The Kanzu x Sadie puppies have turned 3 weeks old.  This week is referred to as the “Awareness or Identification Period”  (see Puppy Development by Pat Hastings and Erin Rouse, chapter by Kathryn Lanam)  For the first time the puppies have the use of all of their senses.  Their eyes are open and hearing is functioning well. They can walk/waddle forward and backward and they are beginning to play with each other and to acknowledge toys in their environment.  The first signs of imitated sexual behavior/play humping have begun. They are also beginning to play fight with their littermates. They growl or whine when hurt or when they don’t like the way their littermate plays with them. Momma Sadie is now correcting and disciplining the puppies by growling and baring her teeth when they get out of order.   Thank you Momma Sadie for helping the puppies’ new human families by socializing your babies.

 
 
For pictures of puppies at three weeks Click Here
 
 
 
 

Click the video below to watch the puppies at 3 weeks demonstrate some of the behaviors described above.

During the neonatal period from 3 days to 16 days the Kanzu x Sadie litter have been engaged in a period of neurological stimulation exercises. This protocol is described in a chapter by Kathryn Lanam in Puppy Development by Hastings and Rouse. Dr Carmen Battaglia www.breedingbetterdogs.com reports that puppies who are exposed to early neurological stimulation have long lasting and important developmental advantages.  This protocol of specific stimulation activities from day 3 to day 16 includes:

1.  Tickling between the toes

2.  Holding perpendicular to the ground

3.  Holding head down

4.  Holding on its back in the palm of the hand

5. Lain on a cold damp towl

The exercises in addition to lots of other human handling are believed to provide stimulation for the neurological system and cardiovascular system.  Puppies exposed to such a program have been shown to be more active, to engage in greater exploration and to be less distracted when engaged in work.

 
 
Below are videos of the Kanzu x Sadie litter with breeder Mary Brinkman engaging the puppies in the stimulation activities.
 

 

 

 

 

Kuyu is the ultimate silly, goofy Ridgeback.  Couple that with being very photogenic and almost posing for photos and you get a treasure trove of funny photos of some of his antics.  Kuyu makes everyone who knows him laugh out loud regularly.  He loves to roll on his back and also tilt his head.  Those are pretty regular RR antics.  But what about carrying his dinner bowl into every room and then refusing to release it while going potty?  And then there is his need to walk every wall that he can reach and jump onto every picnic table he finds on a walk.  Or, there is the time I found him in the shower licking the water off the shower walls.  But my favorite is the time his buddy Justin came to visit.  Justin was not paying enough attention, so little Kuyu, just about 6 months old flew through the air and landed on the breakfast bar to Justin’s great surprise.  Justin glibly commented, “Wow!  We don’t let our guys do that”.  Well….neither does Kuyu’s mom….There was no warning, he just wanted to be in the middle of the conversation and height was no barrier…. More proof that he is a Goofy Kuyu.  And the most important part of it all is, he is the best mood elevator ever.

For some ‘Goofy Kuyu’ photos Click Here

The Kanzu x Sadie Puppies (my Miracle Litter) just turned 11 days old.  In this neonatal period from birth to about 14 days the puppies are fairly helpless and completely dependent on their dam.  They cannot regulate their own body temperatures nor any other body function such as elimination.  The majority of their lives are spent eating and sleeping.  Puppies during this phase are extremely fragile and it is during this time that many puppies are lost.  In fact, we lost our precious little Turquoise Boy to aspiration pneumonia on day 8.  However, the other 4 are quite fat and vigorous.  They are wobbling around the whelping box  and beginning to show differentiated vocalizations.  They now grumble not only when hungry but when stepped on or laid on by one of their littermates or if their tummies are upset.  Momma Sadie was very concerned and seemingly worried for the first few days but is now enjoying her babies tremendously and proudly showing them off to her packmates.  But be careful no one can get too close without her watching very carefully.

For a video of the puppies at 11 days click here

Every litter is a little miracle. But the Kanzu x Sadie litter seems extra special to all involved.  The Kanzu and Sadie match was arranged between Heritage Ridgebacks and African Treasure RR many months before the mating.  But Sadie keep all of us waiting for a very long time.  After much anticipation,  Kanzu and Sadie were bred in late February, 2015.  As we waited patiently for the litter to be whelped, Kanzu very tragically and unexpectedly died at just 8 years of age on April 16, 2015.  Knowing that a litter of his puppies was on its way was bitter sweet and helped us focus on the future and new life.

On April 30, just 2 weeks after Kanzu departed it seemed like a miracle when Sadie whelped 5 beautiful, ridged puppies.  And, it was even more amazing when the litter was made up of 4 boys and 1 girl giving us lots of boys to choose from should we decide to keep another Kanzu son.   While the litter does not have an actual ‘litter name’ or ‘theme’, to us, it will always be the ‘Miracle Litter’.

The Kanzu x Sadie Litter has a very special pedigree grounded in conformation and performance. We look forward with great excitement to the development of these blessed puppies.

 
For more information about the Kanzu x Sadie litter contact Heritage Rhodesian Ridgebacks
 
For more information about Sadie click here
 
For more information about Kanzu click here
 
For photos of the puppies click here