RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE ISSUE 1/2019 by RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK MAGAZINE

DEAR READERS

ear readers, let us introduce the magazine to you along with our services!

First edition was published in July 2019, we will publish 3 editions per year which are available for worldwide shipping. The magazine is free for online reading with print on demand option (where you place your order and pay directly to the printing house who takes payments and arranges shipping.) Our Team of professionals will strive to bring you a beautifully designed prestigious A4, glossy, full colour publication packed full of Interviews and articles by RR Fanciers for RR Fanciers....with top quality adverts. Our Editor Petra Stracke will ensure that every edition of the RR EU Magazine will feature interesting interviews and articles about well known and highly respected breeders, handlers and judges. Our focus will be on training, history, health, reproduction and worldwide research, learning from breeders in the past and those experienced in the present to enrich future generations. We’ll also offer coverage of breed show around the world. The RR EU Magazine offers you a Worldwide advertising. Finally, it is our hope that through advertising, the magazine will eventually serve as a breeder and stud directory which will aid RR EU Magazine breeders and enthusiasts alike in finding and communicating with one another. We are looking forward to working with you and achieving maximum publicity! If you would like to support our work and place an advert please contact directly our Sales /PR representant, Zhanna.

R H O D E S I A N R I D G E B A C K E U M A G A Z I N E ISSUE 1

/ J U LY 2 0 1 9

CONTENTS R H O D E S I A N

R I D G E B A C K

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

E U

M A G A Z I N E

— RIDGEBACK REVEALED

— STANDING UP FOR THE LIVERNOSE

— GENETIC TESTING

— MARTIN KLOPSCH AN INTERVIEW

— KA-U-LIS-RIDGES BREEDER

— TIMMY U. RALFE AN INTERVIEW

— TUNAPENDANA BREEDER

— IKIMBA BREEDER

— CANICROSS SPORT

— BIKEJÖRING SPORT

— HEIKE OVERHAGE DOG TRAINER

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE I S S U E 1 / J U LY 2 0 1 9 EDITOR PETRA STRACKE (GERMANY) RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK BREEDER, JUDGE SPECIALIST AND AUTHOR

AS S O C I AT E / T RA N S L AT I O N S AS S I S TA N T E D I TO R A N D T RA N S L ATO R TIMMY U. RALFE (SOUTH AFRICA)

— MIKOŁAJ RESCUE

JUDGE AND AUTHOR.

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

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

Teo’s

102

— TEO´S COOKING ADVENTURRES

TRAVELLING AROUND THE EUROPE SHOWING RR.

OFFICIAL DESIGNERS S N E Ž K A K U R A LT

- S TA R R D E S I G N

( S LOV E N I A ) FC I J U D G E S P EC I A L I S T, RR OWNER, GRAPHIC DESIGNER EWA LARSSON (UK) KC JUDGE, BULLDOG OWNER, GRAPHIC DESIGNER

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

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RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE I S S U E 1 / J U LY 2 0 1 9

ABOUT THE BOOK

he book, comprising over 150 pages, was written for the purpose of helping beginners

and

those

somewhat

advanced to understand what the Breed Standard of the Rhodesian Ridgeback is asking for, what it means and its purpose. It will hopefully also help you understand how the various body parts interact with one another. I have been assured that the book will also be helpful to more advanced owners and even to learner judges. It used to be that people bought puppies from well-established,

knowledgeable

breeders.

Many of those breeders would take the time to educate their puppy buyers, or at least those who showed a genuine interest in showing and breeding with the intention of nurturing and promoting the next generation of knowledgeable breeders. All too often these RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

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

and factual replies.

The Rhodesian Ridgeback Standard explained and exemplified

EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK by Timmy U. Ralfe

REVEALED

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

LOIN Strong, muscular and slightly arched, powerful. I was discussing the loin of the Ridgeback recently with a judge whom I respect very much. We agreed that it should definitely not be a roach. “Slightly arched” could be that gentle sweep over the loin (Fig. 47), or it could be as little as “the absence of straightness”. Not completely flat, but just enough of a slight rise to provide support to the spine from the last rib up to the pelvis. The loin is the “connecting piece” which feeds the forward thrust of the hindquarters towards the front. It has to be strong and yet flexible. The belly area of the loin is called the flank. When you look at a pregnant bitch, it becomes very evident why the loin area should have that gentle rise (Fig. 48). This arch will provide excellent support for the large pregnant belly.

Fig. 47 Lovely gently sweeping arch over the loin

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RIDGEBACK

Fig. 48 The slight arch over the loin helps to support the spine during pregnancy

FOREQUARTERS CHEST

different ways, which will affect the amount of room for

Should not be too wide but very deep and

upper arm) cannot align properly for the front leg to be

capacious and brisket should reach to the elbow.

placed in the correct way – under the dog (Fig 50, 65).

heart and lungs inside the ribcage. If the ribs are very rounded, the shoulder assembly (shoulder blade and

On the other hand, if the ribs come down almost straight with too little curve, there will be insufficient room inside the ribcage for the lungs and the heart. If the shoulder blade and upper arm don’t have the required slope of rib to “lean” against, the elbows will not be able to sit snuggly against the lower ribs (Fig. 50) This breed should have nicely sprung ribs, gently rounded, flattening out a bit towards the bottom to make room for the passing of the upper arm, we will get to that just now. Also important is the spacing between the ribs. If the ribs are well spaced, it also means that

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there is more room in the ribcage. Such a dog is said to be “well ribbed up”, which then leaves the loin area proportionately shorter.

Fig. 49 Beautiful forechest of correct depth and width

RIBS Moderately well sprung, never rounded like

barrel hoops. The chest is the area covered by the ribs, when viewed from the side. The ribs can be shaped and spaced in

Fig. 50 Well sprung ribs and very well ribbed up

A long-distance running dog can use all the help it can get; being able to draw much air is a definite advantage.

Should be visible when viewed from the side.

as “short in ribcage” and/or long in loin (Fig. 51) Compare Fig. 51 to Fig. 51a, the long ribcage provides plenty of heart and lung room.

Fig. 51 Very short ribcage, very long loin (red arrow shows the last rib)

Fig. 52 Prosternum / Forechest

The point of the forechest is called the prosternum. (Fig. 52) There are TWO factors which make it possible, or impossible to make it visible from the side. Firstly, the prosternum must be well developed, meaning that the ribs must meet in front, keeping their gently rounded shape all the way, as seen in Fig. 52. In some breeds (such as the Dachshund) the prosternum is very pronounced, very prominent, so much so that it kind of sticks out. That is nice on a Dachshund (Fig. 53, 54).

Fig. 51a Very well ribbed up, short strong loin (red arrow shows the last rib)

Fig. 52 Shoulder drawn in arrows, forechest circled

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A dog whose ribs are not well spaced will be referred to

FORECHEST

…but NOT desirable on a Rhodesian Ridgeback. I have

too far forward; they “hide” the forechest. Some dogs

noticed that some dogs seem to carry a bit of fat in

have ribs so straight, and forechests so shallow, that the

that area, and that is not becoming for a Ridgeback.

points of shoulder almost meet in front, and the elbows

There should just be ribs and muscle, not wobbling fat.

almost meet underneath the dog. In very young dogs

The forechest should just be visible, not pronounced.

the forechest might still fill out a little, but if it started

Some dogs do have a properly constructed ribcage,

out with a shallow chest it is not likely to develop to

ribs meeting in the proper way in front, but the

the point where it would have a correct brisket and

prosternum is still not really visible. This means that

forechest as an adult.

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both the shoulder blade and the upper arm are set

HOW TO PURCHASE Orders: www.ridgebackrevealed.blogspot.com

Languages: English, German, Russian Model on cover: Bawabu Azima Ahadi at Tukela Breeder: Satu Laakso, Owner: Carina Dunn

ABOUT THE AUTHOUR

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

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

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y journey in dogs started in the early

Photo by Thomas Rausch

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EXCERPT FROM BOOK by Petra Stracke

THE LIVERNOSE An extract f rom Petra Stracke‘s book „Rhodesian Ridgeback..oder wie kommt der Löwenhund aufs Sofa„ exclusively and for the f irst time available for our readers in English language. This book has been published in 2015 and is available for sale in German language. .

realised only much later that I had seen livernosed Ridgebacks as a child already. Tapsi, whom I had met at the Geibler’s yard, was a Livernose. She was medium sized and had strong bone, wheaten with amber eyes. As far as I can recall Tapsi was very independent and somewhat stubborn,decidedly watchful and aloof with strangers. I think there were never any livernosed puppies in the litters from „aus dem Skaaprevier“, which leads me to believe that the breeding partners did not carry the liver gene. One needs to remember that back in the 60s there was not such a big selection of stud dogs. The second female that I particularly noticed years later – I was already a Specialist Breed Judge – was Kisangani African Red Ruby. Ruby was a bitch of substance, medium sized bitch with lovely expression and rich liver pigmentation. I was thrilled to get to know this bitch much more closely as an incredible character. I had heard time and again that the livernosed Ridgebacks are a species onto themselves. In the beginning of my „career“ I liked the dogs really dark, wanted their masks to be black. Therefore I found it difficult to really like the livernoses. I thought them to be rather boring and lacking expression. But.... as it often happens.... life took a different turn I planned my first litter with Missie of Ginba’s Hero. Missie was a big, substantial red wheaten bitch with a black nose. She had lots of black pigmentation. Her nails looked as if they had black

nail polish on them, and her eyes were surrounded by thick black eyeliner. The leather of her nose was pitchblack. I would have never guessed that she might carry the liver gene. But soon I was to learn differently. Because Missie and all her siblings were decidedly on the substantial side it was clear to me that the sire of this litter would have to be rather on the lower side of the acceptable height limits. Also his relatives should rather be on the lower end of that scale. I decided on Kisangani Dark Red Regent, a son of the livernose African Red Ruby. Even at that stage I did not realise that I might possibly be expecting Livernoses. Slowly, I began to develop an interest in this matter and decided that if there was a Livernose bitch in this litter I would keep it. I had known the breed for so long and now I wanted to get to know for myself if the Livernose is indeed different. I could hardly wait for the arrival of the litter. Miss Smilla, and her flair for sensing snow The F-litter was born on 28.6.2008. Three males, of which one was a livernose, and four females, of which two were livernoses. Who would have thought? I was so thrilled and I decided to keep one of those bitches – Miss Smilla would convince me from then on that she was something very special with her brown nose, and that she had an extraordinary “sense for snow”. Yes, she fulfilled all of my expectation and continues to surprise me still. I understand her more and more and I trust her excellent instincts. As a young bitch she was rather delicate in build

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STANDING UP FOR

She was fully grown only at about 3 and her frame became a bit broader. Today she is 65 cm and weighs 37 kg, her head has matured too. Her expression is gorgeous, her eyes will penetrate you and give you goosebumps. Its not just that. Smilla is a bitch that (almost) always does everything correctly. It is hard to describe... I only really realised that after a few years. She was the youngest of the pack, and that is how she behaved. Inconspicuous, always friendly, rather cautious. Her first season only started at 12 months and she continued in this cycle until the death of her mother Missie. Missie had a shorter cycle, and so these two never got into each others way; for instance being competition for each other during a heat. Shortly after Missie died, Smilla came into season far too early, and her cycle has since then shortened to 8 months.

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She turns into a very fussy eater during her pregnancy (as I mentioned in her story before) and she has driven me to the edge of insanity with that. I followed her with her feeding bowl around the house, begging her to eat – without success. I have given up by now. She knows what is best for her and I trust her instincts. If she had filled up her tummy with normal portions, the puppies might have been very big. After all, she had three very large litters and so the weights at birth were fairly low and the whelping took place without complications.

She comes along almost always off lead, she has very little hunting drive and wants to be close to me.

She rigorously rejected all supplements during pregnancy as well. The most expensive food supplements (the things we do...! Folic acid & Co...) will not even be sniffed at and she leaves the entire bowl untouched. If I offer a second bowl, without the additions, she will accept it gladly. It leaves me speechless. I tried to take her temperature before the birth. No way. She will not permit it. Why should she? After the birth – no problem. I can’t shake the feeling that she somehow knows what could do her harm.She raises her puppies lovingly. Even the litter of 15 pups did not cause her any problems. In the whelping box she managed to do everything on her own and required very little assistance. She tests the floor with her paw, even checks under cushions and blankets before she lies down.

She has had three litters. She was a dedicated, passionate mother. She allowed herself to be mated without problems and gave birth to two times 12 and 15 (!) puppies respectively in a short

She changed sides without assistance, so that all the puppies get to feed from the full teats. I can rave about this bitch, she is simply a treasure. I am sure there are black nosed bitches with all these

Smilla accompanied me on horse outrides, without me ever having to teach her what to do. The same applies to our outings on a bicycle.

time, her excellent instincts guiding her every step of the way.

Photo by Thomas Rausch

with a feminine head and she had a quite unruly temperament. Those who know us, also know the „Smilla bounce“- meaning that she jumps from the stand up into the air with all four feet, easily reaching a height of 1.8 m.

qualities, too. Something I keep on noticing is her thoroughness.

After the death of her beloved mother Smilla was devastated for three weeks. During long walks she was no longer confident and became rather skittish. I suspect that she felt the pressure of having inherited the position of leader of the pack, which her mother had handled before. After three or four weeks she slowly became herself again and now leads her pack with strong instincts and confidence until today. I see Smilla as a very strong dog-personality and I don’t know if this is due to her being a Livernose. But I would certainly not discard the possibility. Without question she is a very special dog. I learned a lot from her and she has shown me many alternative possibilities. Most of all, she taught me to just trust her. Another little example of her strength of character: we went to a photo shooting with Thomas Rausch. It was – lets say – not without stress and Smilla showed me towards the end without doubt that she was fed up. She showed me the „ice-cold shoulder“- typical for her – or typical for a Livernose? The standard colours of the Ridgeback are light wheaten to red wheaten and in most cases the dog has black pigmentation, called Eumelanin. This causes the black nose colour, with or without a dark mask and dark eyes as well as black

I am pleased to note that the Livernose has become a lot more popular in recent years. In the show ring too, they have achieved quite a lot of notable success. Champion titles are not that common yet, but they do happen. Livernoses have their place in the breed, just as Ridgebacks with white markings do, if we do not want to restrict the genepool even further. Livernoses can for instance improve the quality of the wheaten colour from a black nosed partner which has too much black/smudge. A significant contributor to the distribution of the Livernose was the stud dog Globe’s Roving Red Regent, whose son Khwezi Achernar and a few males from the Kennel Ka-Ul-Li’s Ridges owned by Ulrike Lichtenauer in Austria. In Switzerland, Walter Federspiel (Zurimahali) is deeply involved in Livernoses. He kindly supplied me with some visual material on this subject. If your dog comes from a litter of two black noses or two livernoses, you can have it tested (Locus B) at LABOKLIN (www.laboklin.de) to find out if it carries Bb.

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There are so many other things: she always looks at me and asks, for instance, before she walks through a door. She never just pushes her way past me.

nails. If there is no black pigment, you have the variety Livernose, i.e. the dog has a brown nose, brown nails and light amber coloured eyes. It is possible to have dogs/bitches that only carry the black gene (BB) or the liver gene (bb). And you get dogs that carry both genes (Bb). You can not tell whether a dog carries Bb by just looking at it. Some breeders think that a so-called “winter nose” is such a sign, but that is simply due to metabolic deficiency.

Exerpt from the FCI-Standard No. 146: „The nose should be black or brown, in keeping with the colour of the dog. No other coloured nose is permissible. A black nose should be

accompanied

dark eyes, a brown nose

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by amber eyes”

ABOUT THE AUTHOUR

Ridgebacks since 1972 • Breeder since 1987 • Breed specialist judge since 1999 • Diploma-Animal psychology since 2001 • Breed Warden for RR-Breeders in DZRR Club since 1992 • Author of two Books about Rhodesian Ridgebacks and some articles

Currently: three female Rhodesian Ridgeback, all home-bred and all livernose and one Dachshund Standard, brown colour. For me it is most important to breed close to the Standard with preferably no deviations. Dogs must be healthy in body and mind. It is worth preserving the type and character. Ridgebacks should not be shy or aggressive. I think this wonderful new magazine can help to understand the breed better by many special points and subjects. There will be something for everyone to read and learn about Ridgebacks. A great opportunity to develop and to get to know people. This magazine is a present for Ridgeback-Lovers.

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PETRA STRACKE

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RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK

GENETIC TESTING For the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed, there is a list of recognized genetically determined diseases for which a pathogenic mutation is known. Breeders use genetic results for a positive management of the breed, thereby lowering the risk of breeding ridgebacks with well known health problems.

Carriers of mutated allele (heterozygotes) are clinically healthy, but transmit the mutation onto their offspring. In case of mating two heterozygous dogs there is a theoretical chance that 25% of the descendants will be healthy, 50% will be carriers a 25% will inherit the mutated allele from both parents and, therefore, will be affected.

GENETIC TESTS FOR HEREDITARY DISEASES • Alport Syndrome COL4A5 c.513_522delTAATCCAGGA • Coat Color Dilution Alopecia MLPH c.596G>A • Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) SOD1 c.118G>A • Elliptocytosis SPTB c.6384C>T • Hemophilia B - Coagulation Factor IX Deficiency F9 c.1253G>A • Hemophilia B - Coagulation Factor IX Deficiency F9 c.731G>A • Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) | DIRAS1 | c.564_567delAGAC • Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency ITGB-2 c.107G>C (CLAD) • Malignant Hyperthermia RYR-1 c.1640T>C • Oculocutaneous albinism SLC45A2 c.1478G>A

PA R T 1

efore reading this article please remember that genetics is a very complex science that still develops and discover. Still, mother nature is more powerful than we are. Genetic testing helps us to reveal a lot, but we are still missing much important information. The tests which are commercially available have been scrutinized by peer-reviewed journals and academic community before being launched into the routine diagnostic practice. Many mutations are still waiting to be discovered; the state-of-the art is far from being complete. There are several types of genetic diseases inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. It means that the dog must receive the mutated gene from both parents to develop the disease. In this issue we will have look closely at three most common Genetic tests for hereditary diseases and two Genetically determined phenotypic variants.

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Wri tte n by A l e n a J í l ková w i t h t h e co o p e ra t i o n o f T I L I A L A B O R ATO R I E S s . r.o. , T h e L a b o ra to r y fo r M o l e c u l a r Diagnostics

Mendel’s rules of heredity

PARENTS

25 %

100 % CLEAR

50 % CLEAR 50 % CARRIER

100 % CARRIER

25 % CLEAR 25 % CARRIER 25 % AFFECTED 50 % CARRIER 50 % AFFECTED

100 % AFFECTED

LEGEND

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CLEAR

CARRIER

DEGENERATIVE MYELOPATHY Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which occurs in a wide range of dogs at approximately eight years of age. Affected dogs develop a non-painful weakness of the pelvic limbs that causes problems with coordination and unsteady gait, then the signs slowly progress to muscle atrophy, ataxia, incontinence and end with paralysis of hind limbs. The symptoms accompanying this disease are so severe that the affected dog dies within 3 to 5 years after occurrence of the first signs. Typically, the dog is euthanized approximately one year after the first symptoms have appeared. DM occurs in dogs of both sexes with the same frequency. A certain percentage of dogs positive for DM do not exhibit clinical signs in their lifetime.

AFFECTED

When choosing the breeding pair, the DM genotypes of both partners are important – it is advisable to avoid such combinations of parents that would produce offsprings positive for DM.

MH - MALIGNANT HYPERTHERMIA Dogs with malignant hyperthermia are healthy without clinical signs unless they are exposed to some trigger substances. In case of general anesthesia, hypercapnia, tachycardia and hyperthermia occur in affected individuals. If the anesthesia is not interrupted, the signs may develop in arrhythmia, rhabdomyolysis, renal failure and death. The trigger substances are common volatile and gaseous inhalational anesthetic agents (e.g. halothane, isoflurane and sevoflurane) and non-polarizing muscle relaxants such as succinylcholine (Roberts et al. 2001, Brunson et al. 2004).

The MH is inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder. Only one copy of the mutated gene is sufficient for the development of clinical signs.

JUVENILE MYOCLONIC EPILEPSY Genetic disease characterized by sudden short and uncontrolled muscle jerks or twitches called Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. The disease occurs at a very young age and the onset of the first seizures is around 6 months of age. The intensity and frequency of palsies differ among the individual dogs, with up to 150 seizures per day in the most severe cases. The epileptic seizures affect mainly the muscles of proximal limbs and trunk, cervical muscles, head muscles and facial muscles. The seizures occur most commonly when the animals are relaxed, drowsy or in the first stages of sleep. Some affected dogs display visually induced seizures, for example by sudden light flashes.

Blue puppies compare to a normal coat color

GENETICALLY DETERMINED PHENOTYPIC VARIANTS Introduction into coat color in dogs • LOCUS B, Brown coat color, allele bc_bd_bs |TYRP1 c.121T>A | TYRP1 c.1033_1036del | TYRP1 c.991C>T • LOCUS D - allele - d2 Dilution - MLPH c.705G>C • LOCUS D - allele d1 - Dilution MLPH c.-22G>A

D LOCUS (DILUTION LOCUS) • allele d1: c.-22G>A in MLPH • allele d2: c.705G>C of MLPH Dilution D is responsible for lighter hue of the coat color referred to as „blue color“. Dogs with black coat turn into grey (blue) and the red colour turns into cream colour. The inheritance of the diluted colour is autosomal recessive which means that the phenotype of diluted colour is expressed only in case of d1/d1 genotype. Novel D locus variants are expected to be discovered, as there are numerous dog breeds with coat colour dilution that is caused neither by d1 nor d2 allele.

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The treatment should start with interruption of the anesthesia, chilling the organism and administration of antidotes reducing muscle tension, e.g. dantrolene. For dogs affected with MH, alternative anesthetics can be applied and the pre-medication is also very important as the stress can be a factor contributing to the development of clinical signs (Brunson et al. 2004).

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Blue puppies compare to a normal coat color

B LOCUS (BROWN) B locus influences the production of brown or black eumelanin. This gene has two major forms: • B - controls the black coat colour • b - controls the brown coat colour (at least four allelic B locus variants are known to date) If two b-alleles are present, the brown eumelanin is produced.

The non-mutated allele or wild type allele causes the production of black eumelanin pigment and is dominantly inherited. If two B-alleles are present, the black eumelanin is produced. The black B-allele is dominant to the brown recessive b-allele. The bb-homozygotes have brown

nose and lighter eye rim pigmentation, soft coat and brown nails. Dogs with B-allele have a black nose, black lips and black pigmentation of mucous membranes. It is interesting to observe the occurrence of brown colour in hunting dogs, where it fulfils the function of camouflage during hunting. Genotype variants: • BB - black coat colour • bb - brown coat colour • Bb - black coat colour (inheritance of brown coat colour, classified as carrier) Test for locus B routinely involves three different alleles called bc, bd, bs. There can be three different results for each marker: (note: small letter “b” means predisposition for

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Livernose compare to black nose

brown color, capital letter “B” means no brown color) • possible results for bc: Bc/Bc, Bc/bc (carrier of bc marker - the dog has Bc from one parent and bc from the other parent), bc/bc (brown color - the dog has bs from both parents) • possible results for bd: Bd/Bd, Bd/bd (carrier of bd marker - the dog has Bd from one parent and bd from the other parent), bd/bd (brown color - the dog has bs from both parents) • possible results for bs: Bs/Bs, Bs/bs (carrier of bs marker - the dog has Bs from one parent and bs from the other parent), bs/ bs (brown color - the dog has bs from both parents)

• Final locus B expression would be B/b - the dog will be carrier of brown, but brown color will be hidden • the dog inherited some small “b” from one parent and some small “b” from the other parent - for example: • parent 1: Bc, bd, bs - one allele harbors a b • parent 2: bc, Bd, Bs - the other allele also harbors a b • Final locus B expression would be b/b - the dog will have brown coat color (brown nose, eye rim, coat and nails)

What does the “bc, bd, bs” reset mean? There is a problem. Without the parents we are not able to decide which marker was inherited from which parent. Generally, there can be two possibilities: • the dog inherited all small “b” from one parent – • parent 1: bc, bd, bs - one gene allele harbors all b • parent 2: Bc, Bd, Bs - the other gene allele harbors all B

Don´t miss an upcoming issue and discover more info about genetic testing.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A JUDGE Martin is involved in the world wide Rhodesian Ridgeback scene since 1981 as owner and trainer.

Martin is involved in the world wide Rhodesian Ridgeback scene since 1981 as owner and trainer. He studied the dogs in the early eighties in South Africa as trainee of the old established breeder and founder of the breed. During his stay in the UK, Martin developed his own kennel and was nominated to judge Ridgebacks for the KC in 1995. Later on he passed the German education period and was appointed FCI judge for Rhodesian Ridgebacks,Dalmatian and Beagle. Martin is probably one of the last judges combing the original phenotype, the former essential functionality and the FCI standard whilst judging International Shows in Europe, overseas (CAN, AU) and of course in South Africa, the country of origin.

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS. My profession: Chemist, MSc and MBA, My career: Chief Production Officer (CPO) and General Manager of a blue chip Chemical Company, My current Status: Mature enough to enjoy life as pensioner; residence: a small village in the Central German Uplands called “Harz”, family man, RR owner, breeder & judge.

WHEN DID YOUR LOVE OF DOGS BEGIN? PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PAST AND PRESENT DOGS. My first companion in the early seventies was a Labrador-Mix, followed by German Wirehaired Pointer and a Weimaraner. In 1981 the first Ridge-

back entered our house. Since then two RRs have always been part of our family.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED? In 1981 the World Dog Show took place in Dortmund (GER) and the local press reported about a “lion hunter”, meaning a Rhodesian Ridgeback bitch as winner. By chance the owner, a veterinarian, lived nearby and a visit was arranged. So fate took its course.

WHEN DID YOU START WITH JUDGE CAREER AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME A JUDGE? PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR JUDGES CARRIER AND YOUR HIGHLIGHTS. My judge career began in 1995 during my stay of several years in the UK. Wilf & Betty Webster, owner of the “Janak” Kennel, encouraged me to evaluate the Ridgebacks and I started my judging career at small county Shows in Great Britain under the Kennel Club (KC) regulations. Later on, while back in Germany I acquired the judge licenses at the Verband für das Deutsche Hundewesen (VDH) under the roofing association FCI. In addition to the Rhodesian Ridgeback, I also obtained my VDH/FCI judge licenses for the evaluation of Dalmatians and Beagle. With our work in the show ring, we as judges set an important milestone for the future develop-

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

MARTIN KLOPSCH

ment of the breed. In concrete terms, we can exert an influence in order to preserve and promote health, form and thus functionality. This was and is my intention as a specialist breed judge. Since 1995 I have judged in 15 countries worldwide and every show was a highlight. I am especially honoured to have been invited to judge • The Annual Championship Show of the South African club SARRC in the home country of the Rhodesian Ridgeback, • The RR World Congress Show in Toronto (Canada) and

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• The Championship Show of “The Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Inc.” in Sydney, Australia.

With our work in the show ring, we as judges set an important milestone for the future development of the breed.

Tom Hawley, Martin Klopsch, Laurie Venter (SA 1984)

DID YOU EVER HAD A MENTOR? ARE YOU MENTORING NEW COMERS? My mentors in the early days (1984 – 1987) were Maj. Tom Hawley (de Holi), Laurie Venter (Glenaholm) and Sam & Margaret Wallace (Mushana). In the following years I was able to experience many insights by international judge and former RR breeder Mrs. Elizabeth (Liz) Megginson (Shangara). I like to pass on my knowledge and my views about the Ridgebacks to young judge students. My last trainees came from Germany and Switzerland.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE TYPE? A statement that is often heard is: “the judge likes this or that type” or also: “the breeder breeds this or that type”. But what is meant is not the type hunting dog, service dog, working dog etc., it is the phenotype of the RR as a result of individual breed lines. When I say the phenotype, I mean all externally recognizable characteristics like size, colour, bone substance, proportions (length to height) etc. and this leads us back to the interpretation of the standard. Defining the type of the Ridgeback corresponds to the appearance according to standard: “The Rhodesian Ridgeback should represent a well-balanced, strong, muscular, agile and active dog, symmetrical in outline, and capable of great

myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and degenerative myelopathy (DM), both of which have been well controlled by modern veterinary medicine.

So what does that tell us? The Ridgeback-type is functional first of all. In order to guarantee this, a certain size as described in the standard is required, which must be in turn to the right proportion to the length of the dog. In addition, the cosmetic features such as red wheaten colour (and not mahogany or chestnut brown), some white and the matching eye colour are very desirable for the full assessment.

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

IS THERE SOMETHING WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN THE BREED? The Rhodesian Ridgeback has been created and promoted based on its natural instincts and traits. If I would make changes today I would change the origins and this is exactly what I absolutely want to prevent.

EVERY BREED HAS SOME COMMON PROBLEMS. WHICH IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM IN RR? We’ve known about the dermoid sinus (DS) and its hereditability since the early days of the breed. Fortunately, we were able to significantly reduce the incidence through selective breeding. A genetic-test which is currently under development, will support to reduce DS furthermore. But the keyword genetic- test also leads me to juvenile

Winner SA Trophy Show 2012

The RR was originally a hunting dog, so please pay attention to the following: In your assessment, give great importance to functionality, i.e.: the dog must be balanced, of correct (standard) size and proportional length. The top line, slightly curved at the loins with a mite sloping croup should give the correct backhand angulation. The forehand, which finally carries 65% of the dog’s weight, must start with the correctly placed shoulder and have the correct forearm angle. Also look at closed, compact paws, because flat paws are a “no go”. The movement ultimately shows whether the anatomic setup is correct.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE? I have great respect for the sound knowledge about the static and dynamic of the dog as well as about behavioural psychology. Together with the standard details the judge should than be able to build up an objective overall picture of the dog.

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS MAKE A GOOD JUDGE IN YOUR OPINION?

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endurance with a fair amount of speed. The emphasis is on agility, elegance and soundness with no tendency towards massiveness.”

Ideally, the judge should have a good understanding of anatomy and should have mastered the physical processes of the dog’s movement. He should not acquire his view of the dog in a small region with a negligible population, but should have studied the various phenotypic traits as a result of different breeding lines in various countries abroad. In the end, even a small feeling for beauty like colour and grace can’t hurt. Finally he must be able to make objective decisions and concentrate on the dog and not on the other end of the leash.

WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU SEE IN THE JUDGES TODAY AS OPPOSED TO THOSE IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER? In the beginning of my career the generation of judges did their work based on their own experiences. Colleagues who judged a lot in foreign countries at this time could use this way to make valuable comparisons in their work. Nowadays, comparisons and new findings can be gathered much more promptly via the internet, but in the end it is still the “view for the breed” that makes up the adept judge in the past and today.

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WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A JUDGE? In the early eighties I spent a wonderful period of RR studying with a breeder on her plot of land near Johannesburg. Almost 30 years later I had the honour to judge the RRs at a club show in SA. At this show the breeder appeared and introduced me to a number of dogs in the different classes, probably to check if I had kept what I learned from then. It was a wonderful reunion and of course I did my very best.

HOW HAS THE DOG SCENE CHANGED OVER THE LAST DECADES? In the early years of the exhibitions, the breed welded its owners together. The impression that can be taken today at an exhibition is rather that it is an increasing competition for beauty titles. A placed VG (very good) dog is often seen as a loser although it is a very good representative of his breed. I think the exhibitor’s ambition is noticeably stronger today.

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? Although the breeding standard has not changed, since 10 years and more we observe periodically recurring characteristics at the RRs, which according to breeders are in demand by puppy prospective customers and obviously served by the market. For example, we observe the increasing size and a trend towards mahogany and chestnut brown colours which is marginal to the RR standard.

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO RR TODAY? From my point of view it is the change from hunting and working dog to pure family companion. The trend began in the nineties in Europe and has continued until today. Quite often the owner lacks the knowledge to challenge and promote the RR according to his nature physically and mentally.

IT’S 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? My advice to a new generation of breeders would be: • Think about the correct interpretation of the standard. • Define your breeding goal in accordance with the standard and compare the breeding result critically with your goal. Bear in mind, even if genetic diversity has become very important today, not every dog should necessarily be part of your breeding program. • Don’t make your breeding results dependent on so-called fashion trends, even if the demand of puppy interested people is high. • Talk to fellow breeders also about negative results from your breeding lines. The open and transparent conversation will help to overcome genetic problems.

• Don’t be stubborn and listen from time to time to the advice of an older breeder colleague.

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

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Litter mates Tau Tsoma and Jumbe Jua

As hon. president of the SARRC, I represent the breed and standard specific interests of the national associations in Europe to the FCI. I am happy to support and coordinate between the national European associations and the SARRC if necessary. Please feel free to contact me.

Bring the original form and character of the RR as a phenotypic breeding goal on one side into harmony with the modern knowledge of puppy behavioural development during the raising period of the litter on the other side. This is a way to harmonize the original appearance of our breed with a good behaviour in the sense of our today’s society.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING? This is just for information in case you are thinking about changes of the valid standard deposited with the FCI: The South African Rhodesian Ridgeback Club (SARRC) is the owner of the breed standard and decides in its committee about changes before they are passed in South African regional committees and the national committee. The decision of the national committee is transmitted to KUSA and finally reaches the FCI whose full member KUSA is.

INFO Name Martin

Klopsch

Country Germany Affix Tau Email

Tsoma

martin.klopsch@tau-tsoma.de

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A JUDGE Don’t take wins and losses at shows too seriously. It is just ONE judge’s opinion on ONE day.

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS. I was born and raised in Berlin, Germany. Emigrated to South Africa when I was 20 and have lived there ever since. Got married and had a daughter in the 80s. I was GM of a Welding Safety company for 20 years. Since 2006 I am retired, still living in South Africa and loving it.

WHEN DID YOUR LOVE OF DOGS BEGIN? PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PAST AND PRESENT DOGS. Even as a child in Berlin I wanted a dog. I got my first dog in South Africa, a Great Dane, in 1972. Several more Danes followed, then in 1977 my first Irish Wolfhound, followed by many more. When the last IWH died in 2000 I got two American Staffordshire Terrier pups. They lived until 2014. Since then, two delightful mongrels enrich our lives.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED? Mylda Arsenis (Mpani Kennel) lived just down the road. She was a very well known RR breeder and author. We became close friends, and she taught me much about the breed. More than that - she fired up that passion for the breed in me that you need in order to love and respect all its aspects.

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

YOUR HIGHLIGHTS. About 1983. I had been exhibiting for a few years, and two of the senior judges made it quite clear to me that it is important to ‘give something back’ as they called it. Judging can be quite tough, and some people get upset if their dogs don’t win. So I decided to study, to learn everything I could... and I am still learning, over 30 years later. Because I come from the country of origin and I speak German fluently, I was invited to judge in Germany a lot. I have judged all over the world, including several countries in Africa, in America, Canada, Ireland, Russia, Croatia, Sweden.

DID YOU EVER HAVE A MENTOR? ARE YOU MENTORING NEW COMERS? Yes. I had some all-breed judges, dear friends who mentored me on the basics of soundness and movement, and Mrs. E. Megginson (Shangara) was a close friend for many years. She gave me much insight into type of the Ridgeback. I give advice to Learner Judges whenever I can, and I have supported newcomers to the breed, especially when it comes to show training and such, for many years.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE TYPE? Type is what makes the dog a Ridgeback, and not just a Weimaraner with a ridge in a different colour. Type is what the Breed Standard describes. Everything else is Trend or Fancy.

IS THERE SOMETHING WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN THE BREED? No.

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TIMMY U. RALFE

Lismore Gracie Allen, owner Steve Le Van.

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

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Short upper arms. A problem in most breeds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks are unfortunately no exception.

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

I think that education is vital. Education of the public, owners, new breeders, judges.

The Breed Standard says SIZE: 63 TO 69 cm

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE? The courage to do the right thing, and the humour to see the funny side of things.

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS MAKE A GOOD JUDGE IN YOUR OPINION? A good mind and a strong spine.

WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU SEE IN THE JUDGES TODAY AS OPPOSED TO THOSE IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER? Not sure that I see any.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A JUDGE? In the ring, I asked a handler “how old?” He hesitated briefly, then smiled at me, winked and replied: “36!” I staggered back to the judge’s table, my knees weak from laughter. On the serious side, it was an incredible privilege and honour to judge Rhodesian Ridgebacks at the 2015 Bundessieger Show in Dortmund, Germany.

HOW HAS THE DOG SCENE CHANGED OVER THE LAST DECADES? It has opened up much more due to Social Media. And mostly, that’s a good thing.

The Standards have not changed much. The differences I see are mostly in the presentation and handling.

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO RR TODAY? I hear that there are moves to add “Ridgeless” to the mix...

IT’S 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? Just breed and judge to the Standard.

WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO ALL SERIOUS YOUNG BREEDERS? Don’t take wins or losses at shows too seriously. It is just ONE judge’s opinion on ONE day.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING? I think that education is vital. Education of the public, owners, new breeders, judges. That is why I have written the book “Ridgeback Revealed”, an explanation of what the Breed Standard actually requires. I do Breed Seminars on this subject as well, and the feedback I get is always excellent. People are excited to learn, us ‘oldies’ must just give them an opportunity to do so.

INFO

Name: Mrs.

Timmy U. Ralfe

Country: South

Africa

www

ridgebackrevealed.blogspot.com or email:

alamo252@vodamail.co.za

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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?

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TUNAPENDANA BREEDER

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A BREEDER

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PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR KENNEL TO OUR READERS, AND TELL US WHY THIS PARTICULAR BREED. My name is Katja Lisson and I breed Rhodesian Ridgebacks under DZRR/VDH in Germany. I work as an animal healer and my biggest areas of expertise are nutritional advice, homeopathy and leech therapy. My kennel „Tunapendana“ was founded in 2010 and I had my first litter in 2015. Two litters followed in 2016 and 2018 and the next one is planned later this year. Our 3 RR are family members and join us everywhere. I love to train them for shows in dog sports or small tricks. Our puppies live very close to us in our living room all the time they stay here and don`t move into a puppy house after a couple of weeks. Some of my offspring from every litter are shown very successfully but most important for me are health and stable characters! To keep and hold those aims, natural feeding is necessary! Our dogs get raw food from their first day and I´m very proud to say that all of our offspring are being fed that way!

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I met the first Rhodesian Ridgeback in 1998 and have been fascinated from the first second! This beautiful dog with its special character... This special character was and is the reason why I am in love with Rhodesian Ridgebacks. In 2009 my dream of a Ridgeback came true and I cannot imagine having another breed at any time.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE A DOG BREEDER IN THE FIRST PLACE? When I was a child we always had lots of animals and if possible they had offspring. So there was no doubt that I would one day breed, but only under strict rules of the VDH of course.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED? I met the first Rhodesian Ridgeback in 1998. A colleague had a dog of this breed I hadn´t heard before. When he brought him to work I was fascinated from the first moment!

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PAST AND PRESENT DOGS. At the moment 3 bitches are living in our family. Our first Ridgeback Chani is still with us, she`s

Dt Ch, Ch Club ELSA Gasira-Gioia of Sansibar Island

WHAT IMPROVEMENTS DO YOU WANT TO BRING TO THE BREED WITH YOUR BREEDING PROGRAMME?

Tunapendana Bhanu Lovely Sumba

The breed Rhodesian Ridgeback is becoming fashion more and more. That is a bad development for this breed because health and character get deteriorate. There is no need for aggressive or skittish Ridgebacks with lots of diseases or allergies! Best and natural food is important for a long and healthy life and it makes characters more stable and balanced. Me and my family take very good care of our puppies, expose them a lot of possible situations in their lives and to continue that I keep in contact with all of my puppy parents and I remain their support for lifetime!

WHICH DOG DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR BREEDING PROGRAM? My foundation dog Gioia is a real Ridgeback in every way, inside and outside. Her character is how a Ridgeback should be in descriptions of the breed. She`s very healthy and on top she has an outstanding exterior and movement.

HOW DOES IN YOUR OPINION RR DIFFER FROM OTHER BREEDS? Rhodesian Ridgebacks aren`t „slaves “, they are partners and need a leader who is confident enough to be it! They are very sensitive for situations and feelings and behave differently in a split second if necessary. They ask for commands for lifetime and are a sophisticated breed. All that makes them so special!

Chivani of Sansibar Island

DO YOU SEE ANY DIFFERENCE IN RR OF TODAY COMPARED TO THE RR OF 10 YEARS AGO?

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10,5 years. She was approved for breeding too but after a very bad pyometra she had to be neutered to save her life. She`s our best companion in every way. Her niece Gioia is 7,5 years old and has had 3 litters. Gioia taught me how to show a dog and love doing it! She`s my soul dog in every way. She´s been a very instinctive mother and gave her brave and balanced character to her puppies too. Gioia`s daughter Sumba from my second litter will hopefully be mother to my upcoming litter this year. She`s a very happy and lovely girl. Sumba loves to cuddle whenever it is possible but she also loves to work in different ways.

Dt Ch, Ch DZRR, Pl Ch, inter Ch Tunapendana Adia Ayo www.mbaya-almasi-ridgeback.de

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IF SO, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES YOU SEE? 2 months ago I had visitors who wanted to get to know my dogs because they only met aggressive or scary RR on their dog walks. I always get compliments about the character of my dogs from the vet when I go there and they told me the same development of RR behaviour in their clinic like the visitors... That´s a very bad development. Another big difference I see is that in some countries the exterior becomes more similar to German Shepherds. More angulation and sloping backs. We all know that German Shepherds don´t have healthy hips or elbows. We have to work against this development!

WHAT IN YOUR OPINION MAKES A PERFECT DOG? A perfect RR should be like the description in the standard! Character, exterior and colour should be in perfect harmony. A dog shouldn´t be skittish but also not aggressive and behave instinctively.

WHAT IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THE BREED

THAT YOU HAVE BRED TILL NOW? On a show I joined with some of my offspring from all litters a RR judge with many years of experience who showed his own young bitch came to me and made a big compliment to me! He said that he and his mom did marks on all my offspring in the catalog. They all have the same type and great movement although they are from three different litters. That was a very high compliment for me and my breeding because just that is my highest goal. From each of my litters there are very successful dogs with a few titles or on the way to get them but most important is that they all are very healthy and stable characters. And besides their show career they are great family members!

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

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Tunapendana Chuma Baako

Tunapendana Bhanu Yaro - Candidate Dt Ch www.tunapendanabhanuyaro.com

My highest achievement is to stick to my rules: Dogs in standard, brave but balanced characters, HEALTH! My biggest highlight is to BE a breeder! Being part of the big miracle of beginning life, giving the puppies the best start ever and helping to keep this wonderful breed healthy.

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCE OR INSPIRATION IN BREEDING/ AS A BREEDER AND IN WHAT WAY? My greatest influence and inspiration in breeding in this way have been my parents who taught me to treat all animals respectfully and to take care of them in the best way possible.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE? In times of professional handlers and many dogs in the ring the biggest challenge for a judge is to see the little faults of each dog and judge objectively.

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TO THOSE WHO ARE THINKING OF STARTING BREEDING - WHAT ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BECOME A BREEDER? Never forget to breed and behave in that way you wanted to when you looked at your first RR! It is a big responsibility and a lot of work because they are living creatures. You are responsible for the happy and healthy life of the puppy and it`s owners!

WHAT ARE YOUR EFFORTS PUT INTO IN ORDER TO BUILD A GREAT REPUTATION (BESIDES THE DOGS)? From the first second of the puppies life until their last breath I am supportove in every way with all my knowledge! My slogan is: My puppies are my puppies and will always be my puppies!

Tunapendana Bhanu Lovely Sumba

INFO Name Katja

Lisson

Country Germany Affix Tunapendana

www www.tunapendana.de

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KA-U-LIS-RIDGES BREEDER

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A BREEDER

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PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR KENNEL TO OUR READERS, AND TELL US WHY YOU CHOSE THIS PARTICULAR BREED. My name is Ulrike Lichtenauer. I am a Goldsmith, now retired. I am married and we have two sons. I have always loved animals, dogs in particular. I grew up with an Irish Setter, which my father brought back when he returned from the war. During my childhood we also had a German Shepherd Dog and a Cocker Spaniel. When I got married, we got an Irish Setter. After my son was born I opened a Goldsmith-Shop. I wanted a dog to protect my family and my shop, and that is why a Rhodesian Ridgeback male moved into our lives in 1993. In 1994 we added a little bitch to the family. In the back of my mind I had an inkling that I would want to breed later on, and so I applied for my kennel name Ka-Ul-Li Ridges in 1996. In 1997 we bred our first litter. More about that below.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE A DOG BREEDER IN THE FIRST PLACE?

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I had always wanted to be a breeder. I love dogs and I wanted to experience raising a litter. In the meantime I have bred 22 litters. By now I see breeding in a different light, with all its highs and lows.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED? When I started my search for the right breed for me and my family in 1993, I went to some dog shows. There I had my first contact with a Ridgeback. I bought books and found whatever I could on information about this breed and decided this would be the right breed for us. Active and vigilant, quiet and calm indoors.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PAST AND PRESENT DOGS. Ridgeback „Mehanna’s Mataco“ moved in with us just 10 weeks old in May 1993. He was a calm and quiet dog who gave us a lot of pleasure. He was very successful at exhibitions and he became a successful sire as well. What is more beautiful than a Ridgeback? TWO of course! So I imported „Ctoret Beni’s Ridges“ from Israel from Beni Kisler. The idea was to breed from her later on. She arrived on 28 February 1994 in Schwechat. Elegant and small, but full of temperament. The exact opposite to our male, who was not impressed by this uproar. But soon they became a wonderful team. The first litter of „of Ka-Ul-Li`s Ridges“ was born in April 1997. „Ctoret“ produced 4 litters. She was also very successful at dog shows, she became a Multi-Champion. She carried the gene for Liternose, and from then on I was an enthusiastic Livernose-Lover.

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Next we had „Chitonga“, a livernose bitch. She also had 4 litters. Her daughter „Emba“ also had 4 litters, I kept a livernose „Hema“ from one of her litters. She too had 4 litters. We had to put her to sleep in 2017 at the age of 14 years and 9 months. In 2005 I imported a male from Russia „Tina Trading Calvin Klein“ called Kuffrey. He became a stud dog and a Multi Champion. Kuffrey was 14 years and 4 months when I had to let him go in 2018. I still have some frozen sperm from him. In 2012 I imported a bitch from Walter Federspiel (Switzerland) „Zurimahali Fiona“. „Fiona“ is quite a small bitch, but very active and expressive. She has had 3 litters, beautiful and healthy. I kept „Wendo“ from the second litter but LTV kept us from using him at stud. From the last litter in 2018 I kept a little bitch that crept into our hearts „Xolani“. She is now 7 months old and keeps us on our toes. At this time I have 4 dogs: „Phara of Ka-Ul-Li`s Ridges“ 10 years, „Zurimahali Fiona“ 7 years, „Wendo of Ka-Ul-Li`s Ridges“ 2 years and „Xolani of Ka-Ul-Li`s Ridges“ months. I also co-own „African Mashumba Asha“ 2,5 years, „Wakati of Ka-Ul-Li`s Ridges“ and „Xabbo of Ka-Ul-Li`s Ridges“.

WHAT IMPROVEMENTS DO YOU WANT TO BRING TO THE BREED WITH YOUR BREEDING PROGRAMME?

There is no need for improvement. The standard clearly stipulates what is required, we just have to read it and apply it. Of course one has to consider the genetic and health aspects and also the suitablity of the stud dog, who might improve on the flaws of the female. The search for this dog is the most time consuming part. Sometimes I search for a few years before I find the right dog. If you take all of that into consideration, then there should be a good result in your whelping box.

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

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„Ctoret Beni`s Ridges“ Import from Israel from the kennel of Beni Kisler. To me, she is the foundation of my line.

IN YOUR OPINION, HOW THE RR DIFFER FROM OTHER BREEDS? The Ridgeback is a dog with a very strong mind, he likes to be in charge. Because of this, he can be rather stubborn but also sensitive and very intelligent. You need to have a delicate balance when training this dog. The owner needs to be on top of his game, he needs a lot of patience but has to be strict as well. The Ridgeback is a late developer, so

his basic training will take longer than with other breeds.

DO YOU SEE ANY DIFFERENCE IN RR OF TODAY COMPARED TO THE RR OF 10 YEARS AGO? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES YOU SEE? I would say they are becoming taller, and with that comes their tendency for all kinds of ailments. Also, with being so tall they lose many of their original abilities. The Ridgeback is a long distance runner, and if you observe dogs in the ring these days you will find only a handful that move really well. They mutate to couch potatoes. Unfortunately, their longevity is also becoming a thing of the past, Ridgebacks are dying far too young.

WHAT IN YOUR OPINION MAKES A PERFECT DOG? There are two sides to this. From the breeders‘ viewpoint, the perfect dog is well balanced, has strong bone, is not too tall. He has a straight topline, a typical masculine or feminite head, sound movement and a well balanced tempera-

ment. Matching the standard as much as possible. And from the viewpoint of the buyer I would describe the dog differently: looks might not be all that important, key is that the dog fits well into the family.

WHAT IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THE BREED THAT YOU HAVE BRED TILL NOW? The best and most successful dog I have bred was probably „Hasani of Ka-Ul-Li`s Ridges“. He lived in Czech Republic and was part of the Kennels Pavlovske Vrchy and Fox Grape Kennel. He was a Multi Champion and Vice World Winner 2006. Also „Ihlobo of Ka-Ul-Li`s Ridges“ owner Rudolf Ivansich, was a very successful show and stud dog.

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WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT AS A BREEDER? WHAT IS THE BIGGEST HIGHLIGHT IN YOUR CAREER AS A BREEDER? To me, that would be when my breeding programme is successful. To eliminate faults from the bloodline, to have bred dogs that are mostly healthy and enjoy longevity. One the one hand, my greatest highlight was that a dog which I bred became Vice Word Winner. And on the other hand, the arrival of 17 puppies in one litter – all survived, healthy and strong.

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCE OR INSPIRATION IN BREEDING/ AS A BREEDER AND IN WHAT WAY? When I started out with my breeding programme, Beni Kisler from Israel was an experienced breeder. He bred my first bitch „Ctoret“ and he supported me. He was always available on the telephone when I didn’t know what to do next. Later on I got to know Walter Federspiel. He bought a Livernose bitch „Liwaza of Ka-Ul-Li`s Ridges“ from me. He helped me a lot, giving advice with regards to feeding a litter in particular. After all, he has studied this subject. We are still in close contact and discuss our breeding plans.

That he has an opinion, and that he judges as closely to the standard as possible, and that he ignores the „fashions“ (too tall or too dark)

TO THESE WHO THINK OF STARTING BREEDING. WHAT ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BECOME A BREEDER ? I would advise all potential new breeders to get as much information as possible about health issues regarding your bitch and the intended stud dog, before they start breeding. Learn about the breed standard and the character of the Rhodesian Ridgeback. Look not just at the parents of your dog, but also at their grandparents, their relatives, and their progeny. Find out what faults and illnesses exist in those bloodlines. Only when you know all of that can you hope to breed healthy, typical and mentally sound puppies.

WHAT ARE YOUR EFFORTS TO BUILD A GREAT REPUTATION (BESIDES THE DOGS)? I think a good reputation is earned when you are honest, friendly, helpful. And if you always act reputably. If you look after your dogs well and show them in excellent condition. If you raise your litters well. And if you make yourself available to help your puppy buyers long after the puppy is sold. That’s how you get and maintain a good reputation.

INFO Name Ulrike

Lichtenauer

Country Österreich Affix Ka-u-lis-ridges www www.ka-u-lis-ridges.com email kaulis.ridges@aon.at

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WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE?

IKIMBA BREEDER

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THE OLDEST ACTIVE RR BREEDER IN FINLAND

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hen I moved to my own apartment in 1982 I decided that it was time to buy a dog. We had always had dogs in my childhood home (a Cocker Spaniel, a Boxer, and a Boston Terrier). I wanted a dog that was medium sized, with a short coat, and ears and tail that were not cropped. The dalmatian had most of these qualities but I did not like the spotted coat color and the temperament was a bit too lively to my liking. After going through several dog breed books I finally found the right breed. It was photograph of a dog that was lying in a field with the most beautiful, expressive head. Looking regal and calm. Reading the breed description got me even more excited – it sounded like the dog that I had been searching for. A phone call to the Finnish Kennel Club ended up with no results. No breeders and only a few registered dogs where found – and the owner information was confidential. It was a dead end. I then decided to go to the biggest dog show in Helsinki at the end of the year (Helsinki Winner show). The aim was to try to find another breed that would fulfill my criteria. The dogs where sitting in long rows of booths (back then, it was obligatory to stay at the dog show the whole day with the dogs, and they had to be kept in numbered booths, so that the visitors could go and look at them). In one booth there was a great looking dog – just like the dog in the breed book. A quick peek on the back of this dog confirmed my assumption to be true. I had found the breed that I had seen only one picture of in a dog book a few months earlier - I had found the Rhodesian Ridgeback. This dog was named Afrikana’s Tau, breeder Anita Gradin, Sweden, owner Maria Björkas. Maria invited me to her home, where she also had a puppy that she had imported from England, named Malabari Chimba. Maria had a lot of material on the breed and she showed me lots of pictures of dogs mainly living in Sweden and England. I absorbed all the information that she shared with me and after several months of getting to know the breed and it’s history, I decided to have my first Ridgeback imported from England. Easier said than done! I had to wait for yet another 1,5 years before I got my first Ridgeback “Kimba”. Kimba came from England in 1984 and at that time I had already learned some Kiswhahili (I had lots of time to practice while waiting for my puppy). I named her Mbwa Jike Shinda Moyo, meaning “the female that breaks your heart”. Kimba’s breeder was Celia Rowell. The contact person in England was Sue Simper (Matabelle) and in Sweden Sonja Nilsson (Roseridge), both long time breeders that Maria had made acquaintance with when she had imported her Ridgebacks from Sweden and England a few years earlier. In 1984, there were only 7 RR’s in Finland, imported from Sweden or England, and no active breeders. Kimba turned out to be a wonderful RR. She became a Finnish Champion and she also gained

I am the initiator and one of the founding members of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Finland, founded in 1988.

her Obedience Champion Title. She is the first RR in Europe (maybe in the whole world) to gain the Obedience Champion title. She was also the first RR to compete in Agility in Europe, winning a knock-out competition at the Winner Dog Show in Helsinki. This event was televised, so she became a well-known RR in Finland, and she sure did break many hearts. She lived up to 14 years of age. She taught me a lot about the breed. My kennel name originates partly from her call name, Kimba. Ikimba is also a lake in Tanzania. Additionally, the first part “iki” means in Finnish “forever - eternal”. I am the oldest active RR breeder in Finland. Kimba was bred to Afrikana’s Zulu “Kingen” in Sweden. The first Ikimba litter was born in 1987. From this litter Ikimba Kingiza became the first champion bred in Finland. I am the initiator and one of the founding members of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Finland, founded in 1988. I have acted as the secretary, chairman of the board and breeding committee, editor of the RR magazine, breed examiner, and member of the board of the Finnish Companion Dog Association. I am the Honorary President of the Finnish RR Club. The Finnish Kennel Club has awarded me the “Vuolasvirta Price” for successful breeding of RR’s. I have been breeding less than 1 litter per year. Most of my puppies have been sold as pets. The most promising ones have shown their potential at dog shows and in breeding around the world. I was heavily involved in different dog sports in the early days with my Ridgebacks. This is why I have always appreciated it very much when my puppy owners have been working with their dogs in obedience, lure coursing, agility, rescue, blood tracking, and nowadays also in rally. The breed

To learn more about the breed I attended the RR Conferences in Denmark (1988), England (1992), and The Netherlands (2000). In these events I met breeders/owners from all around the world. I also travelled to shows in Europe and met breeders/ owners and their dogs. These contacts where very important, as this was the most efficient way to learn about the breed and its history. Back then there was no e-mail available (only in very limited use) nor any other electronic social media. I also travelled to shows in the USA, met breeders and got to know the slightly different American type of RRs. In the 1990s I started to import dogs and/or semen from Africa, USA, Australia and several European countries. Later, I exported puppies to America, The Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany and Poland. My goal has been to help new Finnish breeders to find foundation bitches, stud dogs, and imports to start the breeding work with. I have also given advice concerning breeding, whelping etc. Even my whelping box design and “The puppy information guide” that I wrote, have been copied to several of our breeders. In the 1980s there was no specific breed info available – only some short descriptions in dog breed books. I gave my contact details to The Finnish Kennel Club, so that people interested in the breed could call me and come to pay a visit and learn more about the breed. When the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Finland was founded in 1988 we made a breed info leaflet including color photos and specific information on the breed and contact info. For judges we made a booklet on the breed standard and its interpretation with Leni Nousiainen (nowadays an all breeds judge). This breed standard interpretation is still used in the judges’ education program and in other club events where the breed standard is interpreted.

SOME OBSERVATIONS – YESTERDAY AND TODAY Type: There has always been variation in size

and type. We still have the heavier “guarding type” RRs and the slightly smaller/refined “hunting type” RRs – and all variations in-between. I do not agree with the statement, that is popping up now and then, that the breed has become bigger – there has always been variation in size. We should be open to this, as it also means a variation in gene pool.

Conformation: In dog shows we see nowa-

days RR’s with more angulations in the rear than earlier, which is good to SOME extent. However, over angulated hindquarters result in a sloping topline. Combined with a very poor / straight / unbalanced front assembly, these dogs resemble more Gundogs than Hounds. A Rhodesian Ridgeback should be recognized by looking at its silhouette not only by looking at it’s ridge. It should be moderately angulated in front and rear. Flat ribbed dogs with loose elbows are faults that can be seen also quite often today. These are faults that should not be overlooked.

Gait: RRs are very popular at dog shows. We see

more often very flashy moving RRs in the ring. The RR should cover a lot of ground but it should not bounce up and down or throw the feet high in the air both in front and hind. The gait should be smooth, ground covering, without exaggerations. Some RRs are so loose in movement that their hocks are almost hitting the ground and the back is bouncing up and down. These flashy moving dogs would certainly not succeed in the rough terrain of the African bush. Breeders should breed for moderate movement and breed clubs should teach the judges to prefer RRs with no exaggerations in movement or conformation. We should keep our breed as a MODERATE dog in all aspects. “The more the merrier” is not a statement that should be linked with our breed.

Temperament: A Ridgeback should be aloof

with strangers, showing no shyness or aggression. Our breed has always been very responsive to the owner’s body language. They read the most delicate signs and act accordingly. The standard is not looking for a strong-willed temperament even though this is something that is misinterpreted by persons that do not know the breed. We have to remember that the dog was bred for hunting big game, being a guard dog, but also being a trusted family member. Our breed is in-

A Rhodesian Ridgeback should be recognized by looking at its silhouette not only by looking at it’s ridge.

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is very versatile, they are true multipurpose dog. Working with your RR gives you the opportunity to know your dog much better. It can be challenging, because we are dealing with an independent hound, but when you succeed it is very rewarding.

Let us keep our breed as a moderate, basic, multipurpose dog with a stable temperament.

I have seen the miracle of birth and felt the pain of letting go. I have also been competing in several kind of dog sports, which have helped me to understand the breed better. It has been a great journey that I hope to continue, for several years to come. Let us keep our breed as a moderate, basic, multipurpose dog with a stable temperament. This is what our breed was developed to be nearly a century ago – this is how it should be in the future also. Finally, I would like to wish the editorial staff of this new RR magazine good luck! Looking already forward to the next awesome issue.

dependent by nature and this affects how we teach them to work with us, not for us.

Health: Allergies and other immunological

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health conditions are the most common chronic problems in the breed. Dogs with allergies should never be used in breeding.

In Finland we x-ray hip joints and elbow joints. Nowadays we x-ray also the spine (spondylosis, lumbosacral transitional vertebra, vertebrae anomalies). All official health checks (irrespective of the result) are registered in an open database. Quite a lot of spine transformations have been found in the breed (also in other breeds). For the time being we do not have knowledge of the hereditary consequences of these spinal anomalies. The Kennel Club recommends that if a dog with anomalies in the spine is used in breeding, the breeding partner should be free of any spinal anomalies. Genetic tests are becoming more common. I recommend testing at least for JME, DM, EOAD, and hemophilia B before using a dog in the breeding program. However, carriers should not be excluded from breeding, if they are in all other aspect excellent individuals. Of course, the breeding partner has to be clear in these cases.

Matadors in the breed: This is a problem

that all breeds are struggling with and we have also had this problem in our breed since the very beginning. I would urge everyone to try to find diversity in stud dogs used. The male with most titles is not always the best one to be used in breeding. The stud dog owner is responsible for not letting the dog be overused. I have had the privilege of travel around the world to RR specialities, international dog shows, and RR congresses. More importantly, I have become friends with a lot of breeders/owners worldwide. It has been an honor to co-operate with all throughout these 35 years that I have been in the breed.

INFO Name Marianne

Gellin

Country Finland Affix Ikimba Email

marianne.gellin@gmail.com

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Nida and Bora Photo by Diana Petniunaite

S A R U N E

K A I R Y T E

CANICROSS

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK AND CANICROSS Are you having an active lifestyle and want to include your ridgeback in your daily life activities? Then you definitely need to try this sport! We have all seen sled dogs who are pulling sleds for long distances, but did you know that there are similar sports suitable for ridgebacks too? There are three main activities for dog and human team.

Skijoring - seasonal sports, held only in Winter. The person must stand on skis and the dog runs in front pulling a person. Bikejoring - dog pulls a person on the bike. But this time I will tell you about the most popular one -

canicross.

Canicross is a widely known sport which includes one running person and one dog. This sport originates from Europe. Canicross is suitable for one person and one dog, and the main aim is to cross the finnish line as fast as possible. The faster this pair runs, the better results they can achieve. Usually the distance is 3-6 kilometers. Dogs need to have special equipment - special harnesses and an adjusting lead which reduces discomfort and lets dog and handler move easier and faster. Important to know: the dog must run in front of the handler, he cannot run behind or be dragged by a person. At the beginning of this sport, the main and the most popular dog breeds were Nordic dogs, such as Siberian Huskies or Alaskan malamutes. Years went by and with higher people needs, some new breeds were made. The most popular breed, or should I say mixes, are called Eurohounds and Greysters. Eurohounds can be also known as Racedogs, are the combination of Alaskan huskies and pointers. They usually have a bit thicker coat, suitable for longer distances in colder climates. Greysters are cross between Greyhounds and Pointers. This mix achieves great results in dryland competitions, they are great sprinters. All these mixes provides athletic anatomy and incredible speed which is required in these kind of competitions. However, all kind of dogs and breeds can compete in Canicross and Rhodesian Ridgebacks are no exception. This breed has a a strong body, well developed muscles, speed and a huge stamina which are the main requirements to achieve great results. I am happy because canicross together with a Ridgeback is getting more and more popular too. In Lithuania, the first canicross were held in 2008 and the first ridgeback were regis-

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KE NNE L AUK SI NI S F E N I K SAS , L IT H UA N I A

tered only in 2017. The main Ridgebacks in such competitions are from kennel Auksinis Feniksas. Me, as a breeder, can be really proud about these dogs being not only show dogs, but also a sporting dogs too. The main teams are: • Augustinas & Kuba (Kuba Auksinis Feniksas) • Nida & Bora (Island Bora Bora Auksinis Feniksas) • Aleksandras & Chacha (Mahalin Maktaja Auksinis Feniksas) and her daughter Keira (Keira Auksinis Feniksas). This team has won many prize placings in various kind of Canicross competitions! A great thing too, is that even children can compete in canicross. Depending on the age of the child, it can run alone with a dog or a parent can run together.

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But don‘t forget – you don‘t need to compete, so you could just have the best time with your fourlegged friend!

Aleksandras and Chacha Photo by Paulius Stravinskas Aleksandras with his child Taja Photo by Inge La photography

Maksim and Chacha Photo by Andrus Maimann

AN INTERVIEW ALEKSANDRAS, TELL US WHY AND HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN CANICROSS? Personally I am an active man and I do various kind of sports. As I love my dogs very much too, I decided to try canicross. This sport lets us not only run together, but it also creates a deeper bond with the dog. Ridgebacks really love command activities. My first start with a Ridgeback was not only first in Lithuania – it was also the very first in Baltic Countries. The old sportsmen looked very sceptical about competing with a Rhodesian Ridgeback, but we managed to change their opinions. Ridgebacks are very strong dogs capable to compete even with Greysters. Only a small amount of training was necessary until our girls started to run as fast as they could.

WHAT ACHIEVMENTS ARE YOU PROUD OF? I started competing in 2017, the competition was called Lithuanian Capitals Cup and it had 4 different races. I took the 2nd place in general classification in Elite Men class. In 2018 I competed in International competition „Baltic Cup“ and I got 1st place in Elite Men class.

YOUR KIDS ALSO COMPETE IN CANICROSS. COULD YOU PLEASE TELL US HOW TO GET KIDS INTERESTED IN THESE SPORTS ACTIVITIES AND WHAT ACHIEVMENTS DO YOUR KIDS HAVE? My and my wife Ana are crazy about all kind of activities with dogs. As we do a lot of showing, some coursing and much training, usually our kids were not interested in this. We wanted to involve our kids in canicross and when they started running together with a dog, their opinions changed immediately. Every time before the start they are asking the dogs to pull hard, run as fast as possible and to win! Our kids were 7 and 11 years old when they started competing in canicross and they became a multiple prize winners!

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ALEKSANDRAS KEIRAS

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M A R I E

B U R K H A R D T

BIKEJÖRING ACTIVE RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK

WHAT IS BIKEJÖRING DOG SCOOTER Bikejöring and dog scooter are types of sport for dogs who love to run. The Ridgeback is connected with a special harness and leash to a bike or dog scooter. Bikejöring/dog scooter are not only sport for the Ridgebacks, but also for the human who rides the bike. When and where the bikejöring/dog scooter has emerged, cannot be determined exactly. It is assumed that Mushers used the seasons without snow to train their dogs by bike/scooter.

EQUIPMENT  MTB/Bike/Dog-Scooter  Harness (e.g. X-Back, H-back, Faster, Safety)  Bike-antenna  shock absorbing leash  nice to have: panic snap

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DOG  at least an age of 18 month or more  preferably completely x-rayed and heart ultrasonic tested  good basic obedience

BEFORE YOU TRAIN It is very important to give your dog enough water before you go on a trail. This process is called “watering”. I always give Bowie 500ml water, 2,5 hours before training. Please warm up your dog before trail and also give him a chance to pee and poop.

HOW TO TRAIN There are Ridgebacks which are born to run and pull, others you have to teach these skills from scratch and there are also Ridgebacks which will never pull a bike or a scooter. So, if you own a Ridgeback which is naturally born to run and pull, you can skip the small-scale training (see below) and immediately start with normal training sessions. In case your Ridgeback isn’t really interested in running and pulling, you have to start from scratch with your training sessions (small-scale training).

SMALL-SCALE TRAINING SESSIONS: 

Train with two persons (you and a second one), the first person is cycling ahead. Once the first person has reached a good distance from you (100-200 Meters) you give your dog a start signal (e.g. “go”) and your dog should follow (chase) the first person. This procedure should be repeated very often with small steps (short to long distances)

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AND ULWAZI ’S B O R N TO R U N B OWIE

and always with much fun and treats for your dog. If your Ridgeback understands that running and pulling is fun, you can change to “normal training sessions”.

NORMAL TRAINING SESSIONS FOR BEGINNERS:  Start with shorts distances; like 200 m-500 m, 2-4 repeats per session.  If the short distances work fine and you and your RR are still having fun pulling and running, you can vary distances (1km – 10km) and pace (3min/km – 5min/km)

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 Also, if you are more advanced, you can do interval sessions (fast pace, very slow pace)

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AFTER TRAINING Cool down your dog with a normal walk on a loose leash, until his breathing is normalizing and again supply some water.

COMMANDS There are several commands which your dog has to be aware of. In general, it is highly recommended to first teach very good basic obedience before you start with training of pulling, because otherwise you could get into big trouble, when you are driving (e.g. the dog will start chasing when he is on leash). Bikejöring and dog scooting are very physically demanding sports for our dogs. In my opinion the dogs should only be allowed to work when the temperature is below 15 °C.

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So, the best months to train are September- April or in the early morning/late evening hours in summer.

HERE ARE BOWIE AND MY COMMANDS: • GO – starting • GOGOGO - faster • GO AHEAD – straight forward • RIGHT – turn right • LEFT – turn left • PASS – pass dogs or human • RIGHT SIDE – go on the right side of the way • LEFT SIDE – go on the left side of the way • SLOWLY – slow down • STOP – stop immediately

ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES • to consolidate the human- dog relationship • to build muscles and to train endurance (human and dog) • not time-consuming sport (a typical training sessions takes no longer than one hour) • if you have a ridgeback who has a strong hunting drive - please be careful • can be addictive

COMPETITION If you’re interested in professional Bikejöring/scooter competitions you will find all the rules for this kind of sport from the „International Federation of Sleddog sports, Inc.“ (https://www.sleddogsport.net)

. …and now, have fun with training and enjoy!

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+ -

• to live out their typical hunting and running instincts

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HEIKE OVERHAGE DOG TRAINER

Training at my dog school is based on current scientific insights regarding the learning abilities of dogs. Specifically, that means that the dog learns that he is rewarded for showing the desired behaviour with us humans. The rewards can differ RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

greatly, depending on the situation and should satisfy the dog’s needs.

ZimaZaa Rhodesian-Ridgeback VDH/FCI www.zimazaa.de

Photos by Timo Beylemans

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PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. Animals have always been part of my life ever since my earliest childhood in the 70s. „Peter“, a stray budgie, whom I taught to talk and do all kinds of fun stuff. Lilli, the cat, whom I took for walks because we were not permitted to keep a dog in our rented flat. When we moved and had a small garden, Bennie (a Miniature Dachshund) joined our family. Finally! A dog with which I could go for walks, roam the woods, go on bike trips and take to the stables. Horseback riding was very much my passion, just like many other youths back in those days. During my studies for Graphic Design in Munster I could continue to focus on my horseback riding. A good job enabled me to keep my own horse. A dream come true: „Rascha“, a warm blood mare. She now lives, age 29, close to where I am and is lovingly cared for by a student. Job, house, horse... of course: a dog was the missing part of this puzzle. We eventually decided on the wonderful breed Rhodesian Ridgeback and in 1999 our beautiful Kimba moved into our lives. The breed description fitted Kimba like a glove. She had a certain affinity to horses, eventually she even assisted with the healing of a horse, which had previously had a very bad experience with a dog.

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We took Kimba to breed shows and she displayed a natural talent in this field. She loved to present herself. Kimba was the foundation bitch

for ZimaZaa. We continued to breed from two of her daughters. Whilst involved in the aspects of breeding, I continued to educate myself intensively about canine behaviour, canine training and attened breeders education as well as cynological seminars.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE TRAINING SIDE OF DOG OWNERSHIP? Quite honestly, in the past we had family dogs, who listened... more or less. There were no dog schools like there are today. The requirements, the environmental stimuli, on our dogs back then were simply different. When we decided on a Rhodesian Ridgeback we were aware that this was a challenging, intelligent, sensitive breed. We took Kimba to Puppy School and Basic Obedience School, where we also learned about learning behaviour and body language. After that, I was looking for something to better utilize her energy, and found a club which offered an Agility course. We never reached the level of competition, but Kimba loved the sport, and I learned to handle and lead her more effectively. An even more important effect: our connection became more intense because of the fun we had together. It was important to me to pass on what I had learned from raising our Ridgeback litters, whilst in Puppy and Junior classes of our dog sport club as Head trainer. At the DVG (Deutscher Verband

The duties of a trainer in a dog training club encompass the active work on the training grounds. During the basic courses I often dealt with dogs whose problems could not be solved on the training grounds and hailed from their home environment. This created the desire in me to become an independent dog trainer for such problem dogs, in order to be more flexible and to be able to give much more individual assistance. I did a 2.5 year long distance course at the ATM (Academy for Animal Naturopathy) in Switzerland for dog training. The aim of my work is to facilitate positive development of the human-dog relationship through cynologically and scientifically researched methods.

DO YOU OWN A DOG. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PREVIOUS AND CURRENT DOGS Our first Rhodesian Ridgeback bitch Kimba had a strong presence. She was quite successful in the show ring. Even as a Veteran, competing for best Veteran against a male, she got quite excited and had so much fun that she started to bark. In the ring She lived to over 13 years of age. I took

Baaya, Kimba’s daughter from her second litter, to a dog trainer in this vicinity. I realised quickly that his training methods did not agree with my ideas of building a relationship of trust with the dog, and discontinued the puppy classes very soon. Baaya’s further development proved to me that this was the correct decision. She grew into a confident, strong female, who raised the pups of her two litters well, with strong motherly instincts. It was Baaya, with whom I started competing in dog sports. I had always wanted to teach a dog to do tracking work. Baaya was passionate, and excelled at many tests and competitions. She qualified to compete at the DVG – Bundessiegerpruefung, which she passed with a super „Very Good“. We had to let Baaya go at the age of 14 ½ last summer. Dhima, Baaya’s daughter from her second litter, had excellent results in her tracking tests, but made it clear to me that her potential was more for team sports such as Obedience or Rally Obedience. I was fascinated by Obedience from the beginning, because is sport also has so many facets. The gradings in this field include the social compatibility, the execution of the individial exercises and the enthusiams of cooperation. I love, that much of the motivation is given through positive training. Dhima’s son Enza is also active in dog sport. In both Obedience and Rally Obedience he has achieved excellent results and was promoted into the next higher class, but tracking is his true

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für Gebrauchshundvereine) I attended several seminars to become a trainer for basic training, Rally Obedience, Tracking. The DVG offers several courses for different aspects of dog sport.

passion. In 2018 he was Reserve-Landesmeister Westphalia out of 20 teams entered. I look forward to seeing how Enza continues to develop. In my dog school, Dhima and Enza both have a job. Both are present for dogs with contact anxieties. Dhima thinks her work is really cool: she gets food and praise just for standing there. Its not very spectactular, but it is a very effective way to change the thinking of those problem dogs.

WHAT IS YOUR TRAINING AND TEACHING PHILOSOPHY? Training at my dog school is based on current scientific insights regarding the learning abilities of dogs. Specifically, that means that the dog learns that he is rewarded for showing the desired behaviour with us humans. The rewards can differ greatly, depending on the situation and should satisfy the dog’s needs. For me personally, it is important that the contact with the dog is respectful, friendly and calm. During the training session we always keep an eye on the individual needs of the Human-Dog-team. Learning content and tempo are adjusted to suit the team in order to maintain a pleasant atmosphere, from which both will profit.

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In my classes, the dog learns to build on his abilities, to hone his social skills, to develop his self-confidence and to recognise his owner as a

reliable companion. The owner learns to interpret the body language of his dog. Obviously, using any punishment or stressing methods (such as throwing chains, disks, choke chains, noise cans) is unacceptable at my school. Those methods are also forbidden by Animal Welfare. We work with Clickers or marker signals and a large array of rewards.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE KEY TO BEING A SUCCESSFUL DOG SCHOOL TRAINER? Let me keep that brief. • EMPATHY. To understand and adjust to the feelings, throughts, motives and abilities of the dog owners and their problems • LIFE EXPERIENCE. Calmness, being relaxed, confidence, being without bias • WELL FOUNDED KNOWLEDGE. The basis for good dog training, the trainer needs to be able to explain the reasons for certain behaviour and responses • CREATIVITY AND FLEXIBILITY. Find solutions quickly and explain those to the team in an understandable manner. • TAKING RESPONSIBILITY.

• TAKING TIME

WHAT ARE THE MOST FREQUENTS REASONS FOR DOG OWNERS TO COME TO YOUR SCHOOL? That varies greatly. I give courses in basics for puppies and young dogs, and also for basic obedience and daily compatibility. Therefore my school appeals to dog owners on a very broad spectrum. Many owners want to train their dogs and have fun with them. This for instance fits into our „Bunte Stunde“ course (Lots of everything) because there we do Fun Agility, tricks, a bit of dog dance, finding objects, balance exercises – all without any pressure of having to perform. Very interesting is to observe the development of dogs rescued from foreign countries: many of those dogs require intensive attention in order to find calmness in this hectic world and to build a good connection to their human. Other reasons for coming to training are problems with on-lead walking, aggressive behaviour on lead with other dogs, recall problems, excessive barking and separation anxiety – being left alone.

WHICH ARE FREQUENT HANDLER MISTAKES? Lets me do this the other way around. What is needed for a happy Man-dog-relationship? Very easy: Patience. Empathy and closeness to each other and a good bond. A good bond is achieved by being mutually predictable. This is based on unchanged rules, a well structured daily routine and predicatable consequences. Changes in the above are often the source of problems: if the handler is not precise in his reactions or signals, the dog can become uncertain, which can cause insecurity and thus the dogs is stressed. Here is a typical example: the boss comes home and the dog is thrilled. He jumps up and tries to lick his face – which is really being courteous in dog language. The boss sees this as an undesirable behaviour and yells „No!“ The dog is now uncertain and continues to jump up hoping to calm his owner. It would be much more sensible to guide the dog timeously into a happy „Sit!“ A sitting dog can not jump up. Also a frequent problem: our body language says something different from our words. We call the dog, but our body is leaning forward in a way that the dog sees a threatening. A courteous dog would rather avoid a situation like that. If the handler stands sideways, the recall would be a lot more inviting to the dog. Unfortunately, punishment and discomfort training are still part of many training methods. It would be much more

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• HAVING A SENSE OF HUMOUR, having a bit of self-irony, being communicative, rhetoric skills have to be spot on.

sensible to reward the dog for walking on a lose lead. Because before the lead became tight, it *was* lose. Sadly, often I see owners and their dogs in my school which have already been working on undesirable behaviours. Very often these are dogs with problems when encountering other dogs. During our interview I often find out that water pistols and other fear stimuli were used. In the beginning, those undesired behaviours might still have been avoided, but often these stimuli had the opposite effect. Punishment is an unfortunate aspect of dog training: the rules are difficult to follow and the relationship with the dog does not improve. Positive dog training, that takes into consideration the needs of the dog, achieves much better results in the long term. Ideally, professional help should be sought before such behaviours become a problem.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST FAULTS THAT EXPERIENCED DOG HANDLERS/OWNERS MAKE?

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There are a few things a handler should consider. Right at the beginning, the handler should think about what exactly the dogs response should look like. A good example is the „Sit“. Strictly speaking it would mean that the dogs sits upon

the command SIT immediately and remains in that spot until he is asked to do something different. That sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? The first source of discourse is the word „sit“ and the hand signal with the index finger. Dogs communicate through our body language, they have to learn our words. For this reason, these two factors should be separated. In the first step the dog learns to sit reliably on the finger signal. At the next level, the spoken word „sit“ can be added. Wait for about two seconds, then show him the index finger. Later on you can discontinue the use of the index finger altogether because the dog has now learned to respond properly to the spoken command „sit“. Cause for problems # 2: the dog can do the „sit“ in your home, but not yet in a shopping centre. The distractions should be introduced slowly, in very small increments. First in the house, then in the garden, in front of the house etc. Each training unit should be fairly brief because dogs can not concentrate for long. Five to ten repetitions for each exercise are sufficient. In the beginning, the dog can not sit for very long. It would be very smart to give the dog a command to break the sit, before he decides to do so on his own accord. This is best done with a word and hand release signal such as „free“ or „run“. In positive dog training we work to reinforce a desired behaviour with rewards. What exactly this reward will be is up the dog. Here is an example from the contact anxiety

DO YOU HAVE ADVICE FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINING? §11 TierSchG in Germany stipulates that those who want to run a professional dog training school must have passed an exam by the Veterinay council. Without this approval no proper training school can be operated. There are several professional organisations, for instance the IBH (International Organisation for Dog trainers and Dog entrepreneurs e.V.) There you will find links to many dog schools who offer positive dog training. Personally, I would look at the qualifications and certification of the trainer/s and of course

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problem range: The dog barks and pulls on the lead when he sees other dogs. The barking and pulling can have many causes, which have to be discovered during a conversation with the owner. When does he behave like that? What does his body language say? Which sound pitch does he use? These are just some of the questions. From the replies and a video analysis etc. it becomes clear that the dog is stressing about strange dogs. The training goal would therefore be to teach the dog to be calm and relaxed when walking past other dogs. From a distance he can display an appropriate behavious. So we include the requirement of changing the acceptable distance in our training module. That is a positive enforcement, because foods or treats would not meet the dog’s needs in that moment. The dog learns in small increments to trust us and over time he will learn to walk past other dogs calmly.

their choice of training method. Based on my previous experiences, it is also advisable to just attend a lesson. Dog training is a matter of trust. You should feel comfortable when you arrive at a lesson and when you leave.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR RELAXATION, WHICH HOBBIES DO YOU HAVE?

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I take my dogs for walks, enjoy nature. Time permitting, I do some tracking, or train my dogs on my lovely training grounds. I recently discovered Yoga for myself, but that is very new for me. Still, I have already come to the conclusion that it is really good for me.

IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD? I am very grateful that I could be part of this issue, although it is a lot easier for me to do the practical training rather than putting this down on paper. I wish all dog owners responsible action. Pull the emergency brake when something in your current training schedule appears to be suspect, when you notice a turn in your dog’s behaviour which you do not like. You are responsible for the well-being of your four-legged companion. Trust your gut feel and enjoy the good times. Most of all: enjoy your dog.

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INFO Name: Loretta

Biczysko-Teperek Planet Melmac (Rhodesian Ridgeback Kennel - Poland) Country: Poland www

www.planetmelmac.pl

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HO FOUND L UY W OR Y G E TT CK A LU

OUR GOLDIES

L O R E T T A

B I C Z Y S K O - T E P E R E K

RESCUE

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MY NAME’S MIKOŁAJ AND THIS IS MY TRUE STORY.

I was born 14,5 years ago in polish kennel. I was adorable and smart little puppy so when I turned 8 weeks old I got a new family and I started my new life. That was amazing for me: new home, long walks in the city with my owner so I was in love with my new family. Time flies and I began to get older and I also became tired, I had a problem with my ears, so I don’t hear anymore and the biggest problem was with holding my pee. One cold day in November I went with my owner for a walk and in one moment he disappeared?! I was looking for him everywhere and I was lost, scared and I cried. I remember that I finally lost strength and I got sick. Somehow strange people took me from the street to the shelter and for first time I saw so many old dogs like me - old and deserted. I came to that place very weak and that’s why I was taken to the hospital and I stayed there for few days. A lot of other RR’s owners and Rescue Rhodesian Ridgeback in Poland tried to help me and wanted find my owner but the truth was simple: I was old, so I was a big problem for him, probably he didn’t love me anymore and he left me. My heart was broken. I couldn’t understand why that happened to me? I tried to be a good family member and a great

Best part of day is when I bask in the sun and my owners cuddles me behind my grey ears. My new mum and dad give me a lot of attention and love. Every day they’re trying to help me stand up, because sometimes my body doesn’t work so well with my legs.

Now I live in harmony with others Ridges - Alf, Cataleya, Baloo and with Maltese Bianka and three cats! They all are very cool & crazy and we do everything together: eating, sleeping and barking for our food.

I’m really happy when we spend time together although I know I don’t have much time left in this life. I hope my story makes people think about the problem with old dogs in shelters, not just Ridgebacks, but other dogs around the world.

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friend! But I was a lucky guy! In the shelter I met my new owners, they saw me on a Facebook page and we loved each other at first sight. They visited me every day and we walked together and I was feeling very good with them. A few days later I went to my new home and from this moment I had a true family!

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s ’ o e T

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RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK WORLD CONGRESS 2020

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Korschenbroich, June 10, 2019 – The 10th Rhodesian Ridgeback World Congress (RRWC 2020) will take place for the first time in Germany in 2020.

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2020 Rhodesian Ridgeback World Congress 2020

From June 9 to 11, everything revolves around the Rhodesian Ridgeback in the „Gold Hall“ of the „Westfalenhallen“ in Dortmund. The patron is Liz Megginson, Chairwoman of the SARRC, who organized the first Rhodesian Ridgeback World Symposium in South Africa in 1984. The RRWC is a meeting of international breeders, supporters and interested people of the breed for the primary purpose of the exchange of experience with experts from science, research and practical veterinary medicine. Since 1984, this international congress takes place in different countries every four years. The goal of the event is to show the status in the development of the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed and, if necessary, to take timely measures to prevent its health and functionality from degrading. Additionally, the RRWC 2020 in Germany also deals with questions of behavior and the international assessment of the breed. • In total, about 250 to 300 participants are expected from the following fields: • cytological research • specialized veterinary medicine • practical dog breeding • interested Rhodesian Ridgeback owners (regardless of breeders, stud dog owners or just simple lovers of the breed) For the time being, the following experts will be among the speakers: Kate Kitchenham, Dr. Konrad Blendinger, Prof. Dr. Martin Fischer (University of Jena), Dr. Ing. M. Körner (Vetsuisse Zurich), Prof. Dr. Peter Friedrich (VDH), Prof. Dr. Andrea Fischer (University of Munich), Prof. Dr. Ottmar Distl (University of Hannover), Dr. Cornelia Renzces (veterinarian) and Laboklin (Bad Oldeslohe).