The Family Tree

I haven't done an update on the dogs I've placed with other families in a very long time. I don't like to hassle the people I send puppies to - I prefer they be allowed to establish their relationship with their puppies and if they have any questions or concerns they know they are always free to contact me. If I haven't heard from you in a while I will often send an inquiry email - not to be nosy, just to check in a see how things are. I am friends with most of my puppy people on Facebook - which is a nice way to keep in touch - but again, I don't like to pry or hassle. Some people aren't on Facebook, or if they are they are rarely online and from those people I usually get updates once or twice a year. However you prefer to keep in touch is fine, but I do love to get photos of the dogs, just to see how they are getting along and how they compare to their siblings. It's so interesting to see type and temperament trends for dogs that are sometimes hundreds of miles away from each other. So here we are, in no particular order, the dogs of Invictus enjoying life with their families ...

Peggy is from Raimi and Leeloo's second litter of puppies and here she is giving some love to her new 'sister' Elly who came all the way to New Brunswick from BC via Elyiah Ridgebacks. Elly is one of the puppies from Rifka's final litter and Peggy is delighted to have her cousin come to stay - lots of hugs in this family!

(Photo Carolyne Gallant)

 

Delta is from the first litter Leeloo had and she is enjoying life as a big sister to two little girls, one of whom just had her first birthday and Delta was there to help celebrate. Better hang onto that birthday hat ... Delta's is coming around again soon! Hard to believe these guys will be 2 in just a few months.

(Photo Derreck Parsons)

 

An uncle and a nephew love to hang out and roughhouse in Alberta although travel to distant lands is on the agenda for them too. Rory (right) and Gotham (left) are a couple hound dogs who love their Pathfinder. It's easy to tell who Gotham's Daddy Boy is! Rory is Raimi's brother from the second litter Halo had - he'd be a littermate to Zero and Rifka.

 

 (Photo Kathryn Payne)

Emma's birthday is coming right up and she's bound to celebrate being 1 year old with her Great Dane buddy. I see photos all the time of these two playing and it looks like Emma and Cora have a lot in common in the play department - all go all the time. Emma lives in Calgary and she also has an older Ridgeback 'sister' Zoe she lives with but when Emma needs to burn off some steam ... it's Dudley the Dane to the rescue.

 

Shane is hanging out in Calgary and looks all geared up for the winter there. He is also from Halo's second litter and lives with his pal Ryder. I hear from people in Calgary that Shane is much loved at the dog park and gets along well with everyone. Such a nice thing to hear so I know his owners Peggy and Keith have done a great job raising him.  

 

(Photo Peggy Johnson)

Kenzi lives in Newfoundland and is utterly spoiled. I am hearing that she's also very well trained - something I always worry about a little with this breed. They can be a challenge but it sounds like Kate has the right balance of coddling and setting boundaries for Kenzi who has grown up to be quite the pretty girl!

 

Hunter is enjoying life in BC as the family dog to the Shaw family - he loves to go mountain biking and is constantly impressing people with his speed and skill on the hills. I am not surprised! He is from Halo's last litter and is a sibling to Archer who we see here quite often. Hunter has a lovely head and is in fantastic shape ... would that everyone kept their Ridgeback this lean and fit, it's so much healthier for them.

(Photo Doug Shaw)

 

Remember little Mini from the last litter? Her Big Girl name is Kota and she's all grown up(well, not quite) and is the perfect Ridgeback size at 70 pounds. She has lovely eyes and is Leeloo's color and is adored and soundly spoiled by her family. She sometimes gets to to play with her sister Emma but more often she hangs out with her little buddy the Pomeranian (whose name escapes me). I will never forget Kota as being, bar none, the cutest puppy I have ever raised.

(Photo Michelle Bogren)

 

 Zero isn't just a show dog and I never want to give the impression that he is just a tool for me, or anyone, to post wins about. He is a well loved, well spoiled and extremely happy boy who gets treated like a regular dog - he doesn't care about the ribbons - he cares about the Gurls. This is his post-Gurl stretch ... hopefully puppies in 9 weeks Zero!

 

(Photo Lisa Erickson)

Tezlin doesn't live far from her Uncle Hunter, which is how Tezlin came to move to BC. Her family met Hunter and thought he was a great dog and wanted one just like him. They got Tezlin who has fit seamlessly into their lives and is growing up to be quite the beauty. I still remember her as a wonderful puppy since she got to stay a little longer than the rest. It was nice to get to know her on a one to one basis because that doesn't often happen with large litters.

(Photo Hailee Kepes)

There are many more Invictus babies out there and I will try to highlight as many as I can over the next few days. If you have recent photos of them please email them to me or tag me in some Facebook pictures so I can brag not only about how great these dogs are, but also how amazing the families are who have some of the best dogs on the planet.