CURRENT ISSUE: SUMMER 2010
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ON THE COVER
"When Phoenix is in Scott's house, he knows he's still a beloved companion. But the minute Scott pulls out the show lead, it's game on. And when the engine starts on the dog-show truck, Phoenix is right there, ready to go. 'It's a special moment for him,' says Scott, 'because he knows he is spending time with someone who is making it all about him.' To Scott, that communication with the dog is the most important aspect of training. 'And that is what the owner-handler needs to understand in order to create that unbeatable team,' he says. 'It's possible!'"
Meet Scott and Annemieke Price of Khoikhoi Rhodesian Ridgebacks in Mt. Vernon, Wash., and their latest special, GCh. Khoikhoi LeCremes Rising Phoenix, JC.
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A BREED APART
"To take a dog who sleeps on your couch - and, oftentimes, who was whelped in your kitchen - to that pinnacle of achievement is the highlight of anyone's career in the sport of dogs.
But getting there is rarely easy. Indeed, there are some who might argue that in today's show scene, the chances of a Ridgeback owner-handler winning that big grow slimmer by the day.
As the breed mushrooms in popularity, with professional handlers passing through the ring gates in ever-increasing numbers, it's fair to ask: Will Ridgeback owner-handlers in the U.S. one day be as scarce as light wheatens?
And, with professional handlers noted in the Ridgeback ring in Europe in recent years - and winning some plum placements, from Crufts to the World Show - is that continent of mostly owner-handled ridgies headed for a paradigm shift as well?"
Read on for thoughtful reflections from around the world -- and not a little bit of nostalgia for "the good old days."
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DUTCH TREAT
"The Ridgeback has become a very popular breed in the last five to 10 years in the Netherlands. At the shows you'll find rather good dogs, with most of them having good angulation and good movement. But at the show you'll only see a small number, just the tip of the iceberg. It is difficult to say something of the population in general. When watching the offspring on special club days where more or less whole litters are present, I see a lot of variety within one litter, not much homogeneity. That's a pity."
Founding the Vir die Simba Safari kennel in 1969, Ans Trésoor-Homan is one of the breed's seniormost breeders. Here she discusses early foundation dogs, her pioneering work in canine artificial insemination, and correct Ridgeback temperament.
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SNAKE EYES
"Thanks to its early career as a lion hunter, the Ridgeback has been indelibly associated with that prime predator, to the point of cliché. Indeed, the Ridgeback is famous for its instinctive response to big cats, from leopards in its native land to mountain lions and bobcats in North America.
But there is another creature that holds a peculiar fascination for the Ridgeback."
Say hello to the spitting cobra, which some breeders and fanciers say elicits a hard-wired kill response in our dogs, while other, just as lethal species are permitted to slither away.
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POSTCARD FROM RUSSIA
"In the beginning, there was resistance among breeders outside of Russia to sell here because so little was known of our dog scene. Sometimes breeders hesitate to give their puppies to potential owners even in their own countries, much less a nation like Russia, which had been very closed for such a long period. There was no information, and very few contacts. As for me, only after I personally visited the breeders of my future puppy in Holland did they agree to give her to me."
The history of the Rhodesian Ridgeback in Russia is a recent one, and is still being written. Here, in words and pictures, are the opening chapters.
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A DOG NAMED COOPER, A SOLDIER NAMED ADAM
"My wife and I are dog people. I have learned you either know what that means or you don't. In case you don't, it means dogs are more than just pets, more than just living lawn ornaments. They are family. For folks like us, they are our children. Even more, they exhibit a higher kind of unconditional love and acceptance that teaches us valuable lessons as we travel down the winding roads of life."
Scott Johnson shares the story of Cooper, a Ridgeback foster that helped heal both his grief over the loss of his own dog and the shattered life of an American serviceman grieviously injured in Afghanistan.
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WINNING COLORS
"The conventional wisdom says handlers are supposed to "disappear" and let their dogs take center stage. The conventional wisdom apparently has never been to Nordstrom.
But even fading subtly into the backdrop takes some fashion know-how. To that end, The Ridgeback Register consulted with color guru Karen Hughes of Atlanta. Here's her take on what Ridgeback handlers should -and shouldn't be - wearing when they pass through those ring gates."
Thanks to our "models," Danielle Sand of Ivy League Ridgebacks in Rhinebeck, N.Y., and Simone Alberts of Orchard, Wash.
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CRITICAL CONDITIONING
"Watching Rhodesian Ridgebacks race after a lure or a rabbit is breathtaking. You might not think they are capable of that grace when they roll off the bed or couch, and glide into a sprint after an object.
After working with many Ridgebacks, I often refer to them as 'fast couch potatoes.' They can be so sedate at one moment, but then turn on to display their fitness and their speed at another. Their fitness programs need to be tailored to their body types. Whether your Ridgeback is a full-time or part-time couch potato, he requires a high level of conditioning. Lure-coursing, conformation, agility, tracking and all other performance events have different conditioning demands."
Canine-conditioning expert Dr. Debbie Gross Saunders discusses everything from treadmills (never use the human kind) to "ballwork," which has nothing to do with a Spaldeen.
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ON WITH THE SHOW!
In words and pictures, club show reports from Austria and Australia. ...
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