The Kika Khronicles

Rockstar!

2011-06-24T17:48:00.005-06:00

There's been a bit of bragging going on in our house lately. Both Kika and Odin have relatives with some amazing accomplishments.

Kikas Brags:

Kikas litter brother Ben is having a phenomenal year in the ring. After putting several breed and group wins under his belt, with Jeffs expert handling, Ben strutted his way to a Best in Show win at the Fort Garry Kennel Club event in May. Vaulting him into the Number One Ridgeback in Canada position! Way to go Jahina boys!!

Photo courtesy of jahina.ca

Kikas litter sister, Emmie had her first and foundation litter for Kim at Enigma Ridgebacks. Nine puppies, 5 boys and 4 girls safely arrived on June 3rd. Barb was actually present at the birth of these special babies, what an amazing (and sometimes icky) experience! Scratch that one off the bucket list....One little girl waited until Barb was alone in the nursery and then decided to enter the world at record speed - I think she heard that the pizza had just arrived at the door and didn't want to miss out! Check out their pics and progress at the Enigma website.

Way to go Emmie!

Photo courtesy of Enigma Ridgebacks

On June 12, Kikas litter sister Ellie, also delivered her first litter for Jahina. Eleven puppies, 6 boys and 5 girls. Head over to their website for a look and don't forget to check out the Ellie Cam to catch all the live puppy action. Keep an eye out for an especially feisty little red headed girl in the hunter green collar. Kika is especially proud of her little namesake!

Photo courtesy of jahina.ca

Can't forget to mention the proud papa for both of these litters, Jahinas very own Tommy. Or as we call him, the alphabet dog - seriously, this guy has so many titles after his name he was recently awarded the Versitility Master Award from the Ridgeback Club of Canada!

Tommys photo courtesy of jahina.ca

Odins Brags:

Odins older brother Zero has been tearing up the show scene in both Canada and the U.S. In February, Zero was the best Ridgeback at Westminster Kennel Club Show. Odie was watching and cheering him on!

In April, Barb travelled to Chilliwack, BC for the National Ridgeback Specialty show. What a surprise to see Juliet and Zero! Zero attained his Canadian Championship over the same weekend and meeting Juliet was the highlight of the show, what a team! Such a good team in fact, that Zero is now the #1 Ridgeback in the States!!

Odins other older brother, Raimi, is now a dad. He and Leeloo (ahhh Leeloo) have had their first litter for Invictus. On June 14th, 6 boys and 4 girls made their appearance. Check out their blog for updates, stories and Tamzins fantastic photos.

Photo courtesy of Invictus

Raimi thinks fatherhood is a piece of cake...

Photo courtesy of Invictus

Odins nephew, Atlas of Charisma Ridgebacks has been making a name for himself in the show ring as well. With Group and Best Puppy wins, he is one of the top Ridgebacks in Canada. He was the Best Puppy in Specialty at the Chilliwack show in April. He'll have some competition from his little sister Mira when she starts her show career in a few months. Atlas gave everyone a scare, when as a small puppy he became quite ill and was in the hospital for several days. Thanks to Adine really advocating on his behalf, he survived and thrived. From rocky start to rock star!

Photo courtesy of Charisma Ridgebacks

Congratulations Everyone!!

Beautiful Girl

2011-06-13T20:54:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Kika!!

Hard to believe 3 years ago today we learned that Jeff and Danielle had a puppy for us, and what a puppy she was! A feisty little red head with a sense of adventure who had a mind of her own. Kika has been the most challenging Ridgeback we've been owned by but we wouldn't have it any other way. She's smart, funny, still naughty and not shy about making her feelings known when she's displeased. But, at the same time she is very considerate, sweet and kind and always has extra snuggles for you when you are under the weather.

Kika spent the day at the Bark Park playing.

We always joke that Kika is a mini Thembi as she and her mother are very alike from the Queen Bee attitude to the extreme love of butter...

Like Mother...

Like daughter....

Power of the Sun

2009-11-30T09:21:00.009-07:00

Nothing like a favourite toy and some sunshine.

Deep in thought ?

Ha ha, deep in thought, good one!

Just enjoying the sunshine.

Some things are too good not to share with friends.

Friday Pinups!

2009-07-03T07:27:00.004-06:00

Odie in the Garden

2009-07-01T20:38:00.005-06:00

Your Birthday!

2009-06-13T22:45:00.003-06:00

Big day today ..... Can you believe it? Kika turns one year old today!

I know we have enjoyed every second with her. She is an awesome girl, smart and fun and seems to amaze us every day with something. Even more impressive, she lights up for everyone who knows her; her play buddies at puppy day care, all her neighborhood friends (two and four legged varieties) that visit her thru the greenspace and fence, and all our friends and family. We have never had such a social ridgeback before, we are so glad she came to live with us.

My birthday? That means presents and cake right....

A Very special happy birthday to my sister Emmie! That girl knows to have a good time.

Happy Birthday ladies!

Big Trouble

2009-06-12T21:11:00.001-06:00

We noticed something rather disturbing last week.

Can you tell which paws belong to which dog?

Did you guess correctly?

Yikes, we could be in trouble here, he's already been mistaken for a 6mth old puppy - not 11 weeks old.

With his red coloring and big front mitts, he could be mistaken for a movie character...Hellboy!

By the way, Gene Simmons called,

He wants his tongue back...

New Girl Now

2009-06-06T10:00:00.002-06:00

Hi, it's me - Odie! I got so much female attention at my first house from Auntie Tamzin, Halo and Leeloo, (ahhhh - Leeloo!) I wasn't sure what to expect at my new home. But, it's been great cause I got a new girl - Kika!

She taught me how to play tugs. Apparently this is a Boxer version of the game courtesy of Jax. Can't wait to meet her!

She's teaching me everything a young boy needs to know. A quick snuggle with Jim.

Sharing a chewie bone.

Learning couch manners

Playing keep away. She's really fast, I do my best to keep up. I'm beginning to suspect that she likes to tease me just a little too much...

She keeps a watchful eye on my while I explore the yard.

She's happy to share her lunch with me (and then we share mine)

After a long day, it's time for a nap.

She even lets me help with the blog. Kika is the best!

Honeymoon Suite - New Girl Now

Odin

2009-05-22T20:22:00.003-06:00

We have been lucky enough to welcome an addition to the family.

Invictus Bladerunner, aka Naughty Mr. Blue or as we now call him Odin! He seems to be settling right in.

Checking out the vast array of toys and treats.

Finding comfy spots for naps.

Snuggling with new friends

Posing for cute pictures

Hanging out with friends

And checking out the blue chair for himself.

Push

2009-05-05T19:23:00.015-06:00

Ahhhh, nothing like some Sunday snuggles on the couch.

That looks interesting maybe I should get a little more comfortable

Stretched out and pushed Jim off the couch, that's better.

Even more comfy now that she can use Jim as a "paw" rest.

And what was it that caught Kikas attention? The Westminster Dog Show. She seemed especially interested in the Hound Group...

Holy Diver - Encore!

2009-05-03T13:45:00.001-06:00

Kika isn't the only bathing beauty we have had. Probably the only voluntary one though. When Tiona was diagnosed with spinal arthritis, the vet suggested swimming would be good therapy for her. We knew she wouldn't enjoy a therapy pool, so we purchased a back yard pool for her, it was summer, so the water was nice and warm. It actually helped her, and when she couldn't go outside, she enjoyed(?) the spa settings on the shower head.

Tiona all decked out in her swimming gear, she has already removed one of her booties. The only thing she liked about this was the treats we bribed her with to bounce around the pool.

We started off with a life jacket, because she really wasn't buoyant! but eventually she didn't need it.

Neighbourhood kids enjoying a swim with Tiona. Tiona, not so much...

Now some of the neighbours thought we were a little strange having a pool in our yard for our dog ... But those with dogs understood how loyalty and devotion deserved every effort to make our dogs quality of life better. And the pool exercise worked, she was much more active and mobile because of her aquacise.

Her favourite part besides all the treats. Napping in the sun to dry off.

Pampered? = Yes.
Worth the effort? = Yes.
Would we do it again? = Yes.

Holy Diver

2009-04-30T19:38:00.009-06:00

Our previous Ridgebacks were not really fond of water. Griffin didn't mind it and would wade in to the lake or rivers just to bite at the waves. None the less, we were a bit surprised to see the following:

What is she doing, there's water (and bubbles) in there

Going in for a closer look.

Hmmm.....

Chasing bubbles.

Catching bubbles...

Chasing bubbles is thirsty work.

Yum, Mr. Bubble is my favourite.

For my sister and nephew, the artist in the video for this entry is the answer to the Easter Trivia Question - who started the heavy metal devil horns? - Ronnie James Dio! I'm sure my hints that he was a lead singer for Black Sabbath, is 5'4" and looks like Carla from Cheers; but boy can he sing, make a little more sense now...

Gone Away

2009-04-26T20:04:00.005-06:00

A year ago we said goodbye to our special little guy, Griffin. Gone so young, but we should all be so lucky as to go doing something we loved and surrounded by our family.

When we first brought Griffin home, Tiona wanted nothing to do with him. She was actually pissed at us. Griffin though, just wanted to be her friend and cuddle. Here, Tiona jumped on the couch to get away from him and we put him up there anyway. He was so happy and snuggled right in. I think the look on Tionas face pretty much sums up her feelings on the situation.

Seven years later, we are helping Tiona up on the couch for a snuggle. She was unable to get up by herself but determined to have her cuddles none the less. That annoying little thing started to be useful and comforting a long while ago. He was very good during Tionas illness, always careful to be gentle, checked on her all the time and shared his treats with her.

He was such a sweet puppy, it didn't take him long to win her over. From this moment on, they were the best of friends and inseparable. Tiona was always the Queen Bee for Griffy, she taught him well and always looked out for him. When he was a young boy we were out at the off leash park, he had literally stopped to smell some flowers. I saw two very large Malamutes spot him, looked at each other and started his way, and their intentions didn't look all that kind. Before I could move, Tiona was on it. She stood right in their way and dared them to try something. Faced with a "momma bear" attitude, they changed their demeanor and moved off, and Griffin was oblivious to the whole incident. Poor guy, he always got picked on at the park! (See Raimi, it's happened to more that one "big lug" ; )

He even tried the "famous" blue chair once, but couldn't see what all the fuss was about. It probably feels better when you actually "fit" in the chair, rather than spill out from it.

It was impossible to have a bad day around Griffy. He was such a clown and could always make us laugh - I think you can see why!

He always knew when you needed a cuddle or a laugh.

Griffy loved stuffed toys. He would carry them around and suck on them until he would fall asleep. We used to joke they were his soothers. Then I found an actual soother shaped one, he loved it too!

Griffy playing tugs with Grandma, sporting his festive jingle collar. He loved to dress up, although it was difficult the find things in his size. He was so proud of this collar when he first got it, he asked to go out, pranced across the deck like it was a fashion runway and paused at the steps. When he realised no one was there to notice, he slunk back in the house.

Jims Dad passed away just before Christmas last year, Griffin was a real comfort to the whole family. He tried extra hard to make us laugh, cuddled harder and made sure to sit on all our laps.

Griff loved to sit on laps. This was a Christmas at Grandmas house, notice Tiona under the table checking for crumbs. I cropped myself out of this photo because I am really not photogenic and it was also tough to tell which one of us looked more drunk; me or Griff.

He was so handsome, which was a good thing as we always said he got by on his looks. He was just a uncomplicated, innocent, big fun loving guy....

He was prancy, flamboyant and sensitive (take from that what you will...) but he was so sweet and loving, we miss him to this day.

Cat Scratch Fever

2009-04-11T15:24:00.005-06:00

Kika enjoyed the holiday season as I'm sure most indulged Ridgebacks did;

Cuddling and taking naps on the couch. It's nice when the human pillows are there to hold her up.

Relaxing in front of the fire.

Acting a little silly.

Playing paws through the stair spindles, also a great opportunity to practice wookie noises.

One final perimeter check before bedtime. The extra lighting sure helps.

Then it happened, .... too cold to stay outside for long; Cabin Fever set in big time. Kika then indulged in some crazy as well as very un-Ridgeback behaviour...

Her new arch nemesis, the motion activated garbage can lid. She would walk by to ensure the motion sensor lifted the lid ... then she would growl and bark at it.

She would spend time outside playing in the snow and -30 temperatures. Well, as much time as possible ..... it's a delicate balance of unbridled puppy energy in her first winter .... and brrr it's cold out here.

Patiently keeping an eye on the pathway in hopes that someone, anyone would pass by. But there are fewer visitors in the extreme cold.

Playing with water? She would spend long wet minutes biting at the shower spray. Usually everything and everyone needed a wipe down after these sessions .... yes she did this more than once .... her servants are most accommodating ; )

She loved playing with the bubbles, almost climbing in the tub to get them. (this time) Once she jumped right in to get the bubbles . . . if this keeps up, baths are going to be a piece of cake.

Bubble overload?

Kika was so bored, she started playing fetch. We have never had a Ridgeback retrieve before. If we threw a toy for them, we were greeted with looks of - if it was so good, you shouldn't have thrown it away .... or you threw it you go get it. But Kika loves it!

Rock n Roll Christmas

2009-04-07T22:45:00.004-06:00

Kika's first Christmas.

Oooohhh Presents!

And .... It's got my name on it!

She caught on to present opening pretty quickly!

There are all kinds of great smells coming from the kitchen and lots of visitors to greet. And the most important visitor of all, no ... not Santa - Jax!

The girls opening their presents.

Hey, what did you get?

The girls inspected each other's gifts and shared perfectly. No squabbles. And they played so well together.

Jax really likes her vanilla scented rawhide. They come highly recommended by Kika .... almost "puppy crack".

The girls enjoying their chewie bones

Time out for tugs! The girls are sporting matching Christmas collars. Hey kid, have you been practicing?!

Kikas favourite Christmas toy, from her special Auntie Barb. I think it was filled with "dog nip" as she would not leave it alone!

Boxing Day- a couple of kids stopped by to lend Kika a hand opening even more presents.

They also helped out with toy testing.

Inspecting her new stuffies. It's safe to say that Kika enjoyed her first Christmas. And we look forward to many many more.

Christmas Angel

2009-03-29T13:47:00.003-06:00

It's Christmas Eve, and for the second time Kika has climbed into Tionas favourite chair and curled in for a nap. Again, very appropriate. Christmas Eve was Tionas birthday. Tiona loved Christmas, she got spoiled more than usual. Special treats and lots of presents to open. She always opened the food gifts first and left the toys for Griffy.

Kika is looking bigger every day. Here she is in her Christmas collar.

Here;s Tiona,the 13yr old veteran in action. She's wagging with excitement because not only is the present a jumbo bag of cookies, they are her favourite .. Marrowbones.

Her lack of fur is from her procedure and diagnosis ... but nothing stops this wonder pup.

Sunning herself and taking a breather between bouts of gift opening. She got an air mattress to spare her the strain of going up and down all our stairs - and boy did she decide this was the good life!

My favourite picture from that Christmas. Tiona looking well and just like the sweet pup she was. Griffin as always with a stuffie in his mouth. This was one of his special Christmas hedgehogs.

Santa Claus is coming to town...perhaps not after seeing this picture! Kika always has something in her mouth. And in shreds on the floor.

No respect for his reindeer either apparently!

See, I am a good girl, Santa brought me these toys

Naughty Naughty

2009-03-25T21:32:00.007-06:00

We all went to the local garden centre and picked out our Christmas tree. Our usual spot for the tree in the house is up on a plant ledge. It's a little hard to decorate, but it looks nice and there's lots of room for presents. This year, we kept with tradition because we thought it would be safer and out of Kikas reach...

Sizing up her opponent.

Looks nice, lots of shiny and breakable things

Wondering how she can get up there - are some of those presents for me? Most of them actually.

Don't ask, we don't know how she managed it either...

The day we took the tree down and removed it from the house, Kika decided the house was a little bare, so she stripped a 6ft branch from one of the aspen trees.

She tried to bring it into the house, but we wouldn't let her.

She then tried a different tactic, she started bringing it into the house, 1 foot at a time.

She can be so naughty, but we think she is still pretty nice.

You're Invited

2009-03-23T20:42:00.006-06:00

Kika sent out the invitations for Christmas Dinner this year.

This is her "puppy" sized tree. [Not to be left at floor level unless we want it to look more like a "Charlie Brown tree" in appearance.]

I love it when she pretends what you are saying is actually important ...

Ok .... if I tilt my head and pour on the wrinkles like I'm listening = I get treats. I've almost got them trained ; )

Notice that she has perfected the relax excercise ...

No clicker. No classes. No problemo.

Kika loves to kick up her heels!

We'll see if she can get her Grandmas to kick up theirs.

There will be wine at Christmas .... Let's keep the camera at the ready ....

Fire and Ice

2009-03-17T21:50:00.001-06:00

It's the little Spitfire vs Snow and Ice! Here are some pictures from Kikas first significant snowfall of the year. We were curious as to how Kika would handle all the cold and white stuff. She loved it! Even when it's 20 below, we can't keep her in the house. We have a fairly good sized back yard, and as one can clearly see by these photos - - - there is hardly any space that hasn't been investigated.

Stalking snowflakes

Scent hound following tracks. (her own)

Hmmm ..... Puppy tracks crossing people tacks.
Further nosing required.

This one seems to have been made at a high rate of speed .....

Racing around - wild dog style. Snow is GREAT!

We noticed Kika running onto the deck and sliding to the door. Jim decided to shovel the desk so she wouldn't slip. We determined a few things; Her sliding was intentional, she was surfing to the door. And secondly that Kika loves to play with the shovel and will chase the snow you throw or bite at it as it accumulates in the scoop.

Wild dog lap #24 .... and counting.

Just One More Time...

2009-03-09T21:45:00.001-06:00

Just mere days after her amazing performance at puppy class, Kika has another "incident". While out on a walk with Grandma, the "girls" decide to stop at Jims' sisters house for a visit. Her kids had just gotten home from school, so their stuff was randomly distributed on the floor. In addition to loving Grandma, the kids are thrilled with Kika (they call her their cousin), and Kika loves kids - especially to run and play with. Kika, being a little nosy, went snooping and came up with a pair of pink socks. It was fun for a while to play chase the puppy until they realised that they had only recovered one sock. A thorough search was launched ... no second sock could be found. All concluded that Kika has swallowed the sock, wolfing it down mid chase. At this point in her growth, she has developed massive molars that act like a conveyor belt to anything that gets in her mouth, she may not have even intended to swallow the sock. And regrettably we admit it's nothing she hasn't done before....

We have never had a dog swallow socks before (chew - maybe, But Swallow them...?). A few weeks before this latest episode we were awoken in the wee hours of the morning to the ever delightful serenade of retching. I leap up, turn on a light, and grab a towel for Kika. Imagine our surprise when she projectile vomits a small ankle sock. She got good air time with it too, missed the towel and launched it right over the back of the dog couch. We had no idea how she got hold of a sock in the first place, let alone ate it! We were so embarrassed and sure we would be up for bad parents of the year - this little pup has new tricks up her sleeves that all our previous puppies didn't have.

Watching her carefully we figure out how she stole the first sock. We observed her poking her nose into the closed clothes hamper - - - through the hand hold openings, she used it just like a tissue dispenser, grab a bit of cloth and pull. So we ramped up our puppy proofing at home, problem solved, and we told no one .....

Back to the pink sock episode - - - So now we are on sock watch. Days go by, sleepless nights (for us) and through vigilant (almost neurotic) observation - - - nothing is appearing - - - from one end or the other. We are beginning to wonder if she actually ate it at all, or if we need to have a vet x-ray her. We cancel some of her social engagements, because we are paranoid the sock is in her intestines and she will end up with a twisted bowel if she gets over excited or over exerted. So we are trying to keep her calm - ha ha. Then one night several days later, while stalking her in the yard with a flashlight while she does her thing, we discover some pink fabric in her night deposit. Yeah!!! We think another dramatic episode is over.

Imagine our surprise many nights later to be woken up in the wee hours of the morning to the sound of - retching! But nothing comes up. This was at one in the morning, we all settle back down to sleep only to be woken up at 3 in the morning with the same sounds and again no result. Finally at 5am - - - another round of yakking sounds ... and it happens Kika projectile vomits; you guessed it, a pink sock!

Twelve days after she ate it, she finally got rid of it. She just faked us out the first time with pink fabric fuzz from one of her toys. She ate normally, behaved normally, did her business normally despite having this sock inside her for the whole 12 days.

One good development from this episode is that by keeping her calmer and less busy, Kika is turning into a real cuddler...

This has good and bad .... it is now confirmed that Kika is a Daddy's girl at cuddle times. I can deal with it ... she's just so cute.

Hot For Teacher

2009-03-07T20:40:00.001-07:00

We finally get to tell a story that so many people have been waiting to hear ..... although pictures will not be available!

We have been taking Kika to puppy classes and puppy playtimes at a local dog training school. She enjoys the playtimes much more than the classes. In the classes she is very distracted, she will not listen at all, so we assume she isn't paying attention. Then when at home during practice, she performs the task perfectly!

Kika seems to be more of a morning girl, so she really isn't at her best in the evening when the classes occur. On nights at home without classes Kika is normally powering down for a nap at the same time her classes start. Her distractions at puppy classes are compounded by the fact that the same room space is used for puppy play time, where Kika has a GREAT time meeting and playing with everyone (puppies and people alike). She obviously has decided that the room is only suitable for her preferred activity - PLAY.

It's been a little frustrating as we move to her next level of puppy classes as we have explained to the instructors that she is; a) a Ridgeback and therefore a very independent thinker, and b) really full of spunk. The instructors respond with statements like; "Do you know how many dogs we have trained?" While we appreciate their confidence, we feel unnecessarily dismissed - This is not our first puppy experience. Surely we should have some reliable perspective on the matter. We were not yet experiencing the "fun" of these classes that keeps being promised.

As part of these next level of classes we were to attend an orientation class without Kika. We had a mixup with dates so while we were in the orientation session, we realized we should have been in class with Kika...ooops...

We have been given the course outline in orientation and I've spoken with Kim, so we know what we missed in the first class. For the next week, we work really hard to catch up. The first lesson is name recognition and recall, she's already good at that. The next lesson is called the Relax, I think it's a little complicated for a 5 month old puppy, but we give it a try. You have your puppy on a leash and sit in a comfy spot with some treats, ignore your dog and wait for her to lie down at your feet. Kika is a very clever girl and did figure it out. She is performing the Relax for us at home. So, on class night, off we go, feeling rather confident!

That feeling soon evaporated. She got into the classroom and promptly lost her mind. She's decided that the room should only be for her playtime sessions, so she can't understand why the other puppies are ignoring her and not playing. She's no quitter though, and the more other puppies refuse to play, the harder she tries to make them.

It was shaping up to be one of the longest hour of our lives, the class is brushing up on the Relax and adding to it. Kika meanwhile, is doing the exact opposite. The assistant instructor comes over to help us out, to no avail. 40 minutes in and Kika is still barking and spazing out, she has laid down only once and is otherwise being very disruptive. At one point she is so bored she started to chase her tail and bounce around in circles. The other ten puppies in her class are labs and dobermans, who are all following commands perfectly and I think shooting dirty looks our way. They are using clickers to train at these classes. Every time a clicker goes off near her, she is expecting a treat. This is really adding to her frustration level. Kika had all her commands down pat with verbal and hand signals and so this change to clicker training is starting to undo what she already knows. This clicker use perplexed us, since over time the program graduates to .... yup, verbal and hand signals.

Finally, a short break during which the instructor assures us that none of the dogs perform the move the first time ...right... Class is back, the instructor gives Kika to the assistant to work with. She places them in the middle of the room and groups the other dogs and owners around them. Something about Kika being a "good distraction". It was painful to watch, another 10 minutes of barking and poor behaviour - even for the "experts". She then added howling and winding her leash in figure eights around the instructors legs and pulling, attempting a form of calf roping. I wasn't really watching at this point, I was taking note of the exits and wondering if anyone would notice if we snuck out, when I happened to glance Jims way and noticed a "look" come over his face. That can't be good, I thought and peered through the crowd to see what was going on...

At this point the head instructor had moved to the centre of the room to give more instruction, all eyes were on her, the assistant and Kika. It was at this moment Kika chose to fully express her frustration with the situation, once again proving she is unafraid to take matters into her own paws......... Oh God, Kika is humping the instructors leg!!! It was a very authoritative; "you're not the boss of me" kind of action. Taking the opportunity for a teaching moment, the head instructor proclaimed that the best way to handle this type of situation is to step into the dog. Mistake - it seemed Kika thought, well if you are going to offer it ...so she promptly humped her leg too. Needless to say, they kept us after class. I was horrified, Jim started laughing first and even seemed a little proud of his girl ... "Well, she certainly humped some of the smug off them!"

Remarkably this is something Kika had never done previously and hasn't done since. We were trying to look on the bright side - we had wanted her to learn something new in class...

Here she is, doing her best to look innocent ... needs a little more work. I think she looks a little too pleased with herself.

Run For Cover

2009-03-02T20:45:00.005-07:00

Our second Ridgeback Run. I think Emmie and Kika had a better time at this one as they were bigger now and able to play with the big dogs.

The girls ready to rumble under the watchful eye of Raimi (with one of Kims boys)

Raimi and his brother Tucker, share a joke.

Rory loves his Mum, Halo.

Nice, are you using a special whitener?

Kika being brave - hey guys can I play?

Yikes! maybe later!
And come back later she did, even Tamzin commented on the little spitfire.

Ramblin' Rory!

Yes, you may worship me..Raimi to Kika, Emmie and Levi

The Girls wrestling...Emmie, how did your ears get this dirty?

The Girls preparing to wrestle (again) and a chance for Emmie to inspect Kikas ears.

Emmie, look at that ....... Emmie?

You were right Emmie, this is interesting

Kims boys enjoying the day as well.

A brave boxer decided to join in.

One last romp before heading home. Again, Kika played and ran so hard she fell asleep in the truck on the way home. That night I was on the phone with my sister and she remarked that it was quiet in the background and asked if Kika was asleep..yes, yes she was...

See You At The Show

2009-02-24T20:59:00.026-07:00

Early November brings the Red Deer District Dog Show in, you guessed it, Red Deer. Jeff from Jahina is showing Tommy there. Kim is bringing her boys and Emmie and we are taking Kika so we can take in the show and Jeff can see how the girls are growing up.

Here's Jeff and Tommy strutting their stuff in the show ring. What focus, what style and check out that movement - Tommy looks pretty sharp too!

Tommy is the #4 Ridgeback in Canada!

The girls had to spend time in Tommys' crate while we were enjoying the show. They discovered that the more noise they made, the more attention they attracted. Poor Emmie caught her nail on the cage and did have to be rescued by one of the growing crowd of admirers.

Free at last and a chance to stretch their legs.

The Puppy Whisperer...

Showing off their good manners.

Emmie showing perfect form. Nice stack, Emmie, you're a natural!

Stack?...Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you said snack...

I knew I heard snack - liver treats here I come!

Kika really likes Kims kids. We like to think the feeling is mutual. We have wonderful neighbours with little boys that Kika likes, but Kims boys know how to play Ridgeback.

I Wanna Be A Cowboy

2009-02-23T19:23:00.003-07:00

I'm sure you're wondering how the donning of Kikas Halloween costume went - it included a hat, bandana and a full step into sheriff outfit complete with stuffed arms. Yah, about as well as could be expected. We were lucky enough to catch the following photo montage...

This is my costume? Not so bad..I like the colour and the skull and crossbones are a nice touch!

We're not done? You want me to wear what?

Why the long face, partner? Is that a hangdog expression? [I think I could have an accident - on purpose for this!]

OMG! This is sooooo embarrassing!

Taking matters into her own paws and showing us just exactly what she thinks of the hat.

Expressing her displeasure with the bandana as well. Neither Jim or I was brave enough to attempt the sheriff outfit. [And Jim wants it stated for the record; that he is 100% fine with Kika taking matters into her own paws.]

Kika is much like T - dressing up is soooo beneath her. Unlike Griffin, who Barb could always dress up - in fact he really liked it. Amra never liked dressing up, but would always wear his Christmas bell - he liked making sounds as he moved around. Shadow was fun at Halloween as he had long fur, and Barb always spiked it and added glitter and colors - the neighborhood kids thought he was too cool.

This is Halloween...

2009-02-23T19:10:00.001-07:00

Halloween night! A good time as usual. We had thought with it being a Friday night with great weather, that we would get lots of kids. We only had 185, well below our record of nearly 300. It seems haunted houses get upstaged by neighbours handing out fresh mini-doughnuts! Although this years theme was one of the less prop and labour intensive displays, it was one of my favourites. I think the parents appreciated it more, the kids seemed confused by hearing the tinny piano version of the Old Grey Mare as the sound f/x instead of creepy music and scary sounds!

My favourite prop ever - the Flaming Jeep from Hell! A skeleton behind the wheel with a flame pot, pinning a monster to the driveway. We dress a ramp with clothes and drive the jeep up it, a few more accessories and it's complete. It looks realistic, especially since the legs actually kick up and down. We have had small kids approach it and ask "Are you ok buddy?" Jim likes to tell people this is how I drive normally...

The Hanging Tree

We did manage to save some tumbleweeds from Kika.

The cemetery leading up to the house. Another motion prop we have is the glowing ghost in the background. She has a motor and a black light. In the darkness, really looks like she is floating up and down.

One of the tombstones distressed by Kika.

The porch, complete with working saloon doors made by Jim, you can see the little "hell hounds" eyes glowing in the background....

The front porch done up as a saloon, complete with poker playing, whiskey drinking skeletons. They were also carrying six shooters, just in case there was any card cheating going on.

A Little Help

2009-02-23T18:20:00.001-07:00

Halloween is nearly here! This is a big holiday in our house, just as important as Christmas. In fact, it's more fun than Christmas. What other time can you scare kids with their parents approval? Every year we have a different themed haunted house, get dressed up and have a great time handing out candy to all the kids in the neighbourhood.

This year, instead of a regular cemetery and ghosts, we are doing Boot Hill Cemetery. We all have costumes, Jim is a gunslinger,I'm a saloon girl and Kika has a sheriff outfit! She likes to think that she is helpful and Halloween prep has been no exception. We are continuously cleaning hot glue and paint from her fur and whiskers. We have also discovered she loves power tools! She was helpful in making new tombstones from foam board though. I had just said to her (yes, I talk to her) should we distress the tombstone? She jumped up on the counter, bit it, slammed it with her paws, jumped down and trotted away quite pleased with herself. I had to admit, after I painted it, she did a really good job!

She also liked going to the basement storage area to inspect the props. She likes to pounce on a pirate prop, it's motion activated and makes ghost sounds, but her favourite is the Spider Victim. It's a 6ft tall, mummy wrapped in webbing. She got hold of it one day:

You're right, Halloween is fun!

Despite all her help (she kept stealing the tumbleweeds and chewing them up) we did manage to get Halloween up and running.

Rock You

2009-02-23T09:30:00.001-07:00

Music video at bottom of blog may not be kid safe - boobie alert!

Autumn days that are still warm enough to go for a run in the park. We aren't sure what the town is doing to our one and only off leash area, hope the grass grows back. But they have provided some boulders along the pathway. Jim has convinced Kika that it's great fun to jump up on them and pose. It's actually working well, she will race ahead and wait on the rocks for us to catch up to her.

This would be a perfect shot except for the anti-erosion fence. The lake was smooth and calm, the girl is sitting perfectly posed. Well the rocks will be here in the spring ... we will try for the perfect shot again later.

Uhhh guys, you're a little slow with the camera. I already used up my 'sit' and you missed it. I still get my treat right?

A boy and his dog, and the (not so) bald prairies.

Okay, now look where I'm pointing - is that a muskrat?

Yup. There's four .... something else to put in my spring itinerary.

I had my colours done - guess what? I'm an Autumn!

Holiday

2009-02-21T21:17:00.019-07:00

Thanks-giving at my Grannies house in Crossfield. But, more importantly another chance for me to play with Jax!

Okay kid,listen up, these are the rules...

I'm still bigger, so I'm the boss.

If I like the toy, I get to play with it first.

Oh yeah, can dogs really fit under furniture?

Awwwww...Isn't she beautiful!

I'm thankful for my house with nice comfy furniture, sunbeams and chewy bones. Oh, and the crazy people here who love me.

Rock You Like A Hurricane

2009-02-21T15:50:00.003-07:00

Another nickname! We have discovered Kika has 2 settings Off and On, mostly On. She will race around, "wild dog" style, constantly. We have learned to find a safe location, brace yourself and don't make eye contact, less you attract the attention of "The Hurricane"! Indoors, outdoors it doesn't matter. She will not stop until she is the last one (or thing) standing. She has now added toys to her routine. Throwing them up in the air to catch as well as tossing them up and down the stairs.

Some examples of her handiwork include:

Assessing her creation...

Satisfied with herself...

So, if your puppy is in a different part of the house and you hear crashing, thumping, she's talking to herself and making happy wookie noises, this could be what she's up to:

This is the puppy couch, (yes, it does have sheets, pillows and a blanket) she now likes to rip it apart in the mornings while I'm getting ready for work. She discovered the couch comes apart because I found her one day with her head stuck in the cushions. She was determined that there was something interesting in there. I dug around and came up with an old piece of rawhide. We assume Tiona had hidden it there. She used to take Griffins toys, hide them and then tease him with hers. She was a master, she could hide them in flower pots, under the flowers and put everything back so you wouldn't even know she had been there. This is now Kikas morning ritual, there are no more toys, so I know she's just doing it to wind me up.

We have almost captured wild dog on camera, I have some video but I'm not very good with editing - yet...

A typical lap- rounding the corner, hitting the straight a way and blurry bum exiting the frame...

One would think we don't keep a clean house, but this routine is 20 minutes after our last tidy-up. We can clean 3 - 4 times a day with this energetic girl. She even gets walks and has a nice big yard to burn around in, and plays at her fence with all her doggy friends in the neighborhood. With all this energy, she truly has earned the nickname "the Hurricane". And we wouldn't have it any other way - she will only be a little puppy for a short time.

Gypsy Road

2009-02-19T19:42:00.003-07:00

Road trip! We are taking Kika (and Grandma) to Canmore for a trip. It's also the first road trip for Jims' (er..Kikas' new truck). Jim was certain Kika would be far more comfortable in an Avalanche rather than his Dakota. Actually my trusty old Jeep has previously been good enough for hauling dogs around, but it's a nice truck and very comfortable..

Here she is in her truck with her own seat belt. It appears she is passing the time by writing Haiku on the window.

She did really well on the drive, this was her biggest trip since her trip home from Winnipeg, we would like to make sure she travels well and aim for bigger trips and adventures.

Once in Canmore we parked the truck and enjoyed a stroll around downtown Canmore. While waiting for a light to change to cross a street, we met a fellow who said he had just lost his Ridgeback, so he was happy to play with Kika and she was happy to play with him. In fact, Kika is happy to play with anyone, people, dog, cat, anything. Her motto - got a pulse? let's play!!

One of objectives this trip was to stop in to see a store called the Mut Hut. We first heard about this store during the summer dog show ..... Now having been there in person we Highly recommend it. It has a great selection of nice products and the owners are very friendly and helpful. We look forward to coming back, and visiting their soon to be ready on-line store.

A picnic lunch in one of the small parks in town, then off to see the off leash park that was recommended by the Mut Hut. The off leash park is really beautiful, full of mountain trails. Kika met a few friendly dogs, and one grumpy one that growled at her. When the dogs owner spoke that grumpy isn't dog friendly, we recalled her - and she came rushing back to us for rewards for listening and reassurances that not everyone has to love the adorable puppy she is. She would have kept trying though, she seems determined to win over even the most stubborn dogs.

Big field. Another successful recall. The girl really loves running around in these big spaces.

Kika concurs, this truck really is comfy!

Pretty in pink. This is what Grandma bought Kika at the Mut Hut. Since they have bonded, this pup has higher ranking than some of us people (Ok - definitely higher than Jim ;). Grandma is a bit of a professional shopper so now she has a new excuse for giving the plastic a workout. Of course this was bought under the pretense of "Don't want the little precious getting chilly." Odd thing though ... Jim somehow only believes in walking her in the dark now...

Fun, Fun, Fun

2009-02-15T16:37:00.014-07:00

Here it is, the mandatory puppy + toilet paper shot. We thought we had removed all temptation by taking the roll from the holder and placing it high up on the counter - we presumed out of her reach. We thought it best to take these steps since little miss discovered unrolling toilet paper is fun.

We suspect her new bouncing technique helped her secure her latest toy...

And she had fun, fun, fun

Until Daddy took the TP away...

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Jump

2009-02-14T11:34:00.014-07:00

Nicknames.

Kika is earning a few of them based on her entertaining behaviours.

One of her first nicknames is Kika-Roo. She has earned this as she bounces up and down, and jumps - just like a kangaroo. She bounces when on leash for a walk. She bounces especially in her yard at the back fence when she spies one of her many friends coming up the pathway. She bounces when she plays. She bounces when she greets people. Boing, boing, boing ....

And unlike our previous Ridgebacks, she has now perfected the art of counter surfing by bouncing. We have been stepping into her when she has jumped up on counters to discourage her and get her down. But with her practice bounces; instead of getting off the counters, she just bounces over and out of the way. She bounced around the whole kitchen island one day!

So many of our bouncy pictures are just that, bouncy, blurry or she's out of frame. So here's some cute instead. We are now looking at the camera to see if it has a high speed frame setting that might keep up with the Kika-Roo!!!

Fly To The Angels

2009-02-13T18:45:00.044-07:00

Today, for the first time, Kika wanted to sit in a certain blue chair in our house, she has not paid it any attention previously. I've put her in the chair for pictures but today she got up there all on her own. Her interest in this chair today of all days is quite remarkable. This chair was Tionas favourite and today, September 17, one year ago was the day we said good bye to our little angel.

These days Jim and I think we were so lucky to get Kika, but we were also very blessed to have had Tiona in our lives as well. Our first Ridgeback, Amra was two years old and we had been toying with the idea of getting him a buddy. We tried the local Humane Society, had even picked out a cute little Belgian Shepard cross girl but Amra wasn't really interested in her. I returned the pup to the kennel and when I came back out to the reception area, I couldn't find Jim or Amra, just a large crowd of people. There was Amra the centre of attention, a crowd of people hopeful that they could adopt him! (Our first exposure to the Allure of the Ridgeback). We then called Elizabeth and asked her to keep us in mind the next time she had a litter. Imagine our surprise when she told us to come out that weekend. She had two litters of puppies ready to go to their new homes and not all of them were spoken for. Her upper nursery had the eight week olds, Jim told me I could pick so I sat on the floor with them. Everyone should be swarmed by a mob of puppies a few times in their life - it's just awesome. One little pup would not leave me alone, crawling in my lap, licking, nibbling everything she could to to get my attention and ensure I noticed her. I took note of her markings as she had white toes and nails on all of her paws, a large white patch on her chest and dark "Cleopatra" eye make-up. We then went to the downstairs kennel to see the other litter of puppies, but there was just something special about that first little girl, so back up we went. As we passed the landing for the front door, there was a family ready to leave with their puppy. Yup, white toes and nails, chest patch and dark eyes. I was crushed, they had our puppy! Jim ushered me back to the nursery room saying there were lots of puppies, we'd just pick another one. All the remaining puppies were back rambunctiously playing with each other, I scanned the crowd several times, confirming my worst fears ... I didn't see the one I liked. With increasing disappointment I said; "She's not there". Jim gave me one of those looks, the one where I'm doing something stupid and told me to look down. Amazingly there was a puppy not interested in playing with the littermates, just sitting against the barricade looking up at me with big brown Cleopatra eyes and a happy smiling face! It was that special girl waiting for us ..... Elizabeth later told us that she had a twin, and oddly the puppy we were interested in showed no interest in the other couple - yet her twin had. And her twin had shown no interest in us but fawned over the other couple. It seems these two girls had decided independently whom they were supposed to go home with. It was fate...turns out she was just a good judge of character and knew a soft touch when she saw one.

Introducing a new puppy to a large male dog is something all the "experts" advised us to do in slow careful introductions to ensure the puppies safety .... somehow the experts haven't studied the unwritten Ridgeback handbook .... Amra and T were buddies from the first moment, he was happy to have a new friend. He was very careful and attentive to this tiny puppy. The afternoon Tiona came home, she was having a nap in the kitchen. She made one little squeak in her sleep and Amra was in there like a shot. Concerned (because of the "experts") we raced after him, he was so large we were afraid to leave them together. We need not to have worried as we found 120 lb Amra, soothing the puppy and arranging the blankets to tuck her back in. From moment one she was just as determined to be with him. It didn't matter what room she was in, locked in a kennel or not, "Houndini" would find a way out and we would come home to find her in the kitchen with him. He too was limited to a portion of the house by a barricade. So tiny 8 week puppy Tiona would have escaped her kennel, which was blocking a bathroom doorway in case she did escape and had an accident, climbed over a full size (Amra's) hard body kennel, navigated the third floor of our four level split house, climbed eight stairs, then scaled a vertical 32 inch plywood barricade that always successfully kept Amra in the kitchen when we were at work, and drop to the kitchen floor .... just to be with the big guy. Pure Determination, and many big obstacles for such a tiny girl. We started calling Amra the "Nanny" because he took such good care of her. She could do anything she wanted with and to him; With her sharp puppy teeth she would literally hang from his lips and neck and he would carry her around. Never lashing out although it had to hurt from those needles plus having a 15 pound puppy dangling like a goiter. Some of these early pictures of them together is well before the puppy tenderized her big buddy .... she hung off him so much the Nanny earned a new nickname out of sympathy Amra blended into "Amburger" as he had so many raw bites that he gladly endured from the new love of his life.

Tiona was partial to all forms of furniture, indoors or out. It's a true Ridgeback trait to find the most comfortable place to lie down no matter where you find yourself. Tiona was a study in many personalities; escape artist, sweet girl, rangy puppy, and yet a princess too. With her high energy and acrobatic ways she had one little trick that was unique to her; T (her short name) would race around the house at full tilt aiming for the bed or the couch or a big comfy chair, leap in the air at full speed, in mid air start folding her legs in repose so that when she landed on the targeted furniture (and she always stuck the landing perfectly) she was folded exactly in the position she wanted without the usual fuss of twirling around of plumping the cushions like most dogs do. And she would stare at you once landed with a satisfied expression that screamed "Ta-DAHHHH!!!" She slowed down on the aerial gymnastics in old age, but always knew how to be most comfortable when resting.

Fun, lively, sweet and smart, that was our Tiona. Very, very smart. She knew what you were saying at all times and if you asked her to do something you needed to say please as she was a stickler for manners. I'm also fairly certain she was far more clever than me, she would make up her mind what she wanted and never failed to get me to do or get something for her. I used to joke to Jim I was going to write a book, I already had the title "Being your dogs bitch"... She was also a firm believer in let sleeping dogs lie. If she was lying down and didn't want to be disturbed even though you wanted to give her a cuddle she would start with very deep breathing and work up to full blown fake snoring until you left her alone. The only flaw in her approach was that she never fully shut her eyes while fake snoring in case you might have a treat. One of her favourite things to do to me was getting me up in the middle of the night on the pretence of needing to go outside. I would be downstairs holding the door open - no Tiona. She would only come part way downstairs and race back up just to claim my side of the bed. She would actually have her head on the pillow and have tucked herself in. Here she as an older girl after one of her "spa" treatments - massaging shower head and warm water for her spinal arthritis.

Tiona may have been small in stature but not in heart or spirit. She never complained about anything. Even when she was diagnosed with a cancerous lung tumour and we had to leave her at the Care Centre for a couple of days. I knew she was depressed but she was making the best of her situation. On one visit, a technician explained her concern about how upset T seemed to be there, and asked me to help feed T to make her feel better. The technician said she had been hand feeding Tiona tinned food for every meal (it looked like pate). The tech couldn't understand why we started to laugh, we both knew right then she was fine because she had conned someone into doing her bidding! Smart and Manipulative ... she was doing much better, and got to come home. Tiona preferred to take her medication in pate on a cracker, that and pepperoni pizza, extra cheese...

When we brought her home, Tiona knew she had a second chance and was determined to enjoy everything, and she did. We had eleven months of "extra innings" after receiving a very grim prognosis. On her check-ups at the CARE center it got to the point that her oncologist started referring to her as "her rock star" patient as she was doing so well despite her situation. Tiona had great quality of life for so much of this extra time and when she was ready to go she let us know. Remaining too smart and calling all the shots as she always had.

I know Tiona has re-united with her boys and is keeping them in line, from a big comfy chair...

There was some "discussion" over the song choice for this story. But how could you go wrong with a power ballad from a hair band? Tiona was quite partial to them...really...

Say Hello

2009-02-07T20:07:00.024-07:00

Visitors! My sister Maggie and her guy Kelly are stopping by for a visit on their way home from camping. They are bringing Jax, their 3yr old Boxer so the girls can meet. It should be interesting, Jax is quite the character! As we suspected, the meeting was a total success. Jax learned some Ridgeback moves and in turn taught Kika the art of tugging and of course, boxing!

I love this picture because it has three of my favourite ladies in it. Notice Kika admiring the length of Jaxies tongue!

Taking a breather and trying to prove that she is no slouch in the tongue department herself. Has a little way to go yet to be in Jaxies league though.

Let's Play!

Nice Ears...

Here Jim is fending off Jax and her incredible tongue. She likes nothing better than to greet you with lots of kisses. The first time I met her she licked my face so hard I actually thought she was going to drown me.

Playing Pin the Puppy

Teaching the kid a few tricks. Tugs is one of Jaxies favourite games. It's now one of Kikas as well.

A tired puppy is a good puppy!

Learn To Fly

2009-02-04T18:53:00.012-07:00

One of Kikas first nicknames was the fanged flying squirrel. She was uncanny, the moment she suspected you weren't looking, out of nowhere she would come flying through the air at you. If you were lucky she would just brush past you, unlucky - a four point landing. She then added stalking to her aerial assault routine, just added to the challenge of catching you unaware. One day I noticed her in her crouch, eyes intent. How cute I thought, so I stood very still and pretended not to notice her stealthy approach. I'm keeping track of her out of the corner of my eye. When she was about five feet away she launched and connected. I like to think that she didn't bite me on the crotch on purpose....

Here she is trying to look innocent

Heartbreaker - because who can resist a feisty redhead?

2009-02-01T16:58:00.038-07:00

The ad campaign is in! Here is one of Kikas professional shots. I like this one, she still gives the head tilt and full on "thinking wrinkles" (thanks Tamzin) when she is spoken to. Pretty good for only 10 weeks old!

Rory the adolescent is 7 months old here. Rory is a real sweetheart.

Raimi, 17 months old. A super handsome, nice boy. A real gentle giant.

And Seth, 10 years old and Kikas new BFF! He was very good with her, even let her play with his tail. I'm told he was especially happy that she didn't come home with him, one puppy in his house is quite enough.

He reminds me of Tiona with how he deals with young pups... Age and treachery will always overcome youth and exuberance...

And the finished ad for Bayer Advantix - Growing up Multi. Should be available now as pamphlets in veterinarian offices and also in magazine ads. Many thanks to Glenn Campbell Photo Studio in Calgary for doing such a wonderful job with both the dogs and the photos.

Fox On The Run

2009-01-31T16:17:00.043-07:00

Kikas first Ridgeback Run was early September. Tamzin organizes these periodically. Anyone with a Ridgeback (or wanting one) can come. There are also honourary Ridgebacks such as Deuce the pug. We all meet at a local park, the dogs play and you get to meet people who love Ridgebacks as much as you do. Kika will be meeting Emmie there so they will each have someone to play with when the big guys get to be too much for them. It was a beautiful day. I know Kika wore herself out racing with Emmie and chasing the big guys. She was so tired she was asleep the moment she got into the truck.

Emmie and Kika are always happy to see each other!

The girls saying hello to Levi. Kim captured this moment.

Hey you're not a Ridgeback! Ridgebacks are breed snobs, they won't even look at other dogs if another Ridgeback is there. This little guy was cute and fun so Kika played with him anyway.

The incomparable Raimi with Halo. The wonderful scenery is River Park in Calgary.

Deuce keeps everyone in line. He shares a home and a blog with Ramsay - Ramsay and Pug Friends Unite!

The big guys playing. There was quite a group this day. Besides Emmie and Kika - Raimi, Halo, Ramsay, Levi, Lucy, Zuli, Shane and Ryder...

Corralling the girls at the end of the day

Exhausted Kika at the very end of a great day.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2009-01-18T20:37:00.010-07:00

Emmie and Kika attend classes at the same puppy school. Not in the same class though, could you just imagine that chaos! Here they are at their first puppy playtime session, I wonder what they are plotting!

Today puppy class, tomorrow the world!!!

It's really evident in this picture the differences in the two girls. Emmie is still the tall, leggy blonde sister, who, by the way takes after her Mum ...

Girls on Film

2009-01-18T20:00:00.029-07:00

Errr .... Girl and Boys on Film may be more accurate, but there's no 80's song of that title that I know of .... So sorry Boys, you'll have to grant some artistic license here.

Ridgebacks Rule!!! Tamzin heard back from the advertising group ..... Ridgebacks have been selected over all the other breeds for an advertising photoshoot. We get to take Kika to downtown Calgary to a professional studio for the photographs. Tamzin will be there with Raimi and Kathryn (Rory's Ramblings Blog) will be there with Seth and Rory. Seth is the senior of the group. Rory is from Tamzins most recent litter and will represent the adolescent of the bunch. Raimi will be stretching his acting chops and playing the role of adult!

I was really anxious about the whole thing, I didn't know what to expect and was worried Kika would piddle in an inappropriate spot. Thank goodness Grandma offered to help out. But just for good measure Kika has practiced her sits and lie-downs for days and looks like a pro at it now.

As it turned out, needn't have worried at all, we all had a wonderful time. Aside from the exploring, all the cuddles and attention she got, I think Kika's favourite part was hanging out with Seth. Seth may have a different opinion of his favorite part of the day - but Kika wanted to be his friend "big time". Then it was a whirlwind of getting her to sit or lie down and ducking out of the shot. They needed her to be in specific positions as all the other dogs are boys, so there was some strategic posing going on. She finally got tired and fell asleep under the lights, in exactly the position they wanted, only backwards. So with some quick spinning she was perfect and ended the shoot on a high note.

Exploring with Tamzin

Kathryn got a shot of Kika working it for the camera.

We left the studio when Kika was finished, she was really tired. So we missed all the boys in action, but from all reports they did really well although it seemed their favourite part was lunch.

We had just left the studio when a man passing on the sidewalk stopped and exclaimed - "That's a Ridgeback puppy!" We stopped to talk to him. Turns out he and his family had recently lost their Ridgeback and were in the process of adopting a rescue. I was really proud of Kika as she played with him and gave him kisses and cuddles. He took some photos of her with his phone and was off, a large smile on his face and already e-mailing the photos to his family. I remembered how much the kindness of a stranger meant to us when we were missing our Ridgeback so it was really nice to be able to return the favour.

Recipe for A Good Day; start with an adventure, add some good behavior, mix in some nice people, make a few friends, stir in one good deed. And Voila - now it's a Great Day.

Hot In The City

2009-01-18T19:55:00.021-07:00

Time for a philosophical question; "How do you describe a dog's life?"
Well .... This should put a lot into perspective;

Like all good Ridgebacks, Kika loves the sun and will follow it around.

Uumm, warm chew bone .... [insert Homer Simpson impression]

Just working on my colour.

Providing inspiration for the next Sphinx statue ...

Stalking sunbeams ....

All this moving around is messin' with my "mellow"!

Snoozing in the sunshine ....

Full on "mellow" achieved.

Sweet Soul Sister

2009-01-18T17:46:00.061-07:00

A big day for Kika, her sister Emmie is coming for a visit. Emmie lives with Kim and Derrick and their 2 boys in Calgary. They had a great time. Recognizing one another right away, they took up playing where they had left off days earlier. When we picked Kika up at Jeff and Danielles, we noticed these two girls playing with each other quite a bit. Racing and wrestling, they sure wore each other out.

Sharing stories in the shade. I have a silk pillow, whispers Emmie, I'm learning all about thread count, and the boys are a lot of fun. Fantastic! replies Kika, I've been focusing on people training myself, it's going so well here I've started working on the neighbours.

Emmie is the tall, leggy blonde sister, she's beautiful and elegant. Kika, well, more of a red headed tomboy, a little feisty to make up for her smaller size.

Let's do something cute so they say Ahhhhh again. They're putty in our paws!

The amateur arborists at work

Apples are supposed to taste good right?

Rough and tumble girls

This photo is courtesy of Kim. Poor Emmie, we know what it's like to be on the receiving end of an aerial assault. I know my face has had that expression of oh &*&% a time or two.

Just like old times, ending the day sharing a toy but this time with their new best buddies, Kims boys!

Actually, this is how Kika ended the day as did Emmie I'm sure...

These Dreams

2009-01-11T20:46:00.016-07:00

We want to provide new photos of Kika as she changes and grows, but so many seem to be out of focus, blurs, or somehow the subject focus changes from her in the middle of the shot to capturing the tip of her tail as she moves out of frame or oh good let's see what a camera tastes like. So out of necessity here is a few shots of her sleep+grow mode.

We are convinced that puppies are so busy when awake all they have time for is adventure and play. Then when they recharge they also direct energy in growing. And with a mischevious laugh "tomorrow I will mess with your mind - I will be bigger".

So far she is always growing with all proportions increasing. We have yet to experience the all legs and ears stage, or funnier yet the back end is higher than the front.

All the comforts.

I think I can....zzzz

It's really exhausting being this cute.

Photograph

2009-01-11T16:04:00.011-07:00

Tamzin has contacted us. An advertising agency has contacted her to see if she has Ridgebacks available for a photoshoot for an advertising campaign. They needed a puppy, an adolecent, adult and senior to show all life stages of the breed. She just needed a puppy and thought of Kika. Only home for 2 days and already in demand!

We sent off some test photos and we all have our fingers crossed that the client picks Ridgebacks for their campaign, but really though, how could they not?

Little Pink Houses

2009-01-11T16:00:00.015-07:00

Now that the girl has her name, Kika, time will tell what her personality will be. So far we have met sweet, cuddly, busy, noisy, loves to play with people and toys, busy, curious, adventurous, busy, charming, and oh yeah ... busy.

We are not sure if nurture dominates nature in who she will turn out to be, we are doing our best to provide her all the right stimuli, and somehow a fashionable wardrobe (collars and leads) have graduated to other accessories.

Here is Kika with her (now) signature colour - pink cammo. Also proof that she is capable of slowing down.

Ahhh ... the calm before the storm.

Under My Thumb

2009-01-11T15:37:00.009-07:00

Well, it's happened. It's now official, Kika is a Daddy's Girl. Constantly cuddling and following Jim around. She also gives him kisses, to this day I ask her for a kiss and she either pounds me on the head with her paw or bonks me with her nose. She thinks this is funny. And even though I am the one releasing her from her x-pen, instead of being grateful, she has given me a four pointer to the chest, knocked me out of the way and stomped on top of me just to get to Jim. It's utterly sickening...She's lucky she's so cute!

Say My Name

2009-01-11T13:23:00.047-07:00

Choosing a name, it’s a very tricky process. If our previous dogs have been any example, they turn into what their name means.
Our first dog, Shadow was a black lab-samoyed cross. He was diagnosed with a failing then non existent immune system at the age of 2. He eventually became so ill he just faded away, a mere shadow of his former self. So sad that he was gone so young, but he lives in our thoughts to this day.

Amra was named after a character in the Robert Howard novel series of Conan. It was a nickname for Conan meaning the Lion King. Amra was the most regal, dignified and protective boy ever. Add to that his immense size; 32 inches to the shoulder, fantastic proportions, 120 lbs of solid, agile and athletic dog and the guy was ripped - muscles on top of muscles by the time he was two.

Tiona was a challenge to name. She hated everything we came up with for her, intentionally and pointedly ignoring everything we tried. Out of frustration we tried every letter in the alphabet for sound reactions and discovered that she liked the sound of the letter "T". So we built a name around it using part of Barb's favourite Welsh aunts name of Meriona. Years later, we stumbled across the name spelled Tiana, it meant princess. Very fitting! she was a little princess!

Griffin received his name when as a young puppy, posed in the sunlight one day and Barb thought that all he needed was a pair of wings and he would be a griffin. Barb couldn't look at his without smiling or laughing, he was such a charming, entertaining puppy. But, as a griffin is a blending of two, so was our Griffin. We used to call him the Jekyll and Hyde dog. So sweet and loving to people but didn't like other dogs, and was very selective which dogs could approach him.

The Princess and her Jester

And now we have our newest family member to name. She will of course have a registered name from Jahina Kennels - Jahina's Sunrise On The Sabie. But we want her to have her own every day name that she regularly responds to. And knowing our household, she undoubtedly will have a variety of nicknames, suiting her disposition of the day or whatever she is up to at a given moment, Danielle and Jeff have supplied her with Hunter, after her hunter green collar that identifies her from her litter mates. This has possibilities; we could call her Hunny which sounds the same. Or succumb to some of the "push my buttons" names that Jim as been messing with Barb on; such as Ripley - a tribute from the Aliens movies, or Xena Warrior Princess, or Red Sonja - yes more Conan!

We stumbled across a name we liked the meaning of - Mistress of all, it was German in origin - Kikka (Key-ka). We thought, why fight it, she will be running things around here in no time. So that's what we chose, although we did change the spelling to Kika... Other alternate meanings for this name include - Canadian for getting on Mum and Dads last good nerve, or not as helpful as she thinks she is, or I'm lucky I'm so cute, or She is a little spitfire isn't she...

Mama, I'm Coming Home

2009-01-04T19:11:00.014-07:00

After many weeks of holding our excitement in check, we have finally arrived at the BIG DAY; we get to go collect our girl.

Jeff and Danielle have been fantastic in keeping us caught up with fresh photos and updates on our puppy. Green collar girl as she has been known is now referred as Hunter, for the hunter green collar. It’s not a permanent name – but we are considering keeping it. As with many purebred animals they usually have their registered names, and then their “daily” use name. But this is a bit off topic for today. We don’t know how Jeff and Danielle manage the time to keep all of us expectant owners up to date, there are 11 puppies and 10 households to keep appraised, removing one as Jahina will be keeping one themselves.

On to our adventure;
Dates correct – check.
Puppy ready – check.
Jahina ready – check.
Tickets – check.
Hotel – check.
Car rental – check.
Planning – check.

All systems = GO. Let’s hit the bat cave and start this sucker.

There really isn’t much to tell about the preliminaries, we flew in late Thursday, went straight to the hotel, got up, bombed around Winnipeg for a bit, then went out to Jahina to meet everyone. Although this might be a good point to explain the last point in the above list ….

Barb is a bit over the top by now in anticipation of our new puppy. Our planning seems to have gotten a little out of control thanks to the internet, Google, and Mapquest. We knew we would have some time on our hands so we thought that we haven’t been to Winnipeg, and rather than showing up on Jeff and Danielle’s doorstep for breakfast, we could see some of the sights, show up in the afternoon and still have a leisurely drive to the airport. So the internet provided some destinations, some friends made a couple of suggestions, and we formed a plan.

With this plan and Barb’s affinity for the computer we now hit the planning part of the comment. Each step of our arrival in Winnipeg and the sights we intended were planned, timed, and had a corresponding map from one stop to the next. You may say – so what, that’s just good planning. Except that … We had a map from the airport terminal to the hotel … Wait for it … a walk across the street from the airport. Then a map from the Hotel to the car rental … yup … across the parking lot from the hotel and airport. I think she was just ensuring we didn’t make a single wrong step “anywhere” as we were meeting our next family member.

On to the main event. We successfully navigated all of our intended stops, and a few unscripted ones …. ‘cause that’s just the way I roll. We arrived at Jeff and Danielle’s with about two hours for visiting time. We wanted some time to meet Jeff and Danielle, their dogs and all the puppies.

Meeting Jeff and Danielle was excellent; they were warm and welcoming, invited us in and were fantastic hosts. The why that this is important is because it really reinforced to us that we met the right people to supply us a quality puppy. Quality in animals comes in many forms; blood lines, meeting breed standards, desirable features, temperament, health checks. And while all those points are important, to us quality was the home environment for the dogs and puppies. There was love in the house. They clearly adored their dogs. The dogs and puppies swarmed them with affection. What a great first impression.

The puppies were in full play and adventure mode in their huge yard to explore. Although a quick call from Jeff brought a herd of red bodies running. They all came up to us strangers; licks, nibbles, wiggles were offered and readily accepted from everyone. We played with all the dogs and puppies, whoever was close. This kind of fun doesn’t happen that often for us, so we wanted a chance to play with everyone. Little Hunter was showing a lot of independence, exploring at times without any siblings as her wing-man. Danielle voiced that she still is the most adventurous of the bunch, so in many ways it would be fitting that she was the first to strike out on her own. We played with the dogs and puppies as much as time would permit, with an interest in making sure that our girl would be extra tired in hopes that it makes for a long sleep while travelling.

So the adventurous puppy was going to have one of the biggest days in her life; leaving the nest, her first car ride, an airplane ride, meeting new people and her new home. This could play out in many ways, including non-stop howling (as we has heard from others that flew with pets) we set off and hoped for the best.

The car ride was a challenge, she wasn’t settling in her travel carrier despite a good start when we loaded her. So Barb reclined the seat and cradled the puppy for the rest of the drive. That seemed to appease the girl; she had just wanted to look out the windows! We conceded this point as it ensured she stayed awake longer – but clearly she had won her first test of these new people.

We checked in at the airport without much fanfare, although going through security had a superb moment. Apparently all animals that are riding in the cabin need to be taken out and carried through the metal detectors and the carrier goes through x-ray. So Jim wrestled the just settled sleeping puppy from the carrier and placed her on his shoulder. As she squirmed in for a cuddle in this position, there were at least a dozen oohs and ahhs from those behind us. Puppies are cute … but damn. She had extra mojo, and she wasn’t even awake.

On the plane all the attendants and most of those around us had to see the puppy. She was allowed on our lap with the travel flap open until we taxied, then she must be stowed at foot level for the flight. This is where we were most concerned. What is she fussed, or relieved herself? Not to worry. She handled it like a pro. Squirmed a few times, but settled and slept if Jim kept a few fingers in the carrier. The flight was a breeze.

Landed back in Calgary, and we went through the terminal to our ride. Puppy was about to meet another of her most important people in her new home. Grandma. Jim’s mom has always taken an interest in the dogs, and baby sat or visited with them just to break up their day. Grandma was offered a choice to drive us home or sit in the back seat of her own vehicle to meet and cuddle the girl. Well, I thought the keys were thrown they left her hands so quickly, and in the next blink she was in the rear seat with outstretched arms for puppy in carrier. And thus a special bond was formed, she still gets extra wiggles every time they meet.

Jahina invested in a new approach with litters “Superdog” sensitivity training that is supposed to make confident dogs that are alert and accepting of new situations. Based on this big day, it was worth every penny as puppy adapted to her new people and home, and the entire adventure without a single whimper. And now Kika’s (and our) Adventure begins.

Waiting for a girl like you

2009-01-03T20:47:00.033-07:00

Recognising that our house doesn't feel like home without a furry friend, we decided we are ready for another Ridgeback.

The search is on...

Our friend Elizabeth considered breeding to get us a puppy, but that wasn't to be. She and her dogs are in a well deserved retirement. So Plan B was invoked; the power of the internet. We used all varieties of searches, ad spaces and did not hesitate to call anywhere in North America. After some encounters with breeders we felt less than comfortable with, re regrouped and focused our attention to only those associated with the Ridgeback Club of Canada. After talking to several breeders we were referred to a kennel expecting a litter of puppies. Having made a successful first contact, we filled out a questionnaire and crossed our fingers...

Success! our search is over. Jeff and Danielle Burtch of Jahina Ridgebacks are entrusting us with one of their puppies. A litter of eleven puppies was born on June 13, 2008 and one of the girls would be ours. We spend the next weeks neurotically checking the e-mail for pictures and updates and then to finally find out which little girl they have chosen for us. Puppies are a remarkable thing, soon friends and family were almost as excited as us over the prospect of someone new in our house (actually there were a couple of people who were somehow even more excited than us - you know who you are) Having weekly updates from Jeff and Danielle, we started scrutinizing the photos to determine which were the boys and girls, and naturally we started to have interest in a few we hoped might come our way. Remarkably, there was no betting pool started by family and friends - although it would not have surprised anyone.

We each had our favourite puppies from the photos, but at week 5 there was a picture that captured my attention, a puppy I didn't recall from the previous photos. I sure liked that little girl. When ever the camera caught her there was an intensity in her eyes that screamed - here I am, look out world.

At week 6 we found out - green collar girl was ours! We couldn't believe our luck, of all those we liked, she was #1 with a bullet. How Jeff and Danielle determined she was right for us, we don't know but they nailed it. Danielle described her as spunky, fun, confident and sweet. She was the first to figure things out and the first to do anything! A bit of a handful...There also weren't a lot of photos of her because she was always "busy"....Yup, in hindsight - should have been a big clue...
It was also exciting to find out a family who lives close to us is also getting a littermate sister puppy. These people were new to Ridgebacks, and Jeff and Danielle encouraged us to be in touch with the family to share some of our experiences. A wonderful introduction was made and soon our two households were constantly in touch discussing all things Ridgeback and the excitement and anticipation of our yet to arrive puppies.

Owner of a Lonely Heart

2009-01-01T13:32:00.013-07:00

We have been very lucky to have been owned by 3 wonderful Rhodesian Ridgebacks since 1991. All of our pups came from Elizabeth Mahaffey of Norwesia Kennels (retired). Our first guy, Amra, was our introduction to the breed and we have been hooked ever since. Amra had it all, looks and personality. He was very gentle with anything that was smaller than himself, which was pretty much anything! He, at one time, had a pet squirrel.

Amra - 3 months

Amra - 1 year

Amra - "The Nanny" with 3 month old Tiona

Our next friend was Tiona, petite but with personality plus. She was incredibly smart and had us all firmly wrapped around her tiny paw.

Puppy Tiona - 3 months

Tiona - all grown up

6 year old Tiona with 9wk Griffin

Then our goofy Griffin, the peter pan of dogs, he just never grew up. Pranced around - never walked, very talkative and loved to cuddle and make you laugh. For sure got by on his looks!

Puppy Griffin - 9 wks

Typical Griffin

Always together

Although Amra was only with us for 8 years, he was a superb buddy and showed us the great spirit of the "Lion Dogs"

We lost Tiona in September 2007, she was just shy of 14 years old. She battled cancer for nearly a year. Not bad, when she was first diagnosed they gave her days, but that was T. She was made from much sterner stuff than that. Griffys passing at 7-1/2 was much more sudden and much more of a shock. After having a lovely Christmas, he just collapsed and was gone. His big old heart failed him just months after losing his constant companion and mentor. Tiona knew when her time was and she did her best to prepare him, but I know he was as heartbroken as us to have to say goodbye.

In February 2008, just wanting to see a Ridgeback we ended up at the AKC Winter Show at the Stampede Grounds. We saw several, very nice but nothing like ours. Then, Jim spotted another one and drew my attention. There he was, big sloppy grin on his face with an aura of joyfulness around him. My God, I thought, he's a Griffy - which was our way of saying - really goofy. I never approach strangers in public, but before I knew what I was doing, I was tapping his owner on the shoulder and asking her if I could pet her dog. She was alright with us mauling her dog with hugs just before he went into the ring. I then realised who she was and that I had been recently enjoying her blog regarding the progress of her new litter of puppies. Poor girl, I'm sure she was thinking stalker, first accosted in public, then we knew who she was. But, I'm very glad we found her. Thank you Tamzin Horan of Invictus Ridgebacks - and Raimi - your kindness, advice and friendship has been invaluable to us and greatly appreciated.