New Year 2008

We want to wish all my regular and not so regular readers a Happy New Year! May all the best wishes for 2008 become true!

Since the last days we know - Eshetu is gunshot-proof with his 11 weeks :) (many neighbours had mistaken the dates...)

PS: I will get my new camera this week, so please look forward to new photos!

Merry X-Mas

Merry Christmas to all my guests!

Unfortunatly I killed my camera so I have only a few photos done with my phone but I will buy a new one soon.

We had eventful past days with lots of family festivities and Eshetu was very pleasant to all persons. In the restaurants he was sleeping the whole time under my chair and on his blanket.

On Christmas we had a nice evening with my family and our little boy turned to a full-fledged member as he got his own presents - many squeaking toys :) I got a great new winterjacket from Hannes for my new outdoor activities with Eshetu and with big pockets for treats!

Yesterday we went to our dog school again and he enjoyed playing with the other puppies.

After these hard holidays we have to relax:

10 weeks old

a few photos from the last days

a cloudy morning:




we don't need a vacuum cleaner:

waiting for treats or meal:

Office Work

I studied bioinformatics and so I am in the lucky position that I am able to work wherever I have an internet connection - and I got a job where it is not necessary to be in office every day. At the moment I am only there for meetings to discuss results.

Today we had such a meeting - main topic Eshetu - what else :) My boss bought him some toys and he was quite taken with my little boy. After 15 minutes playing Eshetu was sleeping under my desk (and on my feet) for 3 hours - he is the best :)

We also took the small elevator the first time, no problem.

In the future I will take him with me if I have to work in the office.

By the way - today Eshetu weighs more than 10kg - our Mr. Big :D

First Day at School

On Tuesday we had our first group training in our dog school. Unfortunatly we forgot our camera so we don't have photos, but maybe on Saturday :)

Eshetu, with his 9 weeks, is the youngest dog but already one of the biggest. He was doing great and I am very proud of him. He was playing a lot and we trained how to call him that he is coming and basically that it is needless to call him when he is engrossed in his play. So - mainly we were trained and not the dog :D

Susi also showed me a few tricks to get him down because he don't really see the use of laying down on the mostly cold floor - until now it was enough to sit (and wait) to get his meal or treat :) but we are on the right way!

Going out

On Monday we met on our morning round a few other young dogs where Eshetu was playing a lot. In our neighbourhood lives a Beagle girl called Kendra, 6 month, a Shepherd mix Gina, 5 month and a Jack Russel/Australian Shepherd mix Karlie, 9 month old.

Since then he loves to be outside (although we have between -3 and -6 degrees) because of the possibility to meet and play with them.

Today Eshetu accompanied us also when we chose our Chrismas Tree, he liked the loppings. The salesperson was the first who identified Eshetu as a Ridgeback, all the other so far thought he is a Great Dane, Dachshund, Boxer or Labrador mix :)

Testing the training ground

Afterwards we had our first private lesson with Susi, our dog trainer. She has also a puppy at home, Atinka, a 4-month-old Jack-Russelmix Bitch. Eshetu made his first experiences with the a-wall, the tunnel, catwalk and some other things. Although it was very cold and plashy outside he was doing great and after work he was playing with Atinka inside.

A dirty boy:
Sleeping and warm-up:

Unfortunatly I had not the time to make photos, next Tuesday we are starting with the puppy-kindergarten and I hope I (or Hannes) can take more photos then!

Other Ridgebacks

On 10 o'clock we visited Abayomi, a 17-week-old Ridgeback and his owner Isabell. I have not seen Abayomi for only 2 weeks but I am sure that he is growing so much! It was amazing to see the difference in the dogs, although Abayomi is only 2 month older than Eshetu.


"It's too cold to play Abayomi!" :)
And I had the possibility to make some new photos of my little boy, he is growing so fast!

Sit!

Yesterday we trained "sit" when I was preparing his meal because it is exhausting when he is jumping and running over and over all the time. He is learning easy when I have sausage in my hand :)

Two months ago

Exactly two months ago I got an email from Monika that Ceylla gave birth to 8 cute little puppies, 5 boys and 3 girls.

This is the first individual picture of Eshetu when he was 5 days old:
at this time he looks more a mole than a dog, still blind and deaf

now my little star is a real dog with 8,8kg today and 2 month old:
On these pictures you can see that he was not very amused that I took a picture of him - he was waiting for his meal :)

Everyday life

Step by step we are returning to normality, but my day is still filled with Eshetu :)

Yesterday it was the first time I could sleep late from 22:00 to 08:00, he is a real sleeper - like I am!

It is hard to make photos from our little boy, most of the time he is sleeping:

On the other hand when he is awake many photos only show background because he is too fast and runs out of the picture, but sometimes I have luck:

Today we had our first walk away from our home, near our river Steyr on our summer place, a 2200m² enclosed parcel. He was not very impressed because it was cold outside and he just wanted to be back in the car.

Back home he had time for his favourite activity - cuddling and kissing :)
My little boy with his big ears :o)

First lessons

How do we get Eshetu house-trained? We don't. Today he trained us!

Yesterday I was too slow with pulling my clothes and shoes on for getting outside when he was searching a place for peeing with nose on the ground. Two times I was dressed a millisecond to late!

Today I had a new tactic - I am getting dressed when I am expecting that he wakes up - and it works! We are a great team now!

My task for tomorrow is to get also dressed when he is drinking or eating - this was my fault today.

Besides this we had a super day - we spent it with sleeping, playing, eating and of course he is primarily asserting his claim for cuddling. :)

Little baby with big dreams

At first - I am so happy with Eshetu!

We went to sleep at 22:15. I let him choose his own place on the couch where I slept along with him. He wanted to lie down next to my feet.

I woke up at 2 o'clock in the morning when he was moving up and took place next to me with his head on my upper arm and shoulder and we slept side by side till 6 o'clock! He would have slept longer but he was dreaming so much that he had to run (into my rips) and smack (next to my left ear) :) I really want to know what he was dreaming about! So we had our first short tour outside today at 6:15 and afterwards fall asleep again till the second tour at 8 o'clock but he did not like it because it was raining - typically ridgeback :D

But it is a great achievement that he slept nearly 8 hours, with the short break even 9,5!

At our tours we played tag a lot, his favourit game. Now he is sleeping, we will see for how long!

His first day in our life

We started our day at 5 o'clock in the morning. After a journey of 4 hours we arrived and Monika and the puppies welcomed us! As ever Eshetu was the first who wanted to be cuddled.


Monika, the breeder, introduced us to many things and I am very happy that she answered us every question and she also will help us in future!

After 2 hours we left and it was a very emotional good-bye - I can imagine how hard it is for a breeder to let her puppies go to their new homes. Monika, at this point: I am overjoyed that you relinquish Eshetu to us!

At the beginning Eshetu was a little bit scared and trembled, but after a few minutes he fell asleep. After 2 hours he felt so confident that sleeping was not enough, it had to be comfortable :) and he dreamed a lot!

When we arrived he stepped in gently but after a short time he took the flat, like our hearts, by storm! His favourite place is underneath our couch table, but in a few weeks he will be too big.

He played a lot but after an hour he went to sleep in his kennel box where I placed his blanket with the smell of his mother and siblings.

Currently he is chewing on a pizzle, we will see how the first night will proceed :D

How time flies

Now time has come - tomorrow is the big day, my little boy, a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy called Easy to Love Ranua (Eshetu) will move to our house!

I waited more than half a year for him.

A friend of mine mentioned a stud dog called Ascot Alta Mirano and when I was searching him on the web I found a stunning, typical Rhodesian Ridgeback. I fell in love with him immediatly.

His next planned mating was with beautiful girl called Ceylles Cartouche and I had the luck to see her at the dog show in Salzburg in June and I got in contact with Monika, Ceyllas owner.

Beginning of September she had got great news, Ceylla was pregnant and on 12th October she gave birth to 8 beautiful and gorgeous puppies (5 boys and 3 girls) and now my big dream will come true!

We visited the babies at the age of 3, 4 and 6 weeks and fell in love with one cute little guy, Mr. Violet or, that was the name we have given him, Mr. Big.

This blog should document our first time with our big boy Eshetu!

Guestbook / Contact

Instead of a conventional guestbook I installed a blogentry where you can place notes for us! You can also write us an email at eshetu.ridgeback@gmail.com if you like :) Or just enjoy our blogs.