IMKAHENA RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK KENNEL

We are glad to share with you that our puppies all have found new loving families. Some  moved to their new homes traveling on December 29th and 30th, the other ones shortly afterwards. It is time for their new families to keep them happy and raise them to their potential with great love and care. We will try to enjoy some rest after having invested a lot of time and effort in bringing them up to this important next step in their life. Thank you to all who provided help and support for this litter.

Imkahena Puppies live in the following countries: Canada, France, Germany, Luxemburg, Spain, United Kingdom and USA. We will post pictures / stories as provided by the new families.

Imkahena Delhia of Akiliridge ready to fly to Montreal on December 30th....

 Imkahena "Murphy" ready to fly to Chicago on December 30th....

PetAir providing heated minivan to drive puppies to their flights after security, etc... We personally bring the puppies to their travel box and load them in the minivan (so we can make sure the right puppy goes to the right family... )

Trying to use his ears to jump higher ?

Imkahena Mazula can already see through you...

Pictures of December 28th 2008:

Vivi and Pansa can be very proud of this exceptional litter.

Remember that picture from November 20th ? Just 5 weeks ago...

On December 27th 2008, a last Vet check to make sure everything is fine and everyone is fit to move to their new families. Ridges, crowns, tails, teeth, eyes, paws, ears, etc.. .were checked again so that everything is properly looked at from many different experimented vets / breeders before puppies move on to their new life...

Some pictures from December 26th 2008:

Ready for another ride ?

Marrow bones are very tasty...

Some pictures from December 24th 2008:

Ready to go off the track ?

Could there be something up there ???

Meeting of the secret puppies jungle club... for puppies only ;-)

Just running for fun...

Keep an eye on the jungle... who knows what lives in there... 

Laying on Vivi nose to nose...

Interesting configuration in the box... Vivi facing the door, a few puppies laying behind her... (and the one on the front left is really interested in the bone Vivi is chewing on... just pretending not to look at it for a few seconds...)

Pictures of December 20th 2008:

Enjoying some quiet time on a very comfortable pillow...

We are getting ready for another trip in the LandRover...

And all 10 pupppies will be part of this trip... without exception

We leave without mom ???

Are you sure this is a good idea ?

When are we getting there ?

You are sure you know the way ?

Can't wait to be back home...

No one was car sick and no important damages were found after deboarding ;-)))

After that trip, we spent a lot of time in our private "jungle"...

Coming back from a secret mission in the deep jungle...

We had some of our favourite visitors last weekend, Anne and Geert from Chitonga came along to visit and see our litter! As usual we had a great time, and Anne took some remarkable pictures to share with you.

Sion looks intense...always ready for a pose!

Just one more drink, please!

Little Mazula is on his way...

Our girl "Purple hearts" enjoying the sunshine.

Is Mazula thinking about his new family??

Even angels have to sleep sometime..

But they can fight too!

and run so fast, like Orange boy!

Looking intense, like Uncle Sion!

Just looking into the sunshine.

Blacky is taking it easy too...

While Blue boy watches Bruno and Geert.

Somebody has to do some work around here!

Dixie looks a bit like her mama..

and mama does take good care of us!

Mouse looks cheesed off..

Her sister Nightshade in the grass.

A tunnel!

Can you eat it??

Tante Kiny is just a little bit irritated from all these babies!

Pictures from November 30th 2008

Taking a walk on the grass...

Saying hello to Sion... some bravest than others...

An then all together in the bed to enjoy some fresh air in the sun...

Some nice moments together...

Getting a bit crowded...

Pictures from November 29th 2008

Having some nice dreams... (he was really sleeping like that...)

Who are you ? 

Maybe there is some food coming... 

How interesting an empty paper towels roll can be... 

I killed it and I intend to keep it...  

I know there is a bone at the end of that rope...  

Already knowing the difference between water and Rhodesian Ridgeback Wine from South Africa (unfortunately for her, the the box is empty...)

Pictures from November 28th 2008

Pictures from November 23rd 2008

In addition to the kitchen (you can see the whelping box through the door on the upper left corner), Puppy Territory now extends to a large part of the dining room... Weather is sunny but a bit cold at the moment - around freezing point during the night and just under 15 degrees Celsius (or 50 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day...

Pictures from November 22nd 2008

Pictures from November 20th and 21st 2008

A happy bunch of sisters and brothers...

We share the same bowl (for the moment...)

Games are getting a bit harder...

Some of us dream about our future... ;-)))

The ramp is very useful to hold one's head....

And we are definitely bigger than the lion now ...

Pictures from Saturday November 15th 2008

Pictures from Friday November 14th 2008...

Side by side, enjoying some quiet time...

Is there some food around here ??? (typical RR question...)

Starting very early...

A great view from the corner...

Now I can climb over mama....

Starting to enjoy biting...

Is the lion getting smaller or am I growing that fast ???

Some pictures from Sunday November 9th 2008:

Today, all puppies got their "ribbons" so they can easily be identified when moving around... ((a tip: girls have little hearts on theirs...))

Hunting can be very tiring...

In this picture, we can see 2 girls...

Puppies can stretch like adults when sleeping...

Being able to walk makes it easier to go over the others when one is hungry...

Some pictures taken yesterday and today (Nov 8th).

I think I can see...

I can see you too now... ;-)))

My first lion down.... (now I am tired...)

Nice to know that mama is keeping an eye on me when I sleep...

Some of us can really walk on 4 legs now...

You can share my lion...

No question, I can really see you ;-)))..

We took the following picture at around lunch time on November 2nd showing Vivi and all her puppies. The puppies spend their time either drinking milk or sleeping... They dream a lot and one can hear some of them barking from time to time.

If you look carefully, you will see the 10th puppy

Some pictures taken on Day 4 (October 31st 2008)...

Here are some of the first few pictures taken on Day 1 and 2 (October 27th and 28th)... Vivi and Shangani Pansa Dafina can be very proud of their litter and we thank everyone who helped us make it possible. Enjoy those first pictures and share your comments per email or in our Guest Book, we will be glad to hear from you.

It's not ten little indians...it's ten little Ridgebacks! Vivi and Pansa are the proud parents of 7 male Ridgebacks, and 3 females ! We knew this pairing would be nice, but it has exceeded our expectations. It is a very nice strong litter, with beautiful pups. Pictures will be posted soon!

Our litter is on the way! Today (October 27th), at four this afternoon, Vivi began. At the moment we have 5 perfect boys, all with ridges, and 2 perfect girls! The birthweights range between 550g to 650g...very big strong babies. We will post pictures and the final count when all is finished. Vivi is being a very good mama, and really taking care of her litter!

What to do on a sunny October Sunday afternoon? Have a look at these pictures for the answer !

Vivi taking a bit of sun...waiting for us to begin...

Bruno is working hard to put together Vivi's whelping box,

under the watchful of the princess herself!

And it's done....almost all ready for the big day...

Just to make sure that the whelping box is comfortable, we all try it out..

and Vivi finds that she quite likes it!

so time for a little Sunday snooze! and just still waiting for those babies..

Shangani Pansa Dafina, the sire of our Vivi's (Imakana Kianga) upcoming litter, has done it again!! At the age of almost ten, he won the Champion's Class in Maastricht Holland to finish his Dutch Champion title. Congratulations Pansa and well done Wolfgang!

Bruno and Sion did a road trip to Holland, for the Dutch Ridgeback Club Show. Although we were only fourth in the Champion's class, it was well worth it to see lots of great looking RR, our friends of Vizara RR, Rens and Mariette, Anne and Geert of Chitonga RR, and most of all, Sion's offspring!! Lovely Chitonga Gelby Ghali was 3.Excellent! The next day Anne arranged for Sion to meet all of his boys and girls, (well, almost all)....so we have lots of new pictures for the "Offspring" page...

Vivi (Imakana Kianga) will definitely be expecting a litter from Shangani Pansa Dafina...we had the results of the ultrasound...showing puppies! We will keep you updated! Vivi has been very careful, just lying in the sun most of the day, dreaming of babies....

Mama Mia...it was a whirlwind weekend in Northern Italy, visiting our friends and fellow members of the RRCI for the annual Club Show. To our great delight, Sion was placed as the Best Male by Judge Liz Megginson of South Africa. There was a lot of tough competition, and the beautiful Ye Japha Gyasi placed 2. behind Sion in the Champion's Class. Thanks to Rosanna, owner of Gyasi for the nice picture of Sion and Gyasi. Best Female was the very adrett and lovely Harmakhis Wisdom Isa, owned by Sara Venturelli. Congrats to all and thanks to the RRCI for the great organisation! 

True to the old adage, "better late than never" Dakiny has started her show career! and how! In Pamplona, she won the best bitch..CAC and CACIB..not bad for a beginner. Dakiny suffered a very traumatic back leg injury in the Swiss mountains when she was two years old. This year in the spring, she underwent an operation to improve the range of motion in her joint, which proved to be so successful that we have decided to start showing her--which of course she loves!

It's done! Our lovely Int.Ch. Imakana Kianga and Multi.Ch. Shangani Pansa Dafina are officially a "pair"...the mating took place last week in the south of France. Puppies will be expected around 28 October...we are very excited about this wonderful pairing and can't wait for the litter! Shangani Pansa just won the Champion class in Austria, to finish his Austrian Ch, at the age of nine! Well done indeed...

We had a great time in Portumna, Ireland attending the Rhodesian Ridgeback World Congress, met a lot of friends and got to know many legends of the RR Breeding world... We were the only delegates from France attending and we bring back a lot of good information and memories... And to finish the week in beauty, Sion placed Second in the Champion Class at the Congress Show on Friday. Congratulations to all participants and thank you for the good organisation.

We hope to see a lot of you at the Rhodesian Ridgeback World Congress in Ireland from August 12th to 15th... Sion will compete at the Championship Show on Friday August 15th... More later...

And the winner is...at the Championnat de France 2008 in Lyon....Sion!! We are over the moon that Sion won the CACIB and CACs at this prestigeous French  dog show...making him French Champion...Vivi couldn't quite match Sion  but still placed second, winning the RCACIB and RCACs...best of all, Shangani Chinaka Ubeja, lovely daughter of Ranzi and Sion, won the Junior Class, to become French Junior Champion!! 

Being a baby can be so tiring sometimes...these beautiful babies belong to Jewelridge Ella and Sion....www.jewelridge.com .....

Shangani Umvutcha, or "Vutchie" son of Shangani Ranzi Etosha and Sion, paid a visit to his birthplace in France last week...stay tuned for some pictures of this boy--he is a real cracker! Vutchie is being brought on as a tracking dog by Armin...and their work has really paid off! We are very proud of both of them...

Look at this fine boy! It could only be Chitonga Zimba, son of Vizara Jodi Jinga and Sion,  who lives in Hungary. Anne and Geert paid his family a visit this weekend and found one happy boy! 

Jewelridge Ella is a caring mother, and her babies show it...some of the little ones already remind of us Sion....although this is not a perfect litter, all have nice ridges, no dermoid sinus, but quite a few tail kinks. But we still think that they are just amazing and we are proud of both mama Ella and papa Sion...

Oho!! Look at these two, maybe a new Dream Team??? Geert of Chitonga, with Chitonga Gelby Ghali, (daughter of Sion and Vizara Jodi Jinga), are posing for the judge in Belgium, where they got top marks, as did the rest of the offspring!! We will be watching you Geert! And you other little Chitongas!! 

Sion and Vivi did their best at the International Show in Tarbes....Vivi won the CAC, CACIB, and was BOB! Sion had to stay home this time and let Vivi do all the work....

Jewelridge Ella has had her litter! A fine litter of 11 pups, mother and pups are doing well! What a beautiful mama she is!! We are very happy for everyone, please have a look at their site, www.jewelridge.com for more info!

This gorgeous girl of the famous Vizara Kennels in Holland,  Vizara Likoma Lechaim, just had a beautiful litter of fourteen pups, five males and nine females! (If Likoma's pretty face looks familiar, it is because she and Sion are related..) The sire is the well known Pronkberg Makari, of Sara Venturelli's kennel Harmakhis Wisdom in Italy. Congratulations Rens, Mariette and Likoma, and Sara and Makari. For more info, check out their website-- www.vizara.com

Jewelridge Ella (Lövfällen's Spicy) and her sister Nilla are just smelling the flowers....it looks like it could be any day for Ella! We'll keep you updated...

Well done to our friends, Martine and Martijn, with the lovely  Vizara Luangwa Ijaba, who finished her International Champion title yesterday in Amiens, France, by winning the CACS and the CACIB! Ijaba was bred by Rens and Mariette of Vizara...Sion and Vivi are proud to have such wonderful relatives! Check out Ijaba's website, www.mafinga.com...

We got these wonderful pictures of Lövfällan's Spicy (Jewelridge Ella) from Ingela and Lasse in Sweden...our excitement is mounting everyday just waiting for the litter! What a beautiful girl....

Ella, getting closer every day (expected birth is around 20th May...) ! and the majestic Ella, Queen of Flowers too!

We are absolutely delighted to hear that Lövfällan´s Spicy (Jewelridge Ella) from Sweden is expecting a litter from our Sion ! We can hardly wait ! For more about this litter, please go to www.jewelridge.com or click on her picture...

Some fresh news from Gerona, Spain... Vivi won the CACS, CACIB and BOB (Best of Breed) on March 29th... She fulfilled all conditions to earn the title "International Champion" from the FCI.   Sion did very well too by winning the CACS and CACIB and letting Vivi enjoy this special day as a real gentleman and allowing her to win the BOB...  

Life is full of surprises...from the high North, full of snow, in Sweden, the lovely Jewelridge Ella will be mated with Sion this spring. Ingela and Lasse of Jewelridge are very knowledgeable Ridgeback breeders and owners, and it is a joy to talk with them about their dogs. Ella is a fine bitch with a fantastic character, and this will be her last litter. Please check out the Jewelridge family website, www.jewelridge.com to find out more about this wonderful girl. 

Jewelridge Ella, the "Snow Queen"

Ah..Southwest France....foie gras, confit de canard, cassoulet..and the international dog show in Toulouse !  We just spent a wonderful weekend in this beautiful region, exploring the countryside, and then, Sunday morning, onto the show ! Our Vivi won the CAC, and the CACIB, and had to run against Sion --who won the CACIB-- for the BOB !  Sion won, and later also won the BOG (Best of Group) !  What a great way to end the weekend!                                      

We hope all of you have enjoyed the holidays and New Year with your four legged friends. We were able to have some "down time" with our team, to tank up on energy for the coming busy showing season, and whatever else we might be lucky enough to experience this year, (perhaps a litter??). The best news comes from the "Chitonga" family, where Sion and Vizara Jodi Jinga produced a fantastic litter of pups. The Chitongas couldn't resist keeping a little girl from this litter for themselves, "Chitonga Gelby Ghali"! We couldn't be happier! Good luck, Anne and Geert with your new family member! 

Chitonga Gelby Ghali with a milk moustache...and with breeder and owner Geert...giving her a good talking to !

Pictures of Ghali's brother, Chitonga GadabuGeko, at his new home...he has a fur lined bed!!

We have just returned from a wonderful weekend visiting the "Chitonga's",  in Belgium. Vizara Jodi Jinga and Sion have a very classy litter of 11 puppies, who are well tended and perfectly looked after by Anne and Geert. They have done a great job with the litter, working literally day and night to make sure that the pups get off to a great start in life. We couldn't be happier about it, and suspect that we will see some of these gorgeous offspring in the showring in the future. Jinga is a perfect mother, and in great condition, even though she has this lovely big litter to look after. We can't wait for the puppies to get a bit older!

Sion and Bruno made the long snowy journey to Prague, to visit his breeders, Jaromir Laurin and to win 2. Excellent, Champion's Class and the RCAC at the International Show in Prague on November 17th 2007.

The long wait is over! Vizara Jodi Jinga and our Sion are the proud parents of 11 (7 males and 4 females) puppies!  We are so proud of both of them, and congratulations to Anne and Geert of Chitonga, www.chitonga.be!

Updated information on the next litter of our Sion and Multi.-Ch. Vizara Jodi Jinga is available here

As you can read in Show Results, we had a very succesful day in Budapest, Hungary on October 20th where Sion and Imakana Kianga (Vivi) were both placed first and won CACS and CACIB.... In the final round, Vivi won the BOB. It was a great show and we met many passionate RR breeders. We'll be back in Budapest for sure... 

We are just back from a whirlwind visit to our friends in the Dutch Rhodesian Ridgeback Club for their Club Special on Saturday, October 6th. A marvelous time was had by all, we especially enjoyed the great organisation there. Special thanks to Vizara Rhodesian Ridgeback Kennels, Mariette van der Veer (also Dutch Club President), and Rens Trappel for their great support and planning! The Dutch Club Show will definitely be on our venues for 2008!

On September 14th and 16th, our Sion mated as planned with  Multi.-Ch. Vizara Jodi Jinga.  Clik here for some pictures and more information.

¡Viva España!  On Sept 9th in Pamplona, Spain, Vivi got CACS, CACIB, BOB and was 2nd BOG in the Open Class; Sion was happy to enjoy his 3rd birthday  and earn a CACIB in the Champion Class !

Vivi is back to work! In her first show after the summer break, she won the Open Class in Macon, France on September 2nd, for the CACS and the RCACIB behind Shangani Sarula Gani! 

Hats off to our friends at Vizara Rhodesian Ridgeback Kennels in Holland! At the show in Leuven, Belgium this weekend Vizara Luangwa Ijaba was BOB,  4.BOG (Best of Group), Vizara Lechaim Likoma got the reserve CAC/CACIB, and Chitonga Farah, Vizara Jodi Jinga's daughter, was best Youth. Well done to all of you!!

Vivi (Imakana Kianga) received the official evaluation of her hips radiographies: she has "A" Hips (clear of HD).

Congratulations to the winning team of Bruno and Ye Japha Imakana Kianga (Vivi)!  In Pierrelatte, France, Imakana Kianga won the Best of Breed, and swept away the competition to take Best of Group! Good Job Bruno and Vivi!

Our Imakana Kianga has been approved for breeding! In 2008 we will hear the pitter patter of little Ridgeback feet...stay tuned for more news about who we choose for the sire.... and look at the Puppies page..

We are proud to announce that our Int. Ch. Amini-Sion-Mawasili will be the father of the next litter of Multi.-Ch. Vizara Jodi Jinga later this year  ! She lives in Belgium and won the Bronze Medal at the 2006 World Dog Show in Poznan, Poland ! Please visit her site www.chitonga.be for more information.

What a success in Tarbes (France) ! Despite the cold, rainy weather there we were able to earn a CACIB and the BOB for Sion in his first Champion's class. Vivi earned a CACS, and a CACIB, and got a trip to the ring of honor along with Sion ! 

We are beside ourselves with anticipation waiting for a lovely litter from our Sion and Ridgeback princess Shangani Ranzi Etosha. Please visit Ranzi's site for more information...www.shangani.de or click on the picture below !

Sion's International Champion title is officially confirmed by the FCI !

Sion and Vivi (Imakana Kianga) made their Spanish debut in Gerona, Spain. Sion earned an Excellent 1., the CACS, the CACIB, and was selected Best of Breed, placing 3. in the overall Group competition. Vivi won the Open Class Female, 1. Excellent, the CACS, and the CACIB ! 

Sion winning 3.Best of Group in Gerona, Spain:

In an exciting Italian weekend, Sion wins both the CACS and CACIB in Reggio Emilia on March 17th , earning the  title " International Champion"! On Sunday, March 18th, Sion again takes the CACS and an RCACIB in Modena, Italy.

Vivi gets "Excellent" in both Reggio Emilia and Modena Italy on March 17 and 18th at her first 2 shows in Open Class ! 

Our Vivi (Imakana Kianga) wins a Junior CAC and is Junior Winner at the Fribourg CH show on February 11th!  Sion takes 2.place and the RCAC and RCACIB ! We congratulate Ye Japha Gyasi, who took 1. place!

In the February 2007 edition of the French magazine "Vos Chiens", Sion won the 3rd place for the "Best Rhodesian Ridgeback in France" contest based on his results in selected French shows during 2006 !

Sion wins CAC SLO in Open Class and Vivi (Imakana-Kianga) wins PRM SLO - JCAC and is Junior Winner at Ljubljana, Slovenia show on January 13th 2007  ! ! !

Sion wins CACS, is selected Best of Breed (Meilleur Rhodesian Ridgeback) and wins Best of Group in Marseille, France on November 26^th 2006 !

Sion wins CACS, CACIB and is selected Best of Breed (Meilleur Rhodesian Ridgeback) at Metz, France on November 4^th 2006!

Sion masters the French "Test Aptitude Naturelle" (TAN) with flying colours! In a field of 22 Ridgebacks, Sion placed 2nd,  proving that his "nose knows" by tracking game, his owners, and testing his character.