The Big Girls

We started our "hands-on" love affair with Rhodesian Ridgebacks eight years ago, nearly twenty years after I first saw and was smitten by my first Ridgeback.  As a surprise for our twins, Shirah & Ryan, we traveled to Germansville, PA to visit with Frank & Judy DePaulo at Tahari Kennels.  There we met Keisha, soon to be mother of our first Girl, Maya, and Frank and Judy started the education process which continues today.


Tahari's Mayan Princess, SC
Maya is our first Ridgeback and rules our roost without question.  She is a beautiful red wheaten with striking white front legs and at a very powerful 80 pounds, capable of roughhousing with the best (and biggest) of them!  She is really gregarious with humans, loves small children and is an excellent watch dog.  Shown below at age four, Maya turned nine on March 19th of 2004.



Maya is an excellent Top Dog, assisting in the training of the rest of the Pack and the 'maintenance' of their behavior.  Maya coursed well and with great enthusiasm, but was forced to cut short her participation after receiving her SC due to a torn ligament in her knee.  She is consistent in her instruction of Pia, Lera & Perri and especially likes to wrestle with Perri.


Ridge View's Princess Meeka, FCh, SC
Meeka did not like the show ring, but enjoyed coursing.  Above all else, she is a huntress without peer and must be watched carefully in the open field.  A tireless ""road warrior"", her daily regimen when coursing consisted of five to seven 'human' miles in the open field each morning, followed in the evening by three to four miles on bike at average speeds in the middle teens per hour.  A typical 'one person' Ridgeback, Meeka tolerates most anyone, but prefers observation to interaction when it comes to humans.  She is also one of the great ""mommy dogs"", constantly teaching and playing with the pups -- in fact, she is the most ""puppy"" of them all!

Meeka continues to instigate all kinds of puppy misbehaving and then snickers in the background when they are chastised.  Her daughters have not yet understood that mommydog is above reproach!


Ridge View's Princess Milla
A striking bitch of unusual size and beauty, Milla was and is an extremely shy Lady.  In a word, she is adorable.  Milla is a very deep-chested bitch who was able to hunt with the Girls at age eight months and to participate in all open field activities at that young age.  Another tireless runner with great straightaway speed, despite her physical attributes, she did not care at all for lure coursing.  Milla  has been somewhat concerned about losing her puppy status at age 7, but has graciously accepted the title of Senior Puppy.  She and mommydog are constantly teaching hunting tactics to the Peeps.  She is a fantastic ""Aunt Milla"" and puts up with a lot of gratuitous chewing and pestering, but her infrequent reminders to the Peeps have been memorable indeed!