At just 8 months of age the puppies from the Kanzu x Kayta Dragon Litter continue to demonstrate great promise in the show ring. The puppies are just beginning their conformation careers and are being shown in a few select shows. Most recently Kaia (Litter name Kaya-Yellow Girl) and Logan (Litter name Norbert-Green Boy) handled by their breeder/co-owner Julie Eschilling, showed in the Puppy 6-9 mo class at the Timberland Valley Dog Fanciers Association Show in Chehalis Washington. On Saturday July 7, Logan (Bakari’s Logan Msaka) earned an impressive Reserve Winners Dog at just 8 months of age under judge Peter Machen. The next day under judge Timothy Robbins, Kaia (Bakari’s Fabled Treasure Kaia) followed in her brother’s paw prints and earned Reserve Winners Bitch while Logan repeated his performance for a second Reserve Winners Dog. Huge congrats to Bakari Kanzu and Kayta puppies and their owners and handlers. We look forward with great anticipation to the conformation careers of the puppies from this litter.

Kaia 8 mo Stacked RWB July, 2012

Logan 8 mo Stacked RWD July, 2012

Logan 8 mo looking like his dad July, 2012

Kanzu turned 6 years old on July 2. Where do the years go? He had a couple of great B-Day celebrations sharing his favorite Pup-Cakes with lots of his human and K-9 family and friends. One special day of celebration was with his friends at CARE (California Animal Rehab) where Kanzu’s rehab vet and physical therapist handed out pup cakes to Kanzu and many of their other patients. The yummy treats worked out well as reinforcers for therapy activities. Later in the week Kanzu spent the day with his breeder Lisa Patterson and his Tigris family. The whole Tigris pack including son Kuyu enjoyed a day of play together and lots and lots of tasty treats.

It is a commonly held belief that Ridgebacks don’t like water. But no one remembered to tell Kuyu that when he visited the ocean for the first time with his dad, Kanzu and Ridgeback Gal pals Scout and Terra. All four Ridgebacks enjoyed an afternoon running leash-free on Fiesta Island in San Diego after an agility trial. Scout, Terra, Kanzu and Kuyu formed a tight knit pack as they walked the beach and played together interacting with other breeds but keeping an eye on one another and their people.

At 7 months Kuyu was excited to play with every dog he met along the shore at one point chasing a pack of other dogs up into the dunes. Later he surprised everyone when he charged into the water after a tennis ball thrown for a lab. Kuyu beat the poor puppy to the ball and proudly trotted through the surf showing off his catch and playing keep-away from the surprised lab.