With Nala away for what seemed a long time (8 weeks), we had come to miss her terribly. At first it had been a novelty to be ‘free’ of our commitment of two walks a day and the routine of living with a ridgeback. You think that you will take the opportunity and do all the things that once prevented you from doing when being a dog owner, like go on a romantic holiday or go touring on a classic motorbike . But you dont, other things seem to come your way and you get distracted. The time passes and boy it passes fast, then before long its time to be re-united. You are then reminded of the lifestyle that you have chosen when you chose to own a Rhodesian Ridgeback.
For instance, if for some reason if you havn’t managed to get the usual two walks in for that day due to unforseen circumstances, but then decide to pop out that evening for a quick beer – dont leave a ridgeback with unlimited access around the house. We have been told this lesson several times now and only now are we learning from it! A ridgeback will often surprise you with their uncanny ability to prove their point – “Dont go to the pub and enjoy yourself, when you haven’t even bothered to give me my walks!!”. We have returned to upturned bins, both in the kitchen and the bathroom on regular occasions, and on rooms being shut and bins out of reach, they will look and target other items to take out frustration and to prove their point with.
But the character traits aside for the moment we had genuinely missed our girl, and apart from a brief visit when her pups were around 5 weeks old, we hadn’t seen her. But today we were collecting her and bringing her home with the pick of the litter, her daughter Maya.
It was wonderful heading out in the car that day to go collect the two of them from Jackie’s @ Zejak Rhodesian ridgebacks. It was even better on the way home, Nala had lept into the car and there was no holding her back, I think the only puzzlement she had was why we were taking a pup with us. After raising 13 pups she was entitled to think that she was coming home for some individual pampering, but a shame though that we had decided to expand our family unit by one more!
This was a snap taken on one of the first nights that we had the girls home and it looks marvellous – Just the two of them cuddled up together in the crate.
