Kito - Shavano's Kind of Pathfinder
Facts:
Kito was born
2008-03-24 at kennel Shavano in Norway
Dam: BISS RuBISS Int Nord CH NV-05-07 Shavano's Ghanima Leah
Sire: NORDJV-06 SVCh S N CH Murumbis Arrow With Aim By Biscuit (Chicko)
Height: approx. 68 cm
Weight: approx. 47 kg
Hips: grade A (free)
Elbows: 0/0 (free)
Correct scissorbite, upper p1's missing
Merits:
Mentality assessment tested, Aug. 2009 with very good results, not gun-shy
Shown with several Exc./CQ and one CAC+CACIB
Swedish Blood Tracking Champion
Obedience level 1, 1:st prize and promotion to level 2
Obedience level 2, 2:nd prize
Working trial (searching and obedicence) entry level, approved and promotion
RallyO' diploma, beginners' class
RallyO' diploma, experienced class
Kito likes: |
Kito doesn't like |
| Food! (and other edible things) | Waiting for the food - he will tell us! |
| Mum - and then the rest of the family | Visits to the vet |
| Comfort= warm and soft places | |
| To play with doggy friends | |
| Tracking and searching |
Pre- and early Kito-days
Off and on, for the last few years, I had been longing for a dog again. I finally made the decision that the time was right in my life. My husband and children agreed, and I set out to find the right dog. Having been away from the world of dogs for more than a decade there was a lot to catch up with. I had done some research before that, but now I became serious. I had a couple of breeds on my list. The one I settled for was Rhodesian Ridgeback. I had met some RR's on shows in the late 80's, and one of my acquaintances got a couple of RR's soon after. The RR's I met back then were very attractive dogs, and with a confident, laid-back air. Twenty years ago RR was still an unusual breed here in Sweden.
Well, the situation had changed a lot from the 80's. Rhodesian ridgeback is now a quite popular breed in Sweden. According to statistics from the Swedish Kennel Club, nearly 500 RR's were registered in Sweden in 2007. The breed has become very popular at dog-shows, but is not often used for hunting, tracking or other working purposes. I was not interested in show-titles, as long as I liked what I saw. First and foremost I wanted a healthy dog, and a mentally stable dog.
My research of Swedish breeders on the web led me to a combination on kennel Murumbi. I liked what the dogs looked like, but more importantly, I liked the results of the mentality testing of the first litter of the same dam (Dea Decora's Biscuit). I couldn't get a puppy from that combination. But my misfortune turned to fortune. A beautiful and well-tempered male, Murumbis Arrow With Aim By Biscuit "Chicko", from the first litter of Biscuit, had mated Shavano's Ghanima Leah at kennel Shavano's in Norway.
I checked out the Shavano's website, and liked their dogs and their attitude. I also found that Leah was a lovely, healthy and easy-going bitch, judging from the pictures and description. She fitted very well into what I wanted, and the match Leah-Chicko looked very promising to me. It was a match of two dogs very similar in type and temperament. I contacted Hanne Neergaard at Shavano's, and I was ultimately accepted and offered a male pup. The only other male was already booked, so this time I didn't get to choose from the litter, but it turned out perfect. As the pups grew, I knew that Kito was the one I would have chosen. You can look at build, character, colour etcetera in a puppy, but there also has to be a good feeling. An expression that makes your heart melt. Kito had “that” for me. His personality also turned out the way I was hoping. To cite Hanne in one of her mails to me “Kito's pedigree name will be Pathfinder as he is exceptional in finding new paths and places to explore. It takes a lot to stop him, or to scare him from exploring his surroundings.” A curious boy with the drive to overcome obstacles and fears, just the boy for me! Of course a lot can happen, and change as the pups grow into adults, but it is a good start.
The puppies were wonderfully well taken care of and socialized with both dogs and people at kennel Shavano's. Kito had the best start in life you could wish for, and when we picked him up by the end of May, he was a happy and confident boy of almost nine weeks.
After six weeks in our home he has fully won our hearts and become a cherished family member. He is quite a personality. He is charming and sweet, funny and easygoing, and at the same time mischievous, wilful and stubborn. If there is something we won't allow, he will try again and again if we really mean it (Today is a new day, isn't it...) He also quickly found out that if we didn't see him he could get away with things, at least for a little while. He can be a challenge sometimes! But we get all soft inside by that look he gives us, and all the sweetness and joy and zest for life emanating from this little guy!