and understanding of the judging process. I am grateful for support and the lessons I have learned.

I firmly believe in staying true to myself and maintaining my individuality.

Many individuals have expressed their desire to influence my path, but at the core, I remain my own person, dedicated to honing my skills and evolving as a judge while staying authentic to my values and principles.

I also find inspiration and guidance from the dogs themselves. Each dog, whether my own or those I have the privilege of judging, teaches me valuable lessons. They offer unique perspectives on the breed, exhibiting their qualities, strengths, and areas for improvement. These dogs, in a way, become my mentors, imparting knowledge, and inspiring me to continuously learn and grow.

I am always available to help and support newcomers because I believe in the importance of mentoring and passing on knowledge to the next generation of judges. Whether it’s offering guidance, answering questions, or providing insights based on my experiences.

This passion has led me to pursue projects such as the magazine, where I can share valuable information, insights, and stories about Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Through these initiatives, I aim to contribute to the breed’s preservation, education, and overall growth of dog show community.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE TYPE?

When it comes to defining type, it can be a subjective and nuanced concept. For me, type encompasses the overall impression and feeling evoked when observing a dog. It includes various factors such as the head shape, body structure, neck, head, colour, bone structure, expression, soundness and even temperament. It is the combination of these small details that ultimately contribute to the type of a dog.

However, it is important to note that defining type can vary from person to person. Each individual, whether it’s an owner, breeder, or judge, may have their own interpretation and understanding of what constitutes type within a specific breed.

When I evaluate a dog, I initially take in the overall persona and presence before delving into the specific details that may differentiate them from the breed standard. This allows me to capture the essence and overall impression of the dog’s type before focusing on the finer points or faults.

IS THERE SOMETHING WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN THE BREED?

My focus lies in maintaining the breed’s unique qualities and protecting it from potential deviations caused by modern trends and personal preferences.

In recent times, there has been a growing concern within the dog show community about certain breed traits being taken to extremes.

This includes factors such as color, size, substance, and other physical attributes. While it is essential to adhere to breed standards and strive for excellence, it is equally important to strike a balance and avoid exaggerated interpretations that may compromise the breed’s overall health, functionality, and essence.

This requires a careful and responsible approach by breeders, owners, and judges alike. It is crucial to prioritize the health and well-being of the dogs over conforming to fleeting trends or personal desires.

This means promoting responsible breeding practices, prioritizing health screenings, and fostering a community that values the breed’s natural abilities and temperament. Moreover, education and awareness play pivotal roles in promoting a balanced understanding of the breed. It is crucial to provide accurate information about the breed’s history, purpose, and characteristics to both existing enthusiasts and newcomers. By sharing knowledge and promoting responsible ownership, we can collectively contribute to the preservation of the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed.

EVERY BREED HAS SOME COMMON PROBLEMS. WHICH IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM IN RR?

While I cannot speak specifically as a breeder of Rhodesian Ridgebacks (my first litter will be on its way in 2024), I can provide insights into some common challenges that many dog breeds face in general. It’s important to note that each breed may have its own set of unique concerns, and it’s always advisable to consult with experienced breeders and experts for accurate and specific information.

One significant issue that affects many breeds is the lack of consistency in breeding practices and standards across different countries and regions. This can result in variations in breed type, temperament, and overall quality. It can be disheartening to witness different rules and regulations governing the breeding of the same breed in various countries. These inconsistencies can lead to

confusion and challenges when striving for breed preservation and improvement.

Another concern that is commonly observed in dog breeding is the potential narrowing of the breeding pool. When breeders consistently use a limited number of individuals as breeding stock, it can lead to a decrease in genetic diversity within the breed. This narrowing of the gene pool may increase the risk of inherited health issues and reduce the overall resilience and vitality. Maintaining a diverse and healthy breeding population is crucial for the long-term well-being and sustainability of any breed.

As a responsible breeder-to-be, it is commendable that you recognize these challenges.

Remember, the pursuit of breeding healthy, well-tempered, and structurally sound dogs requires ongoing education, dedication, and collaboration with fellow breeders. It is through collective efforts that we can address common challenges and work together.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT OF WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE A JUDGE OF THE BREED TO BE AWARE?

There is one crucial point that I believe is essential for judges to be aware of: familiarize themselves with the breed standard before judging.

The breed standard serves as a guideline that outlines the ideal characteristics, construction, and temperament of the Rhodesian Ridgeback. It is a comprehensive document that provides valuable information for judges to assess the dogs accurately and fairly during competitions.

It is my sincerest wish that judges, even if they are not breed experts, take the time to thoroughly study and understand the breed standard before judging. By doing so, they can gain insights into the breed’s unique features, its purpose, and the qualities that define a true representative of the breed.

Having a solid knowledge of the breed standard enables judges to evaluate the dogs based on objective criteria, focusing on essential aspects such as overall balance, movement, ridge quality, and temperament. It ensures a fair and consistent judging process, allowing for the recognition and reward of dogs that closely conform to the breed standard.

Additionally, being well-versed in the breed standard helps judges avoid potential biases or misconceptions that may arise from personal preferences or subjective interpretations.

Ultimately, judges hold a significant responsibility in the world of dog shows, as their decisions can greatly influence the breeding.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE?

The qualities that I admire most in a judge revolve around their ability to see beyond the surface and truly understand the essence of each dog they evaluate.

While technical knowledge and adherence to the breed standard are important, there are certain qualities that set exceptional judges apart: Patience and Respect: I greatly admire judges who demonstrate patience and respect towards the dogs.

Dogs are living beings with their own unique personalities and qualities. A judge who takes the time to observe and appreciate the individual characteristics of each dog, allowing them to show their true selves, is highly commendable.

Perceptive Eye: A discerning and perceptive eye is a valuable quality in a judge. It involves the ability to recognize and evaluate the subtle nuances and qualities of each dog, going beyond the superficial aspects. A judge who can identify the breed-specific attributes, balance, movement, and overall quality of a dog demonstrates a keen understanding and appreciation for the breed.

Fairness and Consistency: Fairness and consistency are fundamental attributes that I greatly admire in judges. It is important for judges to apply the same standards and criteria to all dogs in a consistent manner, ensuring that each dog is assessed on an equal footing. This fosters confidence in the judging process and maintains the integrity of the competition.

Approachability and Openness: A judge who is approachable and open to engaging with exhibitors and enthusiasts is highly valued. Judges who are willing to share their knowledge, offer constructive feedback, and provide guidance contribute to the learning and growth of the community. Their willingness to interact and communicate fosters a positive and supportive environment.

Lifelong Learning: The best judges possess a thirst for knowledge and a commitment to continuous learning. They stay updated on the latest developments, trends, and research within the breed. Their dedication to ongoing education ensures that they are well-informed and equipped to make informed judgments based on the evolving standards and advancements in the breed.

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS MAKE A GOOD JUDGE IN YOUR OPINION?

In addition to the qualities mentioned earlier, one characteristic that I believe makes a good judge is the ability to focus on assessing the dog rather than being influenced by personal biases or external factors.

A good judge should possess objectivity and impartiality, evaluating each dog solely based on its merits and adherence to the breed standard. They should not be swayed by personal preferences, relationships, or external pressures. By maintaining a clear and unbiased perspective, judges ensure fairness and integrity in their assessments. Furthermore, a good judge should possess a deep understanding of the breed they are evaluating. This includes knowledge of the breed’s history, purpose, and specific traits. They should be able to recognize the essential characteristics that define the breed and evaluate how well each dog embodies those qualities.

A good judge also demonstrates the ability to provide constructive feedback and guidance. Exhibitors and breeders greatly appreciate judges who offer insightful comments, highlighting both the strengths and areas for improvement in the dogs they evaluate. This feedback helps exhibitors to further develop their breeding programs and improve the overall quality of the breed. Lastly, good judges exhibit professionalism and a strong sense of integrity. They conduct themselves in a respectful and courteous manner, treating exhibitors, handlers, and dogs with dignity. They follow established protocols and rules, ensuring a smooth and efficient judging process.

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

In comparing judges of today to those at the beginning of my career, there are a few differences that I have observed. However, it’s important to note that these observations may vary based on personal experiences and the specific dog show community in question.

One difference that stands out is the level of respect towards judges. In the past, there seemed to be a greater reverence for judges and their expertise. Exhibitors and participants held judges in high regard, recognizing their knowledge, experience, and the significance of their decisions. There was a sense of trust in their judgments and a willingness to learn from their feedback.

This could be due to a variety of factors, such as a larger number of shows and judges, increased accessibility to information through the internet, or a shift in attitudes within the dog show community. It is important to note that this observation may not be true across all regions or for every individual involved in the dog show world.

Another difference lies in the approach to judging itself. Today, there is often an emphasis on judges adhering strictly to the breed standard and evaluating dogs based on specific criteria outlined in the standard. This focus on conformity to the

standard may result in a more standardized approach to judging and potentially less flexibility for individual interpretation.

Furthermore, advancements in technology and communication have impacted the dog show community. Social media platforms, online forums, and digital publications have made information more accessible and facilitated broader discussions among exhibitors, breeders, and enthusiasts. This increased exchange of information and opinions can shape perspectives and influence the overall dynamics within the dog show community.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A JUDGE?

Every show I attend holds a special place in my heart, as I prepare myself thoroughly for each one. However, one particular moment stands out as a happy and memorable experience for me.

One of my most memorable experiences as a judge was at the ČKRR Club Show of Rhodesian Ridgebacks in the Czech Republic on June 18, 2022. I had the honour of judging a non-official class of mini babies, and it was an incredibly heart-warming and joyful experience. Seeing the adorable puppies and witnessing their owners’ enthusiasm and dedication was truly special.

I remember the ring being filled with around 20 or so mini babies, each displaying their own charm and personality. It was a delightful sight to see these little ones showcasing their sweetness and bravery in the show ring. Despite their young age, they demonstrated remarkable composure and spirit, which was a testament to the breed’s character.

What made this experience particularly memorable was the sense of camaraderie and support among the owners. Many of them were handling their puppies for the first time and their excitement and pride were evident. It was inspiring to witness their enthusiasm and the strong bond they had with their puppies.

Throughout the judging process, I aimed to create a positive and encouraging atmosphere, offering guidance and constructive feedback to both the puppies and their owners. It was rewarding to see the smiles on their faces as they proudly showcased their mini babies.

This experience reminded me of the joy and beauty of working with dogs and the deep connections we form with them. It reinforced my passion for judging and the importance of nurturing the next generation of dogs and their handlers.

HOW HAS THE DOG SCENE CHANGED OVER THE LAST DECADES?

Over the past few decades, I have observed some changes in the dog scene. After a decade of solely focusing on judging and not participating in dog shows as a handler, I have recently returned to the

ring. This has been an interesting experience for me, especially since I am relatively new to handling dogs myself. In the past, my husband handled our previous dogs, and he has always done a better job than me. However, I wanted to explore the world of handling and gain first-hand experience.

During my return to the show ring, I have noticed something that I hope I can express honestly. It appears that some judges may lack a comprehensive understanding of specific breeds or fail to look beyond the superficial appearance of the dogs. It is crucial for judges to possess deep knowledge of the breed standards and to recognize the unique qualities that go beyond the dog’s outward appearance. While I acknowledge that I may have made mistakes as a judge in the past, I hope that any errors were minor and served as valuable learning experiences for me.

HAVE BREED STANDARDS

CHANGED VERY MUCH SINCE YOU BEGAN YOUR JUDGING CAREER? DO YOU SEE ANY DIFFERENCE IN RR OF TODAY COMPARED TO RR OF 10 YEARS AGO? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES YOU SEE?

Since the beginning of my judging career, I haven’t seen significant changes in the breed standards. In my opinion, it is essential to preserve the essence of the breed and maintain its core char-

acteristics. While some minor modifications may be made to address specific health issues, it is crucial to avoid altering the fundamental nature of the breed.

When comparing Rhodesian Ridgebacks of today to those of 10 years ago, I do notice some differences, albeit not drastic ones. These differences may be influenced by individual breeding practices and trends within the breed. However, it is important to note that the overall essence and purpose of the breed remained relatively consistent.

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO RR TODAY?

The greatest threat to Rhodesian Ridgebacks today is the lack of responsible breeding practices and the proliferation of unethical breeders. Irresponsible breeding can lead to a variety of health issues, temperament problems, and the deterioration of the breed’s overall quality. This includes breeding for exaggerated physical traits, which can compromise the dog’s health and well-being. Additionally, the popularity of the breed can attract individuals who prioritize profit over the welfare of the dogs. Backyard breeders and puppy mills may prioritize quantity over quality, leading to puppies with poor genetics and inadequate socialization.

It is crucial for prospective owners to thoroughly research and choose reputable breeders who prioritize the health, temperament, and preservation of the breed. Responsible breeders conduct health screenings, adhere to breed standards, and prioritize the overall well-being of their dogs.

Education plays a vital role in addressing this threat. By promoting awareness about responsible breeding practices, encouraging potential owners to adopt from reputable sources, and advocating for ethical treatment of dogs, we can work together to safeguard the future of Rhodesian Ridgebacks and mitigate the risks posed by irresponsible breeding practices.

IT’S

TAKE CHARGE. HOW CAN THE ESSENCE - OR TRUE BREED TYPE - BE MAINTAINED?

Maintaining the essence or true breed type requires a collaborative effort from breeders, judges, and enthusiasts. Here are some key steps that can help in preserving the essence of a breed: Breed Standard: Breeders and judges should have a thorough understanding of the official

breed standard. The standard serves as a blueprint for the ideal characteristics, construction, and temperament of the breed.

Selective Breeding: Breeders should carefully select breeding pairs that exemplify the desired breed traits and characteristics. This involves conducting health screenings, evaluating temperament, and considering the overall conformation of the dogs. Breeding decisions should be made with the goal of improving the breed, rather than focusing solely on superficial traits.

Mentorship and Education: Experienced breeders should mentor and educate new generations of breeders, sharing their knowledge and expertise. This helps to ensure that breeders understand the historical significance of the breed and the importance of preserving its essence.

Open Communication and Collaboration: Breeders, judges, and enthusiasts should engage in open-minded discussions and exchange information about the breed. It is essential to have honest conversations about the strengths and weaknesses of individual dogs and the breed.

Breed-Specific Education: Educating the wider community about the breed’s characteristics, history, and responsible ownership is crucial. This

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

INEVITABLE THAT BREEDS WILL EVOLVE AND CHANGE SOMEWHAT AS NEW GENERATIONS OF BREEDERS

includes educating potential owners about the breed’s specific needs, temperament, and potential health issues. By promoting responsible ownership, we can help ensure that the breed is appreciated and cared for properly.

By embracing these practices, the essence and true breed type can be maintained, allowing future generations to enjoy and benefit from the unique qualities that make the breed special.

WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO ALL SERIOUS YOUNG BREEDERS?

The most important piece of advice I would give to all serious young breeders is to approach breeding with thoughtfulness and thoroughness. It is crucial to take the time to research and learn about the breed, its history, and its specific health concerns. Before making any breeding decisions, carefully evaluate the health, temperament, and conformation of the potential breeding dogs. Be willing to acknowledge and address any health issues that arise within your breeding program and be transparent about these challenges with others in the community.

Additionally, it is important to foster an open and supportive environment within the breeder community. Avoid judgment and instead encourage open discussions about health issues and challenges faced in breeding. By sharing knowledge and experiences, we can collectively work towards the betterment of the breed.

Remember, breeding is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly. Take the time to understand the breed, engage in ongoing learning, and prioritize the overall health and well-being of the dogs. By approaching breeding with care and transparency, young breeders can make a positive impact on the breed and contribute to its long-term preservation.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING?

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported me throughout my journey of learning and growth. To those who have provided guidance, opportunities to judge, and

valuable insights, thank you for helping me expand my knowledge and skills. I am truly grateful for your contributions to my development as a judge and as an individual.

I would also like to acknowledge those who have presented me with challenges along the way. While these experiences may have been difficult at times, they have ultimately made me stronger and more resilient. Through these challenges, I have learned important lessons and gained a deeper understanding of myself and the breed.

Lastly, I want to extend my appreciation to the entire dog community, including fellow breeders, exhibitors, and enthusiasts. Your passion and dedication to our beloved dogs have inspired me and continue to motivate me to strive for excellence. Together, we can work towards the betterment of the breed and ensure its preservation for future generations.

I would like to extend a special thank you to my beloved dogs, Cubo (Myollnir Kyala), Cana (Dikeledi Ayaba), and STARR (Just a Flirt of Luanda). These wonderful companions have been by my side throughout my journey, offering their unwavering love, support, and understanding. Their presence has been a constant reminder of the beauty and joy that these magnificent creatures bring into our lives.

I would also like to express my gratitude to my husband, who has been a constant source of encouragement and support. His dedication to our dogs and his unwavering belief in my abilities have been instrumental in my journey as a judge and breeder. I am fortunate to have him as my partner, sharing in this passion for Rhodesian Ridgebacks and supporting each other in our endeavors.

I would like to thank all the photographers; I hope I managed to name them all:

Edward Veldkamp, Ivan Tavčar, Zuzana Likierova, Klára Olivová, Gregor Kuralt, Maja Kljaja, Melanie Nowak, Brigitte Erni.

MY DOGS - PAST

C.I.B HR CG BH A SLO CH / SLO JCH HR BIH / SLO RBISS / RBIS

Myöllnir Kyala

Sire: Multi. Ch Jockular Jamal Aquamarin

Dam: Ch Laini Kyala

Breeder: Andrej Dister, Kyala Kennel

MY DOGS - PAST

Dikeledi Ayaba

Sire: Musanga Sanga Mukana

Dam: Zindhzi Ayaba

Breeder: Ayaba Kennel

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

MY DOGS - FUTURE

CH

Sire: Multi. Ch. Kangelani’s Sadiki By Red

Dam: C.I.B., Multi. Ch. Henessey Sunrise By Luanda

Breeder: Luanda Kennel, Milada Krchňavá

*pending, Candidate: Italy

Name Snežana Kuralt

KAHAWIA DESIRRE BREEDER

Photo Simone Luca

My name is Elena Marini, and I live in a beautiful rural area near Pesaro, a city on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. I live with my husband Gabriele and my daughter Anna, and I breed under the affix KAHAWIA DESIRRE.

Since my childhood, I have always known that animals, particularly dogs, would play a significant role in my life. Like many little girls around the world, my dream was to become a veterinarian. Years later, I achieved my goal and became a Veterinary Doctor. It was during my veterinarian internship that my passion for Rhodesian Ridgebacks truly began.

I believe that many of you would agree with me when I say that the personality of our breed is the main aspect that touches our souls. I always say that when you encounter a Rhodesian Ridgeback, it first captivates your eyes with its beauty and elegance, then it deeply touches your heart with the profound connection between two souls. However, amid it all, you may find yourself taken aback, like a balloon popping all of a sudden, by their unstoppable runs.

For all these reasons, about 12 years ago, I embarked on a search for the perfect puppy and the perfect breeder. My quest came to an end when I encountered a sweet, tail-wagging puppy from Luanda kennel. After a long journey to Milada Krchnava’s house, I finally met my beloved Sunny (Escape to Heart by Luanda). It is thanks to her that my story began.

C.I.B. Multi Gr. Ch. Multi Ch. Jr ItCh. ESCAPE TO HEART BY LUANDA aka

She is not only my very first RR but also my best friend, my greatest challenge, the matriarch, the leader of my pack, my “one in a million.” She possesses unmatched strength, unwavering loyalty, and an unquestionable intellectual independence. It is an absolute honor to share my life with her. Sunny has achieved success not only in her show career but also as a loving mother of three litters. I will

SUNNY

C.I.B. Multi Gr. Ch. Multi Ch. Jr ItCh. ESCAPE TO HEART BY LUANDA aka SUNNY

C.I.B. Multi Gr. Ch. Multi Ch. Jr ItCh. ESCAPE TO HEART BY LUANDA aka SUNNY

J.IT CH. ZAWATI DURDAANA FOR MOKA aka MOKA

remain forever grateful to Milada and Kathleen. The name of my kennel, KAHAWIA DESIRRE, holds a special meaning. It translates to “Amber Desire” in the Swahili language, inspired by her deep amber eyes.

You know, RR are like cherries, you can’t just have one, so after one year we welcomed Shout now known as BISS Ch, C.I.B. Multi Gr. Ch.,Multi Ch. Multi Jr. Ch. SHUJAA RAFIKI AZHA ATREJUS from Francesca Gotovina Kennel. He is a well-balanced boy, both inside and outside, with the sweetest character. He has sired 6 beautiful litters and I am incredibly grateful that he gave us our Moka and Bash.

J.IT CH. ZAWATI DURDAANA FOR MOKA aka MOKA was born from my very first litter, from the pairing of Shout and Sunny. Unfortunately, I never bred her, but she is a remarkable nose working dog. She is highly active and excels in mantrailing and coursing trials.

BISS Ch. Multi Ch. Jr.It Ch. BLACK FOREST BASH is my dream boy, born from the second litter of Shout and Sunny. He embodies everything I look for in a male Ridgeback: a beautiful forechest, well-angled shoulders, a masculine head, and a strong topline. He has sired two litters and is now retired from dog shows and breeding. He is currently embracing new challenges in mantrailing and obedience, along with his co-owner Claudia.

From Sunny’s last litter in 2020, known as the Crystal Soul Litter, I had the intention of selecting one perfect girl to carry on the lineage. However, in the end, I made the decision to keep two girls, and I have never regretted that choice.

Slo CH. Multi Jr.Ch. KAHAWIA

DESIRRE GARNETTE SOUL aka RUBI (Fauzi Kijani Uzuri Ridge x Escape To Heart By Luanda) is the brightest girl of the pack. She truly embodies Sunny’s legacy, both in terms of character and physicality. With a beautiful head and exceptional movement. At this moment I have a beautiful litter of 9 from her and

BISS Ch. Multi Ch. Jr.It Ch. BLACK FOREST BASH

BISS Ch, C.I.B. Multi Gr. Ch.,Multi Ch. Multi Jr. Ch. SHUJAA RAFIKI AZHA ATREJUS aka SHOUT

BISS CH, C.I.B. MULTI CH, MULTI JCH KAHAWIA DESIRRE SKYSTONE SOUL

stunning Aslan (WW’22,C.I.B., MCh, RCC Crufts BISS JCh. Oluwa-Seyi Aslan du Domaine d’Adéane), I can’t wait to see how these little puppies will grow!

The other girl from the Crystal Soul litter is BISS C.I.B. Multi Ch. Multi Jr. Ch. KAHAWIA DESIRRE SKYSTONE SOUL. She is a charming girl that has made me proud on numerous occasions, winning so many titles and awards from a young age, often under the judgement of renowned breed specialists. The icing on the cake for sure was winning at CRUFTS ’23. It felt like a fairytale when we entered a huge open class for female, competing against selected bitches from all over the world. I could never have imagined to achieve such high results, winning the first prize and the coveted red rosette.

Last entry of the pack is a sweet and hyperactive Czech girl PEPPER POTTS SLUNCE ZAMBEZI from the Slunce Zambezi kennel. She is bursting with energy and has an expressive head. We look forward to showcasing her in the main ring soon.

My breeding philosophy revolves around ethical and responsible practices, focusing on quality rather than quantity. All members of my pack live inside my house and actively participate in our daily family life. As a scientifically minded person, I maintain a strong curiosity for new genetic tests and am meticulous when selecting new bloodlines. In terms of what I aim to achieve and improve upon, I place significant importance on a head with round eyes and proper proportions. Preserving the forechest and promoting sound movement are also key objectives, as I believe that at times, the movement seen in the show ring can appear somewhat artificial. I always look upon the work of breeders from North and East Europe with humility and admiration, as they seem to possess a multitude of subjects exhibiting these desirable qualities.

It is thanks to one of them that I found an interesting way to breed puppies called PuppyCul-

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

PEPPER POTTS SLUNCE ZAMBEZI

ture, developed by a bull terrier breeder from the United States. The program aims to assist both puppies and breeders in their development by providing appropriate protocols and skills to navigate different stages of the puppies’ growth. With appropriate protocols and skills to raise more self-confident puppies that are ready for the “big world”, from the prenatal period, to crate training, clicker training and other skills. At the moment I am breeding a litter (DEORUM LITTER) and can assure you that you can witness the magic of the Puppy Culture program in action.

The journey ahead is long, and I am only at the beginning, but I firmly believe that with cooperation, trust and love for our Rhodesian Ridgeback, we can ensure the health and beauty of our breed. As breeders we hold the future of the breed in our hands, and I am proud to be part of this wonderful world.

In the words of an inspiring quote, “If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you’ll get the best”.

Name Elena Marini

Country Italy

PAERDECROON BREEDER

We are Henk and Edith Salm, owners of Rhodesian Ridgeback kennel Paerdecroon and we live in the little town Esbeek, near a forest, in the South of The Netherlands for over thirty years now. Thirty years ago, our focus was on equestrian sports (dressage) and horse breeding and in Esbeek a dream came true to be able to stable, train and pasture the horses at home. Now we still have 1 horse aged 23 and fanatical horse riding has been out of the question for a long time.

Before 2003, we have always had several older rehomed dogs looking for a new home. The Rhodesian Ridgeback had caught our eye much earlier, but at the time we were not familiar enough with this breed to take the risk of going for a rehomed dog. In 2003 when the renovation of our house in Esbeek was behind us, the opportunity presented itself to buy a Rhodesian Ridgeback bitch puppy from kennel fan ûnder de Mûne owned by Winie Meijer in Stiens. This bitch puppy was Ferra’s Chuma Mexx fan ûnder de Mûne, call name Mexx. To keep up to date with the breed, we also became members of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Netherlands (RRCN).

When Mexx came into our family in 2003, there were absolutely no show or breeding ambitions, but this started rolling seriously when Mexx positively stood out on the offspring day in 2005 as a more than excellent breed representative. Henk was encouraged to take Mexx to ring training, participate in shows and think about ‘’breeding a litter’’. We were still fanatical dressage riders at that time and showing a dog did not really fit into that picture then. Nevertheless, Henk decided to take the advice of a ring training and after the necessary exercises, we entered some shows. Mexx indeed turned out to be liked by many judges and in no time she won a lot of shows. It took another two years of preparation and getting used to the idea of breeding a litter. And so, in 2007, Mexx became the foundation dam of our kennel. In retrospect, it is a

pity Mexx only entered the show world at a later age otherwise she could have won a lot more.

The kennel name “Paerdecroon” was formally registered by the Dutch Kennel Club on 8 June 2007. Many people wonder where this name comes from or what Paerdecroon means. The Dutch words for horses and crown are paarden and kroon. Horses (paarden) is obviously a reference to our horse life and crown (kroon) is a reference to the crowns in the ridge. We wrote these two words slightly different and put them together and so arose our kennel name Paerdecroon.

Our very first litter with Mexx was born on 6 May 2007 so still without the addition of the kennel name. This was followed by 14 more

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

litters until 13 May 2023. A total of 15 litters in 16 years with 8 of our females in combinations with 11 different males mainly from abroad. Diversity is paramount. From 2003, we have had 21 Rhodesian Ridgebacks from puppyhood, socialised and entered them in shows. Of these 21, 13 were born in the Paerdecroon whelping box and 8 we were able to welcome home from home and abroad at 8 weeks; 6 of these 8 are offspring of one of our own (breeding) males and 2 have ‘’foreign blood’’. 4 times we kept 2 Ridgeback puppies at the same time and 1 time a Ridgeback and Beagle puppy at the same time, which was a real challenge.

With Mexx, we were lucky to start our kennel with a more than outstanding Rhodesian Ridgeback bitch. Mexx’s show successes caught our eye as newcomers and already put our kennel on the map in the Ridgeback world. Despite the late start, Mexx became Dutch and International Champion. Our name was definitively established with the successes of Paerdecroon Baron Borg, born in our second litter. Borg was very sound as a puppy and always has been. Borg had already won 2 CACs and one reserve CAC at his first three Dutch shows, was already Dutch Junior Champion at 12 months and at 14 months he became Junior

World Winner and BOS at the WDS in Herning in 2010. Another highlight was achieved in 2013 at Crufts. Borg won best male and BOS there. Borg also became Belgian, Luxembourg and International Champion, VDH Frühjahrssieger and VDH Rheinlandsieger. Unfortunately, Borg died just 5,5 years old. A tumour in his throat that could not be removed meant that we had to say goodbye to Borg, who meant so much for our kennel, far too soon.

His daughter Aminiafu’s Hishima Henorr (Henorr) then took over from her father achieving many show successes. She is Dutch Youth Champion, Rheinland Jugend Siegerin, Dutch, German, Luxembourg and International Champion, Holland Cup Winner and VDH Bundessiegerin. Henorr won the RRCN Club match in 2014 and 2017 and the Belgian Club match in 2015. Other successes from our kennel include: Mumoja; is Belgian Youth Winster, Paerdecroon Flower Fleur de Lis; Dutch Youth Champion and Dutch Champion, Paerdecroon Henorr’s Hilfiger; Dutch Youth Champion, VDH Europa Jugend Sieger, Junior Benelux Winner, Dutch Champion and best male RRCN Club match 2021. Paerdecroon Duchess Gaby; Dutch Youth Champion, Kimani’s Mojo fan ûnder de Mûne; Dutch Youth Champion, VDH Europa Jugend Sieger, DZRR Jugend Club Show Sieger, Paerdecroon Kindness Krizia; Dutch Champion, Holland Cup Winner, RRCN Club winner 2021, Belgian Winner And of the Ridgebacks we bred but do not own: Paerdecroon Double Duchess; Dutch Youth Champion and Dutch Champion, Paerdecroon Legenday Looxs; Dutch, Croatian and Bosnia and Herzegovina Champion and Winner of Winners 2022 and finally Paerde-

croon Olympic on Top; Junior Split Winner and Croatian Youth Champion.

From our Olympic Litter we kept a male Paerdecroon Olympic Onyx and a female Paerdecroon Olympic Olyve. Both just started their show career. On their first CACIB show Olympic Olyve became at the age of 9 months Best of Breed and second best junior in the group. On 3th September 2023 she became Best of Breed at the RRCN Championship Club match at the age of 13 months (124 entries). Four times out of the last nine RRCN championship club matches we have participated in, one of our ridgebacks has become best of breed.

With this win, one of our ridgebacks has become best of breed four times out of the last nine RRCN championship club matches we have participated in. It seems that Olyve is following in the footsteps of our previous ridgebacks. With Olyve becoming Best of Breed, one of our ridgebacks has become Best of Breed four times out of the last nine RRCN Championship Club matches we have participated in.

In all those years, we have participated in many domestic and foreign shows, followed various cynological trainings, and in the meantime the time flies. We are 6 generations Paerdecroon and 20 Rhodesian Ridgebacks many champions and titles further, all our bred dogs have very fine characters and Henk has been a judge Ridgeback breed specialist for 9 years now and last year we won the Winner of Winners kennel competition for the Rhodesian Ridgeback from the Dutch Kennel Club.

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

We have literally and figuratively invested a lot to be where we are now. Only now to start thinking about winding down given that we are heading towards retirement. For the future, there is still 1 puppy in planning to stay with us. This one will be sired by Paerdecroon Baron Borg, because fortunately we still have frozen sperm of Borg. With that in mind, we bought the bitch Livernose Rules Laurent-Perrier (Maan) three years ago. She will be Borg’s future partner.

Currently, we are in the rich possession of 11 Rhodesian Ridgebacks (3 males/8 females, all intact) ranging in age from 11+ years and the youngest offspring Paerdecroon Pride Prada is from 13 May this year. Proud to report that from 1 line we now have 4 generations (great-grandmother, grandmother (and grand uncle), mother, child) at home. We can say that we live with the 11 Ridgebacks and have to settle for a kitchen chair and piece of sofa. We can confirm the statement that a Rhodesian Ridgeback has no boss but staff, off course to a certain extent. A very occasional holiday is in the cards when a dog housekeeper can be arranged at home; so, we try to create as much holiday feeling as possible in the small daily routines.

In all these years, we have rehomed 3 (1 female/2 males) of our own adult Rhodesian Ridgebacks; not because of incidents but simply because it was better for them as individuals and by chance their new owners came their and our way. The rehomed female was totally unhappy with puppies and she was also spared motherhood.

Throughout the years we have been loyal visitors/participants of the RRCN breeders’ meetings, offspring and/or young dog days, club shows and also attended regularly the coursings and workshops. We also attend lectures organised by the Dutch Kennel Club on various topics such as breeding, inheritance, genetics, raising and socialising puppies, hereditary diseases, etc. and other refresher

courses. Henk takes the refresher course for exterior judges twice a year. This refresher course is required by the Dutch Kennel Club and covers everything that has to do with cynology. In our opinion, keeping cynology knowledge up to date and learning new insights is compulsory for anyone seriously involved in dog breeding.

Every breed association does have the goal of improving the breed. Ultimately, this is easier said than done. Of course, a breeder aims to get improvements on his lines. We believe that having and keeping quality is already quite an achievement and improving is quite a big task. Through the influences of the males we have used for our breeding, we also see that the appearance of our current Ridgebacks is slightly different from Mexx, whom we started with. However, we have never compromised on type, construction and movement. Combinations were and are not made by just looking at bloodlines, but also at the type of Ridgebacks in the lines.

The siblings of the dog and bitch are also important, after all, you are breeding with the genes of the entire litter. Finally, health and character also have to be alright and then it is clear that finding a

suitable male is quite a puzzle. Fortunately, our years of experience with horses and breeding have helped us a lot in making certain choices. We have never regretted that, despite the fact that the high expectations we sometimes had beforehand have not always come true.

Of all the puppies we have bred, about 90% are fine family dogs. Besides the ones we keep ourselves, just a few new owners entered for shows, so that is the 10%. For us, owners really don’t need to go to a show. Ultimately, a dog is bought to be a nice family member and to have fun with and everyone does that in their own way. We are just as happy to receive a photo of the dog sleeping on the couch with the children as a photo that the dog is placed first at a show.

For the near future, we still have a number of young females with whom we are definitely planning litters. However, not before they are three years old. Our experience is that a bitch is really mature at three years, not just physically but also mentally. We kept a bitch (Prada) from our last litter. In all probability, Prada will be our last bitch.

We look back with pride at what we have achieved since 2003 with a little to no cynological knowledge at that time, and we hope to continue this for several more years with the Ridgebacks we now own. Although as time goes by, our pack will decrease in number, but as long as it goes a Ridgeback will be part of our family.

We wish everyone good luck in pursuing their breeding goals and who knows, maybe we will see you in or out of the ring.

Name Henk & Edith Salm

Country The Netherlands

Affix Paerdecroon

www www.paerdecroon.nl

Henk & Edith Salm and the Paerdecroon RR pack.

OF LIL TOFFEE

How it all started.

As far back as I can remember, I have always been attracted to the Rhodesian Ridgeback. I spent my childhood reading and researching information about the breed, studying bloodlines and great breeders in every way I could. When I reached adulthood, this passion and the overwhelming desire to be able to share my life with one of them one day had not diminished.

So I started looking for a companion. Above all, I was looking for a dog that had been retired from a kennel so that I could give it a second life. As fate would have it, I ended up with a sweet, delicate young lady imported from Russia whose French breeder no longer wanted her. She was just a year old, very introverted, worried about the outside world and everything in it, but she immediately trusted me and we started our new lives together. I had no idea at the time how she would change my world forever.

Elfie (Ele Tori Elfu Fora) came into my life in 2017. Together, we discovered and learned about the world of shows, how they work and their subtleties. Step by step, we climbed the ladder to reach the French Holy Grail in 2019 by winning the BOB at the Club Dog Show in Chatel-Guyon. That was the day Elfie won her very first title, and not the least, the difficult title of French Champion.

In the meantime, a female I loved very much, Ikwindla Swan du Domaine d’Adéane, was mated to the 2017 world champion Got the Soul by Luanda (Cubi) and I decided that a puppy from this marriage would be added to my family.

That’s how Aslan (Oluwa-Seyi Aslan du Domaine d’Adeane) joined the family in 2018. A bubbly, happy and tender little fellow who will prove to be an incredible life companion and above all a super competitor with whom I will continue to learn. In 2020, on the strength of their good results and inter-

“Distrustful, sincere, stubborn, sometimes shy and at the same time a bomb of emotions. I met Chloé 2 years ago and I found a person full of qualities, a young breeder with whom it is possible to discuss about RRs and it is possible to do so even when you have different ideas. Full of enthusiasm, she always seeks the best for her breeding program and puppies. Nowadays, when our breed is very fashionable and in a dog environment that is not always easy, luckily there are breeders like her who give hope of continuity to our beloved ridgies.

Keep it up my friend, I wish you the results you desire as breeder and continue to achieve the great results you have already reached so far in the rings all over Europe. You deserve a future as bright as you are as a person. A big and strong hug. Gian“

Gianmaria Castorina

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

esting pedigrees, flawless characters and the real desire to offer families the chance, just like me, to share their lives with extraordinary Rhodesians, I decided to embark on a breeding project with my two companions. The name Of Lil’ Toffee, as a well-deserved tribute to Elfie, my caramel sweetheart, would soon see the light of day.

In December 2020, the first 9 puppies of Lil’ Toffee were born. My priority is to be a responsible and ethical breeder. As a result, I always look for the best for my puppies and their future owners. I put in place numerous techniques and projects to socialise my puppies. I’m convinced that ethical and responsible breeding is based on four pillars: selection (genetic, physical aptitudes and temperament), awakening the puppies, socialising them and supporting the families throughout the life of my babies. The puppies don’t leave home for 10 weeks. Before they leave, they will have had several adventures to give them the best possible start in life: car journeys, meeting lots of other dogs, swimming, visits to new places, proprioception exercises. They will also learn the basics of everyday life such as walking on a lead, basic commands and housebreaking. With my adults, I never forget what characterises the Rhodesian Ridgeback physically and mentally. I choose the activities according to the aptitudes of each individual, while at the same time meeting the needs for which they were originally created. So we do blood search, of course, but also truffle hunting (See RR EU Magazine N° 12), mantrailing, utility hunting, lure coursing and many other sporting activities that meet the needs of my dogs and allow them to have a fulfilling life.

Breeding must also meet these criteria because the breed’s physical and behavioural standard was based on and created around these elements. As a breeder, I have a duty to try as far as possible to meet the breed’s original characteristics.

A Rhodesian Ridgeback must be able to track for hours on end without losing sight of his objective. So, he needs to be physically and mentally equipped to do just that. I don’t claim to master everything, far from it, that’s up to Mother Nature, but I try to think about my matings to meet these requirements. Character and work-oriented conformation are my priorities. Personally, I find that nowadays a lot of the dogs shown at shows are just show dogs (all breeds included) and I really hope that the Rhodesian Ridgeback doesn’t fall into this trap. A step dog is a show dog, but he can’t trot for miles... it’s a question of simple locomotion. Just as we can’t ask a piaffe-trained horse to compete with endurance horses!

Having said that, I’m convinced that dog shows are interesting and necessary for selecting beautiful animals that comply with the breed standard. They are part of a whole, along with selection and work and should therefore not be neglected. It will be impossible to track and hunt for hours without good feet, excellent shoulders and

“Chloé is a talented and loving breeder with an extremely contagious passion for dogs. I am incredibly lucky that she put her trust in me to handle her beautiful and gentle dogs. I feel very fortunate to work with such loving person. I am proud to have been by her side from the start and to see her grow every day.“

Kim Bussière

rear angulations that are not excessive but well-made. All this must be supported by a supple, strong back and a deep, well-developed ribcage. These criteria and many others are essential to creating the athlete we all know.

On my very first litter of 2020, I decided to keep a little boy called Rackham (Rangi Ya Maisha Rackham Of lil’ Toffee) and to widen my field of possibilities by going out more to shows in France and abroad. The years 2021 and 2022 with him were just extraordinary. Rackham won his first Young World Champion title in Brno in 2021 at just 9 months old, and then went on to win the Young European Champion title in Budapest that same year. In 2022, Rackham again won the title of young European champion in Paris. To date, his record in European and World championships remains unrivalled.

At the same time, his father Aslan continued to mature nicely and at the age of 4, after the covid break, obtained his first titles and his first successes abroad. Aslan concluded 2022 in the best possible way by winning the RCC at Crufts and then the BOB at Madrid, while his son Rackham also won the intermediate class on the same day. In 2023 Aslan did it again! BOB at the Club Dog Show.

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

“Chloé is truly the most passionate breeder I’ve ever meet. She lives and breath for her dogs, in fact, they are not dogs, they are truly family. Every single puppy that she’s breeding is kind of her grand children, and if you’re lucky enough to adopt one of them, you’re entering the family too, the of lil’ Toffee family ! But luck is not enough to enter the family: you have to prove you’re worthy, you have to be motivated and show Chloe that you will give her puppy the life he deserve. Then you can count on her to be here for both of you every step of the way.

I myself found myself lucky enough to have been trusted by Chloe with a puppy this year, and I can say for what I experienced that having a good breeder makes the difference and gives you a huge head start in your new life with the pup! Because a good breeder will not only choose the parents for their physics, but also and mostly for their temperament. A good breeder will not only care for the pups and bring them love, he will also prep them for their future life (by socialisons and showing them tones of different strange stuffs). And finally, a good breeder will not let you choose a puppy like you’re choosing a watermelon at the grocery store: he will guide you to the pup that will be the best fit to you and your life. And all of this, is what’s makes Chloe an amazing breeder.“

Morgane Villaret

Today I remain true to my convictions, and even if it’s not easy every day, I keep moving forward, surrounding myself only with passionate and caring people. People who love the Rhodesian Ridgeback for the extraordinary dog that it is, before the successes in beauty contests.

I scarcely propose my boys for reproduction as I consider over-breeding to be a real danger for our breed. Over-use of both males and females will lead to an impoverishment of the gene pool, which in time (and more quickly than you might think) will bring its share of problems.

What I appreciate most of all is that when people have met my dogs in everyday life or at dog shows, they have been convinced by their abilities, their physique, and their mentality!

I hope to continue for many years to come to produce puppies who are at ease with themselves and who, while meeting their original needs, will make their families happy.

I owe a great deal to all the people who have been there from the start, who have accompanied, helped, and encouraged

“Chloé has a heart of gold, she is a passionate individual who gives her all for her dogs and her breeding. She does an incredible job, and her puppies reciprocate it well. I would be eternally grateful to him for this incredible Kaly.“

Anaïs Billard

me, and without whom none of this would have been possible. A special thought for my partner and my wonderful families, especially Anaïs and my wonderful Kaly, Amélie and the beautiful Rackham as well as Sabrina and my little Yuma, the future of the Of Lil Toffee family. Finally, a big thank you to Kim, our wonderful handler. But the most heartfelt thanks go to Elfie and Aslan, without whom this adventure would never have seen the light of day.

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

Name Chloé Bouyges

Country France

Affix Of Lil’ Toffee

www www.ofliltoffee.chiens-de-france.com

“Passionate about Rhodesian Ridgebacks, on the path to becoming an great breeder and a promising future judge.“

Corinne Le Bourhis

Written by RRCN

Photos by Edward Veldkamp and Leonie Huitema

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACKS IN NETHERLANDS

MEET THE RHODESIAN RIDGEBACKS IN THE NETHERLANDS

HISTORY

The first Rhodesian Ridgeback in The Netherlands came to our country in 1946, his name was Pegasus. In 1947 two other half-brother and -sister Ridgebacks arrived in The Netherlands. In 1949 they were the first pair Rhodesian Ridgebacks to have a litter in The Netherlands.

In 1970 the first Dutch Rhodesian Ridgeback kennel was founded: the ‘Vir die Simba Safari’ kennel of Mrs. Ans Trésoor-Homan.

In 1977-1978 Mr. Remon Mersmann wanted to start a Dutch Rhodesian Ridgeback Club. And together with mrs. Trésoor, Mrs. Broere and Mrs. Timmermans he started the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Nederland in September 1979. The common goal was to unite the people who were enthusiastic about the breed. More defined plans came while processing and starting the club. In September 2024 the Dutch Ridgeback Club will exist for 45 years.

During those 45 years the number of breeders and members has grown enormously. Currently the club has 75 members of breeders and the number of members now is about 1100.

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK CLUB NEDERLAND

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a very popular breed in the Netherlands. In recent years you see them more and more, and a lot of people want to breed them. About 30% of the puppies born in the Netherlands are bred by breeders who are a member of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Nederland (RRCN). This means that 70% of the puppies are bred by breeders who don’t follow our breeding rules. As a club we are concerned about this. Usually those breeders will do the health exams, but they use stud dogs too many times, which is a risk for the genetic diversity of the breed. During COVID-19 the demand for puppies was much higher than breeders

within the club breed. Some breeders (not members of RRCN) started breeding and selling puppies without carefully considering a combination and being selective for buyers of their puppies. As a result we notice a significant rise of Ridgebacks with behavior issues and who need to find a new home.

As a club we have a Verenigings Fokreglement, our breeding rules. These rules are stricter than the rules of the Dutch kennel club. All members of breeders of our club have to follow these rules. These rules concern the health, the welfare and the show results of the dog. The rules also determine the place where the puppies grow up and the age they can move to their new homes.

One of the priorities of our club is to inspect every litter that has been born within our club. After the puppies have received their pedigree number and chip from our national kennel club, two inspectors, members of the RRCN, visit the breeder when the puppies are between 6 and 7 weeks old.

Every inspection will be according to a protocol. The following parts will be checked:

• bite

ears

eyes

tail (kinks or no kinks)

DS

Color of the nose

Ridge and crowns

Umbilical hernia

Dew claws

• (Excessive) white marks

• And anything else that occurs

In addition to the individual pups, the mother and conditions where the litter is raised are also checked by the inspectors. The breeder and the club receive a report of every puppy and the litter. The new owners receive a report of their puppy.

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

We started these inspections about 20 to 25 years ago. In the beginning some breeders did not like visits and checks from other breeders. But for many years now most breeders see the importance of these inspections. And new breeders, who may not recognize a DS or other things really appreciate the club’s inspection. For some breeders this is the most important reason to be a member of the club. We have an online database which goes back to 2005 and breeders with access to this database can find any information we have collected from previous inspections.

EVENTS

Every year we organize several events. The two most important events are the Championship Club Match in September and the event for the Young Dogs in spring.

YOUNG DOGS EVENT

The event for the Young Dogs is open for young Ridgebacks between one and two years old. They also need to have a pedigree. Dogs without a ridge, multi crown, kinked tail and other flaws are also welcome.

The club started with this event to follow the development of the breed in the Netherlands. We always invite breed specialists to assess the dogs. Most owners and Ridgebacks who participate have no experience with showing at all, so it’s not always an easy task to assess these dogs.

Until 2019 all descendants of one litter were simultaneously in the ring to assess. This made it possible to assess all dogs of that litter who were present that day. Sometimes even the parents of

the litter were present in the ring. But we received a lot of comments because the dogs had to be in the ring for a really long time. This was very difficult for dogs and owners who did not have showing experience. We noticed the day became less popular and we had to try something new. Since 2022 individual dogs are in the ring. We also organize workshops to get acquainted with activities you can do with your Ridgeback. We organize fun things and lectures which people can attend. The organization of this event is a lot of work, but it’s really nice to see all young Ridgebacks, also young Ridgebacks which will not attend the regular dog shows. This gives us more insight into the development of our breed. We would love to see more breeders attending, so they can use the gathered information to make the right decisions in their breeding program.

CHAMPIONSHIP CLUB MATCH

In September we organize our yearly Championship Club Match. Weather permitting it is an outdoor show. During the last few years 120-140 Ridgebacks attended our club match. In comparison with other shows we have a huge attendance. Both, best female and best male get a double CAC. With so many competitors it is important to invite breed specialists or judges who have a lot of experience in assessing the breed. We take care to invite these specialists. We try to offer nice prizes for the winners and make it a nice day for everyone. Most of the times, dogs who we never see at the big international shows are present. It’s nice to see those dogs. We make sure there is enough time for each dog to get a careful assessment and a written assessment report.

RRCN COURSING

One of the most popular events we organize is the RRCN coursing for Ridgebacks. We organize them 4 to 6 times a year. As RRCN we rent a racetrack and we have a day full of racing Ridgebacks. For the crew it’s a weekend of hard working every time, but it is always nice to see how much fun the dogs and owners have during a coursing day.

MEETINGS FOR OUR BREEDERS

We try to organize two meetings a year for our breeders: we invite speakers who can educate the breeders about relevant subjects. We have had lectures about gene diversity in our breed, mean kinship, the dermoid sinus and other things. As Board we think it is important for breeders to keep their knowledge up to date, but sadly only a small percentage of the breeders attends these meetings and lectures.

WORKSHOPS

Every year we try to offer different workshops for our members. Last year we organized workshops man-trailing, scent detection, cani-cross. We also try to offer lectures regarding all the things Ridgeback owners can come across during their life with a Ridgeback.

CLUB MAGAZINE

Four times a year we publish our club magazine. The volunteers who produce this magazine go to great lengths to make it a beautiful magazine with lots of information and various stories. They try to make a magazine with a nice combination of information about our breed, dogs’ behavior, interesting stories, input from our members and beautiful pictures. For most of our members the magazine is the main reason for membership. They just enjoy their Ridgeback and love to read about the breed. In the magazine we

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

also publish important information for the members of our club, like the summary of our annual meeting. Also the health results regarding hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia are published.

RRIN

We have RRIN, that is our committee which matches Ridgebacks and people when a Ridgeback needs to be rehomed. As mentioned earlier, we noticed a significant rise of Ridgebacks who need to be rehomed and a lot of them need to be rehomed because of behavior issues. This worries us very much.

VOLUNTEERS

Although we are a big club with 1100 members it is getting harder to find volunteers for the board, the committees and to help at our events.

“HALL OF FAME”

2006:

BOB: Ntwela’s Bep

Father: Thokoza to Sambo

Mother: Thokoza Stay All Day

Breeder: M. Vet

Owner: M. Vet en J. Hellebrekers-Huizenga

BOS: Shangani Pansa Dafina

Father: Umvutcha Matobo of Shangani

Mother: Sarula Chikadzi

Breeder: W. Blumberg

Owner: C. en W. Blumberg

2007:

BOB: Ngai Zamu Of Ginba’s Hero

Father: Thokoza Azibo

Mother: Demba

Breeder: H. Edens

Owner: K. Mateboer

BOS: Kastor’s Home Fiona

Father: Kastor’s Home Caleb

Mother: Mangwe Khoi

Breeder:: G. Verschoren

Owner: G. Verschoren

2008:

BOB: Vizara Mbiti Machiti

Father: Shangani Pansa-Dafina

Mother: Vizara Glenara

Breeder:: L. Trappel

Owner: E.F. Menke

BOS: Ngai Zamu Of Ginba’s Hero

Father: Thokoza Azibo

Mother: Demba

Breeder: H. Edens

Owner: K. Mateboer

2009:

BOB: Malozi Jazua

Father: Kinyemi For a C’Huluku

Mother: Malozi Fahamika

Breeder: T. Miettinen

Owner: S. Saastamoinen en T. Miettinen

BOS: Indra van Aemburen

Father: Ikimba Waitimu

Mother: Emke Kieke van Aemburen

Breeder: J. Sijtsma

Owner: M. Zouaghi

2010:

BOB: Vizara Luangwa Ijaba

Father: Ye Japha Ben Shemen

Mother: Vizara Glenara

Breeder: R. Trappel en M.van der Veer

Owner: M. Harm

BOS: Ngikhona A’che Ajani

Father: Lionhunt Fana Simba

Mother: Chenzira Azana von der Burg Widukind

Breeder: G. Fuchs

Owner: B. Verfuss-Schäfer

2011:

BOB: Ashaggy Re E’ilama

Father: Tusani Ani Jim Beam

Mother: Amalie Azira Boranest

Breeder: A. Jezkova

Owner: S. Vitulova

BOS: Hashima Akimba Grand Aquarius

Father: De Leeuwenjagt Kilimanjaro

Mother: Heshima Akimba Chakanyuka

Breeder: A. van Wyk

Eigenaar: T. Volkova

2012:

BOB: Yaw Adyuba Amaziah Montsho Phenyo

Father: Vizara Jukati

Mother: Tara v.d. Noorderheide

Breeder: M. Baasaron

Eigenaar: M. Baasaron

BOS: Jockular Esquire Jamal

Father: Villagedogs Hottopic

Mother: Luna van het Maasjesfles

Breeder: C. Coppens-Janssens

Eigenaar: C. Coppens-Janssens

2013:

BOB: Villagedogs Ka Makana

Father: Villagedogs Hot Topic

Mother: Pupukearidge Kela Kai O Villagedogs

Breeder: D. McGoldrick

Eigenaar: D. McGoldrick

BOS: Kani Akilah Aketi Azuma

Father: Hasani of Ka-Ul-li’s Ridges

Mother: Kuona Fahari Gimbya Gasir Vai

Breeder: E. Kappert-Jonker

Eigenaar: E. Kappert-Jonker

2014:

BOB: Aminiafu’s Hishima Henorr

Father: Paerdecroon Baron Borg

Mother: Kangelani’s Gentle Gaby by Clay

Breeder: A. Gabrielsen

Eigenaar: H.P. Salm

BOS: Hazinas 6th Funanyo Barongo By U

Father: Glenaffric Ulanyo of Zuritamu

Mother: Hazina’s 4th Tafika

Breeder: L. Carlsson

Owner: Mevr. Mach

2015:

BOB: Ringerike Baya Beyonce

Father: Villagedogs Ka Makana

Mother: Ringerike African Rainbow

Breeder: E. Dusbaba

Owner: E. Dusbaba

BOS: Ringerike Mia Mikeno

Father: Villagedogs Ka Makana

Mother: Ringerike African Rainbow

Breeder: E. Dusbaba

Owner: E. Dusbaba

“HALL OF FAME”

2016:

BOB: Macumazahn Qwandoyas Top Gun

Father: Shakuru Do U C what I C

Mother: Macumazahn First Edition

Breeder: P. Edgar

Owner: Mevr. Pankova

BOS: Podarok iz Afriki Tura of Faira

Father: Faira Arif Kamilifu

Mother: Podarok iz Afriki Irika Yumoki

Breeder: E.V. Vasilchikova|

Owner: Mevr. Syalmova

2017:

BOB: Aminiafu’s Hishima Henorr

Father: Paerdecroon Baron Borg

Mother: Kangelani’s Gentle Gaby by Clay

Breeder: A. Gabrielsen

Owner: H.P. Salm

BOS: Casa Nova Cura Pollux Ayoola

Father: Moyo Kidachi Akono-Amar

Mother: Madzinza Chokoza Chaniya

Breeder: F.C. Gravendeel-Baars

Owner: F.C. Gravendeel-Baars

2018:

BOB: Ave Ceasar Driving me Onwards

Father: Villagedogs Hottopic

Mother: Saimon’s Praide Ectasy of Felicity

Breeder: E. Kovalchuk

Owner: M. van den Biesen

BOS: Rawridge Indigenous Warrin

Father: Jelany Red Djimbo Farey

Mother: Huntingridge Heart of Gold

Breeder: H. Boonstra

Owner: E. Brinkman

2019:

BOB: Ringerike Beyond Time

Father: Ringerike Dutch Boy Ikaika

Mother: Ringerike Contiki Candy

Breeder: E. Dusbaba-ten Haaf

Owner: E. Dusbaba-ten Haaf

BOS: Maanhaar Primo-Creatus Hazel

Father: Saimon’s Praide Erast Melody Of My Soul

Mother: Maanhaar Primo-Creatus Bokari Nthanda Bolaneil

Breeder: H. Dymytrova-Kaihila

Owner: C. van de Haar-Spijker

2020:

BOB: Ave Caesar Driving me Onwards

Father: Villagedogs Hottopic

Mother: Saimon’s Praide Ectasy of Felicity

Breeder: E. Kovalchuk

Owner: M. van den Biesen

BOS: Villagedogs Mystic Joe Black

Father: Kangelani’s Gentle Thanzi By Clay

Mother: Ukukhanya Midsummernight’s Dream

Breeder: D. McGoldrick

Owner: C. Barendregt

2021:

BOB: Paerdecroon Kindness Krizia

Father: Skalbjornens Goliat Lejonhjarta

Mother: Paerdecroon Grand Duchess Gaby

Breeder: Edith Salm

Owner: Edith Salm

BOS: Paerdecroon Henorr’s Hilfiger

Father: Mohaget’s Mister Masai

Mother: Aminiafu’s Hishima Henorr

Breeder: Henk Salm

Owner: Henk Salm

2022:

BOB: Zuritamu Malonyo Of Ulanyo

Father: Hazina’s 6th Funayo Barongo by U

Mother: Zuritamu Izuri

Breeder: Rolf Sprengler en Kirsten Eckhoff

Owner: Jana Mach

BOS: Chadi Of The Lion Teasers

Father: Makanyi El-fayium

Mother: Shakira

Breeder:: Maureen Schoutsen

Owner: Maureen Schoutsen

2023:

BOB: Paerdecroon Olympic Olyve

Father: Paerdecroon Henorr’s Hilfiger

Mother: Livernose Rules Laurent Perrier

Owner: H.P. Salm

Breeder: H.P. Salm

BOS: Motsi van de Palsenborghoeve

Father: Got the Soul by Luanda

Mother: Kwini van het Maasjesfles

Owner: Kirsten Beckers

Breeder: Clementine Langelaar

Facebook Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Nederland

WRITTEN BY MIEKE BENOIST AND MARIJE LUITEN

DETECTION RHODESIAN RIDGEBACKS AT WORK

Dogs live in a scent world. They have a fantastic nose with which they like to discover the world by sniffing. Where we as humans are primarily focused on our sight, dogs are strongly focused on their nose. You probably all know moments when your dog sniffs extensively at a clump of grass or a tree. This place tells a whole story about the dog that passed by there before. With a nose as the most important sense, this is of course very interesting for your dog.

With scent detection you can meet the natural need of the dog to sniff. All types of dogs can do scent detection, it depends on motivation, character, physical capabilities and level what can be asked and expected of them.

Scent detection starts with choosing a scent you want your dog to search for. This can be anything; cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, weed, coffee, etc. First the dog must learn that smelling the chosen scent will bring him a reward. One way to teach this is by using a clicker (first you teach your dog that everytime he hears the click, he gets a reward). Every time the dog smells the chosen scent, you click and a reward immediately follows. This can be a food reward, but also playing with a toy. At a certain point you see that the smell evokes positive associations in your dog.

When the dog has learned to recognise the scent, it is important to take a good look at what he shows in his behavior and body language. As a handler you often don’t know where the scent is

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

hidden and you have to learn to trust your dog’s body language. It can be very subtle changes in his body that allow you to see if he smells the acquired scent or is just sniffing something out of interest. The more practiced you and your dog are together as a team, the more difficult you can make the hiding places. It is important to make it more difficult in small steps so that your dog maintains sufficient self-confidence.

Teaching the owners and their dogs scent detection is a lot of fun, especially when you get to teach a ridgeback and her owner. That’s just great fun!

Enough information about scent detection for now. I hope your Ridgebacks, in whatever way, get to use their noses regularly. They will love it. Now it is time to train with my own 3 Ridgebacks.

Kind regards, Marije Luiten and Kani van Hoeve de Hoef ‘Midas’, Noah van Hoeve de Hoef ‘Joeke’ & Hidaya Queen of Dragons ‘Nano’ from the Netherlands

Marije Luiten

Owning RR’s since 2000, I have always liked to work with them. With one of my oldest dogs I did mantrailing which she liked very much. She was a real hunter and this way I could satisfy her urge for hunting. When Manuka came into my life I became more curious about detection. Because she was, in some situations, a little insecure I thought this was a good thing to do with her. Bonding and hopefully make her feel more secure. Well that was a great plan! We came in contact with Marije and our first attempt for detection was a hit.

First she had to learn the scent, we choose cinnamon. Step by step she recognized the smell and the track/surroundings became more difficult. For example she surprised me by finding a cinnamon scented rubber band hidden in a suitcase compartment. What?!?

Until now she has searched in a school and a big barn with different objects. Like in suitcases, chairs, lockers, stairs, a box drifting in water. And in outdoor surroundings like a stable with strong odors from sheep and hay and in big machines like a tractor.

Each week she is becoming more self-assured. With good instruction from Marije, the instructor, we are becoming a real team.

For me to read her signals/body language while searching and for Manuka knowing the scent in different objects and surroundings.

We go to Marije once a week and during the rest of the week we are practicing at home. In the house, in the garden, in the barn etc.

Because she likes this very much, we have also started with mantrailing.

I can really recommend detection with your RR!

Just have a try and you will see you and your RR will be hooked!

Mieke Benoist

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY HORST AND ALEXANDRA PERNAU

HARMONIOUS BONDS

THE EXTRAORDINARY FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN DOGS AND HORSES AT LITTLE STONE RANCH

A heartfelt hello from Lower Saxony and a very big thank you for allowing us to introduce ourselves here today.

We, Horst and Alexandra Pernau, are living the shared dream with dogs and horses on our small, private Little Stone Ranch.

Our 7-member family includes two cheerful Rhodesian Ridgebacks and three equally playful horses. The two Ridgebacks, “Limited Edition Luke,” 6 years old, and “Next Generation Ajani,” 4 years old, are father and son.

Quarter Horse “Ace,” Paint Horse “Chip,” and “Gima,” an older Arab mix mare, together with the dogs, form the “Kings of Little Stone,” a close-knit community.

The love and passion for horses and dogs began over 25 years ago with the horses. Five years later, our first Rhodesian Ridgeback, “Yukon,” joined our family. With him, we experienced how wonderful it is to combine two passions. Witnessing the intelligence and meaningful interaction between horses and dogs as an owner has been one of the greatest gifts these animals have given us.

HORSES AND DOGS - IS THAT POSSIBLE?

Yes! First and foremost, we raised our dogs with the horses from the age of approximately 8 weeks. This allowed everyone to get to know each other peacefully and become familiar with various commands over time. Consistent and loving training is essential because when interacting with horses, dogs must always be recallable and obedient. For example, “Luke” loves to play and race wildly among the horses. If horses don’t accept this behavior or if dogs are not well-behaved, it can quickly become a dangerous problem for both the dog and the horse. On the other hand, “Ajani” is calmer around the horses and prefers to cuddle with them rather than play.

HOW DO WE GET DOGS AND HORSES TO WORK TOGETHER?

One difficulty to overcome is that horses are prey animals, while dogs are hunters. How do we man-

age that? Both sides must trust the Alphas (humans) of the community. It starts with age-appropriate exercise, introducing new things in a trustworthy manner, and continues with training that neither overwhelms nor underwhelms. General education and acquiring social skills within the pack/herd apply to both horses and dogs. The positive aspect is that both species learn in almost the same way. This, in turn, makes it relatively easy to train dogs and horses with good basic education and they gradually become a great team over time. All exercises are broken down into small parts, practiced step by step, and later put together. At the end of the training of a young dog/horse, a well-developed team stands, which can rely on each other and find support in challenging situations.

Our two boys, “Luke” and “Ajani,” join us every morning to take the horses to the large pasture. They would surely do it alone if allowed. Although they are not herding dogs, our Ridgebacks guard the horses as if they were a treasure. During rides, for example, the two males closely

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follow the horses, which also determine the pace. They never stray more than 5-10 meters away from the horses.

It is amazing how deep a connection has developed over the years between our five animals! They look out for each other, support one another, and play together - whether on the pasture or out in the terrain.

Papa Ridgeback “Luke” likes to run close to the horse in the riding arena. On the other hand, Son “Ajani” prefers to lie down at the edge and observe everything. Majestically, he scans his surroundings while remaining calm.

It’s hard to put into words how fulfilling it is for our shared life to experience the animals interacting this way. It makes us happy every day, over and over again. However, we’ve also noticed that the horses react differently to unfamiliar dogs. They don’t like it when other dogs run after them, and they show it.

During rides, it is surprising to see how well the horses pay attention to our dogs and know their every move. All five of them consider each other carefully.

The social and relaxed way they interact is even evident in the fact that the horses share their food with the dogs. They all enjoy carrots and apples.

Our boys are also very devoted family dogs. They love our grandchild Ian and protect him every step of the way. They are especially watchful when he sits on the horse and rides.

For us, living with Rhodesian Ridgebacks and horses for 20 years has been a dream.

When the horses call us in the morning and the dogs rush to them full of joy, our hearts leap with pleasure.

The Kings of Little Stone Ranch.

WRITTEN BY KAYCE COVER, SYLWIA MATULEWSKA

HUNTING INSTINCT

IS IT POSSIBLE TO DECREASE A DOG’S HUNTING INSTINCT WITHOUT USING AVERSIVE TOOLS?

Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs possess a strong hunting instinct deeply rooted in their genotype, which means they may be inclined to follow scents, hunt animals, or show excessive interest in movement and catching. Of course, it should be noted that each dog can exhibit individual differences in the expression of their hunting instinct, so some individuals may be more interested in hunting than others.

Currently, when Rhodesian Ridgebacks live with humans, most commonly as companion dogs, many owners will ask: “can we lower their hunting instinct for the sake of their safety and functioning?” Are there ways to shape a dog’s response to allow them to change their behavior sequence when encountering wildlife?

We will answer these questions based on a case study featuring a 5-year-old female Rhodesian Ridgeback living with her owner in semi-urbanized areas near a large city. As a maturing puppy, she began displaying a strong hunting instinct during walks in the surrounding meadows. Merely seeing a stationary wild animal or catching its scent was enough to trigger her pursuit. When running freely on a walk with her owner, upon seeing or sensing an animal, she would immediately chase it, emitting

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

loud sounds. When held on a leash by her owner, she would tremble, display her typical pre-chase stare, ignore commands, and do everything to break free and run.

During walks, the owner vigilantly observed the surroundings to spot wildlife before the dog, to be able to recall her before she initiated the chase. Owner believed that such a behavioral approach would work well, because under normal conditions (home, city), the dog was completely responsive to recall, ignoring external stimuli and returning to the owner instantly

Unfortunately, walks in the meadows revealed that the dog’s recall only worked when no wildlife was nearby. Furthermore, the effect of the recall command was the opposite of what was expected - upon hearing the name and the recall command during walks, the dog would immediately scan the surroundings because the owner’s be-

havior became a clear indication that there was wildlife nearby.

The situation reached a critical point during one of the walks when the dog managed to catch her first hare. Her pursuit of wildlife intensified even further because she captured her prey and achieved a major payoff.

Since continued chases could pose a threat to both: the dog and the forest wildlife, the owner started working on changing the dog’s behavior using the the Syn Alia Training Systems (SATS), developed by Kayce Cover.

SATS (Syn Alia Training System) is a highly effective training method rooted in a positive philosophy of animal training. The name, SATS, derives from the words “synergistic alliance,” symbolizing the creation of a relationship between the trainer and the dog during the training process that strengthens all parties involved. The guiding principle of this relationship is for both the human and the animal to benefit mutually, while also being mutually responsible, respectful, and always interacting with integrity.

SATS recognizes that dogs possess consciousness and cognitive abilities, and can become collaborative partners in training. In order to achieve this, dogs need to learn to manage their emotions and cope with stresses. This is the goal in Perception Modification (PM) training. In PM, we teach dogs to recognize their emotional states, and manage them.

In addition to teaching a dog how to cope, Perception Modification changes how animals perceive their events and situations. A dog that was once afraid of the sound of a coffee grinder starts to enjoy being present when the grinder is on. This is especially valuable in helping dogs to deal with fear or reactivity issues (allowing them to perceive the world as less intimidating or stimulating). On the other hand, Bridges and Targets are two tools which allow trainers to quickly, and effectively explain what is wanted or needed, to the animals.

SATS consists of following tools and techniques:

• Verbal signals: one that informs the dog that it is performing the task correctly (Intermediate Bridge) and one that indicates to the dog that it has just achieved success (Terminal Bridge)

• Target: the designated position where the dog should be

• Name and Explain: building a vocabulary of concepts that are understandable to the dog, which can be used to convey information to the animal in future situations (naming behaviors, emotional states, objects, concepts such as right/left, up/down, faster/slower, naming triggers that elicit specific behaviors in the dog, locations, events, etc.)

• Conditioned Relaxation: teaching selfrelaxation techniques to the dog

• Perception Modification: altering the dog’s perception of its surrounding environment and elements it struggles with. Through training based on the Cycles formula, the animal learns to cope with its emotions and choose a state of calmness in situations that previously triggered undesirable behaviors, such as arousal or reactivity.

These techniques allow for the resolution of countless behavioral problems and enable animals to live harmoniously with humans. They also prepare animals for effectively learning information and skills. It appears to impact the animal’s health and longevity: chronic stress has an effect on elevated cortisol levels in the body, which in turn significantly influences the quality and length of the animal’s life.

In this system, training a dog is a process aimed at achieving what we call the Fifth Milestone, where the dog can independently choose to attain and maintain relaxation, or “Easy”.

To achieve this, the dog must go through four progressive stages. They must: learn to recognize its emotional state (rather than just experiencing it)

• learn to recognize an opposing emotional state

• learn that it has the ability to change from one emotional state to another (under the influence of touch and cues from the trainer)

• learn how to change its emotional state. Only then can we expect the dog to independently choose a state of calmness over arousal.

In the case presented in this article, we will demonstrate how SATS worked with a female dog with a strong hunting drive. It should be noted that instinctive behaviors are extremely difficult to extinguish, while modifying learned behaviors is much easier. This is one of the most challenging tasks for any trainer.

Changing a dog’s attitude towards chasing prey requires immense self-control over emotions. This is particularly challenging because prey drive is instinctual. And, every time the dog chases the prey, it’s rewarded with a powerful release of adrenaline and dopamine, highly motivating neurotransmitters that strongly reinforce the dog’s urge to chase, which can be addictive. When the dog manages to capture the prey, the payoff is extreme.

Work with this well trained, and generally very cooperative, Rhodesian Ridgeback began with teaching the dog to enter a state of relaxation (“Easy”) through body work, as well as verbal information and feedback. Focus centers on teaching

the dog to relax the muscles in tense areas of its body solely based on verbal cues.

Simultaneously, feedback is given through Bridges, which provide the dog with information about the duration of touch and how long the dog should remain in a specific position, while the Target helps the dog position itself precisely where, and how, needed.

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Once the dog is able to attain and maintain a state of relaxation, supported with verbal cues from the trainer, the dog learns to differentiate between two emotional states: “easy” and “alert.” She also learns to transition from one emotional state (easy) to another (alert) and back again (easy). Training this skill was crucial to ensure that the dog could switch from arousal to calmness even outside of training, in everyday life situations.

Meanwhile, the dog was also taught to recall using Target and Bridges (in addition to her earlier learning of this skill by other techniques).

After a few weeks, the following was achieved: a squirrel appeared in the yard where the dog was present at the same moment, and the dog, without hesitation, returned to its owner after the first recall command. Previously, in such situations, the level of arousal elicited barking, attempts to scramble up the tree, and a dog frozen in place, refusing the recall. This work was done at home. Then, work began to transition the use of these tools (especially Bridges, Target and Name & Explain) during walks in meadows. Working to stop a hunting dog from chasing game is challenging because of the difficulty in controlling the game, and the intensity of the experience for training. Game encounters cannot be planned, nor can the timing be determined, as it is never known where and when the animals will appear, how far away they will be, how many, or if they will be moving, etc.

During the walks, the relaxation massage (which was initially practiced at home) and the transition from arousal to calmness were practiced in the meadow. Through dedicated application of these tools, the dog was soon able to calmly observe flying or walking storks and cranes in the distance, where previously she had always catapulted into a chase.

Bird chasing was quickly extinguished, even when the dog was off-leash. At the same time, the dog’s decisions regarding what to do when encountering an arousing stimulus was strengthened - either independently switching to sniffing or returning to the owner upon hearing the recall command.

The pursuit of deer/elk was only addressed when they were at a sufficiently far distance. Employing the same strategy, the dog was taught to remain calm despite the presence of the

stimulus. Depending on the dog’s level of arousal, either removing the dog from the situation (using Bridges and Target) or practicing staying calm and observing the game instead of chasing it was conducted.

All of this together resulted in two remarkable successes, which demonstrated that the dog achieved the Fifth Milestone of SATS:

The dog observed a deer in a meadow for about one minute and refrained from initiating the chase

• Independently, after three bounding steps of hot pursuit of a deer (which suddenly erupted from the woods, 10 meters from the dog), the dog voluntarily stopped and simply observed the running deer and, upon recall, returned to its owner.

WHY SATS WORKS:

SATS works because we elevate the dog to the position of collaborator. We invite his intelligence, his problem solving acuity, his passion and his ideas, to the training process. We recognize the cognitive abilities of animals, and provide them with the information they need to do the best job possible, to avoid trial and error, and to dash uncertainty. Our animals progress with speed and confidence. We provide rich feedback, in the form of bridges, to mark the progress, the perfection, the achievements, and the mistakes that occur as the dog strives. We try to always interact with integrity, and this pays big dividends in trust, tolerance and attitude.

We can solve the problem of chasing game, through the Perception Modification protocols. Using the same tools, we can solve most of the following problems: noise phobias, arousal, fear, grooming issues, vet procedure aversion, thunder and firework phobias, obsessive compulsive

behaviors, resource guarding, separation anxiety and more. That is because Perception Modification is useful with all behaviors that pivot on emotions and perceptions.

With more empathic training methods, animal trainers can gain deeper relationship, better cooperation, and real buy-in from their animal counterparts. It does not appear to require extensive use of food, toys, leash corrections, collars, ‘dominance’, or even ‘operant conditioning’. Kayce Cover says, that to achieve this, she gave up the delusion of controlling animals. She gave the control back to the animal, and worked to engage them in her goals, and gain their collaboration.

When trainers share information more extensively, through teaching vocabulary, concepts, and behavior in modules which we can combine in infinite ways to create any behavior we want, we gain stability, precision and speed in our training results. We can use rich, immediate feedback, in the form of bridging, to quicken and strengthen an animal’s responses to cues and requests. If we approach animals with respect, responsibility, mutual benefit, transparency, congruency and coherency, we get dramatically better results. The results can be impressive, the relationship deeper and truer, and the animals more trusting.

More and more trainers, also hungry for a ‘right way of being with others’ come to try this method of leadership with animals. Many find themselves able to solve problems that previously were insoluble. And, they are staying to help build an even greater understanding of behavior and working across species, and to carry what we have learned forward to help countless pet owners. The object of SATS is to empower people and animals to live their best lives together.

In case you have questions or need more information about SATS trainings, please feel invited to contact us:

Kayce Cover, Professional Trainer

Founder of Syn Alia Training Systems (SATS)

 training-with-kayce.newzenler.com

 kc@synalia.com

Sylwia Matulewska, Professional Trainer

Certified SATS Trainer

facebook-square Prohandling

 prohandling.sylwia@gmail.com

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

Adog show is a place we like for various reasons. If our dog often wins, the first reason is obvious - everyone likes to win. We also like exhibitions, because of the opportunity to meet friends or see dogs from other countries. Often, the exhibition is also an opportunity to visit other countries. Let’s stick to the first reason - winning.

ELEMENTS INFLUENCING FOR THE BEST PRESENTATION.

Winning at a show is a combination of several factors. The first is the anatomy of the dog - we don’t have much influence on it, although thanks to various fitness exercises, we can improve or strengthen certain elements of the dog’s structure or movement. Another factor are the judge’s preferences - we also have no influence on them. However, we can use those factors that depend on us.

DOG BEHAVIOR

Behavior is the main cause of losses or lowered ratings. Especially behavior that prevents the judge from judging the dog. Anyone who has been to a show, has certainly seen dogs that are so excited in the ring, that they are unable to stand still. Even if the handler puts him in the right position, after a while the dog stands with his tail to the judge. There are also opposite situations when the dog is so scared and withdrawn that he curls up behind his owner, seeking support, or tries to escape from the ring. Even if such a dog has perfect anatomy, he has no chance of winning. Therefore, the basic thing is to prepare the dog mentally for the conditions he will encounter at the show.

What can we do? If you are looking for a show puppy, make sure that the breeder takes care of socialization at an early age and that the puppy has contact with “new” things. New people, new sounds, things, situations. This will give him a better start, because he will have experiences to refer to when encountering new situations or stimuli. If you already have a dog that you plan to show, before starting show training, familiarize him with situations he will encounter at a show: take him to places where he will meet many people, on crowded streets, to a bazar, into a supermarket. Take him to a dog park where he will meet other dogs, taking care of pleasant and safe contacts with them. You can also take him to a train station where he will see people with luggage, hear suitcases on wheels and megaphones. Ask other dog owners on walks to pet and touch your dog. All this should happen at the speed of the dog, without pressure and forcing contact so that he feels safe and comfortable.

SHOW PREPARATION

In the ring, the dog should be able to stand for several seconds in a standing position, without

movement, trot with his head turn forward, allow the judge to check his teeth and accept his touch. If you have no experience in ring preparation, it is best to use special handling courses, where together with the trainer, you will determine the presentation method that best suits the dog’s structure and your skills.

We have 3 main methods of presentation in statics, each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. The British method is an excellent method for dogs with ideal anatomy, especially the top line and long neck. When the handler stands in front of the dog, the dog’s head is raised higher than in other methods, which causes the back line to break behind the withers. Also, the neck on which the ring leash hangs loosely, optically cutting it, may seem shorter. During such a presentation method, the dog being on a long, loose leash is out of control of the handler. If this dog is a young maturing male who sometimes fails to control his emotions, it is better to choose another method.

Another disadvantage of the British method is that the handler standing in front of the dog, stands with his back to the judge, so he has a limited view of what is currently happening in the ring. The advantages include that it is a very friendly method for dogs, we do not use a tight leash, there is no pressure, it does not cause discomfort and increased stress on the dog. It is also quite spectacular if you train a tense posture in a dog and the handler can move away from him at a distance, which gives the impression that the dog is showing himself.

The presentation of a dog using the continental method is quite similar to the American method, although the handler has less control over the head and front of the dog. It is more comfortable for presenting small and miniature dogs. Disadvantages - the dog is under considerable pressure on a tense leash, so if it is sensitive, it may start to stress, frustrate, protest, which will affect its aversion to show itself. With a long leash, we have no control over the dog’s movements, if it is a reactive dog, the handler may not be able to react quickly enough if it wants to run up to the dog in front of it. Advantages - allows setting the dog with touch, the handler has a wider field of vision on the ring and what is happening on it. Lifting the head with a leash allows for an optical extension of the neck, pulling excess skin in the throat area, as well as stretching the back and tensioning the body.

The American method is similar to the continental one, but the dog is under much greater control (having control over the head, you have control over the whole body). Disadvantages - if we pull out the dog too much, its back may seem sagging, like a dog in the photo below. If there is no strong angulation of the front, such a presentation will make it seem even less angulated.

The dog is not able to withstand such an

uncomfortable position for longer than 3-4 seconds, so the handler must have perfect timing and hit with setting up the dog exactly when the judge moves his eyes to the dog. Advantages - extended, longer and more elegant neck, straightening of the back and tensioning of the body. Similarly to the previous method the handler has a wider field of vision on the ring.

Movement in trot usually does not require a large amount of training, but if a dog has a tendency to run out of a ring, pull towards other dogs, fall into gallop or lower its nose to the ground, it is worth spending some time improving it. In trot it is important that the dog runs with its head turn forward and not looking at its handler - then its front limbs do not work equally and it may seem that it has one of the common movement faults, being however an effect of wrong way of presenting in movement. A good method is

teaching a dog to look forward on command. This can also be used in the ring when the nose starts working on grass. If we have a dog that requires control during the trot, a gently tense leash will be a better solution than to trot on loose leash. On the other hand, if we start training with a puppy or an insecure dog, loose leash is a better choice, so the dog will not panic when it is scared. If this happens however, we should go back to point 1 of article.

Control of dentition is also an activity that requires some time of exercise. Here trainer can use various training techniques (like instrumental conditioning, counter conditioning or SATS- if dog does not like treats) will show how to train with a particular dog. Handler’s role is to show teeth in such way that leash or hand does not cover dog’s eyes, during this activity. When dog sees what’s happening it is less stressed and more willing to

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allow uncomfortable activity for him.

When dog has a problems with touch of strange person, we can also use above training techniques also using fitness equipment. It should be remembered that in training, we should always work within the comfort zone of a dog. Any use of pressure will cause our goal to move away or even take step back when stress occurs at show. About proper planning and of training there will be more in next magazine issue.

HANDLER

Another factor in this game is the human. The handler, like the dog, should have certain key skills. One of them is stress control. A dog’s nose will perfectly sense the smell of adrenaline in human sweat or breath. It will also notice differences in behavior that we are not aware of, such as nervous, faster movements. If the person who should be the support and guide for the dog in the ring, starts to stress, so will the dog. Next is the ability to control the dog’s behavior. If this is a problem, it is a good idea to take a break from shows and focus on building a relationship with the dog, sign up for an obedience course or a sports course so that the human and dog start to form a team. For larger problems with the dog’s behavior, it is worth consulting a certified behaviorist.

Dog presentation skills is also important. If we know its strengths and weaknesses, we will choose such a presentation method that it will make the dog look more favorable. The handler should know, and therefore practice beforehand, how to quickly achieve the show position (using touch or not touching the dog), what is the proper tempo in trot for this particular dog. What is the optimal way of leading with a leash, i.e. fulfilling its task while being comfortable for the dog. The human should be a frame for the picture that is the dog, be as unnoticeable as possible.

To do this, he should also know what to do when, learn to present a dog while controlling the situation in the ring.

Clothing also plays a role in the presentation process. It is not the best idea to dress in an outfit of similar color as the dog’s coat, it will disappear against such background. Also, fabrics with patterns stripes intense color spots can make judge not stop his eyes in this area. On the other hand, contrasting color to the dog will make such team easier to distinguish from competition. It is also worth having some characteristic element of clothing e.g. shoes, vest tie or belt of intense color thanks to which judge will easily remember in large competition the dog that caught his eye - by handler.

ACCESSORIES

A show leash is a tool which human has control over dog, can communicate with it or help determine direction of movement. It’s good that rolling it up is easy and fast, it does not take time in the ring. Avoid too long leashes if you do not use the entire length. If the dog does not feel confident in the ring, avoid chains which through sound might upset the dog. It can condition emotions - dog starts stressing hearing sound of the chain because it usually announces tightening on neck. In many countries like Austria and Switzerland, using tightening chains as show collars at shows is forbidden!

At show it is worth having a spare leash, just in case. Transporter or cage in which dog can rest, and be protected from external stimuli (approaching close other dogs or people), provided that it previously got accustomed to it. Water and bowl, wet wipes for wiping dogs, small treat bag (one from which contents will not fall out whilst running). At indoor shows it is also worth having Coca Cola with you and in case of slippery flooring, moisten your dog’s hind paws in it.

If you have marked all above elements as “passed” you and your dog are ready for shows!

In next issue: How to train to win.

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American method

PRESENTATION OF THE SAME DOG USING TWO DIFFERENT METHODS

THE PERKS OF A KENNEL CAMP

Veronica Thorén Rex Ventors kennel

Most breeders thoroughly enjoy when their puppy families provide active and sensible homes for their dogs. If the dog is given appropriate physical and mental stimulation, it will be a content and happy dog. If the owners invest time and effort into working with their dogs and building that special bond, the breeder can rest assured that the dog will develop to it’s full potential and the risk for behavioral issues or problems, is gravely reduced. Of course, one can be lucky and stum-

ble upon that home that already knows all that should be done to keep the dog enriched and satisfied and build its confidence in everyday life. Many of our puppy families may have the will and commitment, but not the knowledge and experience to give the dog all it needs.

As breeders, we can either select our puppy families and hope for the best – or be there every step of the way to support and advise. I imagine that most breeders have the ambition to do the latter.

To ensure that the pups have an active and rich life, it may however sometimes take more than being available on the phone and having the odd get together. In my experience there is no better way to inspire dog owners than to meet up in person and do things together. This also gives you the opportunity to see how the dog and person interact, which will make your advice and guidance in the individual case much more relevant.

As time is scarce, it may not be possible to set aside time for every single dog and family, one by one. To organize events for a bunch of puppy families at once is a time efficient method and it also provides an opportunity for people get to know each other and build relationships. This means that their “doggy social network” increases and they can turn to each other for help and advice. It also means that I as a breeder to some extent can influence who my puppy families interact with when it comes to questions regarding the dog that I bred. I make sure that there are plenty of sensible people that are known and trusted in their social circle, which hopefully reduces the risk that one of my puppy families turn to a dog trainer who perhaps is not using the training methods that I want for my dogs. We raise our puppies using the Puppy Culture method which solely uses positive reinforcement. By supplying the families with knowledge and connections to continue training in this spirit, I hope to ensure that the puppies are not exposed to negative or corrective training methods.

There are many ways to interact with your puppy families, and to organize events where many people can come together. Sometimes you may just get together for a nice kennel walk and a coffee, which will give you a good check in as far as how everyone is doing with their dogs. But it may not give inspiration for continued training and activity with the dogs. Also, many families find it hard to travel a longer distance solely for a walk and a chat. Personally, I find that

an event which allows for new knowledge, training/exercise as well as social interaction is widely appealing to everyone. Getting together for a whole weekend with shared meals and plenty of time to socialize, is a super way to create bonds and a sense of community. I also find that people are willing to travel in order to attend a weekend event.

The biggest challenge is to set an agenda that will work for as many people as possible, regardless of whether they are interested in training, competing, obedience, scent work or just having fun with their dogs. Many breeders of working breeds have camps for the dogs they bred, that are oriented towards training for competition. Since Ridgebacks aren’t necessarily the go to breed for people who want to compete in the world championships in obedience, we need to find topics that will engage everyone and that will also prove useful in everyday life. Even if some of the training is suitable for competition, it can also be used just to enrich your dog’s life and build cooperation and bond between dog and person.

Rex Ventors kennel camp 2023 had the following topics: physical training and health care

massage and stretching rally obedience

Nose Work

We are lucky to be able to learn from trainer Petra Johansson from Petras Hundfys, who not only is a dog physiotherapist, but also trains and competes rally obedience and Nose Work. We also have several participants in the camp who train and compete rally and Nose Work and in the spirit of community everyone helps out and shares their knowledge and experience.

Physical training and preventive health care is certainly useful for any dog, regardless of whether you are interested in heavy physical exercise, competitions – or not. We learn to use different tools such as balance balls, steps and cavaletti (hurdles) to give the dog physical exercise and improve muscle tone, strength, balance, and coordination. Just as with humans, a strong and agile body (for example a strong core), will help prevent injuries and discomfort.

To be able to stretch your dog properly after physical exercise is another way to prevent injury and soreness. A good massage will release muscle tension and create a sense of wellbeing that also strengthens the relationship between dog and person. It was very noticeable in our massage session how much our dogs enjoyed the treatment and how relaxed and content they were feeling. Such a pleasure to see.

Rally obedience is a training and competition form which can just as well be exercised just for fun. The novice class has very basic commands and if you’re not aiming to compete and aren’t worried about the do’s and don’t to “score highly”, it can be a super fun way to train with your dog. It’s similar to trick training which is also something that we encourage all our puppy fami-

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lies to do, already from day one when they bring their puppy home. All training where you work together with your dog and use positive reinforcement, will help with not only having an attentive and obedient dog but also with building your relationship and teamwork. So, this training really is for everyone!

As for Nose Work, Ridgebacks thrive in any type of scent work. They have a natural talent for using their noses and allowing them to do scent work is usually very rewarding for the dog. It allows them to use their natural talent but also to work independently which builds self-confidence. A big bonus for the owner is that this type of work also makes the dog tired, so it normally guarantees a calm and content dog when the training is done. Scent detection can be done in different forms and Nose Work is often done using eucalyptus scent as the trigger for the dog. Teaching the dog owners how to do this training themselves will for certain mean that the dog’s life will be richer and happier. It may also help prevent unwanted behavior in the dog, due to lack of mental stimulation.

Starting off the camp on Friday evening with great anticipation and a full agenda for the weekend is such a rewarding feeling – for breeders and puppy families alike. The social interaction and networking throughout the weekend are just awesome and the new or improved knowledge you bring home will upgrade your life as a dog owner as well as boost your dog’s life. As we say our goodbyes on Sunday afternoon, we’re already counting the days until next year’s camp.

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OUR OLDY

MOREMI OLDY

Yes, we have two veteran females at the same time. At times we are not so conscious of it. Perhaps we don’t want to face it? Moremi - regardless of the years she has lived - will always be Nandipa’s daughter, the younger one. When her mother is already 14, her daughter may as well be 11! But still “the younger one”...

Moremi was born on May 12, 2012, as the first born of our C-litter - Nandipa’s first litter. Together with her seven siblings, she was raised in our home and already early on it was clear that she would stay with us. Such a good decision, the only right one!

Moremi grew up to be an excellent, beautiful bitch. Confident, self-assured and unpretentious, she has mastered all the challenges she has faced in her long life. You can always rely on Moremi. This makes her such a special, invaluable, and great companion.

Her great passion is our puppies. She was a patient and loving nanny for her half-siblings from Nandipa’s second and third litter. What a unique experience to watch mother and daughter lying together in the whelping box and taking care for the puppies! In the puppy garden, too, it was Moremi who patiently “explained” the big wide world to her little half-siblings. Through all the tunnels and over different ground structures, she tirelessly led the way as leader and showed her half-siblings how it’s done. And during excursions with the puppies, she always kept a watchful eye on them - not the slightest danger escaped her.

Moremi herself became a mother only late, this was her own decision. She is the mother of three litters, our F-, G- and H-litter. The role of a dam is one she has mastered in an exemplary manner and has blossomed in it. We kept her daughter Nyanjera from her last litter, who in turn had her first litter this year. Moremi has been eagerly waiting to take care of her grandchildren and has done so in her own clear, unagitated way. She can certainly be a strict grandmother - but always a good one! Moremi can always be counted on.

Her second passion is nose work. Whether tracking or man-trailing - Moremi is always highly motivated and concentrated in her task. She has a pronounced “will to please” and always impresses with her calm, concentrated manner. No matter how demanding, how difficult a task is - she solves it reliably, at her own pace. She never gives up. She inherited her passion for nose work from her father MCh Ökensandens Poma von Yesekani. He was Nordic Blood Tracking Champion. And best of all, Moremi’s passion for tracking has also been passed on to her offspring. Time and again we hear enthusiastic and inspiring testimonials about how competent and unerring Moremi’s offspring perform in nose work.

Dearest Moremi, thank you for being the way you are, simply wonderful! We wish you and us that you can stay this happy and healthy for a long time!

SEE THROUGH CAMERA LENS.....

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

“ SAY CHEESE ”

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

I love photography since I was child. It was 1993. when I was first time on dog show with my dalmatiner. I have film camera Smena 1, I want to capture moments with my dog and other dogs I liked. Spontaneously I fall in love with photography. So it’s years and years, who counts.

If someone tell me that this will be my job, and people will want my photos I will not believe.

I’m member of World Dog Press Association, and I have to brag myself- I’m official photographer on this year World Winner Show 2023.

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

It’s interesting story, I always have some kind of camera, but my first professional camera was present from my good friend Rajko Jančikić. I will be free to say it was Rajko fault I get into this world. I was taking all advices I can, and photographing all day long. So my knowledge comes with times.

WHAT OR WHO GOT YOU STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING DOGS?

I was interested for photograph of birds and dogs in movement, I love the photos in the move, for me it was boring to photograph when something is staying, I was thinking that everyone can do that,

but I want something harder. Sometimes I will spend hours catching the right moment.

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

First professional camera I use was Canon, I stay faithful to Canon to this day. Today I use Canon Eos R3, and my favorite lens is Canon rf 70-200 2.8 and Canon rf 28-70mm 2.0. I’m absolute in love with Canon rf28-70mm be course he can change three fix lenses.

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?

When I see dog in movement, that’s the right inspiration for me. When dog runs.

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

I loves this job, I do this with love so I wouldn’t tell it’s challenging, but sometimes it is truly, especially when I have scheduled more sessions in short time, so I in that moment I’m short on time, but I still need to do job as usually. As I said in previous answers I like the most dog in movement so they don’t have to pose. But if they do I love to capture the head. So they don’t need some special pose, be course I can in second make dozen photos.

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

The best part is freedom In this job, I decide what I will photograph, I do what I love and I always enjoying it. Photography is one big art and there is no two same photographs, every photo is special for itself and every photo has its own story. Most challenging is when I have too many dog shows in short time so I don’t have to rest, day at the

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show and nights with my lap top editing all photos I captured.

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

When I have sessions I always choose to dog be free, I devote time to dog, understand dog. Every dog need attention, you need to figure it out what angle is the best. In that moments you communicate with dog. Dog can’t tell you what he likes or not, so you like photographer need to understand beauty of that dog. I can’t tell you feeling when you capture the photo that takes your breath

WHICH BREED IN YOUR OPINION IS MOST PHOTOGENIC?

Definitely Afghan Hound, the movement, the grace, hair moving all around. That’s the breed with such a beauty.

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

Of course, I have huge respect to all my colleagues, I follow their work, I always try to learn something new from their work, I tend towards that I have my specifically style. When someone look at photo see my style without my signature.

IS THERE ANY ONE THING YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN OR PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO AN ASPIRING FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER?

There is no thing I would like to know before, I think learning to takes photos Is huge process, so it comes with times. It need time, and practice. With every click you learn something. You will always expand your horizons. Advice for new colleagues is just be persistant. Put camera in manual mood and just take photos, a lot of it, and never, but really never use automatic mode. You need to play with camera, every button on camera means something, figure out what. Find your style and don’t copy others.

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

I have kennel of beagles and poodles, I’m in cinology for 30 years. I take photos all those years and now when I see some old photos it seems funny to me because then I think it’s great photos and now I see it doesn’t. But I can see progress and that’s important.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING?

I can’t forget to mention my family which is by me all those time, and from this year my better part my lovely woman is with me in this job, and we are team now.

MARIOLA GLAJCAR AN INTERVIEW

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

My name is Mariola Glajcar. I come from a small village in southern Poland. How did I become a dog photographer? Hehe I’ll let you in on a little secret - I’m not really a dog photographer - although I photograph dogs quite often lately. In fact, my main specialty is photography of children and teenagers - but recently four-legged friends are more and more often in their company.

HOW DID YOU FIRST ENTER THE PHOTOGRAPHY WORLD? DID YOU HAVE FORMAL TRAINING?

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PHOTOGRAPHER?

I’ve been doing photography for about 10 years now - and I started probably a little by accident. First there was photographing my children, and then came the idea to take up photography professionally. Unfortunately, I did not have any professional training in photography, and I learned everything on my own. I sometimes had the impression that I was knocking down an open door,

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

Poland І Mariola Glajcar – Creative Photography І mariolaglajcar.pl

I was trying reinvent the wheel. But on the other hand, certainly such self-study allowed me to open up to creativity

WHAT OR WHO GOT YOU STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING DOGS?

Heheh - another coincidence - as I mentioned before I do children’s photography AND family photography but I always liked it when families came to a session with a dog because his presence always relaxes everyone. One day I met a fantastic girl who runs a unique hotel for dogs - from that moment dogs became definitely more frequent guests of my work.

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

I’m using a mirrorless camera Nikon Z6... it’s getting a bit old and I will have to think about something new...

In the beginning, the equipment does not matter much - but certainly on the next stages of the photographic path our requirements increase.

My favourite lens is: 135mm or 70-200mm - they allow you to bring out from the frame what is most important AND have beautiful depth.

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?

This is a very difficult question ;) I usually find inspiration in everyday life. I am inspired by people, animals and objects encountered on my path. I am also often inspired by paintings and graphics.

DO YOU CONSIDER IT A CHALLENGING JOB?

HOW DO YOU GET THE ANIMALS TO STAY AND “POSE” FOR YOU?

I love working with animals because of their unstoppable energy - but the work is often a challenge - especially when it comes to child + animal photography. The truth is that when you photograph animals you are the one who has to follow and adapt to them and not the other way around. Probably no photo would be created without the help of a pet carer - because they are the ones dogs trust the most and with them, they become relaxed and at ease.

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

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

The coolest thing about this job is that you can create things out of the box and rely on your imagination - at the same time, this is what is most challenging because the world and I set high expectations for myself and the search for new ideas can be very difficult.

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

It is probably question about a typical session with a dog. I think, first of all, that the dog and its guardian should be relaxed. Of course, I have the location of such a session planned beforehand, so that nothing stressful surprises us. In such a friendly atmosphere I try to focus on the emotions and pure joy of the dog. It is a little more difficult when it comes to the

sessions with a child and a dog, because then both of them need to be relaxed, but I have my own magic ways of doing it. WHICH BREED IN YOUR OPINION IS MOST PHOTOGENIC?

I don’t know what breed is the most photogenic - but I do know which dog is the least photogenic - my own.

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

As I said earlier - I do not feel I am a dog photographer and therefore I do not model myself after any dog photographer. I am mainly inspired by life and everyday situations.

IS THERE ANY ONE THING YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN OR PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO AN ASPIRING FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER?

Well - what could I advise? I guess such a universal advice - that you learn best through experience and from your own mistakes. So don’t be afraid to make them, take pictures whenever you can and don’t be too hard on yourself

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

Yes - I have a cat Monti of the ragdoll breed and a dog named Codi of the Cavalier breed. They are, of course, my favourite animals.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING?

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to talk with you. I hope that dogs, as well as other animals, will visit my world and my frames even more often.

Thank you.

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

DOG

CAN YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOUR COVER DOG FOR OUR READERS?

If you please, I will leave it to her to introduce herself, “My name is Béké wa Mal Kizazi Ajabu and I was conceived during the lockdown period! The frozen semen of my charming “Daddy,” Lisa Zingel’s Skallbjörnens Goliat Lejonhjärt, came from Sweden, specifically from Uppsala, so that my mama Yaima Delle Cime Bianche could conceive four wonderful little girls. We were born on January 21, 2021, and our breeder Elizabeth Grande named us Bess, Billa, Bakira and me, of course. Béké in the Igbo language means “what?” and is absolutely perfect for an extrovert like me. I was quite unruly as a child but then my breeder took me to school. Truth be told, the best part of class was when I was rewarded with a piece of sausage because after a while I got bored and wanted to do my own thing. With patience and perseverance, however, I began to understand: stay, teeth, stop, go, run and when I was ready I started to step into the Italian rings. And today I am 2 years and 7 months old, they say I am a “good girl” indeed. There is still a long way to go but I wish to make my breeder and my handler Sveta Moroz more and more proud. My best friend and playmate is Romeo (Elangeni World On Fire) and my five-month-old cousin Dudu (Duma wa Mal Kizazi Ajabu). My greatest fun is biting the water jet when my breeder waters the garden! Oh, I forgot, I am greedy, I never sit still, I run like the wind, I like to swim and I think at the end of this year my breeder will marry me off to Romae (Elangeni The Places Youll Go). Stay tuned!!!”

WHAT IS HER BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT?

Béké is a female of substance, with an exuberant temperament, and in the ring she stands out so much that, at just over two years old, she is already Young Italian Champion, Croatian Champion and French Champion. She has brilliantly passed the TAN (natural aptitude test) and is an ENCI Selected Reproducer. She is currently in the process of completing the Spanish championship as well.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT SHOWING?

After the dreadful lockdown period, I began to choose my exhibitions carefully, trying to finalize championships. Entering the ring has always given me a great adrenaline rush, but time passes and my joints began to creak. That is why when I can, I make use of my unsurpassed handler Sveta with whom I have established a unique partnership both in friendship and professionalism! The shows that I am so passionate about offer more and more pleasant moments of aggregation. Cyclically meeting breeder friends even of other breeds, exchanging ideas, opinions and experiences while sharing healthy competition, are the reasons that have kept me in the dog world for 22 years now.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS?

For the future I will continue my breeding program with conscientiousness, rigor and devotion to this breed that I never end up knowing enough about. I will not stop studying and researching so that my type can fix itself more and more, enhancing my subjects not only in national and international competitions, but also for the joy of all those families who have put their trust in my work by choosing one of my puppies.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING?

The name of my Kennel comes from the name of my first ridgeback Ajabu, which means wonderful in Swahili. Hence, Kizazi Ajabu meaning “descendants of Ajabu” or “wonderful generation.” Because breeding has something wonderful about it.

FACTSHEET

Name

JITCh, HRCh, FRCh BÉKÉ WA GOLIAT KIZAZI AJABU

Sire: Multi Ch Skallbjörnens Goliat Lejonhjärta

Dam: Int Ch Yaima delle Cime Bianche

Handled by Elisabetta Grande & Sveta Moroz

Bred owned and loved by Elisabetta Grande

Kizazi Ajabu RR kennel (Italy)

e-mail: betta@rhodesianridgebackajabu.eu

Kizazi Ajabu RR

Italy

www.rhodesianridgebackajabu.eu

elisabettag2

bettagrande

Umlani

Switzerland

www.umlani.ch

Umlani Rhodesian Ridgeback umlani_rhodesian_ridgeback

Royal African Ridgebacks

Germany

www.royal-african-ridgebacks.com

Royal African Ridgebacks

royal_african_ridgebacks

Desert Marvel

Latvia

www.desertmarvel.club

nikaserzante /

Nomawethu

Germany

www.nomawethu.de

NomawethuRidgebacks

leaprusnat

Imara ya Furaha

Switzerland

imara-ya-furaha.ch

Angela Di Stefano

ridgebacks_imara_ya_furaha

Harmakhis

Italy

Wisdom

www.saraventurelli.it

Rhodesian Ridgeback Harmakhis Wisdom rhodesian_harmakhis_wisdom

Neomele

Croatia

www.neomele.com

maja.kljaja, Lela Treščec rhodesian_ridgebacks_neomele

Hooz

Ireland

www.hoozridgebacks.com

hoozridgebacks

hoozridgebacks

Of Muna Ya Kusini

Switzerland

www.of-muna.ch

Jasmin Hoppe

jasmine_munayakusini

Anjos da familia

Belgium

anjosdafamilia.be

Anjos da familia (Rhodesian Ridgebacks) /

Malozi

Finland

malozirr@gmail.com

malozirr

/

Ajumpaa

France

zawadi-nzuri.com

teamzawadinzuri /

Villagedogs

Belgium

www.villagedogs.be

Villagedogs RRs

villagedogs

Latvia

www.ajumpaa.com

Natalja Sanduța

natalja _sanduta

Mbaya-Almasi Ridgebacks

Germany

www.mbaya-almasi-ridgeback.de

Mbaya-Almasi Ridgebacks

tunapendanaadia

Zawadi N’Zuri

Shawdi

Sweden

www.shawdi.se

KennelShawdi

kennelshawdi

Khoisan

Slovenia

www.khoisan.si

kuralt.snezka designbystarr

Ikimba

Finland

marianne.gellin@gmail.com

Marianne Gellin (Ikimba)

/

Of Course

Canada

/.

ofcourserhodesianridgebacks

ofcourseridgebacks

Colkeririn

United Kingdom

www.colkeririnrhodesianridgebacks.com

Kim Hodge (Colkeririn Ridgebacks) colkeririn.ridgebacks

Dear Breeders,

In the upcoming issue of our magazine, we have 5 open spots for breeder (logo) cover exposure, along with a corresponding data card featuring your information. Alternatively, you may opt for a data card only.

Should you wish to seize this opportunity and feature your breeding in magazine, please do not hesitate to reach out to us through our social media handles or via email at rr.eu. magazine@gmail.com. We would be delighted to provide you with all the necessary information.

Thank you for considering our magazine as a potential avenue for showcasing your kennel. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards, Magazine Team