RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE ISSUE 2/2019 by RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK MAGAZINE

DEAR READERS

ear friends, this year is coming to an end, what an amazing year we have had together! Shows, championships, top notch articles and interviews, hot topics, beautiful adverts...all these came to life with your collaboration and appreciation of our breed’s magazine!

We are ending 2019 with a super 150 pages publication, where some of the greatest names of the past, present and future of the RR joined forces in the making of our December issue. Our team thanks you for your support and wishes you the most wonderful Winter holidays! See you next year!

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 2

/ NOVEMBER 2019

CONTENTS R H O D E S I A N

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

E U

M A G A Z I N E

— RIDGEBACK REVEALED

— THE „MIDDLE OF THE ROAD“

— GENETIC TESTING

— VANESSA MOYANO AN INTERVIEW

— COUNTY LINE BREEDER

— MOLEMA MUA RÔO BREEDER

R I D G E B A C K

— JOCHEN H. EBERHARDT AN INTERVIEW

— GILL LAWLESS AN INTERVIEW

— RIDGERULES BREEDER

— NOMVUYO BREEDER

— CIEPŁY DOM BREEDER

— DOG-BIATHLON SPORT

— THE THERAPY DOG WORK

100

— PERFECT PUPPY SOCIALISATION

112

124

— EVOLUTION IN DOG TRAINING SHOWS

Merry Christmas

— RIDGY RESCUE

Teo’s

128

— TEO’S COOKING ADVENTURES

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) 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 TRAVELLING AROUND THE EUROPE SHOWING RR.

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

130

- 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

— SEE THROUGH CAMERA LENS.....

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

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RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE ISSUE 2 / NOVEMBER 2019

ABOUT THE BOOK

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

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

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

replies.

The Rhodesian Ridgeback Standard explained and exemplified

EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK by Timmy U. Ralfe

REVEALED

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

THE RIDGE The peculiarity of the breed is the ridge on the back, which is formed by the hair growing in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat. The ridge is the escutcheon of the breed. The ridge must be clearly defined, symmetrical and tapering towards the haunch. It must start immediately behind the shoulders and continue to the hip (haunches) bones. The ridge must contain only two crowns, identical and opposite each other. The lower edges of the crowns must not extend further down the ridge than one third of its length. A good average width of the ridge is 5cm (2ins). It is noteworthy that the word “must” is only used five

Fig. 5 Lovely long ridge, starting immediately behind the withers, ending at the hips

times in the entire Breed Standard. Once, further down in the Standard, when it talks about teeth, it says that the teeth must be well developed, especially the canines or holders. The other four times it uses the word is when it describes the ridge. The ridge MUST be clearly defined, symmetrical and tapering towards the haunches. It MUST start immediately behind the shoulders and continue to the hip bones. The ridge MUST contain only two crowns, identical and opposite to each other. The lower edges of the crowns MUST not extend further down the ridge than one third of its length (Figs. 5-7).

Fig. 7 Another beautiful correct ridge

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RIDGEBACK

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Fig. 6 This ridge is of the correct length. The two crowns do not extend further down the ridge than one third of its length

Fig. 8 Several faulty ridges: offset crowns and multiple crowns

Fig. 9 Ridgeless (aka Slickback)

Fig. 10 Very short ridge

HEAD

Should be of a fair length (width of head between ears, distance from occiput to stop, stop to end of nose, should be equal), the skull flat and broad between the ears and the head should be free from wrinkles when in repose.

Stop The stop should be reasonably well defined and not in one straight line from the nose to

Fig. 11 Good length of skull and muzzle

the occipital bone. The

desired

measurements

are

given: same distance between the ears, as from that “knob” (occiput) at the top/back of the skull to the stop. The skull should be flat, not rounded (Fig. 12). The stop is that indentation between the eyes, changing the level from skull to muzzle. The length of the muzzle, from stop to the end of the nose should be approximately the same distance again. Some breeds have a very deep stop, such as the Boxer or the Bulldog. Those

Fig. 12 Skull rounded, not flat

stops are referred to as “distinct” or “pronounced”. The stop of the Ridgeback should be reasonably well defined, creating a small “step” between skull and muzzle. The entire length of the head (skull and muzzle) should be about double the width of the skull between the ears.

Fig. 13 Beautiful head with lovely length and depth of muzzle

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CRANIAL REGION Skull

FACIAL REGION Nose The nose should be black or brown. A black nose should be accompanied by dark eyes, a brown nose by amber eyes. The Standard contradicts itself a bit here with regards to eye colour, because just a little bit lower down under Eyes it says that the colour of the eyes should harmonise with the coat colour (Fig. 17). These brown nosed dogs are usually referred to as Liver noses. The puppy’s eyes still have a blue-ish tinge, which will turn into a shade of amber a bit later.

Muzzle The muzzle should be long, deep and powerful.

The length of the muzzle has already been stipulated above. It should be the same length as the distance

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from occiput to stop. It should also be deep and powerful. All too often these days I see narrow, weak muzzles. They lack the depth and strength of bone, which makes it difficult for 42 big strong teeth to be anchored. As they say “Something’s got to give”! And more often than not there will be faulty dentition, missing teeth, as a result of those weak muzzles. The word “deep” refers to the strength of that lower jaw, it has nothing to do with long upper lips dangling past the lower jaw, making it “look” deep.

Fig 14, 15, 16 Three gorgeous brown noses

Lips Way too many dogs have pendulous lips these days, which hang well below the lower jaw. This creates the impression of a deep muzzle, when in fact it is just some lip. Chances are, that with those pendulous lips you may soon also be facing lots of wrinkle, bigger, lower set ears, and loose eyelids as well. They seem to come as a “buy one, get the others free” deal. It’s simply wrong. The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a clean-cut kind of dog, and the lips should close neatly in line with the lower jaw, or very close to it (Fig. 19) Fig 17 Eyes harmonise with the coat colour

Fig 19 Clean-cut with tidy lips closing neatly along the lower jaw There is nothing in the Breed Standard about the levels of the planes of skull and muzzle. However, I also mentioned the Handbook of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club, and in there, on page 16, it states: “The planes of the muzzle and skull should be parallel.” (Fig. 20)

Fig 18 Lovely dark eyes in a red wheaten. According to the Standard, both are equally correct. Light/ yellow eyes are not desirable.

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The lips should be clean, closely fitting the jaws.

Mouth Jaws strong. I have a friend in a breed from a different group, where the dogs are about the same size as the Ridgeback. It seems to me, that many breeders of that breed have ignored that point about the strong jaws in their Breed Standard for a long time; the muzzles are rather refined and elegant. She tells me that from about 5 years old those dogs often lose their premolars and molars, and thereafter even some canines go, too. This is simply because there is not enough depth Fig 20 Planes of skull and muzzle parallel

and width to the lower jawbone! The roots of their teeth have little to hold on to. I had sometimes wondered why I saw so few of that breed in the Veterans challenges. Now I knew. You can’t really show a toothless dog and expect it to do well. If your dog has a dental issue that needs veterinary attention, please get a letter from your vet certifying that a tooth had to be removed, which one and why. Find out

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from your local Club exactly what certification is required in order to continue showing your dog. Fig 21 Muzzle rising, not parallel with the skull (converging)

Fig 22 Muzzle drops away, not parallel with the skull (diverging)

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Fig 23 Jaws strong

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

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ABOUT THE AUTHOUR

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

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

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y journey in dogs started in the early

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EXCERPT FROM BOOK by Petra Stracke

„MIDDLE OF THE ROAD“ 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. .

ome aspects around the Ridgeback are, time and again, subject to fierce arguments. I believe that currently „colour“ is frequently under discussion.

Here too we can only look at the Standard, see what is permissible and what is not. We find the following statements regarding colour: „Light wheaten to red wheaten. A little white on the chest and toes is permissible, but excessive white hairs here, on belly, or above toes is undesirable. A dark muzzle and ears permissible. Excessive black hairs throughout the coat are highly undesirable. (FCI-Standard No. 146). That actually covers everything. There is no DARK red wheaten – even if you read that here and there. But there are light and dark Ridgebacks, just like you have black and red Noses, or white markings. According to the Standard it is still red wheaten when the Ridgeback has red sections in its coat, for instance along the shoulders or on the dog’s rear. In that case it can not be an unacceptable colour. As far as I am concerned there are more important things in a dog than colour. For me, the exterior of a dog, its functionality and behaviour are part of the whole. The dog must be seen as a whole and I believe that therein lies the problem. The Ridgeback-breed has over the years turned into a hard business, and there are many specific inquiries from buyers or interested parties for dark dogs. This trend has been picked up on by breeders and they mate dogs to each other which are dark, just to service the fashionable colour

market. They ignore other aspects of the breed, and they continue to use the same males, which reduces the gene pool even further. Anatomical changes will follow, for instance size, angulation or the shape of the ears which no longer just have a rounded tip, but are actually round. This appeals to the so-called baby schema, also large round eyes and a pronounced stop. When breeding with such anatomical changes, problems will occur in the future, we lose breed type, and we go further and further away from our original breeding goals. It is a proven fact that the dark coat has less undercoat, and the individual hairs are overall shorter. This may cause the dogs to feel the cold sooner (but that’s why we buy wintercoats for them ;-) Changes in temperament can be caused as well. Erik Zimen and other cynologists have proven with scientific research that there is a connection between the exterior and temperament. The question is in which direction these changes will they manifest themselves. Will the dogs become more difficult or easier to handle? Will they become wilder or calmer? In this regards too I have had a few experiences already. There are things regarding colour genetics which are passed on parallel with other aspects because they belong together genetically. For instance: blue-merle dogs may not be mated to each other, because this colour is linked to the eye disease PRA (Progressive Retina Atrophy). Hairless breeds often have missing teeth, because hairlessness is linked to toothlessness.

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THE

In horse breeding this phenomen is found in Cremellos. This dun coloured horse has light blue eyes. These eyes are very sensitive and offspring from two Cremellos are not desirable because they often have poor eyesight. They are also skittish because their eyes do not adjust so well when the light changes.

So somehow all these things are connected and as breeders and also as future owners of Rhodesian Ridgebacks one simply has to look a little bit further, open one’s eyes. No extremes are desirable. If you want to maintain the Ridgeback in its original form, especially regarding the health aspects, you have stick to the middle of the road. That is what I believe in and it is what I adhere to.

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Hot Chocolate and Limited Eywa of Dao Phu Quoc, two typical representatives for livernose RR with brown noses and amber eyes.

Keep up Kanero of Dao Phu Quoc, masculine male with lovely red wheaten colour. One can see the lighter parts along the neck and shoulder area.

PETRA STRACKE 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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ABOUT THE AUTHOUR

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK

GENETIC TESTING In previous issue you have been informed about several types of genetic hereditary diseases such as Degenerative Myelopathy (DM), Malignant Hyperthermia (MH), Myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and Genetically determined phenotypic variants (known as coat colors in dogs) such as D Locus (Dilution locus) and B Locus

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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 Photos by Lukáš Skalický

oday we will continue with discovering other types of genetic hereditary diseases in an autosomal recessive manner which means that the dog must receive the mutated gene from both parents to develop the disease.

Hemophilia B - Coagulation Factor IX Deficiency F9 c.1253G>A Hemophilia B - Coagulation Factor IX Deficiency F9 c.731G>A

Coagulation factors are a group of related proteins that are essential for the formation of blood clots. After an injury, clots protect the body by sealing off damaged blood vessels and preventing further blood loss. Coagulation factor IX is synthesized by the liver. This protein circulates in the bloodstream in an inactive form until an injury that damages blood vessels occurs. In response to injury, coagulation factor IX is activated. The active protein interacts with another factor and other molecules and starts a chain of additional chemical reactions that form a blood clot. Mutations in the F9 gene lead to abnormal version or to the lower production of this protein. The altered or missing protein cannot participate effectively in the blood clotting process. As a result, blood clots cannot form properly in response to injury. These problems with blood clotting lead to excessive bleeding that can

PA R T 2

Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder that slows the blood clotting process. Hemophilia B, also known as a Factor IX deficiency. Factor IX is encoded by the gene F9. The F9 gene provides instructions for making a protein called coagulation factor IX. Deficiency of Factor IX is causing a bleeding disorder.

be difficult to keep under control. Mutations that completely eliminate the activity of coagulation factor IX result in severe hemophilia. Mutations that reduce but do not eliminate the protein’s activity usually cause mild or moderate hemophilia. Due to X-linked inheritance, most patients are males, although some females carriers may have symptoms.

COAT COLOR DILUTION ALOPECIA MLPH C.596G>A

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Alopecia is a hair loss disorder associated with defective hair pigmentation and formation. This syndrome is associated with a color-dilution gene. This disease is most of the time only cosmetic problem that does not affect the quality of

life of dogs, although hair loss is irreversible. If other hair loss diseases are excluded by microscopic examination or biopsy test, then alopecia can be a reason of massive hair loss. The initial clinical signs are the gradual onset of a dry, dull and poor hair coat quality then culminated in hair loss. Affected dogs appear normal at birth but usually begin losing hair between 6 months and 2 years of age. Although the hair coat thinning often progresses to partial or complete hair loss, only the color-determined hairs are lost. The dog’s normal colored markings are not affected. There is no specific treatment known which may completely help in this issue. Secondary skin infection is common and antibacterial shampoos may help as a treatment. Some dogs need antibiotics if other skin problems appear.

There are some known cases in Rhodesian ridgebacks that may suffer from Seasonal alopecia. This has nothing to do with Coat Color Dilution Alopecia and sometimes maybe misnamed. If the dog does not suffer from a disorder of the function of the thyroid gland then seasonal alopecia may be a reason for temporary hair loss. The disease usually starts in late fall or early spring, causes bilateral hair loss and hyperpigmentation of the flanks (grey or dark color of skin). The amount of daylight may play a role and influence this hair loss condition. The coat can regrow in about six months, although the hair may be different in color or texture.

Seasonal Flank Alopecia, By Catherine Barnette, DVM

Sources of information: “Hemophilia B: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia”. medlineplus.gov. Retrieved 2016-09-21. Website: https:// medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000539. htm “Haemophilia B (Factor IX Deficiency) information | Patient”. Patient. Retrieved 2016-04-21. Website: https://patient. info/doctor/haemophilia-b-factor-ixdeficiency “Hemophilia”. Website: https://ghr.nlm. nih.gov/condition/hemophilia „Color Dilution Alopecia in Dogs“. By Robin Downing, DVM, DAAPM, DACVSMR, CVPP, CRPP Medical Conditions, Pet Services. Website: https:// vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/colordilution-alopecia-in-dogs „Color Dilution Alopecia„ Website: https:// dermvettacoma.com/color-dilutionalopecia/

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UPCOMING IN NEXT ISSUE INTERESTINGNESS

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A JUDGE Rhodesian Ridgebacks breeder for 20 years and judge for the breed since 2011

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS. I am Vanessa Moyano Gonzálvez, I live in a village near Barcelona, Spain. I am an Industrial Engineer and I work for a well known car brand. I speak Spanish, Catalan, English and French. My hobbies… well the main one and the most time consuming is breeding and showing but I also love to sit and read, and listen music, watch films, go for a long walk with my dogs after a hard day at work. I have bred Rhodesian Ridgebacks for 20 years and I am judge of the breed since 2011. Since then I have been judging all over Europe where I have met a lot of nice Ridgebacks. As I am active in breeding and showing my own dogs, I think I have good experience and I know the current problems in the breed as well as what a dog show means for owners, breeders and of course our principal actors, our beloved dogs.

WHEN DID YOUR LOVE OF DOGS BEGIN? PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PAST AND PRESENT DOGS. My love for dogs began since I was a child, I think I love them since I can remember. My first dog was a mixed breed, he was small and fluffy. A friend of my father knew that I was mad about having a dog, his neighbor had puppies and no families for them, and he came to my house with one of the tiny puppies, the puppy was only 15 days old! I called him Chusky. He died at the age of 5.

Some months later after the death of Chusky, I went to the local rescue center and I adopted a German x Belgian Shepherd mixed female puppy. She was 2 months old and I called her Neith, she lived until the age of 16 years old. Just one month after I rescued Neith, I went to a horse competition and I saw a Ridgeback. Luckily, his breeder and owner was there, Teresa Sabater, she was one of the few breeders in Spain in those days. As I already had Neith I could not have another dog at home, as we lived in a flat, but I kept the contact card of the breeder for the future. It was in 1999 when we moved to a house with garden and Ginsa de Simba Masai Mara came into my life. After her, Vulcan (Ozrhode Dia Hot Prospect) came, he was a magnificent male that I imported from Australia. Some months later I got Hidra de Simba Masai Mara (daughter of a Kimani’s import), who came to my home. Vulcan and Hidra were my foundation and all the Ridgebacks I have had, come from them, Nessy, Gala, Odette, Draco. Currently I have at home Odile, Loa, Zeta, Satara and Mala Mala. Oops I forgot! Robin, the Basenji, he is now 11,5 years old. I love Basenjis, but I know I will never breed them.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED? It is normal that as judge you start with your own breed. Therefore, when I decided to become judge, Ridgeback was my first breed. But as owner and breeder of the breed, the first time I saw the breed was in an article of a dog magazine. It was love at first sight. That magazine

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VANESSA MOYANO GONZÁLVEZ

BOB MultiCh.Kangelani Gentle Thanzi by Clay and BOS Ridgerules Show’n Tell (Foto is by Anja Rubatscher) - Photo of Club Show of RR Club of Norway in 7-8 June 2014

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it is like a treasure for me, I still keep it. I was 10 or 11 years old and it was clear to me then that my dog was going to be a Ridgeback. I collected all information I could find in those days through magazines and books. There was no internet so it was a really hard work and also considering everything was published in English. Years later, Internet made everything easier.

WHEN DID YOU START WITH YOUR JUDGING CAREER AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME A JUDGE? PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR JUDGES CAREER AND YOUR HIGHLIGHTS. I never thought I would become a judge. I started to help in my kennel club as steward at the dog shows. When you have enough experience you can apply to become judge in practice, so the president of our kennel club and some friends encouraged me to try it. I was going to be a judge in Spain that was also breeder of Ridgebacks. I applied and I was approved to write the exam. I passed the exam and everything started, once you are involved the next steps come on their own.

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

Yes, I have had judge mentors, mostly from other breeds because general dog structure and movement does not change. About Ridgebacks, I have as judge mentors those breeders that have also helped me as breeder. Yes, I have mentored some new comers in both topics, breeding and judging. But in Spain we don’t have the mentoring role in the Kennel Club. Interested people who want to learn, can ask to be mentored by a long time breeder but it’s not organized at all by our Kennel Club.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE TYPE? Type is when you can tell what breed of the dog is, at a glance. I consider the type when a dog fits the standard with no exaggerations, a dog who is sound. When you start to see some other characteristics that remind you another breed then you have lack of type. Exaggerations also carry at the end, lack of type, for example, when a dog has too much angulation, that also leads to an inefficient dog to work.

IS THERE SOMETHING WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN THE BREED? Being a judge and breeder of Rhodesian Ridgeback, is a difficult question to answer. I love the breed as it is. I like their morphology and their character.

But as breeder I hope that in the future we can avoid all the genetic issues the breed currently has (JME, DM, EOAD…).

EVERY BREED HAS SOME COMMON PROBLEMS. WHICH IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM IN RR? I think that nowadays is bad front. Starting with narrow front, not filled chest, not enough depth of chest, straight angulations, no length of upper arm. Also not strong muzzle or underjaw is becoming more popular. Lately, I am seeing not very good top lines, they must be straight, not with roach back or sway back and high rear. Other problems that I have seen is light eyes and also very dark wheaten, may I say mahogany or chocolate. Breeders must breed to improve the breed and maintain the standard, not for fashion or make easy money. They must study the male and female combination and not only use a male as stud just because he is Champion or World Winner (popular sire syndrome), neither the neighbour male because of proximity, or using a female because you love her but she is not an outstanding specimen of the breed. Breeding using these methods can lead to the loss of type.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT OF WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE A JUDGE OF THE BREED TO BE AWARE? I think that is important that a judge must be aware of the current problems of the breed and award those dogs that are correct or do not have that problem. For example, if you have a dog with a perfect front but not so good rear and another

It is also important that judges who judge Ridgebacks know how ridges look like and which patterns are correct. They should also know that the liver nosed variant exists in the breed. A judge who wants to judge a Ridgeback (it also applies to other breeds) needs to know the right way of approaching. Ridgebacks do not like a rude approach, direct eye contact, front approach. Ridgebacks is a short coat breed, so there is no need of too much touch. (Touch yes, massage no).

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE? I admire the judges that love dogs first. I mean that they do not mind to play with a puppy if this helps to judge him, they do not mind to finish with some drools over the suit. Judges that still are breeders and exhibitors themselves and still enjoy every role. I also admire judges that continue learning about dogs and breeds and have a criteria when judging. You can agree or not with their decision but you know what they are looking for.

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS MAKE A GOOD JUDGE IN YOUR OPINION? A judge with always learning attitude, honesty and love for dogs.

WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU SEE IN THE JUDGES TODAY AS OPPOSED TO THOSE IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER? Well when I started, the judges were quite old and a lot of them already had the all-rounder status, but they had good knowledge about dogs, morphology and movement. They were long time breeders and well known in their breed. We have to consider they had no internet, so their learning was through experience and talks with breeders and other judges, books… They became judges because their passion for the dogs. Their knowledge helped the improvement of the breeds. Nowadays I see younger judges that have also all-rounder status and I do not think they have the same knowledge as the old judges I have mentioned before. Internet is a good tool for learning and keep in touch with people, to look at videos about dogs and learn and share knowledge. Unfortunately, I think this kind of learning it is not widely used..

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Breeding for the standard and not for winning in the show rings.

dog with bad front and perfect rear and the current problem in the breed are bad fronts, I would go for the first dog with perfect front and not so good rear.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A JUDGE? I have had really lovely appointments, but I still remember with lot of love when I went to judge the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Show in Norway in 2014. The environment, the dogs, the people, the new way of giving awards as is not like the other FCI countries or like in my own country, I really needed the help of the steward to explain to me how it worked. I still remember my BOB (MultiCh.Kangelani Gentle Thanzi by Clay) and BOS (Ridgerules Show’n Tell), both outstanding Ridgebacks. And recently, I have judged at the Rhodesian Ridgeback Championship Show of Great Britain, with an entry of 209 Ridgebacks! I had no words when the organisation told me, I had never judged so many dogs in a single day and it was a new system of classes and awards so I really thank the stewards for their help. The place of the venue was magnificent, nice people and lovely dogs. I found that Ridgebacks in Great Britain have slightly different heads from the Ridgebacks in Europe. They were consistent in type, nice colour, correct angulations, good fronts, both males and females had substance and elegance. Really nice ridges with nice width and length.

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My BOB was IRCh Walamadengie Coco Chanelle and BOS Ch Sofala Joe the Lion. Really stunning Ridgebacks.

HOW HAS THE DOG SCENE CHANGED OVER THE LAST DECADES? I think Internet has had a great influence in the dog world. Thanks to it we can be in touch with people around the world and know what is going on in our breed or others. We can follow in an easy way the achievements of breeders, new litters, possible stud dogs. This enables people to improve their breeding and also improve the gene pool. But on the other hand, with the appearance of the social networks, people’s behaviour has gone for worst. I am a lover of the websites, where you can read about the kennel, the dogs, the litters, achievements… Now those websites no longer exist but only Facebook pages which I don’t like because it is more difficult to see pedigrees, information about the dog. For me the dog scene years ago was more glamourous, more passionate, people had to really work to learn about the breeds, compete in the rings, organize meetings between breeders. There was more collaboration between breeders to improve their stock. Now there is lot of com-

petitivity. People think that champion titles make the dog better but we are mistaken. I have seen stunning Ridgebacks that don’t go to any show and they can offer a lot to the breed. It is true that if they don’t go to shows nobody knows about them, but you can always ask the breeders, I am sure they know about their rough diamonds and will share it with you.

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? No, the standard of the Rhodesian Ridgeback has not changed. Basically the breed has not change in 10 years, maybe I can say that I see taller Ridgebacks now than before, there are also less and less wheaten in the European rings, which is a pity. I know that dark red are more spectacular and people ask for this colour, but wheaten is in the breed standard and breeders must breed to maintain the breed and not for make money or win at dog shows.

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO RR TODAY? To not become a trend breed (unfortunately in some countries already is). That means less quality and more quantity. I would not like to see mediocre dogs in the rings winning and then used for breeding.

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? Breeding for the standard and not for winning in the show rings. It’s necessary to maintain the functionality for what they were created. They were hunters so let them hunt and try to maintain this instinct. I know lot of people are against hunting, I don’t

hunt but I love Ridgebacks, they are hunting dogs, so I must accept that they need to keep this instinct, something that goes also with type. It is not necessary to go hunting but it would be nice to train them in scent and then go for scent trials.

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BOB Wa Kishujaa Dakari and BOS Aminiafu’s Hishima Henorr -Photo of 25 years Anniversary Club ELSA Show and Specialty on 11th and 12th of July 2015 in Germany

they do everything we ask them. Let them enjoy themselves at shows but also with long walks in the forest, country, let them hunt, let them be just dogs!

WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO ALL SERIOUS YOUNG BREEDERS? To observe, listen and keep quiet. To have a mentor who has years of experience, mentor in the own breed and also in other breeds. I am going also to give the same advice that I was given by an old breeder. Choose the image of the Rhodesian Ridgeback you think is the standard and attach to it. Don’t breed by fashion, breed only by having in mind that image of the breed.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING? Dog shows is just another dog activity, have fun with it. You have the best dog and companion at the end of the show. Enjoy, make friends, learn about the breed talking with other breed lovers. Championships are nice for you, your dog doesn’t mind about it, they go to dog shows because

INFO Name Moyano

Gonzálvez

Country Spain Affix Molema www, Email

Mua Rôo

www.molemamuaroo.com info@molemamuaroo.com

Photo by Karin van Klaveren

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A BREEDER & JUDGE PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS. Born 1943 in Heidelberg, Germany. Studied Law, Engineering and Architecture in Heidelberg, Geneva (Switzerland) and Karlsruhe. Profession: Architect (retired). Married, one son (40). Languages: English (active, fluent), French (active, somewhat rusty). Started with Beagles in 1970, first Beagle litter in 1975, Kennel Name ‘True Line’s … (FCI)’, shared by wife Silke. Until 1994 raised 76 litters of beagles. Owned a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Added Border Terriers to the family in 1993, bred two successful Border Terrier litters. In 2004 added a Lagotto Romagnolo to our pack. Our successful Lagotti sired many champions at home, abroad and overseas. Bred four litters of Lagotti Romagnoli. Present pack consists of 7 Lagotti Romagnoli from seven to sixteen years of age and one pet Bolognese. All our dogs have always lived with us in the house. Wrote books on the Beagle (2), Rhodesian Ridgeback (1) and Collie & Sheltie (1), many and regular contributions in dog magazines. In 1985 was elected Honorary Advisor to the German Kennel Club (Verband fuer das Deutsche Hundewesen e.V., VDH) on breeding and registration matters until 2004. Delegated into the FCI Breeding Commission in 1998, since then presiding this Commission until 2004. Started judging beagles in 1974, was appointed as All Breed Judge in 1995. Have so far judged a total of over 71.000 dogs in 50 countries, appointments currently reach into 2021.

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

I always liked dogs, looked after the dogs in our family when the owners were on holiday. Got my first Beagle in 1970, very successful at shows and work (blood trails, won many trials). Married to wife Silke, a true dog aficionado, who allowed me to make the career I had and was a perfect manager for keeping our dogs and a gifted breeder.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED? Met the breed through the late breeder Anne Müller, got a bitch puppy from her which was shown successfully, but not bred and lived with us until she was fourteen. Read all RR literature I could get hold of. Still love this impressive breed.

TELL US ABOUT THE RIDGEBACKS YOU HAVE OWNED, SHOWN AND BRED. ‘Ruanda’ was a most reliable pack member with the then Beagles we had and bred. Her breed typical instincts were invaluable as we lived in a lovely old house outside our town. Ruanda blended into the pack of Beagles very well, was a keen and respected watch dog, I still miss her even after all these years.

WOULD YOU SAY A STUD DOG PUTS MORE OF A MARK ON THE BREED THAN A BROOD BITCH Undoubtedly it may, if used extensively. Just by the fact that a male could have numerous progeny it is crucial to use only the best ones, but with consideration to avoid ‘matador breeding’.

CAN YOU NAME SOME SPECIFIC DOGS THAT YOU FEEL HAD AN INFLUENCE,

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JOCHEN H. EBERHARDT

MADE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE BREED?

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In a way, specific dogs soon disappear in the previous generations of pedigrees whereas specific breeders leave more of a mark in breed history.

WHEN DID YOU START JUDGING AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME A JUDGE? PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR JUDGE’S CAREER AND YOUR HIGHLIGHTS. I normally reply that I love to touch and fondle all dogs without getting my wrist slapped. In fact I like looking at animals and considering breed type, predominantly under functional aspects. This started in 1972 with judging Beagles and continued after many studies until 21 years later I was appointed as an all breed judge. I have to admit that I always liked meeting new people as well. Definitely in my profession as architect I never met that many ‘different’ people as in the dog world.

DID YOU EVER HAVE A MENTOR? Yes, I was lucky to have the legendary all breed judges as mentors only known any more by people of my age; Willy Römpert, Werner Steinhausen and (very influential to instill judging ethics) Kurt Gendrung.

ARE YOU MENTORING

NEW COMERS? I do this with passion, but have to state that the selection of applicants to become dog judges by both breed clubs and kennel clubs leaves to be desired. Again and again people are nominated for political reasons and accordingly, are rarely impartial and correct judges.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE TYPE? Standards and study of breed literature along with communication with breed stalwarts should form a mental vision of the respective breed. I believe that both breeders and judges that do not have such a vision of the breed will never be decent breeders nor judges.

IS THERE SOMETHING WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN THE BREED? Size is still a problem internationally. As judges observe that apparently even the country of origin does not care about the size stated in the standard, why should they care? As a fact a standard size RR in the ring nowadays very often looks like a ‘bonsai’ specimen. Thus, either the standard should be adjusted to reflect reality. Or pressure on the judges and breed clubs to maintain correct size should be enforced.

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

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

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

Due to bigger entry numbers, there are more excellent exhibits, but more mediocre exhibits as well.

Temperament and breed type, on both the judges have to be unforgiving!

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO RR TODAY? As in all breeds: Incompetent breeders, high puppy prices, inappropriate owners.

IT IS INEVITABLE THAT BREEDS WILL EVOLVE AND WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU CHANGE SOMEWHAT AS ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE? Iron neutrality towards exhibitors, but polite be- NEW GENERATIONS OF havior, professional dress code, apparent love of BREEDERS TAKE CHARGE. dogs. HOW CAN THE ESSENCE WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU OR TRUE BREED TYPE - BE SEE IN THE JUDGES TODAY AS MAINTAINED? OPPOSED TO THOSE IN THE Knowledge, especially of breed type, anatomy BEGINNING OF YOUR CA- and function in both breeders and judges. WHAT WOULD BE THE REER? Dress code is too casual – do you expect a profes- MOST IMPORTANT sional performance provided by an unprofessionSINGLE PIECE OF ADVICE ally dressed person? Apparently mirrors at home YOU WOULD GIVE TO have become unfashionable. ALL SERIOUS YOUNG WHAT IS YOUR MOST BREEDERS? MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE Learn all you can find about your breed, analyse AS A JUDGE? why successful breeders put out champion after If well known top breeders keep showing their progeny under you again and again.

champion. Look at the most successful breeders in other breeds as well.

HOW HAS THE DOG SCENE CHANGED OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING?

Everybody expects an ‘Excellent’ for their exhibits whereas everybody notices that they don’t deserve it. ‘Very Good’ is grossly underrated, ‘Good’ considered to be an insult.

HAVE BREED STANDARDS CHANGED VERY MUCH SINCE YOU BEGAN YOUR JUDGING CAREER? Not really, translations from governing versions are poorer, changes are minimal.

I still love the breed although I cannot keep a RR any more!

INFO Name Jochen

H. Eberhardt

Country Germany Affix True Email

Line’s

jochen.h.eberhardt@t-online.de

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Apart from health aspects which can be remedied by clever breeding alone, temperament is still a concern. Owners mostly do not admit that their dog has a temperament problem. But a big breed that does not ‘stand like a rock’ is ridiculous and will forever be some problem for the owner.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A BREEDER & JUDGE PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS. My involvement in Rhodesian Ridgebacks started back in 1981 with the acquisition of a very sweet puppy bitch, she had no name as it was a bit of an impulse to have a puppy, she was named after a dolphin who was taught to talk by her owner which she did, the dolphin’s name was Faah, so this puppy with no name was called Faah as she regularly talked to us. Her name became the basis of my affix Faahac which was granted in 1986. I am currently Kennel Club Breed Representative for Rhodesian Ridgebacks working closely with the Kennel Club on all matters relating to Ridgebacks.

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

8 RCC’s. I am currently showing one of his daughters Kinabula Ment to Be who at the tender age of six months at her first show was BPIB and BPIS.

HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO THIS BREED? My introduction was an impulse having taken a friend to see a litter but it was me that came home with a puppy!!!

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

My love for dogs started as a child with the family pet, a Springer Spaniel.

I have judged Rhodesian Ridgebacks since 1990 the breed closest to my heart.

Since then I have owned (or been owned by) sixteen Ridgebacks over the years.

I also judge other Hounds at open show level.

I bred my first litter in 1987 and second litter in 1989 and kept a puppy from this litter Ch Faahac Freya, by this time I had been persuaded to have a go at showing, she gained her title in 1995. I have bred twelve champions in the UK and abroad, one being a liver bitch I imported from Sweden Ch Hayawani Kamambaa Rangi to Faahac ShCM She was the Top Winning liver nose in the UK with 7CC’s 5 BOB and many BIS awards. She has produced three champions one being the first liver nosed male champion in the UK Ch Faahac Fabu to gain his title with Best of Breed at Crufts 2011. She also produced Ch Faahac Farenya JW ShCM who gained 10CC’S 19 RCC’s and many BIS wins The most recent liver to gain his title is her son Ch Faahac Free’Easy JW ShCM now has 10 CC’s and 9 RCC’s and currently top Rhodesian Ridgeback in the UK for 2019. who has over taken his grandma as top liver nose in the UK with 9CC’s 3 BOB and

The highlight of my judging career came with an invitation to judge at Crufts in 2015, Which is the pinnacle of any judge’s career. I felt extremely honoured to be asked a day I will never forget with a fantastic entry of 209 dogs.

I chose to start judging because of a love for the breed and having an appetite to learn as much as I could about the finer points of the breed. I have had the pleasure of judging in many countries throughout Europe, those being Denmark, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Ireland, Czech Republic and Australia.

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

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GILL LAWLESS

I didn’t formally have a mentor but there were many respected breeders and exhibitors who were happy for you to sit ringside and discuss the finer points and share their knowledge of the breed. I do now mentor new judges starting off their career in judging as this is now a formal UK Kennel Club requirement.

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HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE TYPE? This is a difficult question to answer as we all have our own interpretation of type, if a dog meets or comes very close to the breed standard then it fits type, they are a hound that must be able to stand a long day’s work so being fit for purpose.

IS THERE SOMETHING WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN THE BREED? Not really other than to continue to improve on type, be able to see what your dog needs to improve through careful selective breeding.

EVERY BREED HAS SOME COMMON PROBLEMS. WHICH IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM IN RR? All breeds have their problems which will change over time. Currently in the UK and Europe I have found there are quite a lot of light eyes creeping in which gives a very harsh expression, I feel fronts have started to improve but we must remember that angulation should be moderate, over angulated dogs cannot do a day’s work

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT OF WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE A JUDGE OF THE BREED TO BE AWARE? To judge to the standard with dogs that are presented to them on the day. Ridgebacks are not natural show dogs; do not over handle the dogs they are supposed to be aloof with strangers so do not push them.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A JUDGE? Honesty and integrity.

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS MAKE A GOOD JUDGE IN YOUR OPINION? To be kind with the dogs and exhibitors, always be polite, remember it maybe their first time in the ring. Be decisive in your placings if you take too long making your choices it shows that you are unsure of yourself.

WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU SEE IN THE JUDGES TODAY AS OPPOSED TO THOSE IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER? Judges today want to run before they can walk, wanting to judge at Championship show level without doing their apprenticeship - they need to watch ringside, learn from experienced judges, question decisions made by those judges to un-

BIGGEST DIFFERENCES YOU SEE?

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A JUDGE?

The written UK KC Breed Standard has only changed once for Ridgebacks. The word ‘escutcheon’ was taken out which is a pity as this describes the ‘hallmark’ of the breed. We were getting dogs that were well over the breed standard in height becoming too heavy and mastiff like. We were also getting dogs that were too dark with no wheaten shading in their coats but a solid mahogany colour which had a tendency to carry black through the coat. Thankfully this has now leveled out and we are not seeing as many.

It has to be being invited to judge at Crufts 2015 and seeing my BOB go Group 4 in the Hound group. A close second will be being invited to judge at a club Championship show, and to be invited to judge in Australia at a club show.

HOW HAS THE DOG SCENE CHANGED OVER THE LAST DECADES? I feel that with the advent of social media there has been a lot of back biting in the show world (not practically the Ridgeback world) which is sad as we all go to shows to enjoy a day with like minded friends and their dogs. It is our hobby.

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

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO RR TODAY? Too much breeding, there are people breeding litters with no experience or thought of the breed, everyone has to start somewhere, but researching pedigrees looking for suitable stud dogs has to be the most important starting point.

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? These last three questions are very closely linked together. Judges also play a huge part in main-

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derstand the reason for placings, why a dog was placed above another, learn as much as they can before stepping into the ring.

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taining breed type, a popular dog that is winning a lot can become a much-used stud dog just because it carries a champion title. New breeders need to look if that dog carries the attributes your bitch needs. Look at past generations is there a type set in the progeny.

WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO ALL SERIOUS YOUNG BREEDERS? Don’t rush into breeding, it is a lot of hard work and very time consuming. Ask yourself why you want to breed? Be patient, research pedigrees, will that stud dog give something to your bitch? Speak to the breeder of your bitch, seek out an experienced breeder to give advice and support throughout the whole process. Finally, and perhaps the most important have good vetted homes waiting before you contemplate breeding a litter.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING? I hope you enjoy reading my responses, these are just my thoughts and many will have different views.

Just remember we are custodians of our wonderful breed and are responsible for their welfare.

INFO Name: Miss

Gill Lawless

Country: United

Kingdom

Affix: Faahac email:

gill.faahac@gmail.com

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COUNTY LINE BREEDER

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK EU MAGAZINE

The Making of a Breeder

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t all started when I was 21, my boyfriend had a Rhodesian Ridgeback. I never heard of them but loved his majestic look and handsome and sweet loyal temperament. We became friends and Leo would jog with me in the Park. I broke up with my boyfriend a year later but knew that some day I would have a Ridgeback. 7 years later, married and moving into our first house we found a boy, Woodie. The breeder, Danielle Sand said that he was show quality but we just wanted a pet. I did not want to “Show a Dog”!!!! At 8 months old, we went to see his brother showing at a show and Danielle said she could finish Woodie. We decided to try and do this. John trained him, I was the cheerleader and that started my journey that has lasted a lifetime. Being new it took us a while to work on Woodie’s Championship. We had hunted for a major for 7 months. We went to the 1988 Specialty just feeling that we would have fun and learn more. At this point, I had gotten Jessie who was sired by Woodie’s brother, Billy, Ch Ivy League’s Bungalow Bill, Billie ended up being #3 Ridgeback in the country.

When you are new, you don’t really know what you are doing. I finished Jessie’s Championship myself and decided to breed her to her Grandfather, which is a textbook breeding. When I look back on it, I didn’t improve anything. Both Jessie and her Grandfather were moderately angled. I had 10 puppies, 5 girls and 5 boys with perfect ridges and sold them to some nice pet homes. I wanted to learn how to do everything the right way, whatever work was involved, I wanted to do it. I fell in love with the breed and felt a sense of being a protector of these wonderful dogs. I went to handling class, I talked to different breeders about structure, movement. I went to Specialties and looked at the dogs who were the winners. I was at the 1991 Specialty and saw a puppy under the chair of Barbara Sawyer Brown, Kwetu Ridgebacks. I watched him move away when someone took him for a walk and I loved everything about him. I had to have him. There were several handlers and people looking at him so I was told to

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So off to the National with low expectations, we went. Jessie placed 5th in a long line up of bitches and Woodie placed 6th. We were thrilled just to be considered. The next day, there was a huge entry of Ridgebacks at the regular dog show. 25 Ridge-

back males were entered. As Woodie showed and won his class, we were outside the ring jumping up and down praying he would take Winners Dog for a 5 Point Major, then it happened, OMG, we couldn’t contain our excitement!!!!! We went home not being able to come off of Cloud 9 for a week. I was officially bitten by the bug and told the Universe that I wanted to be a Great Breeder!

Champion Mine Creek’s Buster by Kwetu, ROM, Buster BISS CH Rusteau of Kwetu x CH Mine Creek’s Mystic vision

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OHRBIS County Line’s Brown Sugar (GCH County Line’s Run with the Stars x Ch. County Line’s Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut)

Ch Podarok Iz Afriki Duncan Viktor (Ch Int,Hr,Slo,Mont,Ast,Bos&Herc Myollnir Kyala X Ch J Rus,Ch,Rus,Rkf Podarok Iz Afriki Dazzle Queen)

call the Breeder Gail Savage and talk to her. I called her that night. She remembered me because I took pictures of her 2 puppies at the Specialty and sent her 8x 10’s, see no good deed goes unnoticed! Gail said she would love for me to have Buster. I started training Buster and was winning the Breed from the Puppy Class, this happened several times. The most exciting was a Judge from Australia. Buster was 11 months old, we went in and took Winners Dog!!!! It was different because the Judge walks up to you and says come with me, so I thought we were being excused LOL! He handed me the Winners Dog Ribbon for a 4 Point Major, I was ecstatic! We went back into the ring to compete with Champions for Best of Breed, Best of Winners and Best of Opposite Sex. There was a Top 10 dog in the line up plus several other top winning Champions. After he goes through them all we are all in the line up. He came up to me and asked how old Buster was. I said 11 months, he put his hand out to shake my hand, Buster was Best of Breed! The important thing to know is there is a lot of work that goes into breeding, handling and showing. You never stop learning and you get dogs along the way that you have to learn different things in order to bring out the best in them. You never realize till later in life how much you have learned and how those skills will help you later on. Not everyone listens and learns. But if you are a good listener and you work hard, you can achieve your dreams.

I have bred many dogs who have won at National Specialties. 2003, Ch. County Line’s Ringmaster, Barnum took Winners Dog, Best of Winners and an Award of Merit. In 2000 I took Reserve Winners Dog with Ch. County Line’s I like it like that. Ch. County Line’s Pandora of Tajamani took Best of Opposite at one National and Award of Merit at the next National. I have bred the #1 Bitch in 2019 and #3 bitch in 2018, RBIS DC GCHG County Line’s Scotland Yard, CA,SC,BCAT, CGC. She also took Best of Opposite Sex in 2-18 and an Award of Merit in 2019. All of this is a result of dedicated work, sacrifice and persistence. I have learned from many people along the way. Once I learned structure and movement and how to put two dogs together, I then taught myself many things by taking chances and importing dogs. Outcrossing and seeing how those dogs bring in some things I need in the next generation. It is all about an open mind, learning and really developing an eye for the correct structure and movement. You can work a dog on a treadmill and I will be able to see if he is restricted in his movement. Movement is very important to me. They were bred to go all day without wearing out. Covering ground effortlessly.

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So my foundation bitch was Ch. County Line’s Jessie James. I didn’t breed her myself but the breeder didn’t have a kennel name so it was the start of my County Line Ridgebacks. Jessie had several litters, a few with Buster. She produced a bitch that took Reserve Winners Bitch and Award of Merit at the 1994 Specialty under Breed Specialist Barbara Sawyer Brown. Buster also took an Award of Merit at that Specialty. He was #5 Ridgeback for 1993, 1994, Award of Merit at Westminster.

County Line’s Red Cloud, Rex

I am always working on my breeding program and as a Judge since 2007 I have learned many things by judging other dogs, other lines and other breeds. The Great breeders never think they know it all!

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Can/Am GCH County Line’s It is Written in the Stars, Leo (BIS RUSCH Rayridge Jared Boleyd x County Line’s Sweet as Pie, ROM)

INFO Name Lisa

M. Hoffman

Country United

States

Affix Countyline

Ridgebacks

www

www.countylineridgebacks.com

RIDGERULES BREEDER

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”The beginning and collected thoughts”

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CH. RIJSTONE AUSSIE RULES “NAVY”

CATS OR DOGS? I was brought up with a mom who loved and cared for all animals – both domestic as well as wildlife. We had sheep, hens, Shetland ponies and later in her rehab facilities hedgehogs, baby deer, eagles etc. As our family pets we had an amazon parrot, fish and cats so whilst growing up and moving to my own place I was certain I was a cat person…then I met a guy and we moved in together and he wanted….. a dog. I kind of went with that and back then, in 1998 as well as now, you go for several visits to one or several breeders to be interviewed and accepted as puppy buyers. We were lucky enough to end up in the home of Anette Enderberg, Ökensandens kennel where we spent many hours before we got to bring our, no sorry, his puppy home: Ökensandens Intensive Ikko. As you surely have guessed those hours with Anette, her dogs and the puppies got me hooked and the lessons she gave then are still a big part of my basic Ridgeback knowledge. Veronica Thorén, Rex Ventors Kennel, was the owner of the puppy’s father, Djungelkattens Imbue Ridged *Isak*. She immediately encouraged me to engage in obedience classes, show training etc and whoops a year later my own puppy came into the home. He was from Veronica’s first litter, The A-litter, sired by *Isak* and the dam was her famous import Multi CH Bearstar Diamond Willow.

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Rex Ventors *Akeron* and I had so many adventures around Europe and we became a true show team. When he left us at the age of 12 he was known as INTUCH NORDUCH DKUCH SEV-01 FIV-01 WW-02 EVW-06 WVW-08. *Akeron* not only gave me skills as a handler but luckily he also sired a few litters in Sweden, Norway and Germany. The skills as a handler lead me to having handling classes that taught me more about Ridgebacks. Not only how to handle their behavior but I also got to put my hands on them, watch them move and get to know them. Breeders who used *Akeron* taught me about matings, breeding in general, bringing up puppies and so on.

THE FOUNDATION Some years later I met my future husband, Robert, and luckily he adored Rhodesian Ridgebacks and it was not long until a foreign bird landed in our family. Of course with the guidance of Veronica who put us in contact with Mrs. Vicki Stoneham and her breeding program. Rijstone Aussie Rules aka *Navy* turned out to be the sweetest, coolest, tallest boy and we adored him. Over the years he also did his fair share of winning as well as producing some high quality offspring in Europe. One day I got a phone call from Caroline Graflund/ African Bravehearts kennel and she told me she had a bitch available that she wanted to keep on

EYES CATCHER OUT OF AFRICA “LOLITA”

Three years later Navy sired a litter at Kennel Out Of Africa and after a few weeks of badgering Mr Jouanchicot, we finally got some photos and whoops we had Ridgeback nr 4 in the house. *Lolita* - Eyes Catcher Out Of Africa had both her father´s coolness as well as a strong mindset but also a bit of a French temperament. She was never a fan of the show ring so mostly she stayed home enjoying the couches and beds. This was the beginning – maybe not chosen by as much thought as by heart and feeling for each individual.

TO BE A BREEDER OR NOT – THAT’S THE BIG QUESTION! RIDGERULES TREASURED LA BELLE “BELLE”

A Swedish breeder, let’s call him Sven, and I had over the years had discussions about breeding; Why should you breed? Who should become a breeder? What is it like to breed? What does it take? In 2008 we got our prefix RidgeRules accepted and this was my first step towards seriously thinking of breeding. I was not 100% there yet and we still needed to get things in order – like a house and more thinking of what I preferred in a Ridgeback, read-up on pedigrees and on how to bring up puppies. In late 2008 Caroline took me on a trip to Australia where we visited many breeders, amongst them were of course Vicki Stoneham/Rijstone Kennel and the Friedlands/Elangeni Kennel. *Navy´s* father was Kargnieulan Hugo A Gogo and at that time he was still alive. Meeting him as well as picking Linda Freedland’s brain about old dogs were truly a treasure and gave an excellent sense of a lot of Australian Ridgebacks. Linda has since then visited several times as well as given advice via Facetime or messenger in the middle of the night when I’ve had questions about puppies, aches, diarrheas. In 2010 I told Sven that I was seriously considering starting breeding and was actually planning for my first litter. I was a bit scared because he could be quite stern but his response was: That was about time! Let me know if you will have a second litter!

C.I.B* SEW-14 LT SE NO FI UCH RIDGERULES SHOW´N TELL “ESTHER”

After a visit to Moscow, collecting intel via contacts around the world, a sire was chosen and in 2012 our first litter was born! Being a breeder for the first time I had invaluable help from Veronica and I wish and hope for every

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breeder’s terms. Did I perhaps know anyone who could take her? So a few weeks later *Nike* moved in with us. The boys ignored her totally and she was not allowed to come close…that changed after a while and all was good. *Nike* was African Braveheart Fourever Yours and we also had a great time in the ring.

BISS 2018 C.I.B* SEW-15 DK JV-13 DK LT SE FI CH RIDGERULES TELL HERA YOU LOVE HER “HERA”

new breeder to have such an experienced person close to you.

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Since then six more litters have been born under our prefix and we are planning for the next generation. So what did I do after our first litter? – I called Sven and said…. Yes, we will have a second litter!

“MY” RIDGEBACK! I sometimes have a hard time putting in words what I prefer in a Ridgeback when it comes to shape, type, form and details but I know what I like to look at! Over the years discussions with breeders from almost all over the world have given me a lot of insights but many times left me with a big “?” I had a plan for my first generation and my second but now for my third I’ve noticed that my preference has changed. Or is it my eye that has learned to see things differently? Looking back at *Akeron* I would critique him totally differently today than what I did when he was in his prime so of course we evolve in our ability to evaluate dogs. But here it goes: I prefer a Ridgeback that is balanced in angulations, moderate in size and is an elegant as well an efficient mover. Correct proportions, a nicely shaped ribcage with depth, length and a sternum that shows just slightly from the side. Low hooks, strong paws, laidback shoulders

Nord W-17 SE FIN UCH RIDGERULES HUMBLE HEIRESS “FELICIA”

and a croup that goes south just a tad. I can accept different styles of heads but I melt when I see a dark eye with that calm, regal look and if that goes with a strong muzzle then I am sold. Usually I look at a dog quite quickly and know if I like it or not – your eye should just fly over it! Then I can pick it apart and critique everything and this is what I do with my own dogs and the dogs I’ve bred! I believe that as a breeder, you should always be your own worst critic.

COLLECTED THOUGHTS Being a breeder is a journey that never ends and you never reach the final destination, so you must enjoy the trip! To make the journey an enjoyable experience I believe that taking the chance to meet and connect with breeders from different countries, cultures and with alternative mindsets than your own is of great importance. If possible take the time and money to visit and meet dogs that you are interested in. I’ve visited Australia, England, Netherlands, France, Italy, Russia, Lithuania, Poland, Austria, Germany and of course the Scandinavian countries. For me the chance of connecting with owners and breeders via my handling classes as well as our first Ridgebacks being used as studs gave so many lessons and contacts to be used in the fu-

Photo by Karin van Klaveren

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ture. Put your hands on the dogs to feel their conformation as well as look from a distance. Be humble, believe in what you do and never ever say that you know it all or that has never happened to me – because then it will!

Photo by Jenny Jurnelius

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Photo by Jenny Jurnelius

If we meet I hope you stop to say hi and that we can have a great chat! If you have a question, ask me and I will try to answer!

Photo by Jenny Jurnelius

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INFO

Name Maria

Kierkegaard Lundström

Country Sweden Affix Kennel

RidgeRules

www www.ridgerules.com

NOMVUYO BREEDER

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A JUDGE / BREEDER

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WHEN AND HOW DID YOU FIRST LEARN ABOUT RHODESIAN RIDGEBACKS? In March 1978 a friend (who owned Afghan Hounds) and I attended my first dog show. When we arrived at the Hound ring, I noticed a number of short-haired brown dogs standing with their heads level with their backs, all facing the same way and staring into the distance. I wondered what they were looking at and noticed that their owner was some distance away and they were watching her. I was told that they were Rhodesian Ridgebacks. It was love at first sight and I knew this was the perfect dog for me. After this eye-opening show, I contacted the Kennel Union of Southern Africa (KUSA) and was advised that the only litter that they knew of was in Pretoria (some 1,500 kms from Cape Town).

attention, gives them comfortable housing with protection from the elements, feeds them good quality food and gives them a stimulating and safe environment to play in and socialise • does health testing and does not knowingly breed from dogs with known genetic defects that will condemn the pups to a life of suffering • does not breed a carrier of any genetic disease to another carrier or a dog afflicted with the same disease

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WHERE DID YOUR RIDGEBACK COME FROM? HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR BREEDER AND WHY DID YOU PICK THEM? The breeder was Janet Murray (ULUNDI). I contacted her, asked some pertinent questions and was delighted to discover that she had pups available. A friend drove with me to Pretoria to see the pups. I observed them and played with them, and made up my mind quite quickly, selecting a very pretty and apparently independent female. This was my first Rhodesian Ridgeback, “Sparkle”. Although I had indicated that I was not interested in showing her, I did, and she became a champion quite easily (CH. ULUNDI UBUBELE). Sparky was a delightful dog and I quickly became addicted to the breed.

IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT MAKES A GOOD BREEDER? Someone who:

• is dedicated to trying to improve the breed • gives their everything to raise the pups correctly • does not exploit the animals for money or ego • researches pedigrees • is not kennel blind and can see the faults in their dogs, acknowledge those faults, and try to breed away from them • gives them lots of love and

CH & CH (INTL) KANGELANI’S GO FOR GOLD OF NOMVUYO

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CH. & CH (INTL) NOMVUYO TALAMEITI

DO YOU SHOW YOUR DOG/S? Yes. I have shown a lot in the past but not so much these days. I am a terrible handler but an excellent handling teacher – I taught my niece, Helen Theron, to handle from the age of 8. She won National Child Handler at her first Nationals and represented South Africa at Crufts three times as National Junior Handler.

ARE YOU ENGAGED WITH THE RIDGEBACK COMMUNITY AND BREEDING ABROAD? Yes. A lot of my bloodlines are in dogs abroad.

• is responsible for that puppy for its life, and should the well-researched home that the pup is chosen for be unable to keep the puppy for any reason, the puppy (or adult dog) is taken back and cared for or placed in a suitable home by the breeder • ensures that the pups are microchipped and /or tattoed and that all relevant vaccinations and dewormings are done timeously

WHEN DID YOU BECOME A JUDGE? I qualified to judge Hounds in 1994. I am licensed to judge Hounds, Working, Terriers, Utility and Herding at Championship show level and am currently completing the requirements for the Gundog and Toy Groups. I am also licensed to judge Child and Junior Handling classes, Best in Show and Best Puppy in Show.

TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR

CH & CH (INTL) KANGELANI’S GO FOR GOLD OF NOMVUYO

JUDGING CAREER.

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There have been many highlights including beautiful dogs, lovely people and fascinating countries. The thrill is finding that gorgeous dog that fills the eye.

TELL US ABOUT ALL THE COUNTRIES YOU HAVE JUDGED IN. I have judged in the USA, UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Czech Republic, Australia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa and I am judging in New Zealand in November 2019.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF YOUR KENNEL NAME? It is an isiXhosa name meaning “a place of love and happiness”

HOW MANY DOGS DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE? I have 11 Ridgebacks excluding 1 Ridgeback rescue and 4 mixed breed rescues plus my nephew’s crossbred dog that is going to Australia soon to be with him.

HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE DIFFERENT DOGS IN YOUR PACK, ESPECIALLY

WHEN FEMALES ARE IN SEASON? I either send the in-season bitches or the males to a very well trusted and excellent boarding kennel or I put them in my own kennels (depending on the level of hysteria at the time). Our dogs normally live in our house except the rescues who live in purpose-built kennels while I try to find suitable homes for them, if they are suitable for rehoming.

DO YOU THINK THAT RIDGEBACKS MAKE GOOD FAMILY DOGS? Absolutely, but I also think that they are not dogs for everyone I believe that they are dogs that need socialising and they need to be exposed to many different things. These are dogs that don’t like what they don’t know.

HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF RIDGEBACKS? I am very worried about the future of Ridgebacks because they are losing type and becoming too long on the leg and are losing body proportions. They were bred to be endurance trotting dogs “capable of great endurance with a fair amount of speed”, not Greyhounds, thus they do not need the elongated body of a sprinter. Some are also becoming too long in the back compared to their height at the withers and there are too many sloping toplines.

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CH & CH (INTL) KANGELANI’S GO FOR GOLD OF NOMVUYO

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS FOR OTHER BREEDERS/ OWNERS? Some people go for the top winning sire simply because it is a top winner but this does not necessarily mean that he is a top producer. There are some beautiful dogs around that have never seen the inside of a show ring. This does not make them any less worthy. Be objective when breeding by assessing your bitch and the potential sire dispassionately. Try to correct faults. In my opinion, good fronts are the hardest to breed and the easiest to lose. Because they are getting long on the leg, many Ridgebacks are getting short, upright upperarms and they are often very overangulated behind. This is incorrect. Also, I find that there is a growing number of dogs whose prosternum is too high. This then cuts down sharply to the underline. One wants to find a smooth curve from the prosternum to the underline and the underline should be carried well back before cutting up to the loin. I also find that many muzzles are becoming much too short. A Ridgeback is a moderate dog in all respects.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON RIDGEBACK COLOUR? IS MAHOGANY ACCEPTABLE? The standard says “light wheaten to red wheaten”.

Mahogany, whilst very attractive on other breeds, is not a recognised Ridgeback colour. It may be popular, but it is not correct. Also, although some people deliberately breed blues and charge exorbitant amounts for them, blue is a totally unacceptable Ridgeback colour as is any colour not covered by the term “light wheaten to red wheaten”. When judging, I have no colour preference provided that it is within the guidelines of the standard. Also, breeders and judges ought to be aware of pigment in brown-nosed dogs – one sees more and more dogs with no pigment on the eyerims and noses that are pinkish rather than brown.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HEIGHT AT THE WITHERS? WOULD YOU USE A DOG ABOVE THE NUMBERS MENTIONED IN THE STANDARD IN YOUR BREEDING PROGRAMME? IN THE SHOW RING, WOULD YOU CONSIDER AWARDING TOP HONOURS TO A DOG THAT IS VERY CLEARLY ABOVE 69 CM?

I don’t like them to get too big. I would consider using an oversized dog or bitch but would keep a sharp eye on the progeny. I once bred a 24” (61cm) bitch to a 27,5” (almost 70cm) male and had four pups that grew to 31” (78.74cm), one that grew to 62cm and one that grew to 66cm. Mating a big dog to a small dog isn’t going to give you medium sized puppies. It will give you some small and some big. Also, you can’t breed small to small continually. That is why I think all litters should be assessed by the breeder when they are about 18 months old and whether they have turned out as you hoped. If you are very happy with them, you can repeat the mating; if not, try another sire. I may award on an oversized dog but it would have to be spectacular because I have a definite leaning towards moderate. It is about balance and breed type. You can only judge what is in front of you in the ring and place the dog that you think best fits the standard. This may sometimes not be the style that you necessarily think is the greatest representative of the breed.

HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU FEEL IS CORRECT/ COMPLETE DENTITION?

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I think complete dentition is important but not critical unless there are too many teeth missing because this can lead to compromised jaw shapes in the long run. A lot of breeds are losing their PM1s and I think this is an evolutionary thing. However, one must endeavour to breed for full dentition.

HOW MANY LITTERS WOULD YOU BREED FROM ONE BITCH? One to three litters maximum. Only in very exceptional circumstances would I breed a bitch four times and that would be if her puppies were really outstanding. I have only done this once and she had all the support she needed so coped very well. Breeding more than this, in my opinion, is exploitative.

AT WHAT AGE DO YOU LET THE PUPPIES GO TO THEIR NEW HOMES? I let them go at 9 – 12 weeks depending on the number of puppies and how they are coping.

DO YOU PERMIT THE NEW PUPPY OWNERS TO MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICE FROM THE LITTER OR DO YOU PICK THE PUPPY FOR THEM?

CH. & CH. (ZIM & INTL) CALIBRE WINDSOFCHANGE OF NOMVUYO

Usually not. There are very few show homes in this country and most people tend to pick a puppy because “it was the first one that came to us” or “I love white toes” or “I don’t like white” or some such story. They forget that the puppy is a living creature, not a toy, and that it has a distinct personality and mind of its own. So I assess my pups’ and the potential owners’ requirements and I sometimes give them a choice of two or three but frequently I pick a puppy for them. If they don’t like my choice they are under no obligation to take a puppy and, in fact, I won’t let them.

YOU HAVE JUDGED RHODESIAN RIDGEBACKS ALL OVER THE WORLD. CAN YOU PLEASE TELL

This is a very difficult question. I have seen some very beautiful dogs but in my opinion, four of my males fall into that category. Having said this, there is no perfect dog and this includes any that I have owned or bred. They were: 1. CH & CH. (ZIM) GLOBE’S ROVING RED REGENT (Imp USA), “Clay”. 2. His son, CH. & CH. (ZIM & INTL) CALIBRE WINDSOFCHANGE OF NOMVUYO, “RiffRaff”. He was #1 dog of All-breeds on the South African Animaltalk Ratings in 1998. 3. Riff-Raff’s son CH. & CH (INTL) NOMVUYO TALAMEITI, “Baxter” ended up #5 All-breeds in the Animaltalk ratings in 2005 in about 8 shows.

5. Nelda and Ginny Vaughn in Georgia, USA, had a very beautiful bitch called GLOBE LIA’S KID ABILENE that had a spectacular presence about her. I am not big on taking pictures – it’s just not something I normally think of doing and I am a hopeless photographer. In my opinion, some of the best bitches are in the Scandinavian countries but I also saw some beautiful bitches in Russia many years ago. As we all know, there is no perfect dog but I have had the privilege of having my hands on many lovely specimens.

ARE RIDGEBACKS SCENT OR SIGHT-HOUNDS? In my opinion they are both Scent- and Sighthounds with the emphasis on the scenting. They do not fit into the typical Sighthound shape and are intended as endurance trotting dogs. The sooner people stop classifying them as Sighthounds, the better for the breed. They also have that distinctive “V” shaped marking on their scent gland on the upper part of their tail which Sighthounds do not have.

4. And last but not least, CH & CH (INTL) KANGELANI’S GO FOR GOLD OF NOMVUYO, “Oshkosh”, also a son of Clay

INFO

Name Janet

Wang

Country South

Africa

Affix Nomvuyo email nomvuyorr@gmail.com

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US (AND SHOW US) THE MOST BEAUTIFUL (IN YOUR OPINION CLOSE TO PERFECT) DOG AND BITCH YOU HAVE EVER LAID YOUR HANDS ON.

MOLEMA MUA RÔO BREEDER

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A BREEDER

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WHEN AND HOW DID YOU FIRST LEARN ABOUT RHODESIAN RIDGEBACKS? HOW LONG BEFORE YOU GOT YOUR FIRST RIDGEBACK AND DID YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER DOGS BEFORE THAT? WHERE DID YOUR RIDGEBACK COME FROM? HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR BREEDER AND WHY DID YOU PICK THEM?

with a male and female imported from Germany. From this kennel I got a granddaughter later as my first Ridgeback.

My love for dogs began when I was a child, I think I love them since I remember.

I had to bottle feed him, he didn’t walk so I put him in a bag and a hot water bottle and a towel inside and he came wherever we went, walking, shopping… but in the bag, he was so little that nobody paid attention to him. I named him Chusky, he died at the age of 5 years due to an immune illness.

The first time I saw the breed was through a Spanish magazine specialized in dogs, it was “Revista GUAU”. I bought the magazine because the nice photo on the cover, that in fact was a Beagle. When I started to read the magazine I came through the article of the month “The Rhodesian Ridgeback”, the main photo was a lion cub and a Ridgeback showing the ridge, I felt in love. I started to read the article and when I finished it, I said; this is going to be my dog. There was an advert of a breeder “Germanridge”, the start of a kennel

I asked my parents to have a Ridgeback but they said no. I also phoned the breeder and she told me that the dogs were just 9 and 4 months old and that she will breed with them of course but only in a few years. Sometime later my first dog came, he was a mixed breed, he was small and fluffy. A friend of my father knew that I was mad about having a dog, his neighbour had puppies and no families for them, and he came to my house with one of the tiny puppies, the puppy was only 15 days old!! I didn’t know anything about dogs, or at least I had no real experience. I only had theory, I knew a lot because of the books I had read, I had lot of books about dogs, all breeds books, German Shepherd books, Rottweiler books, magazines.

As I already knew about Ridgebacks, I started to look for them again, the breeder from whom I had seen the advertisement had stopped breeding, she only had 2 or 3 litters. In those years there was no internet or breeders websites like today… so I asked in shops and looked in dog magazines

Neith was the best dog I would ever have, she lived until age 16. She was really special. Just one month after I rescued Neith, I went to a horse competition and I saw a Ridgeback. Luckily, his breeder and owner was there, Teresa Sabater, she was one of the few breeders in Spain in those days. As I already had Neith I could not have another dog at home, as we lived in a flat, but I kept the contact card of the breeder for the future. In 1998, we were going to move to a house with garden so I planned to increase the family with a Ridgeback. I booked a puppy with the breeder I had met some years before. When the litter was 1 month old I went to see the puppies and possibly pick mine as I was in the first place of the waiting list. The breeder chose 2 puppies that better fitted the standard and showed more promise for the things I wanted. But when I went to pick the puppy these ones were not there as other families came before. So only a tiny red wheaten puppy and another female with too much white were left. I kept the tiny red puppy. She came home at the end of 1999 and she was Ginsa de Simba Masai Mara (also known as Ghintza). I never thought about being so involved in dogs. I wanted to try some dog shows because I was a really fan of the Walt Disney film “The Ugly Dachshund” but never thought about breeding. Ghintza remained a little Ridgeback and she had what we know now Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy. Since the first day at home, she had little nervous tics or spams, we asked the breeder and the vet, but nobody knew about it. However, when she was about 18 months old she had her first epileptic seizure. We went to the vet and we started an

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and found nothing. Therefore, I went to the local rescue centre and I adopted a German x Belgian Shepherd mix female puppy. She was 2 months old and I called her Neith.

epileptic treatment. After some months the big seizures were controlled but the nervous tics remained until the end of her life. She lived very well until 11,5 years old. Of course, she was neutered and never bred. Due to the disaster with my first Ridgeback, my mind started to change and I started thinking about breeding and going to more dog shows, and to fewer horse competitions. I decided to buy a male from abroad and I contacted some breeders in Europe. Spain had very bad reputation about dogs in those days and nobody wanted to sell me a puppy. Nowadays, things have changed and I think that Spain is more respected. I continued looking for a good kennel and good combination and it is when I found Ozrhode kennel in Australia. I imported Ozrhode Dia Hot Prospect, also known as Vulcan, a magnificent male. He was a real ambassador of the breed, he had everything, great Ridgeback temperament and morphology. Due to Ghintza’s epilepsy, the breeder gave me another puppy from her last litter ever. She came from different lines (Kimani’s from USA), which I was happy, that meant no problems with epilepsy. So, Hidra de Simba Masai Mara came home. A female with superb elegance and effortless movement, really smart and puppy spirit till the end of her days. Vulcan and Hidra were my foundation and all the Ridgebacks I have had come from them, Nessy, Gala, Odette, Draco. Currently I have at home Odile, Loa, Zeta, Satara and Mala Mala.

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Oops I forgot! Robin, the Basenji, he is now 11,5 years old. I love Basenjis, but I know I will never breed them. They have a special character that

you must love. He loves to play with his Ridgebacks and he does great as Nanny every time I have puppies at home.

IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT MAKES A GOOD BREEDER? What makes a good breeder is the honesty and humility, to listen and learn from all people, young and old breeders, you always can learn new things from everybody. Breeding with the aim of improving the breed and not for the money, do the health tests available for the dogs before breeding, look for a suitable male for their female (health and morphology and if it has good results in shows it is a plus), screening families for their puppies… People that are always learning, reading, talking about the breed and dogs, who learn how to look at a dog, about selection, genetics. A good breeder is available 24h/365 days for his dogs and puppy owners. A breeder who has good results at dog shows or other competitions and the puppy owners are proud of their puppies. A good breeder will have owners return to him, when they want another puppy.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE A MALE/FEMALE? My first Ridgeback was a female because I already had Neith, also a female, and I did not want to neuter her. If I hadn’t had Neith, I would have preferred a male, for sure.

DO YOU SHOW YOUR DOG?

ARE YOU IN TOUCH WITH OTHER RIDGEBACK OWNERS/BREEDERS/ STUD DOG OWNERS AND DO YOU EXCHANGE EXPERIENCES? DO YOU STUDY THE RIDGEBACK COMMUNITY AND BREEDING ABROAD? Yes, I am in contact with other breeders, owners… but not as much as I would like because with my job, house, family, dogs… I am quite busy. But I try to do my best. I also find the groups and websites on the Internet very helpful, where you can read about health or stud dogs/matings, or photos of other RR around the world. It is a good way of learning the direction where the breed is moving.

WHAT ACTIVITIES DO YOU PURSUE WITH YOUR DOG, LIKE MAN-TRAILING E.G.? Currently only dog shows, but I have practiced agility and field/blood tracking. I want to be more involved with tracking and hunting skills because I think it is important for our breed. Ridgebacks are hunters and we need to maintain this skill.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST PLAN ON BECOMING A BREEDER? WHAT WAS THE REASON? ARE YOU STILL AN ACTIVE BREEDER/STUD DOG OWNER? The idea of becoming breeder was after Ghintza. I am an active breeder and stud owner, I breed only a few litters, more or less one per year and I try to be selective with the males and females I choose. You need to do that if you want to improve and establish your line with such few breedings.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF YOUR KENNEL NAME? HOW WAS YOUR

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Yes, I show my dogs. I enjoy showing them it is my hobby and I enjoy the travels with my friends or my family to go only for a dog show. When the show is far I try to take one or two more days of holidays and visit the city where I am going or any other place that is on the way to the show.

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EXPERIENCE WITH BECOMING A BREEDER? My kennel name is MolemaMuaRôo and it means Lionheart in Ndowe language from Guinea. A friend of the family is from Guinea and I asked him to translate some words in his language. To become breeder is a nice experience but it is also sad. It is nice to see how the puppies are born and how everything goes perfect, mother and puppies are doing fine. They grow, they go to their families, you receive news from them, photos and stories that make you laugh… But there is also a sad part of becoming a breeder, when something wrong is happening at birth and you have to rush for a C-section in the middle of the night, when a puppy dies and in a few hours another and then another and you don’t know what to do. To spend nights without sleeping because you have to bottle feed the puppies and watch if the mum is fine after the C-section or mastitis… And it is sad when you receive a phone call or email of a puppy owner after lot of years and you know that the news can be the worst. You answer the phone a little bit scared, sometimes it is only to tell you about the arthritis and less mobility, your puppy is doing fine and a smile comes into your face. Other times they tell you that they had to say goodbye and you end up crying together with the owners.

HOW MANY DOGS DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE? WHAT WAS YOUR MOST JOYFUL MOMENT? I have 5 Ridgebacks right now and 1 Basenji (who usually lives with my parents). My male, Draco, died some months ago and I am looking now to add another male into my pack. I love males, so sooner or later one will come from another kennel or from a future breeding with my females. The females I have now at home are Odile (Molema Mua Rôo Miss Congeniality, 8 years old), Loa (Loa River Andes Kilima, 5 years old), Zeta (Merigal’s Zeta Molema Mua Roo, 5 years old), Satara (Molema Mua Rôo Satara, 4 years old) and Mala Mala (Molema Mua Rôo Mala Mala, 3 years old). I can’t say just one joyful moment. I think I have a lot of them. Some of them winning at dog shows, others when the vet tells you that the female is pregnant from a really desirable mating, when you see a promising puppy in a litter, or just family moments… your dogs playing in the garden, snatching apples from the tree, a funny sleeping position…

HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE DIFFERENT DOGS IN YOUR PACK, ESPECIALLY

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WHEN FEMALES ARE IN SEASON? Usually my parents keep the male to avoid problems with the females. It is easier, if it is not possible, the male is inside the house and the females in the garden or vice versa or I have a big kennel where the male or female stay while I can not watch them. If the females are not in season, all the dogs live together in a pack and they have all the house and garden for their own. I have no problems between them. All are family and I think that is why I have no problems. I cross my fingers to continue like this. They have their own room with heating and they have free access to the garden. In winter their room is warm and in summer is fresh. In winter, Loa is the one who closes the door of the room from inside. She is the most clever of the pack, she also knows how to open doors levers, so I have had to change to knobs.

DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN? DO YOU THINK THAT RIDGEBACKS MAKE GOOD FAMILY DOGS? No, I don’t have children. Yes, I think Ridgebacks are good family dogs, they are tolerant and with

lot of patience, they love to be with their humans and they protect them with their lives if necessary.

HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF RIDGEBACKS? WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE BREED? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS FOR OTHER BREEDERS/ OWNERS? I think the future of Ridgebacks looks good. Lot of breeders are conscious about the health problems and they test their dogs to have a healthy breeding stock. We have enough of a gene pool to work with. But breeders must be honest and tell the truth about their breeding and problems. Breeders have to breed for the standard and not for winning at dog shows, neither for making money. If you breed for money you become unscrupulous and anything goes and that is not the point. Winning at dog shows, sometimes the winners

are only flashy but not the best into the standard. A BIS Winner or Multichampion or World Champion sometimes is nothing, just a Show dog. Go to a Club Show or a specialty where a Breed Specialist judge gives you his opinion. This is more valuable for me. Ask breeders if they have a special “rough diamond” that you could use as stud. Those dogs live happily in families and don’t go to dog shows but they have lot to offer to the gene pool and improve the breed. The Rhodesian Ridgebacks were created as hunting dogs, so promote that instinct or at least don’t let them to lose it. We need to maintain the functionality of the breed. I don’t say that you should go hunting but you can try blood tracking as another similar activity for your dog.

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Enjoy your Ridgeback, your loyal companion that only wants to be with you in any situation.

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INFO Name Vanessa

Moyano Gonzálvez

Country Spain Affix Molema

Mua Rôo

www www.molemamuaroo.com email info@molemamuaroo.com

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CIEPŁY DOM BREEDER

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e did not have any dogs in my family until I was 16 years old. But I have loved dogs for as long as I can remember and it was always my dream to have one. One Christmas I got the best present ever. It was a piece of paper signed by my parents in which they agreed for me to have a dog in our home. I was the happiest person that day. However, in the statement of my parents wrote: „we agree to buy a dog but you have to hoover the house every day and keep it clean”. It didn’t scare me because I was ready to do anything to have a dog. Soon a puppy Dachshund named Gabi lived with us, but sadly not for a long time. She died at the age of 8 months because of parvovirus. It was a big loss for me and my family because even my father, who always said he doesn’t like dogs or cats, loved this lovely little creature very much. It was also a big lesson for me. Because I didn’t have a dog before I was not aware of the need to vaccinate animals. It was the first and the last time that I did not vaccinate a dog.

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A few years later, when I was a student and lived on my own, I decided to buy another friend. Fatma, my second dachshund, stayed with me and my family for 16 years, living a good life full of activities. She was the teacher and companion for our children and for our first Rhodesian Ridgeback Juzia. How did we start with Rhodesian Ridgebacks? In 2003 my husband Artur and I moved into the newly built house and we started to think about a second, this time bigger dog. It took time but we have managed to create a list with some criteria for the dog we wanted to have: the dog’s hair must be short, the dog must love children and children should feel safe with it, it should be a female, the dog should come from a good FCI registered kennel. My love affair with Rhodesian Ridgebacks breed started in 2004. We went to a dog show in Łódź to look at dogs. At that time, it was a bad practice in Poland that some breeders sold their puppies near the place where the dog shows were organized. Going to the dog show we saw a nice RR male without a leash lying beside a box with puppies. Different dogs were parading in front of him and he didn’t even look at them. That day we thought that we would like to have such a dog. My husband and I did thorough research and called some breeders. After months of searching I was lucky to make contact with a breeder Małgorzata Branny (Folwark Zwierzęcy Kennel). She was a nice person and invited us to come and see her dogs. I was really scared when we were waiting for the owner to come and open the gate, seeing a few big barking dogs. When we came inside the dogs became nice and friendly. It was a good experience and we have learned a lot about the breed, about dogs in the kennel. Parents of the planned litter were to be Ch Kwetu’s Zizi Ma-

fungabusi and Interchampion Jupiter of Parnassus, both imported from the USA, nice and good looking dogs, who stole our hearts. At that time, I didn’t have any knowledge about famous dogs in the breed and pedigrees but I had a lot of luck to get a puppy with the pedigree being a combination of two well-known American lines. In May 2005 Juzia Juzi Folwark Zwierzęcy came to live with us. Juzia was very gentle female. Thanks to her we travelled a lot all over Europe. She turned out to be not only a perfect family member but also very nice show dog. Juzia became an Interchampion and Multichampion with 11 CACIB, 4 res. CACIB, 26 CAC, in the rankings of Rhodesian Ridgeback Club in Poland she was 2nd in 2007 and 3rd in 2006. Thanks to Juzia we had a chance to meet many nice people all over the world, among them breeders and puppy owners who are still my friends today. She gave us 12 years of pleasure and joy, a lifelong Ridgeback addiction and she turned to be a great teacher for our growing pack. Juzia was to be the mother of my first litter in 2009. It was a big challenge for me to find a suitable male. I never do things that are easy so

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B-Jazz Ciepły Dom

Avatar Ciepły Dom & Blues Ciepły Dom

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Emapatia Ciepły Dom

I didn’t want to breed her with just any male. I started to think what is important for me and what dogs I want to breed. First, I analysed Juzia’s pedigree. I found it was a wonderful pedigree full of legendary ridgebacks such as: Penelope II, Kwetu’s Boomerang, Kwetu Maahubah’s Fair Play Rusteau Of Kwetu, Kimani’s Image On The Move. Searching information about dogs in the pedigree, looking at their photos I understood that I will look for American breeding lines. I had also the Ridgeback standard in mind so the Ridgeback I wanted to breed should be a well balanced, strong, muscular, agile and active dog, symmetrical in outline, and capable of great endurance with a fair amount of speed. My Ridgeback was to be agile, elegant and sound with no tendency towards massiveness. Looking for dogs with Kwetu and Kimani lines I found Kwetu’s Xoxa In Denmark and searching more his grandson living in Sweden Corleo’s Copyright. I liked Copy very much at the photos, I studied his pedigree and I wanted to meet him. He was not a well-known dog. My husband and I decided to fly to Sweden. Copy’s owner Helen invited us for a weekend and we spent a very nice time meeting not only her and the dog we wanted to see but also his breeder Ingela Corcoran and other dogs from Corleo’s Kennel. We found Copy as a lovely, gentle male, perfect representative of the breed, with nice temperament and character. Sometime later Juzia was bred to Copy. Out of

this combination we had 5 puppies born, among them: Ch Cynamon Ciepły Dom and my first livernose female Corba Ciepły Dom. Since this litter I have become a livernose lover. In 2009 surfing in the internet, looking at kennels websites and litter announcements, I found Maendeleo Kennel. I fell in love with pictures of parents of a planned litter and started to search the pedigrees. I have found many interesting dogs there (between them also livernoses): Ch Globe’s Roving Red Regent, Ch Spring Valley’s Merlin of Nashira, Ch Wetu of Kalahari, Ch Juba Lee What About Bob etc. A few months later me, my husband and Juzia were on the way to Sweden to meet John Sigve Berg, Anna Florel Berg and, as it appeared later, my best friend Angel. Angel comes from a litter of 3 puppies, her Sire was US Ch Nashira’s Zinfully Good Juba Lee and her Dam was SWE Ch Kangelani’s Gentle Grace By Clay. I will never forget the return trip, going back to Poland. After a nice dinner with John and Anna, and cuddling dogs, we started our trip back. The weather was terrible, I have never seen such a black sky before. A lot of thunderstorms, rain and wind and my husband driving very fast so that we would not be late for the ferry to Germany. We managed to get to the ferry station and it appeared that next ferries are cancelled because of the weather conditions. This one was the last one to leave for the day. I am generally afraid to travel in boats and ferries so you can imagine

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Artaban Ciepły Dom

how scared I was. Fortunately, everything ended well and Angel came to our home safely. I love all my dogs very much, but I can say she is Number 1 in my heart. I really wanted to have this girl and she became a real friend to me. Angel did not go to a lot of dog shows. She gained her Polish Junior Championship, became a Polish Champion and Junior RR Club Winner in 2010. She didn’t like dog shows so I decided to no longer show her. My dear friend became a fantastic mother to her puppies instead. Planning the second litter of Juzia, I didn’t have any idea that it will be the beginning of a friendship and good breeding cooperation with my soul mate Barbara Turpin (Of Course kennel). Following my plan to look for the pedigrees with American breeding lines, my dream was to import a frozen semen from USA or Canada. It took much time to convince Barbara to trust me. I was an unknown person from a country she didn’t know. Finally, we signed the agreement and after some annoying administrative formalities with a veterinary clinic in Canada and with Customs at Warsaw airport I imported frozen semen of BISS Can Ch The Black Pearl Of Course aka „Jack” and his son Can Ch The Scene Stealer Of Course aka „Mojo”. According to my breeding plan their pedigrees containing many nice and successful dogs bred by other American and Canadians kennels (Paradigm, Ridgelea, Wyndrunhr, Rajataru, Of Course) were to be

a nice addition to my females’ pedigrees. In 2011 Juzia was bred to Mojo and they produced 4 puppies – all of them were show dogs, became champions, are good movers and have nice friendly characters, among them Ch Mister Will Turner Ciepły Dom living with my friend Tanja Till in Germany. Angel had 3 litters. Sires for her litters were: BISS Can Ch The Black Pearl Of Course, IntCh Villagedog’s Ka Makana and Can Ch The Scene Stealer Of Course. Angel has produced many nice representatives of the breed. Her first litter with Jack was very successful in the show rings. Ciepły Dom represented: IntCh, MltCh Aston Martin Ciepły Dom – double limit class winner at Crufts (2015, 2016); IntCh, MltCh Artaban Ciepły Dom – Vice European Winner 2014, Can Ch Ambassador Ciepły Dom, Ch Avatar Ciepły Dom, IntCh Alberta Ciepły Dom, IntCh Ambrosia Ciepły Dom, Grand CanCh Arvena Ciepły Dom (living with Barbara Turpin in Of Course Kennel and doing great show and breeding job there). This litter was very important for me as a breeder, not only because the dogs were very successful, but because I have gained new friendships and breeding cooperation with Of Course Kennel started to be a real one – I mean it was a big honour for me as a „young” breeder that experienced breeder from Canada wanted my dog to travel to Canada and be part of a breeding program.

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Echo To Maendeleo Of Ciepły Dom

Second litter of Angel and Mak was also unforgettable experience. In the previous litters in my kennel there were no ridgeless puppies. This time there were 5 of them. It was very good lesson for me. I liked Mak a lot, he was fantastic male with lovely character and pedigree. His pedigree added some other American lines to my breeding plan (Ukukhanya, Pupukea Ridge, Spring Valley) and the dog I was following for some years Multi BISS Ch Pupukea Ridge Ikaika O Spring Valley). All puppies from this litter grew up to become very well constructed dogs. They make me proud not because they are show dogs and win, but because are beloved family dogs, loving sports, running at coursing for pleasure, eg. B-Jazz Ciepły Dom, Blues Ciepły Dom or for competition as DC Bank on Juba Lee & Ciepły Dom CD BN RE MC CGC TKN VC aka „Banks”. Thanks to this litter I was honoured for the second time when Kerry Williams (Juba Lee Kennel) asked me to send Banks to the United States. Kerry is a breeder of Vinny – Angel’s Sire. Angel’s third litter with Mojo was the continuation of a breeding plan in cooperation with Of Course kennel. Mojo produced nice puppies with Juzia so I was convinced Angel and Mojo litter is a good idea. I have reached the goal I have got nice puppies with lovely characters, some dogs are being shown and became champions (Ch Dante Go For Gold Ciepły Dom, Ch Diamond In My Hands). Here for the first time I had a chance to experience that the puppy owners who have my dogs from the previous litters were coming back and wanted another puppy from my kennel.

It is a fantastic feeling for us – it means the older dogs did a good job in their homes. This way Druid Pagan Ciepły Dom lives with Mister Will Turner Ciepły Dom, Dreamcatcher Ciepły Dom lives with Cynamon Ciepły Dom. Next litter in my kennel also showed that Ciepły Dom dogs from different litters live together. Now Angel is retired, she is 10 years old and enjoying happy life as a teacher of the next generations at our home. Her daughter IntCh Alberta Ciepły Dom aka „Berta” lives with us. She is 6,5 years old now. With Berta we bred 1 litter so far. I like to come back to the lines and dogs that I know and I have done a lot of research about them. I also like to have good contact and relations with breeders of these lines or dogs. So for the first litter of Berta I have chosen lines well known to me – Kangelani. The Sire became Kangelani’s Pride And Joy aka „Philip”. In his pedigree there are dogs I know and I used before (eg. Mak). Thanks to this litter I was also honoured by the breeder I really respect John Berg, this time my puppy was considered as Maendeleo or Minjimba Ridge breeding program and travelled to Sweden. The dogs from this litter are nearly 2 years old and some of them seem to be very promising eg. JCh Empatia Ciepły Dom, Echo To Maendeleo Of Ciepły Dom (livernose), Emperor of Ciepły Dom (livernose) etc. Berta is expecting her second and last litter in November 2019. The Sire will be IntCh Dream Come True By Qwandoya. Mother nature will show if I made a good decision about the stud dog. Right now, we are sharing our home with 4 dogs and co-owning one more. There is of course An-

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Alberta Ciepły Dom

gel (10 years old), from her we co-own together Banks with Kerry Williams (Juba Lee), Linda & Michael Smith and Christine St George. There is Berta and her daughter Empatia aka “Nasza” – a happy go lucky dog with a lot of energy. And last but certainly not least there is 6 months old Kaislan Tilan Dordogne A Ciepły Dom aka “Boo-Boo” – basset artesian normand who thinks she is a ridgeback. In conclusion, my breeding philosophy is to breed dogs according to the standard, nice movers, dogs with good temperament and nice character. I think, as breeders, we breed not only to achieve our breeding goals but we do it for other people. That is why we should pay a lot of attention to health and character. I am a happy breeder, I have experienced breeders as my friends and mentors. I have the source of information about lines and dogs in different countries thanks to my ridgeback friends. I am not alone in breeding. I am happy to have made so many friends, thanks to my adventure with the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed. Thank you all.

INFO Name Edyta

Gwarda-Gruszczyńska

Country Poland Affix Ciepły

Dom

www

www.cieplydomrr.pl

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Nida and Bora Photo by Diana Petniunaite

I N G . K R I S T Ý N A H Á V O V Á , R I D G E BACK OWN E R PHOTO BY: JANA KRATKA AND NICOLA SNAJDROVA

WITH RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK

The RR is a multifunctional breed and with correct handling can also become as a great mushing dog.

og-biathlon is quite a new and safe type of a sport, evolving from canicross (run with a dog) basics plus shooting targets. For this target practice, we use only laser guns, which are quiet during the shooting and make no noise, so it is safe and comfortable for all dogs around.

Before starting with the dog-biathlon career it is best to work with canicross training, teaching your dog the rules and the basics. Canicross or a running with a dog is a discipline, where the dog wears special mushing harness and is connected with an amortization (stretch) leash with a runner wearing a special running belt. A running dog helps with his power so the runner behind him can run faster and faster. It is really important to give your dog the right motivation for mushing, otherwise he will not help you that much or he will not help at all. When is the right time to start with mushing? It is best to start after the 1st birthday of your dog, with bigger breeds it is better to start a bit later, because the dog skeleton needs to develop correctly. But your dog can wear his harness a bit earlier and can recognize the difference between a collar (discouraging pulling) and a harness (he can pull). First steps to the mushing start by a free running of a dog and runner, where your dog can find great fun. Your goal at CC training is that your dog must push into his harness during the entire time of training – no matter what distance, sometimes less, sometimes more, he must react to your commands of direction changes: left / right and he must ignore all other dogs on your way. How do you prepare your Rhodesian Ridgeback to the mushing dog career? I am the owner of a 20 months old RR named Kesha – Ice Queen Qwandoya. She could recognize differences between the collar and harness since her young age. When she was about 10 months old, I took her for the first time for a shorter free run about 1 km, where she could play with other dogs and run on her own and she liked it.

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DOG-BIATHLON

When she was 12 months old, I started to extend the distance and our running times slightly and at 15 months old she was at her first CC training. In the beginning, we teach our dogs to follow and „catch up“ with all the dogs in front of you and most of them don’t even notice the fact that they are pulling something more behind them – the runner.

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Beginner distances for CC are mostly intervals and sprints about 500 metres and we support our dogs with kind words. With more mushing skills we extend the running distances and intervals, but it´s really important to know if your dog is ready to keep the speed and power for 100% without any pauses. By the quality of your training you will slowly become a pretty good runner and your dog a pretty good musher dog. Distances at CC competitons are mostly about 4 kms and

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your dog must be really well trained to pull you for the whole distance for 100 %. Me and my Kesha, we run about 2 kms for 100% in harness, because I want her to stay 100 % in pulling also for the future and to stay happy as she is now. We have also competed at our first Dog Biathlon. In our category, there were 52 women. We all started at 20 second intervals, one by one. My goal was to survive with Kesha without any problem along the way and to keep her happy while pulling me for the whole time. The intervals were 3 x 700 metres. After the 1st and 2nd round, there was a target shooting break: 5 shoots at the target, if you missed, you had a 20 second penalty for each shot missed. Our score was 9 clear shoots out of 10, so we had only a 20 second penalty. I really loved how Kesha ran and pulled me for the whole time and how she behaved while I was shooting. And we finished at an amazing 4th place!!! As I mentioned in the beginning, the Rhodesian Ridgeback is a multifunctional breed and he can be a pretty good competitor overall at dog sports including CaniCross or Dog-Biathlon. So don´t be scared or lazy, take your dog off the couch and let´s run! You will soon see the happiness at both sides of your leash :-)

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J A S M I N

K A S U C H

DJAMAL

THE THERAPY DOG WITH A GENTLE HEART

y Rhodesian Ridgeback Djamal (6), the therapy dog with a gentle heart Hi there, my name is Jasmin Kasuch.

I live with my Rhodesian Ridgeback named Djamal in Germany. A few weeks ago I was asked by Mrs. Kuralt if I would like to write a little article about Djamal’s wonderful work as a therapy dog. Mrs. Kuralt has been following Djamal’s activities for quite a while now, and is thrilled about his work and his great trust in me. It is her wish that others too can see how wonderful his work is and that a Ridgeback is very capable of doing such work. I am happy to do this and sat down at my laptop to write his story. But the start is not all that easy. Hmmm… how did we actually get to doing this? I will have to go back a little bit. I have a sister who is very sick, she has a tumor in her head since she was 4 years old. Her life changed from childhood, and for my family too. After major surgery to her brain, the cheerful, sweet girl became a girl with deep scars in her scalp, but her fighting spirit was and is unbroken and there is always a smile on her face. I am the younger one, but in some ways I was was still always the older one. I had to learn a lot very early, about independence, tolerance, to do without, and to support my family with strength. Even as a little girl I had the desire to own a big brown dog. I had a fairly clear picture in my mind of what he would look like. He would be big, strong, with a shiny brown coat, and friendly with all people. Unfortunately I had to wait for a long time until my dream came true. Instead, we got a black

Dachshund named Axel – he was neither big nor friendly. But that is a story for another day. In 1999 the big day finally came: I got my big brown dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback. His name was Chopin, which I personally thought was too classical, and I re-named him Spocky. Spocky was a bit stubborn but loveable, friendly with all people and curious. Perfect to introduce him to handicapped people. My sister moved to a home for handicapped people, not far from where I was. Of course I wanted to visit my sister often, and of course she insisted that I should bring my dog along, and so it was obvious that I would have to teach my wild boy to become calmer and to contai his enthusiasm and pleasure. This was a tall order, but as I found out on the very first visit to this home, that was not really necessary. Spocky behaved like a lamb with these handicapped people, he could sense that these people where different and that they would not be able to cope with his normal outbursts of joy. He remained calm, rather inconspicuously. Wagged his tail joyfully when he was patted, and set a really good example. A new Visiting Dog was born, and he was always very happy when he could come along. In 2004 I got Ridgeback Number 2, a female by the name of Kariba. She was a typical Ridgeback, looked at everything from a distance, adored her family, but didn’t really like strangers so much. For that reason I decided not to take her along for the visits to the home for the disabled. Not every dog is suited for it, and not every dog enjoys to be touched by strangers. A few years went by. Spocky became a beloved team member of the visitors to the home, until he died at age 11. He left a big gap within our family. To me it was clear: I

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AN D PO DARO K I Z A F R I K I DJA M A L DA R I U S

would never again have such an unusual, fantastic dog. But after a mourning phase I started to look for parents from which one might hope to get a dog with capabilities to perhaps one day fill the foot prints of my Ridgeback Spocky. It would not be easy, in fact it was pretty hopeless, because I had such exact expectations of what I was looking for. Then one day, my eyes started to sparkle, as the right candidate appeared to have been found. It was a long path before Djamal came to us in 2013. He learned incredibly quickly, was very attentive, intelligent and showed a lot of potential as early as 12 weeks old! I started taking him regularly to this residential group for the disabled, and he quickly became very popular. But then, in December 2015, my sister got a terrible diagnosis. The old brain tumor, which had been thought to be inactive, had begun to grow again. It was a terrible diagnosis for all of us, because this tumor was situated in an inoperable part of the brain. In January 2016 my sister got the first radiation treatment to fight this tumor. Unfortunately there were no real alternatives. One month later the catastrophe began. The radiation had somehow caused the tumor to grow very fast. Within 3 months my beloved sister became paraplegic and severely disabled.

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It was a horrible and excruciating process. Eventually she could no longer remain in her familiar surroundings, she required aroundthe-clock care, as well as machines which were supposed to make her remaining time as comfortable and bearable as possible. She was put into a care-clinic which specialized in her requirements. We were facing a difficult time ahead. I decided, despite the changed circumstances, to continue taking my best friend and dog-partner Djamal to visit my sister. Because if there was one thing she would have wanted, then it was that Djamal come to spend time with her. It wasn’t all that easy, because dogs are not very welcome in German nursing homes, especially on stations such as where my sister was now. We had to clear quite a few hurdles but eventually we got the green light for Djamal to enter the room where my sister was as a Therapy dog. My sister was no longer responsive, she no longer talked and just lay there in her bed. She could only move her left leg for brief moments. The first visit was strange for Djamal. Everything smelled so sterile, beeping noises came from many rooms, the long corridor which led to the rooms made him feel uncomfortable. When we arrived at the door where my sister lay, I could see the light go on in his eyes. I know this smell, he must have thought. I took off the lead right in front of my sister’s door and he went straight to the bed in which she lay. He was pleased, but he could see and feel that she was not the same as before, that

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she was not really conscious. He had observed as the changes happened to her, because he was allowed to visit her during the time before and after her radiation treatment, when she was still living in the disabled group. So he went to her bed and sniffed her directly around the head. I think a lot of dogs recognize the smell of cancer and indicate it unconsciously. I let him walk around for a few minutes, check out the room, and get used to all the machines in the room. Then I placed his blanket directly next to my sister’s bed and simply stayed with him for 20 minutes by her bedside. For Djamal it was important to first get used to these new surroundings and to accept the different situation. He understood very quickly, lay down on his blanket and relaxed. His blanket is his place of rest, he was taught that from the very first day. I took him with me once or twice every week, always for 20 minutes. Afterwards we went outside, played and took long beautiful walks to relieve the stress and tension. I purposely placed his blanket on the left hand side of the bed, because my sister could by now only show marginal responses with her left leg. Without hesitation, Djamal jumped directly onto my sister’s bed. He sniffed her face carefully, as if to say “Don’t worry, it’s me!” and then he lay down by her feet on his blanket. What happened next was like a little miracle; my sister moved her toes to feel Djamal. Djamal sat up and moved closer to her. Suddenly she lifted her leg (which she had been unable to do for quite a while) and placed her foot on Djamal’s back. She touched him with her toes and a kind of smile washed across her face. Her breathing became more even and relaxed. Djamal did not move away at all, the two looked like they had become one for the moment. Both seemed perfectly relaxed. Her pulse calmed, her heart beat steadied, and Djamal’s eyes closed as he nodded off. A few days later I showed this to one of the doctors on that station, he was deeply touched as well. So we continued this ritual. Sadly, within 4 months my sister lost her ability to move her left leg as well. Thereafter, she had no ability to move any part of her body anymore. We had to be careful which part of her body was moved because she suffered a lot of pain. We changed then to her right arm and hand. My sister’s bed was not particularly large and it was rather small for Djamal, but he moved very cautiously on the bed with my sister, like a feather. He looked very carefully where to place each foot, where he stepped, when he turned or jumped on. And Djamal is not exactly small or light – at 68 cm shoulder height and 44 kg body weight. It was truly remarkable. We visited my sister for 2 years at this nursing home, and Djamal was with me on most visits. This dog surprised me so many times with his reactions, his responses. Of course we did take 3-4 week breaks sometimes because it is quite exhausting for a dog. I can feel that he carries my sorrow on him, when I cry at home or at the hospital.

My sister passed away on 13.02.2018 from the consequences of her serious illness. Two weeks before she passed I took Djamal one more time for him to say good-bye. It was a deeply touching moment. My parents were there and looked at my sister and Djamal. As usual, he lay down with her, but he did not as usual sniff her face to greet her, and he did not lay on her left-hand side, but at her feet. I understood. He sensed that Tanja had begun to make her way to heaven. He lay there very quietly for 10 minutes, closed his eyes as usual. Then he suddenly got up and walked to the door. I opened the door for him to let him out, and he was reluctant to enter the room again. I accepted that of course, and we went for a lovely long walk in the woods, for both of us to take deep breaths of air. Then we went home.

These days, I take Djamal to two nursing homes in our vicinity, and he magically puts little smiles on the faces of patients. He even got reinforcements. Azubi Ayuma has joined the pack. She has learned a lot already, and copies a lot from what she sees Djamal do. But I know; a dog like Djamal is a once in a lifetime gift. He will remain the one and only. Matchless, too, are the number of hobbies he shares with me. Standup paddling on the weekend, mountaineering, accompanying me when out horse-riding etc. He is always friendly to everyone, enjoys life and trusts me completely, which is the most important thing to me. If you are thinking now “that poor boy never gets a break” … oh yes, he does! And we relish those down times. Because he is a dog, and he needs a lot more sleep time than people do.

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He has not only helped my sister at the nursing home. He also greeted patients along the way, in the corridors, in their rooms – he stopped here and there to say hello to sick and old people. After the initial three months at the nursing home to acclimate Djamal and the patients, Djamal was given the “golden ticket”, and he was permitted to roam around freely and was accepted everywhere.

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PERFECT PUPPY SOCIALISATION FROM DAY ONE

Edyta Ossowska FCI judge group 6 dog trainer

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Breeder Sangoma www.sangoma.pl

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n Poland, we have this saying: what you don’t learn as a child, you won’t learn as an adult. It refers to people, but it can also be applied to dogs.

The nature of a Ridgeback is determined by a few different factors which definitely include genes and the nature of its mother - it is she that puppies observe and they imitate her behaviour. The other factors are events and things they encounter at the strategic stage of their development. This stage takes place mainly when puppies are still at a breeder’s home. It is a fact that we have no influence on genes, but we surely can have an influence on puppies’ environment. Let’s start from the beginning. We can divide the entire life of a dog into the following development stages. In this article we will focus on the puppyhood.

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Neonatal period takes place during the first two weeks after birth. Puppies have their eyes and ears closed, their nervous system is still not fully developed but the senses of taste, smell, touch and temperature are functioning. Puppies signal cold and hunger with squeaking, instinctively crawling in search of their mother and instinctively sucking. Thermo-regulation is yet to be developed and they can’t defecate on their own. Their nervous system is still developing and the breeder’s role is limited to checking whether the living requirements of the puppies are met (temperature and humidity of the air, the amount of food, control whether their mother stimulates defecation when licking them). This is the time where the mother gets to do the most work, but it is worth introducing the puppy to Early Neurological Stimulation Programme that will allow them to better resist stress and cope with challenges. Transitional period (3rd week) - it is the time when big changes start occurring in puppies’ development. The nervous system is still not fully developed, but the eyes and ear canals start opening (puppies will start fully seeing when they are around 7 weeks old). Puppies can react to loud sounds or noises by shaking. They start to defecate by themselves, looking for a distance from the sleeping area. This is also when first games and conscious social behaviour between siblings starts to take place and wagging the tail begins to indicate joy. The period of primary socialisation - eruptive stage (3-5 weeks). Puppies start to erupt teeth which makes sucking painful for the mother. She begins to avoid feeding which effectively causes the first frustration in the lives of puppies. Their ears are still opening and their hearing gets better and better. Optical and acoustic motor development begins, puppies start walking and orientate themselves in space. Playing with siblings is becoming more and more intense, they also start using toys. This is where they learn what it means to be a dog. How hard can they bite their brother and that squeaking means the fun has ended. Puppies learn about the use of threatening, submissive (subordination) and calming signals.

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The period of primary socialisation - the transition stage (5-10 weeks) - this is the stage where puppies become more and more independent. The mother does not feed them as often as she used to and the regurgitation begins, i.e. returning the digested food to the young instead of feeding with milk. She keeps leaving them alone, maternal aggression disappears. Puppies start exploring their surroundings more and more boldly and start defecating outside the puppy box. Stable conditional reactions are formed, i.e. habits and rituals are being established and puppies learn in a stable way (permanently). Timidity also increases as puppies react with avoidance rather than curiosity when in contact with new things or events. Everything that a puppy learns during this time will be treated as something “normal”. The end of the primary socialisation period is different for different breeds but usually, it occurs between 9 and 12 weeks.

SOCIALISATION IN PRACTICE The critical period in the development of a dog is the so-called “socialisation” that takes place when puppies are between 3 and 16 weeks old. This period is divided into two stages: primary socialisation, when a puppy stays with its mother and siblings learning how to be a dog. The second phase - secondary socialisation begins when a puppy goes to a new home. This usually happens around 8-10 weeks of its life. The new owners are responsible for teaching the dog how to function in the human world, which means familiarising the puppy with everything it will face during its lifetime. On the other side, the breeder is responsible for the part the puppy should have undergone earlier, i.e. mainly being in contact with the “new”, which will teach the pup how to cope with it in the new home because it will know that ‘’new’’ does not necessarily mean something bad. The breeder’s work cannot be underestimated as it affects the dog’s entire life and the consequences of neglect at this stage will be borne by new owners and dogs themselves for the rest of their lives. Socialisation must be intense, planned and gradual. Its purpose is to enrich the dog’s environment so that it feels comfortable around new situations and events and effectively does not react with excessive excitement or fear. What exactly can a breeder do? Plan the time so that from the moment a pup is 4 weeks old to the moment it changes home, it faces as much different stimulation as possible. The first important thing is people. It’s very important that they have

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They also start using facial expressions and - look at this - puppies are able to build conditional reactions which means they can learn!

contact not only with the breeder and their family, but also with other people. Women and men, children of all ages - crying, screaming, squeaking, running ... They will meet all these people in their lives, so if they meet different people at this stage of their lives, when they are not afraid, they will not be afraid of them in adult life. I invite all my friends at this time so that puppies see men with beards, elderly people and babies. If this is not possible, I play recorded sounds of crying babies or playing children. I am among the puppies wearing different clothes, sometimes I put on a winter coat with a hood, I walk with an umbrella, in a hat, wearing a rustling raincoat. We organise family events and a garden party when we have a litter.

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The next thing is sounds. Whatever I can do at home, I do it loudly so that puppies know the closing of cabinets, noise made by pots, a working vacuum cleaner, a growling washing machine, a working mower. Puppies get used to the fact that these are normal noises around them. I also have a special, round metal bowl to make desensitising noises. I spread butter or cream on it and put it on the floor. The noise it makes when puppies try to lick it is combined with the pleasure of licking, so they quickly overcome the initial fear of this sound. I also play some of the sounds from CDs or use YouTube for things such as fireworks, storm sounds, firearms, trains, traffic, planes taking off, etc. I do this every day, starting from low volume and increasing it steadily, trying not to go beyond the comfort limit of dogs.

The next part is surfaces. I try to make them run on the grass, gravel and sand in the garden. We have a sandpit for children where puppies can dig as much as they want. We filled a part of the sewing pipe with soil, so that puppies have access to a tunnel - they play there and will not be afraid to enter dark and cramped rooms in the future. They can also use a balance beam, a ramp, a chain

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One of the ideal schemes of socialisation is the socalled “Golden Twelve” developed by M. Hughes

• (If your puppy is older than 20 weeks, start immediately with this guideline) • Experienced 12 different surfaces: wood, woodchips, carpet, tile, cement, linoleum, grass, wet grass, dirt, mud puddles, pea gravel, grates, a table (vet visits), etc. • Been introduced to 12 different objects: toys, balls (big and small), funny sounding toys, metal items, statues, balloons, etc. • Experienced 12 different locations: front yard, other people’s homes, school yard, lake, river, basement, elevator, car, moving car, laundry room, kennel, etc.

platform and a swing. All moving surfaces mean they won’t have problems with a moving elevator, an escalator or stairs. You can use balance discs from a sports shop, plastic or wooden fruit crates, wooden stumps, straw bundles, used car tyres, cardboard boxes and even egg packs. You are limited only by your imagination. We also introduce them with bicycles, lawn mowers, cars, and dogs of our friends.

• Met and played with 12 new people (outside the family): children, adults, elderly adults, people in wheelchairs, walkers, people with canes, crutches, hats, uniforms, etc. • Exposed to 12 different noises (ALWAYS keep things fun and watch the puppy’s comfort level- we don’t want the puppy scared): garage door opening, doorbell, phone ringing, children playing, crying baby, big trucks, motorcycles, skateboards, washing machine, clapping, lawnmowers, etc.

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By the time your puppy is 20 weeks old, it should have:

• Exposed to 12 fast-moving objects (don’t allow them to chase!): skateboards, roller-skates, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, running people, running cats, running squirrels, running horses, running cows, etc. • Experienced 12 different challenges: climb on/in/off/around a box, go through a • cardboard tunnel, climb up and down steps, go in and out a doorway with a step, • go through an electric sliding door, climb over a log, go into a bathtub (and bath), • get in and out of a car, etc. • Handled 12 different ways each week for 12 weeks: held under someone’s arm (football hold), hold on floor, held between owner’s legs, handle head, look in ears, look in mouth, look between toes, take temperature, held like a baby, trim toenails, etc. • Been left alone safely (in crate) away from family and other animals (5-45 minutes) 12 times a week • Been left alone safely (in crate) near family members (5-45 minutes) 12 times a week.

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Although it is difficult to follow all these recommendations, it is important to provide a puppy with varied experiences in a properly arranged and safe environment so that it is pleasant for them. During this period AVOID MONOTONY. Let each day bring good and interesting experiences.

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H E N K

S A L M

PAE RDEC R O O N R H O D ES IA N R ID G E BACK S

SOCIALISING PUPPIES

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ur socialisation already starts directly after the mating, by avoiding stress situations for the female. Many times a day a dog will have stress, but that is the normal stress, like getting food, or going out to play. But we try to avoid the bad stress a dog can have. So from day of the mating the female gets a regular daily schedule to avoid this bad stress. We do that because studies have shown that if a bitch has a lot of bad stress during her pregnancy, this will also have a negative influence on the puppies.

peaceful environment in our house, and there is a separate room were the whelping box is placed. Only Edith and myself and one experienced breeder will be around to help. No other people are allowed to join us. The female must be totally comfortable and we avoid all unnecessary stress situations. Our other dogs cannot come into this room, we do not allow that during birth or in the days afterwards. When the puppies have arrived and the female is outside to relieve herself, we let the other dogs take a look in the puppy room.

Also, when the time has come for the birth of the puppies, we create a lot of restful tranquility, a

After the birth we just want the female to feel comfortable. We do not use newspapers on the

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We also touch their toes with a cotton swabs for just a moment, put them for just a moment with the toes on a wet blanket and cold blanket, but just for a second all to stimulate the nervous system of the puppy. Around the time the eyes and ears open we put all sorts of baby play stuff in the whelping box. Square, oval, round and all different colours and some make different noises. It all helps to stimulate the nervous

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floor. We use a special mattress and Vetbeds. Mother and puppies must be comfortable and our washing machine has a lot of work in these eight weeks we have the puppies. We also only use neutral soap to keep the smell for the puppies as natural as possible. After a few days when the puppies are 4 or 5 days old we put different types of blankets into the whelping box, long haired, short haired, baby blankets that make a crisp sound, not to hear the sound of course, but to feel the difference on their feet. This way the puppies get used to different types of surfaces. It is nice to see that they prefer a long haired blanket.

system for the eyes to estimate the depth and also to stimulate the hearing. We forgot to mention that the first two weeks, Henk sleeps near the whelping box. Between the second and fourth week we give the puppies new puppy toys every day and we have CDs with lots of different types of noises, like shooting, applause, market noises, fireworks, bells, shouting and so on. It helps the puppies to get used to all kinds of different noises and sounds. In the meantime they also get used to the housekeeping noises, like the vacuum cleaner.

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When the puppies are four weeks old we let them go outside for the first time; of course only when the outside temperature is warm enough. We live in the Netherlands so mostly this is only possible from May to August. When we have a litter in autumn or winter we have an inside heated play garden for the puppies of about 25 square meters. The puppies love it and they have all kinds of different toys to play with every day. We also use balance equipment for the puppies including a large swing. From this inside play garden, which we call “The Ridgeback Residence”, the puppies also can go outside. The first part is still with a roof and very comfortable when it is raining, but after that they can go into our outside place and garden. When we have a litter during spring or summer, the puppies are in our garden during the day, of course with the same or other special

outside toys, like a very long tunnel. During the night our puppies are always in the house in the same room where they were born. Week by week as the puppies get older, we give them more and more space outside. We are lucky that we have a lot of ground around our house. Our puppies see a lot, they meet our horses, chickens and of course our other Ridgebacks and our Beagle. We also go with them outside to the woods and take them in the car with us. This way we try to give our puppies a lot of experiences, without exposing them to too much. They also need their sleeping periods to process everything in their minds. We take care that they don’t get overexcited. Around 5 weeks we also start with cleanliness training. A lot of our puppies are clean or almost clean when they go to their new owners. But we must remember that every litter is different and every puppy is different, so we learn a lot from them and they learn from us. At 8 weeks the puppies have seen and learned a lot in and around our place and the time has come to let them go to their new owners where they will have new experiences and learn more. During the 8 weeks we are taking care of the puppies we try to give them the best start ever. Few things are more gratifying than to hear afterwards that the puppy buyer is very satisfied and happy with the puppy!

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EVOLUTION

IN DOG TRAINING

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by Eric Salas

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Dog breeds were created to do specif ic jobs whether it is working on a farm, guarding, searching or helping gather food. Back then when they were bred for specif ic jobs being the family Pet was an afterthought.

any people fall in love with a specific breed through the physical attributes and characteristics. Breeds with old working lines were bred for specific jobs and traits that included strong work ethics, working independently and working without direction from their master.

members that have artistic genes such as music or painting. We are not bred to do specific jobs like the dogs but still have strong genetic desires. Imagine if your desire was to create music and the person you lived with would not allow you to fulfill that desire. How unhappy and resentful you would be?

Depending on where you get your dog today you can get one that was bred to be a companion and although it may look identical to the working line it is void of the primitive instincts for working. Many people go to the wrong place for the companion dog and seek out the best breeder possible and now you have a dog that has incredible drive for it’s specific job and if you’re trying to make it your companion, the inbred desires create a craving for the dog to do what it was bred to do. When these needs are not met that is when negative behavior can be the outcome.

Fast-forward to the popularity of showing dogs, performance events, dogs with jobs and all the fun activities that are available to us today. Many people in these events seek out the best breeders they can find. Many of those breeders go back to very strong working lines. Those are not dogs that will be easily trained with traditional training techniques. These dogs have very primitive instincts and those primitive instincts come with rules in a dog’s world. Hierarchy, communication, trust and respect to name a few.

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People by nature have certain characteristics and desires such as music, hiking backpacking, swimming, and some have generations of family

Putting this into perspective; Go to YouTube and search the wild animal Jackal. You will find that they are very primitive, not social, and very independent. They don’t even communicate or so-

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cialize with other families of Jackals. If you were to try and train one you would fail miserably with conventional training techniques. The Answer? Start off by selecting a dog in your trainability level. If you know you are going to select a dog beyond your training limitations then follow these instructions, be patient and don’t try to get ahead of schedule.

STEP 1. THE INTRODUCTION Allow the dog to familiarize it’s self with the new surroundings and you. Take a minimum of 3 days and just watch your dog and let it watch you. Do not establish eye contact, as this is pressure, let the dog feel as if it were invisible. After the third day introduce treats and toys but still no eye contact. Let the dog learn that you are not a threat, you are fun, you have good treats and you respect its space. Be consistent on feeding times like 8:00 and 20:00 daily. Put your hands in the food to get your scent on it and stand over the bowl and make them wait until you release them to eat. Always make fresh water available; give great treats for rewarding good behavior, plenty of time to earn mutual respect.

STEP 2. PRE-TRAINING

Don’t make the mistake of establishing dominance and training the dog too quickly. You have to earn the respect and trust before a dog with strong working lines will let you into its world. Go to YouTube and subscribe to the Official Eric Salas Training Chanel. This Channel is filled with many detailed exercises and examples of how to train difficult/smart dogs. Some of the videos will demonstrate the use of FitPaws balancing pads to earn respect and trust. Your goal is to get the dog to simply touch the equipment with its paw or paws by using hand signals and or body language. Nothing can be forced at this stage and verbal commands are secondary. This allows you and the dog to learn how to communicate in a fun way. The other skill at this point is called the “Head Straight” Watch the video call “The Complete Head Straight Video” This will allow you to earn total respect and trust from the smartest of dogs with the most primitive instincts. It is very important you watch the video before you attempt this exercise. Watch the video.

STEP 3. TRAINING Once the dog willingly follows all your commands with the FitPaws equipment with no hesitation and does not fight you during the head straight process now you are ready to train for the ring or performance event. There are five major parts in preparing a dog for the conformation show ring. Conditioning, exercise, nutrition, grooming and truly learning the history of your breed includ-

ing all the available standards should be met with the same intensity. 1. Entering the ring 2. The exam 3. Patterns 4. Gaiting 5. The finale 6. Entering the ring: Many people need to put more emphasis on this very important skill that is widely overlooked. This sets the pace of how your dog will show, it tells the dog it’s time to work. It is also the first impression on what your judge sees in you and your dog, preparing for this skill teaches you how to make your dog stand out and look good within seconds! Set up a ring entrance including obstacles like chairs or boxes in front of the entrance. These obstacles represent people and dogs that hang out in front of the entrance blocking you from entering. Practice coming in from many angles with the goal of being at a perfect gait the second the dog crosses the entrance to the ring.

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THE EXAM This skill teaches you how to present your dog to the breed standard so that your judge can examine your dog with no effort on their part. You may have the best dog at the show but if you don’t stack it correctly and if you cant control your dog from pulling away, moving feet not standing correctly or many other breed specific requirements then the Judge cant award your dog. Practice the Head Straight position multiple times a day. If your dog is still fighting you with this then you are jumping ahead and need to go back to Pre-Training. Don’t rush this; many people try to bypass this by free stacking. How are you going to get a good winners photo if you can’t stack your dog? A well-trained dog allows the Judge to see all the angles, foot placement, expression and stands out as a worthy competitor at the next level of compe-

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tition. Free stacking while the dog is standing on all four paws on the balancing pads strengthens the dog’s body core and creates very impressive stacks. If your dog requires the use of tail, ears as part of expression you wont get this without proper practice. You must earn this respect. Pre-Training and head straight is the solution for your success here.

PATTERNS Patterns are a way for the Judge to evaluate, foot placement, reach, drive, correct movement for the breed and a way for the Judge to confirm what they saw and felt during the exam. It is your responsibility to move your dog at the correct speed for the angle your Judge is evaluating it, side gait speed may be different than observing the dog from front or rear. It is your responsibility to gait your dog so it is directly in front of the Judge. Don’t make your Judge move to see what they need to see to evaluate. Keep your dog on the center of the mat or in a straight line with the Judge. It is your responsibility to not distract your dog or impede the movement by; improper communication with your body language, stringing the dog up on a tight lead, or staring down at your dog with eye contact making your dog look up at you. Practice every pattern possible; down and back, L, triangle and even a tee. You may never need to do this but if you continuously PRACTICE these on a regular basis you teach your dog to always look to you for direction. Practice all patterns with the lead in your left hand, with the lead in your left & right hand and without a lead in a secure area.

GAITING The final go around is where the Judge is really starting to make decisions on the final selection. You need to be flawless, happy and in total control of speed and your surroundings here. Practice gaiting counter clockwise with the lead in your left hand, then clockwise with the lead in your right hand, then using your right and left hand without a lead. Body language and hand communication is the key here. The dog must be focused on your lead hand with your palm pointing the direction you want to go. Practice with other dogs in front of you and behind you. This will fine-tune your communication skills between you and your dog so that your dog is focusing on the signals of your hands and not the other dogs.

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THE FINALE This is where all of the dogs are being presented to the Judge after the final go around for the final selections. Train your dog to be presented in five totally different positions so if your Judge looks like they are having a tough time with their selections you can show them something that may make them point your direction! By training five different positions you will also prepare yourself and your dog for great winners photos! Present your dog in a position until your Judge shows no interest in your dog. When the Judge is not looking then switch to a different position. Position #1 The hand stack, Position #2 the free stack, Position #3 ¾ stack into the ring with you out of the line of sight, Position #4 and #5 watch the complete head straight video with Eric Salas at www.EricSalasWorkshops.com These 5 steps can be a program where you teach one each week, then one each day before a show then 1 each minute at the show as a warm up before the ring. Please don’t rush, focus on pre-training until you and your dog are ready to be a team. You will make it easier for the judges to find your dog and harder for your competition to beat you.

TRAINING OPTIONS Go to YouTube and search for the Official Eric Salas Training Channel, hit Subscribe and you will be notified every time a new video is posted. On FaceBook search Eric Salas Workshops and join the group, you will see tips and short videos on training show dogs and overcoming problems. Go to www.EricSalasWorkshops.com and see many ways for Eric Salas to be one of your mentors in the world of showing, conditioning, training and grooming dogs. Look at the schedule page for upcoming workshops to attend. If you don’t find anything near you, there are other solutions; contact Eric Salas at Info@EricSalasWorkshops.com

and see how easy, fun and profitable it can be to host a workshop in your area. If you don’t want to host a workshop then find a great facility in your area and put Eric Salas in touch with that facility, if all goes well you may even get a free workshop for finding the facility! Eric Salas is also available for private training and the website describes this in detail. You may want to try on-line training with Eric Salas. Whatever your choice is, the community of people helping others worldwide is growing daily, you can find these people by searching #EricSalasWorkshops

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www.EricSalasWorkshops.com

Info

TESTIMONIAL

STEFANIE RADKE

LOOSE LEAD – NO EYE CONTACT!

ric Salas’ way of showing dogs is the contrary of everything I have learnt in the past years from different trainers. And this is what makes it both: a challenge for you and a pleasure for the dog. You have to work against bad habits. You free the dog from pressure. You will have fun in the ring with your dog (again).

Hand communication between you and the dog is the basis for success. The smarter the dog, the more communication you need. Otherwise the dog decides himself in the ring. The video footage and high speed photography Eric uses in his workshops, is unique for this kind of training. It cannot be fooled. You see proof, if you like it or not.

Photo by Mihaela Šimunović Photo by Clockwork shutters

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When you attend a workshop, you will see transformations in dogs that are nearly unbelievable. Dogs jumping, barking, pulling... sometimes everything in one dog. But as soon as they get the “head

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You have a dog that has a great potential and you would like to show him by yourself? Look on the www.EricSalasWorkshops.com website for a workshop. Being part of this community is the best that can happen to you and your future Best In Show dog.

Photo by Boris A. Glukharev

I have received so many comments about my handling skills since I show my Rhodesian Ridgeback with Erics “head straight” method. I have attended workshops and private lessons and am now happy to be a certified Head Straight Trainer by myself. We went from winning the class to winning the group and even placements in Best In Show within one year of Training.

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straight”, these problems disappear and the dog can show its full potential. You just have to be consistent. Moreover, this way of showing keeps the spark in the dog, it keeps the attitude and the temperament. It doesn’t “break” the dog. And this is so important!

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RIDGY

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OUR RESCUE

A N N E

G R A M M E T

RESCUE

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RIDGY FROM THE FOREST

believe we go through different stages during our lifetime.

A few months ago, I decided to stop breeding. This decision was not taken after a few days or even months but it came right from my heart and I followed my feelings. There were also some changes in my personal life, which made me aware of the lost souls of all the dogs in this world deserving to have a good home. You can, as most people do, just feel sorry about all those dogs but NEVER ACT and do nothing. However, I have now reached an age when it is time to act and so I did. So, together with Anne Turfkruijer, a member of the board of our RR club, we have been looking for a RR rescue boy. And then we saw RIDGY on FB! Ridgy had been living with VESNA MITIC in Serbia for already two years. In fact, Vesna found RIDGY roaming alone in the woods when he was probably around one year old. Ridgy was in bad condition and had several wounds. Once I saw his pictures I immediately fell in love with Ridgy….so I decided very quickly to have him brought to Belgium.

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Ridgy carries a heavy past… We don’t know everything about him but the fact is that he has been abused by men. He doesn’t trust men and can act very defensively but I will give him all the time and all the love he needs to heal the wounds in his soul. My boy…. still hasn’t lost his faith in humanity!! We have worked together, day after day… we needed time also get to know each other better. At the time when he came into my life, we were two broken souls together. We learned from each other, we learned to live together and to respect each other! Now that Ridgy has spent more than a month with me, he has already changed. We take long walks… just the two of us, so he can get some rest in his head and concentrate on what he really needs, being outside, running in the fields, hunting and enjoying our being together. Ridgy is a real Rhodesian Ridgeback with a specific character and very aloof to strangers in my house! He is my bodyguard, my friend, my sunshine in life and I hope he will live with me for a long time . I want to thank VESNA MITIC, a golden woman who has already saved a lot of dogs in Serbia! Also Anne Turfkruijer and Nancy Schaufeli who made it possible to have RIDGY with me very quickly!

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Anne Turfkruijer and Nancy Schaufeli made all arrangements for bringing Ridgy safely to me. Vesna drove Ridgy from Serbia to Vienna, where Nancy picked him up and drove him to me.

Merry Christmas

s ’ o e T

Biscuits RECIPE

YOU NEED 3 c u p s o ats 2 m a s h e d b ananas 1 / 4 c u p p lain yo ghurt 1 / 4 c u p p ump kin p uré 3 c u p s me lted co co nut o il P inch o f cinnamo n

L e s s o n N 02

B enefits o f o ats One w o rd

M inerals

Oats are rich in a range o f impo rtant minerals, vitamins, and antio xidants.

Let´s get started Let cool completely

Use baking s h e e t, preheat oven to c. 175c/350

with Christmas spirit

Combine all together

ugh Roll the doe max 1cm, us any cookie like, cutter you king place on ba sheet

Bon

Bake until golden brown, around 10-12minutes

Let cool completely

Appétit!

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

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

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

A “S

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OUR GOLDIES

MELANIE NOWAK AN INTERVIEW

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Melanie Nowak І Germany І Pic The Magic І www.picthemagic.de

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. HOW DID YOU COME TO BE A DOG PHOTOGRAPHER AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING IT? My passion started with my first dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback male named Kevu, nearly 16 years ago. I started as an absolute beginner with compact cameras, but soon I was not satisfied with the quality. So over the years I got better equipment and educated myself, always inspired by my friend and photographer Magda. I am working as a professional photographer only for a year now.

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

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I first started with self-education and later trained with a professional photographer.

DO YOU CONSIDER IT A CHALLENGING JOB? HOW DO YOU

GET THE ANIMALS TO STAY AND “POSE” FOR YOU? I challenge myself, yes. But for me it is not challenging to work with dogs. I love this work. For poses I ask for the owners’ help, but sometimes the dogs are not interested in posing, not with anyone’s help. So, I take what the dog offers and likes to give. In most cases this brings the best pics, just like the dogs are. Perfect poses don´t bring perfect pics.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL SESSION FOR US. WHAT KIND OF THINGS ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU’RE BEHIND THE CAMERA? Before we meet I am in contact with the owner and we talk about what kind of pics they love to have (portrait/stack/movement/sunrise or sunset/ dog & owner together/ etc). With this information I decide which location we choose. When we meet I try to create a relaxed atmosphere. Own-

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WHAT OR WHO GOT YOU STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING DOGS? My first dog Kevu got me started. My biggest inspiration is and always will be Magda from HUNDErt Blicke.

WHAT TYPE OF CAMERAS DO YOU SHOOT WITH? WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LENS AND WHY? At the moment I still shoot with an older Nikon model D250. Photography is not only about the newest camera and the best technical equipment. My favourite lens is a Nikon 70-200 f2.8 lens. With this lens I can do whatever is required. Especially for running and moving dogs this is the best lens for me.

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er and dog should feel comfortable throughout the entire session. I plan a short walk around the location, but not longer than 1,5 hours as the dog will lose his concentration. What do I think about? My first thoughts are always about the dog, his wellbeing and his health. Other thoughts go to technical things like light, composition, distance and sharpness. And of course, I think about what we planned before our meeting.

MARKÉTA NOVÁKOVÁ AN INTERVIEW

Markéta Nováková І The Czech Republic І MN fotografie І www.MarketaNovakova.cz

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PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. HOW DID YOU COME TO BE A DOG PHOTOGRAPHER AND FOR HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING IT? My name is Markéta Nováková and I was born in Bohemian Paradise, in the fairytale town of Jičín. From my childhood, my dad taught me to love photography. Together we turned the bathroom into a darkroom and sat for hours and hours at an enlarger, fixer and developer. I still remember how fascinated I was with the developer container, where black and white pictures were drawn like magic on paper. When my first ridgeback love came into my life, a female by the name of Fatima, I bought my first single-lens reflex camera. Fatima was my great teacher and a really patient model. At that time, my photos were not always technically perfect. They were mainly for us, as a nice memory and later also for presentation on the Internet. At that time my hobby slowly turned into my work. I have been active as a photographer for 8 years. I have a small studio where I photoshoot families with children, dog owners and breeders. I own a small photo canvas and a small mobile studio that I can bring to the customer’s home. I like to accept the challenges of taking pictures of any topic.

HOW DID YOU FIRST ENTER THE PHOTOGRAPHY WORLD? DID YOU HAVE FORMAL TRAINING? My first orders were for customers who wanted to advertise their dogs and puppies on their

websites and social networks. The number of customers slowly increased, I had to leave the family business and started to work as a freelancer photographer. I have attended several photo courses which were focused mainly on studio lighting and wedding photography. Taking good pictures of dogs is my personal interest. I am using my personal experiences and intuition when I photoshoot dogs to catch the best moment. I try to take real pictures with minimal postproduction.

DO YOU CONSIDER IT A CHALLENGING JOB? HOW DO YOU GET THE ANIMALS TO STAY AND “POSE” FOR YOU? Working with dogs is fun. Never have time pressure, nervousness and stress between the camera and the dog. It is always important to cooperate with the owner and of course a lot of treats. Over the years, I have collected a repertoire of sounds and accents, which dogs definitely respond to and show lovely expression. At the time of the photo shooting, when I work with the dog to estimate whether I can afford the dog to guide the specific poses, or I have to rely only on the speed of the trigger and the power of the moment. I put a lot of my energy into the photo shooting. There are days when I go home really tired. Taking a special photo of 12 restless puppies is a proper test of nerves and physical condition.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL SESSION FOR US. WHAT KIND OF THINGS ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT WHEN

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YOU’RE BEHIND THE CAMERA?

WHAT OR WHO GOT YOU STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING DOGS? My love for dogs and the desire to keep all memories of my dogs in the form of pictures has led me to photograph them. Right now I have 3 Rhodesian Ridgeback bitches at home. This breed has been my companion for over 20 years by now.

WHAT TYPE OF CAMERAS DO YOU SHOOT WITH? WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LENS AND WHY? A series of small compacts passed through my hands. but Nikon’s single-lens reflex cameras became my favorite. First in line was the D 300, then the D 700 and now the D 750. My favorite lenses are Nikkor, AF-S series, smaller 85mm and 70-200mm. Underneath reliably beautiful deep color tones, blurred background and contrasting scene. But it is not always possible to own the most expensive camera and lenses for beautiful photos. It is above all the personal fantasy and creativity within each of us. The most important is the moment and what the object on the picture means to us. From each picture you should always feel emotions, love, peace and joy ;)

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I always discuss with the dog owners first, for what purpose the photos are taken. Together we choose the location and I prepare a small scenario in my head, which I then execute. I usually focus mainly on the object and try to make minimal photographic mistakes. The less work with adjustments is required, the better picture is taken. Personally, I like color contrast, sharpness and depth. The best way to perceive the composition is through the camera’s viewfinder. When I connect my finger to the trigger, my head starts to begin flowing images and ideas for the next photo. With dogs, I try to take every moment and make the most of it. In reality, I often wait for what composition or atmosphere the dog will create itself at a particular moment :)

ALEKSANDRS BORODAJENKO AN INTERVIEW

Aleksandrs Borodajenko І Latvia І AlexDesign.lv І fb.me/alexdesign.lv

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. HOW DID YOU BECOME A DOG PHOTOGRAPHER AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING IT? I had dogs around me all my life. I can’t even remember when, but my love for photography started in childhood, I had a film camera “ZENIT” with changeable lenses and access to a lab were I could develop my films myself and play with black and white photos. I had a lot of photo albums and printed photographs in those days. I really miss printed versions from time to time, now I have only huge digital storages with a huge number of photographs and only a few printed out.

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Taking photos is my lifelong hobby. It started with fun pics of my dogs at home and by now I have won a few photo contests, at the last Euro Dog Show I won the “Dog photographer of the year” competition in the “Man’s best friend” section.

HOW DID YOU FIRST ENTER THE PHOTOGRAPHY WORLD? DID YOU HAVE FORMAL TRAINING? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PHOTOGRAPHER? Mostly all my early photos were of my own dogs, first black and white on film, then I got my first digital camera. We could laugh about the photo quality now, but it was only for personal use as a hobby. I came into the dog show photography world about 8 years ago. It was a long and hard way when I started, because I was one of the first starting in Latvia. The way we see dog show photography now, making full show reports, it was quite challenging. I have not done any special photographic training courses. But I have done special courses on graphic design. That is how I started out, so I put it in my logo and name – Alex Design. During the years I studied a lot about dog anatomy and what each breed should look like and I’m also a professional cynologist, ending a one year long course here in Latvia.

World Dog Press Association Dog Photographer of the Year 2018 - category Man’s Best Friend - 1st place

DO YOU CONSIDER IT A CHALLENGING JOB? HOW DO YOU GET THE ANIMALS TO STAY AND “POSE” FOR YOU? Many photographers with “bigger experience” like to say that the challenge was to make a perfect shot if you have maximum 36 shots on a film, but my camera makes 14 shots per second now ;) To be honest, each and every job is challenging and it is fun, this is my hobby and I really enjoy it. To make a dog “pose” the best help comes from the owner and handler, but sometimes it is more difficult to work with owners and to explain your idea to him, not to the dog.

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I don’t like the word typical. I always try to find a new place, new spot, new pose for every “model”. Behind the camera I have a head full of thoughts like “how should we place the dog”, “is this place good enough?”, “what angle should I take to make him look the best way possible?” Sometimes my perfect place does not fit with how the dog wants to pose. Usually I try to see possible photo session places before the session, if possible, so I don’t have to waste time thinking about the location that we will “use”. Then I can focus on the dog and how the dog looks.

WHAT OR WHO GOT YOU STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING DOGS? I had my first camera in childhood and a house full of dogs, on which I could sharpen my photographing skills. Then I married a dog handler which led me to the dog world. We needed photos of our first dogs that we had together, then we needed photos for our client’s dogs. We did not have the option of buying a photo at a dog show at that time in Baltics. So I think this is how it all started.

WHAT TYPE OF CAMERAS DO YOU SHOOT WITH? WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LENS AND WHY? I shoot only with DSLR cameras. My main camera body is Nikon D5. If we are talking about dogs, then my best of the best lens is Nikon 70-200 2.8. On an outdoor photo sessions it has a good zoom and it is easy to get some good motion shots and it is easy to adjust to your “target”. If we take photos at our dog shows that are mostly indoors and often in pretty dark halls, it focuses quickly and makes less mistakes when shooting (if I can describe it that way) and it is also really good if you can’t get close enough.

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

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V A N

D E N

B I E S E N

COVER G IRL

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Let us proudly introduce to you the RR with the most Champion titles in Europe: a livernose bitch named Duba.

WHEN DID YOU PLAN TO BEAT THE FORMER RECORD? In 2016 Duba became junior champion in the Netherlands and Belgium and we became more acquainted with shows. We understood that Crufts is like the Olympics for dog shows. So, the aim was to get the qualification for Crufts and to show on the green carpet. 2017 was the year that Duba became a champion in 6 FCI countries. In 2018 Duba won Reserve Best bitch at Crufts. At that point we decided to postpone her first litter and get the maximum out of Duba. We travelled 80.000 kilometres and have participated in 65 shows... This paid off and she became a champion in another 12 FCI countries. Then we stopped in 2019 for her first litter and not really planning to return to the show scene although we were close to beating the record. 11 weeks after giving birth to her 14 puppies, we went to the Belgian RR club match. The reason for participating was the fact that we had a breed specialist judge and Duba was the BISS in 2018. To our biggest surprise, Duba became BISS. At this point we decided to give it a try and started showing again. It turned out that Duba was even better than before whelping and she became champion in another 5 FCI countries.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT SHOWING? The teamwork with Duba. She is my biggest friend and she is bloody fanatic in everything she does. She makes me smile when she puts her nose into the crowd around the ring and always walks to the judge while all other dogs stand perfectly still. Duba is the worst show dog to handle you could imagine. But she knows when to perform and will never let you down. Meeting a lot of RR breeders and seeing new places are the cherries on the cake!

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS? First of all, Duba being a perfect super relaxed mommy for her first litter of 14 puppies! I could not have been more proud of her. Secondly; the compliments and comments from blacknose owners and judges that they don’t ‘like’ livernose but after having seen Duba that they will look differently at livernose. Duba made true what my dream was: promoting livernoses.

WHEN WILL YOU STOP? Most likely in 2020. We plan a new litter and we can’t imagine that she will be good enough after 2 litters and being 5 years old to beat the newcomers. Besides that, we do have a life besides showing that we have put ‘on hold’ for 3 years. It’s time to move on. Although I am already looking forward to showing in the Veterans class...

WHAT IS YOUR NEW GOAL? Continue breeding with Duba under our FCI kennel name ‘Livernose Rules’ and hope for more livernose RR that will have her looks but most importantly her super character.

FACTSHEET Name Ave Caesar Driving Me Onwards ‘Duba’ Mother C.I.B., multi BISS, multi Champion Saimon’s Praide Ecstasy of Felicity (Russia) Father C.I.B., multi BISS, multi Champion Villagedogs Hottopic (Belgium) D.o.b. 28 October 2015 (Sweden) imported to the Netherlands Record holder Champion of 23 FCI countries

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HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS ACHIEVEMENT? Tremendously proud that Duba now holds the new record as you would expect a blacknose male. Bitches are shown less because of the breeding, usually around 2,5-3 years. After whelping most bitches don’t return to the show scene. Males can be shown longer as they don’t go on a whelping break and they don’t have hanging teats after a litter. A livernose as new record holder, in a formerly blacknose dominant show scene, is for me as a livernose promoter the highest reward possible.

AWARD WINNING WINES

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A HERITAGE OF QUALITY

The Deck Restaurant at Ridgeback T: 021 869 8068 E: thedeck@ridgeback.co.za

Ridgeback Wine Tasting Centre T: 021 869 8068 E: tasting@ridgeback.co.za

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Ridgeback House 4* Guest House T: 021 869 8988 E: guesthouse@ridgeback.co.za

www.ridgebackwines.co.za

Expressive Art Gallery & Studio T: 066 292 2662 E: art.antoniabarlett@gmail.com

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FOUNDED IN 1997

IDGeback wines founded in 1997 by current owners Vernon and Lesley Cole is a family owned medium sized winery situated in the heart of the Cape Winelands just outside the pristine town of Paarl. Having moved down to Paarl from Zimbabwe they arrived here with their 2 children and 2 Ridgeback dogs. Back then the farm was a working fruit farm and harbored no vineyards. In the coming years Vernon inspired by the changing agricultural times in South Africa and his drive to establish something innovative on the farm decided to pull out all the fruit and stated planting the first vineyard. The dream was clear and, in the years, to follow this bold decision would prove to be the start of Ridgeback wines and the introduction to a story still being told. With the first vineyards planted and first wine being made a name had to be decided for the brand. The name Ridgeback then is inspired by the Rhodesian Ridgeback dog that originates from Southern Africa, where legends and stories abound of their exploits and bravery in the African bushveld. Their tenacity and ruggedness are symbolic of the pioneering spirit of Africa while the pedigree, character and stature of this impressive animal is reflected in the Ridgeback wines and brand. In 2001 the first breakthrough for Ridgeback would arrive in the form of a Platter 5-star award for the Ridgeback Shiraz. This prestigious award was the catalyst to fully develop the estate and establish Ridgeback wines as it is known today. Soon after the award a 300ton cellar, tasting room and restaurant was erected and more vineyards where planted. The pride of Ridgeback, our 4star guest house would soon follow suit and complete the process started by Vernon.

Our exclusive tasting center and restaurant is peacefully situated and overlooks a little dam that is home to about 25 different species of waterfowl. Our guesthouse tastefully furnished and consisting of 6 en-suite bedrooms is situated in the middle of the estate surrounded by vineyards. The estate is about 62ha with 38ha currently under vineyards. Our current vineyards include Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Mourvedre, Petit Verdot and Grenache and white varieties include Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Apart from vineyards we also have areas dedicated to natural fynbos and it has been with this in mind that we have joined up with the department of wildlife and conservation to ensure the protection of its natural environment. At Ridgeback we have 2 distinctive brands, Ridgeback our premium and icon range wines and Lion Hound, our innovative Lifestyle range wines. The overriding policy at Ridgeback wines is quality which starts in the vineyards and carries through the production process to the final packaging and presentation of our wines. This is evident from the fact that all our wines, throughout all our tiers, consistently carry medals and awards of distinction and are well received in several global markets. Our approach to wine making is terroir driven with a minimalistic influence believe as we try to naturally as possible guide the process from vineyard to wine. Ridgeback now is an off the beaten path experience and synonymous with quality and consistency. With every bottle of Ridgeback wine sold our story continues and we hope to share with many more people down the line. Visit Ridgeback and share in our experience.

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RIDGEBACK WINES