The 2014 Rose City Cluster of dog shows in Portland Oregon was the opportunity for several of the Kanzu x Kayta litter to come together for the first Dragon Litter Family Reunion.  Five of the Kanzu x Kayta offspring showed in the 4 days of conformation shows.  On Thursday Jan 16th Logan, Bakari’s Logan Msaka was first in the Open Class.  On Friday Jan 17 Pilot, Bakari’s Lucky Dragon Flight was 1st in a large Bred By Exhibitor Class and Reserve Winners Dog.  On Saturday the 18th, Kanzu won Best Veteran in Sweepstakes and daughter Kaia, Bakari’s Fabled Treasure Kaia was Select Bitch.  Finally on Sunday, Pilot again won the Bred By Exhibitor class and Kaia earned her Grand Championship with a best of Opposite Sex.  Kara, Bakari’s Firestar Karisma and Kuyu, Bakari Tigris African Legacy both did some lovely showing and made us all proud.  After the formal showing there was time for some family photos.  It was a very, very special opportunity to see Kanzu and Kayta’s get all together and to renew K-9 and human connections.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Where does the time go? The Kanzu x Kayta litter turned 2 in November 2013. Kuyu (Lime green boy-Spyro) who is the ultimate clown got a clown bow tie to facilitate his birthday celebration!

The highlight of this birthday was hearing from several of Kuyu’s littermates about how they are doing. Kaia (, Rainbow girl -Kaya) lives with Julie and Sheri the litter’s breeders and she is busy taking care of her human baby sister Ayla. She is working toward her AKC Grand Championship after she so rapidly earned her AKC championship. Toby (Red boy- Mushu) lives in WA and shares Kuyu’s love of heights reportedly climbing on every available picnic table. (What is it that brings out this height seeking behavior in some of our Ridgebacks?) Saphira (Purple Girl) lives in Colorado and when visiting her ranch house there she is busy caring for her 10 year old Basenji housemate. Brother Gatsby (Orange boy- Rinjin) appears to have the same propensity for frequent kisses. His humans describe him saying his ‘kiss’ consists of bumping you with his nose, like a dolphin. We call it a “boop!” he’s gotta “boop” everyone with his nose!” (DITTO for Kuyu!….his nose-kiss is priceless! As is his killer head tilt that he got from his momma Kayta).  Logan (Green Boy-Norbert) and Kara (Yellow Girl Gaia) continue to live in Oregon and are very close to their AKC championships with lots of very nice wins for each of them. Apparently Kara shares the ‘nose booper’ gene. Kara’s human mom says that her favorite Kara habit is the way she always runs to pick up a toy or bone – whatever is handy – to greet her. She does this every morning when her human mom comes down the stairs, or every time she comes home. This story was so touching because this behavior is exactly what daddy Kanzu’s aunt Hermani has done since she was a puppy and still now at 11 years old. We call it “Toy Mouth” and it is the most endearing habit that has won a special place in our hearts. To learn of it in one of Kanzu’s kids was so very touching. Bomani, (Silver boy- Laydon) lives near Kuyu in Southern Califonia and they get to see one another every two or three months. Bomani lives with his whippet brother Skyler (bred by our special friends Justin Dannenbring and Curtis Freeling) and his 3 year old human brother Noah who is his very best friend. Bo is very handsome and gentle and Kuyu and Bo remember each other and want nothing more than to plan together with great enthusiasm when they see each other. All of the puppy families who we have been in touch with report back how gentle and loving the puppies are and above all what great companions and family dogs they are. It was a special 2 year birthday and we wish all of the Dragon Litter a very happy birthday and many more wonderful happy years ahead.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Portland Kennel Club shows were extra special for 3 of the Kanzu x Kayta littermates this year. On Saturday July 20, 2013 Kara (Bakari’s Firestar Karisma) handled by her owner (Amateur Owner Handler) Jennifer Cleary won Winners Bitch (WB), Best of Winners (BOW) and Best Opposite Sex (BOS). Logan (Bakari’s Logan Msaka) handled by Emily Kerridge won Winners Dog (WD) and Kaia (CH Bakari’s Fabled Treasure Kaia) also handled by Julie earned Select Bitch. Thank you Judge Jason Hoke for these lovely wins. On Sunday July 21 under judge Helen Winski Stein, The kids did it again. Handled by Breeder-Co-Owner Julie Eschilling Logan was WD/BOW, Kaia was BOS and like Saturday, Kara was WB and . Wow! That was a clean sweep for the littermates. Congrats owners and handlers and special congrats to momma Kayta and daddy Kanzu. You two gave us some very nice puppies!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kara with Owner-Handler Jennifer Cleary
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Logan with Breeder-Handler and co-owner Julie Eschilling
 

The American Kennel Club (AKC) conformation championship is the much sought-after (must-have) title for a pure bred dog.  However, there are other organizations that offer championships.  One such  CH title that is popular for many Americans is the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) Championship.   The process for achieving a CH title from the CKC is similar to the AKC process.  A dog must compete with other dogs of the same breed and is judged against the standard for the breed.  For the CKC championship title a dog must earn 10 points under 3 judges and at least one win must be 2 points or more.

Kuyu made his debut in CKC shows in January 2013 at the Ladies Kennel Club of BC in Cloverdale, BC.  He showed for 3 days with handlers Don Rodgers and Emma Marshall.  Showing in the open class at just 14 months, Kuyu won Best of Winners on January 25 under judge Mrs. Sandra Alexander for a 2 point win. On Sunday January 27 he earned his second 2 points with a Winners Dog win under judge Mr. Harold Pybus.

Kuyu now has 4 of the 10 points needed for his Canadian Kennel Club Championship assuring more trips to Canada for Kuyu very soon.

Kuyu and Kaia (Kanzu x Kayta Dragon Littermates) were reunited for the first time since Kuyu left the litter in January 2012.  Now at 14 months the puppies met again at the Western Washington Cluster in Puyallup, WA January 2013.  The shows included Sweepstakes Supported by the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the US (RRCUS).  This cluster of shows has special meaning for us as Kanzu earned a BOS and BOB at the Puyallup shows in 2012 earning his Grand Championship there.

This year, Kanzu’s kids Kuyu and Kaia kept the Puyallup-good-fortune going.  On Saturday Jan 12, Kaia won first in the Bred By Exhibitor class under judge Dennis Gallant.  She then earned an impressive Bred By Exhibitor Group 1 win in the hound group.  What an impressive win for a puppy!    On the same day, handled by Emma Marshall, Kuyu earned a Best Opposite Sex in Puppy Sweeps under judge Stephanie McLeod followed on Monday January 15 with a Best Puppy in the Ridgeback Sweeps under judge Elaine Young.  In the regular classes on Saturday Kuyu and Kaia earned Reserve Winners Dog and Reserve Winners Bitch respectively under Judge Dennis Gallant.

The Puyallup shows and the reunion were very memorable for Kuyu and Kaia and their wins were fabulous reflections on dad Kanzu and mom Kayta.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

At just 11 months of age the puppies from the Kanzu x Kayta Dragon Litter continue to demonstrate their prowess in the show ring. On October 28, 2012, at the Vancouver Kennel Club, Kaia (Bakari’s Fabled Treasure Kaia formerly Yellow Girl) shown by her breeder/owner Julie Eschilling, won her first AKC points. And what a win it was! Under judge Charles A Bagnell, Kaia won Winners Bitch, Best of Winners and Best Opposite Sex from the Puppy 9-12 mo class. Littermate Logan (Bakari’s Logan Msaka) took Reserve Winners Dog. Huge congrats to Bakari Kanzu x Kayta puppies and their owners and handlers. We look forward to the conformation careers of the puppies from this litter.

 

Click here to see the Kanzu x Kayta puppy ad in The Ridgeback Magazine

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

On November 7th Kuyu and the other Kanzu x Kayta puppies turned one year old. Where did the time go? Happy Birthday to all of the Dragon Litter pups! Kuyu celebrated his birthday with his dad and many of his Tigris relatives who live nearby. A highlight was sharing Birthday Pup-Cakes with the rest of the pack and having a beautiful photo shot with his dad’s mom, Grandma Kaysi.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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.

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kuyu’s second foray into the conformation ring was a fun and new experience. At the Antelope Valley Kennel Club show (May 25, 2012-Day 1 of the Mission Circuit shows) with Mike handling, Kuyu was the only puppy in the Rhodesian Ridgeback 6-9 month class yielding a ‘Best Puppy’ win for the breed. At this show the club was holding a Best Puppy Competition so the Best Ridgeback Puppy win earned Kuyu a chance to compete in the Puppy Hound Group. Our friend Curtis Freeling took over as Kuyu’s handler for the group. There were 13 dogs competing in the hound group. Even after a very long day of showing and shopping with lots of noise and stimulation, Kuyu entered the ring with Curtis and showed as if he had been doing this forever. Judge John Shoemaker narrowed his choice for best puppy in the hound group to two puppies, a Beagle and the Ridgeback, Kuyu. It was thrilling! In the end, Kuyu earned a group 2 in the hound group (second place). The judge commented on how difficult and close his decision was in an almost apologetic tone. But we were thrilled with this placement and the opportunity for Kuyu to compete with so many representatives of the hound group.

 
 
 
 

Kuyu (Bakari Tigris African Legacy) lived up to the ‘Bakari’ name (One With Great Promise) when he debuted in his first conformation show just one week after turning 6 months old. And following his Tigris legacy, Kuyu was shown by his father’s breeder/co-owner and his own co-owner, Mike Patterson. We entered the Apple Valley Kennel Club Show on May 13, 2012 under hound owner and judge Lou Gurrero to expose Kuyu to the ring and to gauge his current show skills. To our surprise and pleasure, Kuyu made quite the splash when he trotted out into the ring with Mike and showed like little pro as if he had been showing forever. He stacked right up for Mike in the 6-9 month class where he was the only puppy. The judge commented to Mike on ‘this puppy’s great spirit’. Then with tail wagging and a ‘look at me’ attitude, Kuyu showed his way around the ring to ‘winners dog’ and his first conformation point.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kuyu and his littermate Bomani, (Kanzu x Kayta son, Bakari’s African Draak Soldier) have been busy working on their bunny chasing skills at local sprint race meets. The brothers have been showing off their intensity for the lure, running individually and together. The boys will be eligible to begin competing officially in straight racing when they turn one year old. For now, they are taking every opportunity to do a few short practice runs whenever the big dogs have official competition days. Both boys appear to have their mother’s and father’s passion for the lure. Kuyu entertains observers and draws laughter by refusing to abandon the lure and insists on proudly carrying his catch( for all to see) back to the start line after his runs.

 
Click here for more photos of Kuyu at race practice – Photos by Gary Claggett
 
Click here for more information about straight racing
 
 

Kanzu and Kayta’s daughter Kaia, (Bakari’s Fabled Treasure Kaia) made a huge splash in her debut in the conformation show ring. At just 5 months old, Kaia showed like a little pro in her first weekend of showing. She won amazing back-to-back Best Bred By Puppy in Show at the Enumclaw, WA International All Breed Canine Show on April 7 and April 8, 2012. She also won Reserve Best in Show Puppy on April 8. Kaia lives with her mother Kayta and her breeder-owners Julie and Sheri Eschilling in Oregon. Julie was handling Kaia in the ring for her big wins and says that Kaia was remarkably focused. Julie was amused that while Kaia was exceptionally patient in the ring and well behaved in general she showed frustration only when she seemed to want to get back into the ring. Huge congratulations to Kaia, Julie and Sheri. Kaia has made Daddy Kanzu very proud and brother Kuyu has his work cut out for him to follow in his sister’s pawprints.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

At the conclusion of the Western Washington Dog Shows near Seattle, Kanzu and Uncle Maxx accompanied by Linda and Aunt Jennifer made a very interesting drive in the unexpected heavy snows to pick up our Kanzu son, Kuyu. It was a very interesting two day adventure back to CA with our precious cargo. Kuyu was a fabulous traveler who had already had lots of experience in vehicles. He arrived home on January 24th at 10 weeks of age. He has fit in wonderfully with his dad. Ema is still getting use to him and is most definitely taking on the role of “the fun police”. But Kanzu appears to think that having a puppy around is a great idea. They are spending much time playing ‘keep-away’ and ‘tug-a-war’. It doesn’t seem that long ago that Kanzu was the puppy and I was having to take the role of playing all of these games with him. Now he is the greatest baby sitter and is wonderful at playing with Kuyu and not only keeping him busy but also teaching him some manners.

 

Kuyu also got to meet many of his Tigris relatives, his Grandma Kaysi and great Aunt Hermani and his aunt Kioni. Most recently he visited his Uncle Peyton and housemate Kali where he spent some time chasing them and playing tug-a-war with Kali. But his most favorite thing so far was his first day out at straight racing. He got to ‘chase the bunny’ for the very first time (at least for a few yards). The cutest part was when he caught the lure ( which was bigger than him) and he then so very, very proudly carried it all the way back to the start line. Looks like he has a definite coursing/racing career ahead of him!

 
CLick here to see a gallery of photos for Kuyu’s play date

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kanzu sired a litter of 11 puppies, (8 boys and 3girls ) whelped on November 7, 2011. On New Year’s Day Lisa (one of Kanzu’s breeders/co-owners) and I flew up to Oregon to meet the puppies and to be present at the formal litter evaluation performed Pat Hastings. We were incredibly proud that 10 of the 11 puppies were judged to have ‘show quality structure’. We expect 8 of the 11 puppies to be going to show homes mostly in the Oregon area. Kaia, (Yellow Girl) will be staying with Julie and Sheri and momma Kayta. Pick boy, Spyro, (Lime Green Boy) is joining our pack and will be co-owned by Mike and Lisa Patterson who will show him and by Julie and Sheri Eschilling.
 
His new name is Kikuyu (Kuyu for short). The Kikuyu are the largest ethnic group in Kenya and the selection of an ethnic group for a name is the continuation of my long history with the breed in honor of my previous Ridgebacks; Bushman, Zulu and Bantu. Kuyu’s registered name will be Bakari Tigris African Legacy. The definition of ‘legacy’ is something inherited from a predecessor; a heritage. As his name suggests, we see in Kuyu the legacy of his Great Grandpa Kobe and his father Kanzu, Tigris African Treasure.
 
In addition to being structurally the ‘pick male’, Kuyu’s temperament is awesome. He is mellow and sweet but very silly, friendly and confident. He has an exceptionally strong prey drive and we expect him to be quite the lure courser like both of his parents. No matter what happens with showing or coursing, he is a heart winner. He has his mother’s endearing head-tilt and his father’s huge ears and dark soulful eyes and the combination results in looks that makes even the toughest heart melt.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Kanzu x Kayta ‘Dragon Litter’ turned 8 weeks old on Monday January 2nd. All 11 puppies, Momma Kayta, Human Moms, Julie and Sheri and Kanzu’s Moms Linda and Lisa all piled into the car and headed off for an official litter evaluation. We were incredibly fortunate to be able to have the litter evaluated by Pat Hastings, a well-known author, lecturer, breeder and AKC judge. Ms. Hastings has developed a respected method for evaluating the strengths of puppy structure to help determine the most suitable lifestyle for each puppy and which puppies belong in a breeding program. The evaluation was highly educational. Ms Hastings informed us that on average a well-bred litter will have approximately 50% of the puppies rated with ‘show quality structure’. We were all delighted when Ms. Hastings concluded her evaluation of the Kanzu x Kayta litter and judged 10 of the 11 puppies as having ‘show quality structure’. For more information regarding Pat Hastings, her philosophy and publications visit:
http://www.dogfolk.com/

 
 
 
The photo below shows the evaluation pictures of Elliot, Falcor, Gaia, Kaia, and Ladon:

 
 
 
The photo below shows the evaluation pictures of Mushu, Norbert, Rinjin, Saphira and Yoshi