LINDA'S     ARTICLES
 

Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of South Australia         FUN DAY  1997

Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of South Australia      FUN DAY  1999
This year’s Fun Day was held on Sunday 14^th February. What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than with one of the greatest loves of your life, your Ridgy. I don’t know about you but I just LOVE fun day. The weather was an absolute stinker, with over 35 degrees forecast but this did not deter the ever faithful who turned out in force to honour our tradition. Our very youngest of puppies enjoyed a family reunion, while members and dogs of all ages camped under the soothing shade of “The Gums” to the call of magpies, and Tony cooking up a sizzle of sausages provided by the Club.
Our fun events were the highlight if the day with the winners as follows,

Waggiest tail – Raffikki with Thomas.
Fastest sitter – Coba with Yvette.
Fastest eaters – (dog -4x2/human-apple) Norton & Linda.
Obstacle Race – Marli with Rachel,
                           Mambo with Annette (baby puppy),
                           Norton with Linda.
Pin the Ridge on the Ridgeback – lollies & chocolates to all.

It was a little disappointing to see so few fancy dress dogs this year. Only 3 Ridgies came prepared and although no official places were awarded, all received a special treat for the effort. One of the funniest sights of the day was when George Filipowicz sat in the pond of the obstacle course on behalf of his dog, “Nhoni”. Well done George, we all enjoyed it. Our merchandise auction was well received with many members snapping up bargains. See what you missed? Try to make it next year!

Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of South Australia       FUN DAY   4 May  2003 

Fourteen Ridgies and their owners enjoyed a glorious day at this year’s Fun Day held Sun 4^th May at “The Gums.” It was a rather busy location with the Daschund Club also hosting the equivalent event for their group at the same park. We noticed both groups run these days in a similar manner. More than anything else, Fun Day is an opportunity to have a day out/picnic with your best friend, share a bit of time with other owners and have fun. We had the opportunity to buy a bbq lunch next door. It was interesting watching the daschunds in their fastest eater competition….each received 2 raw sausages while the owners scoffed donuts! Our RRs didn’t need to demonstrate their superior abilities as fastest eaters. Every RR was declared a winner and their owners got some yummy biscuits for them as a prize. One event we did hold was the Fancy Dress. Our judge was Elly. The results and the descriptions follow,

1^st  place RR Ella with Lyn – “Party Animal”.

Looking resplendent in her wraparound coat, party hat, tinsel, blow up balloons, and champagne glass, Ella strutted her stuff like a real lady looking for a night out on the town ready to do some serious partying. She even dropped her champagne glass at one point but managed to keep the hat in a side on poise that was oh so chic while posing for a photo!

2nd place RR’s Stellar & Ishea with Ashley “The Elves”

Dressed in green they were either leprechauns left behind from St Patrick's Day or elves on leave from Santa’s workshop looking for a midyear Christmas Party to attend!

3^rd place  RR Norton with Linda “The Coat of Many Colours”

Quite a sight in his Technicolour Dreamcoat – a coat of colourful dog figures representing the many colourful personalities of Rhodesian Ridgebacks….someone thought he was a jellybean!

The Daschund Club invited us over to join in on a parade of non-daccie dogs. RRs joined in, 2 of them were still in their fancy dress and it must have created an impression as Party Animal won 1^st prize, picked out from the many breeds represented. It was a great day – thanks to all who attended. We hope to see you at our next function Race Day 14^th June.

Thank you to Rob Harris for taking and supplying us with the photos. A job well done.

TAMAGOTCHI  OR   RIDGEBACK        By Linda Castle                                                       Jan 1998
Recently, I spent a day babysitting my 8-year old nephew. He brought with him his Tamagotchi, or electronic 'pet'. Apparently, it had just 'hatched' the day before and already it was about 1 year old and weighed about 10 kilos! He showed me how, by manipulating just 3 little buttons in various combinations, one could offer it food, water, a bit of love (!), a story, or even play an interactive game and play cards with it. Other options included giving an injection for when it got sick, turning its light on or off, and offering a hat or umbrella in extremes of weather. When it 'did its business' - a big turd (sorry. but how else can I describe it?) would appear on the screen, and it would be up to you to get the spade and remove it. Mind you, I discovered later, that these could weigh as much as a kilo! At any time of day, this thing could 'call out' for attention, and you would have to offer it the specific item wanted to satisfy its needs. If it was hungry for food, water or love, it would keep taking more until it had taken its fill, BUT if it didn't want what you were offering it would shake it's head. If NEGLECTED, it would lose weight and DIE! One could check on its progress for age and weight at any time by popping it on the scales. We spent some time talking about the responsibilities of pet ownership. He said that this thing was good because he was learning how to be responsible. During the day, however, he spent more time and was receptive to more love from my Ridgeback who was so gentle recognising the special need in this troubled little life. After he had left, I discovered that the Tamagotchi had been left behind, and I had to keep this thing 'alive' a few days to save him from the devastation of his pet 'dying'. It ate, drank, got loved, played a few games, and did its business, but didn't want any stories. It wanted an umbrella when it rained and its light turned off when it went to bed at some pre-set time. It even got sick, needing 2 injections to get better. I returned it at 5 years of age weighing about 40 kilos and a little amused, but thinking about how I had seen my nephew and dog together. Ridgebacks are ALWAYS ready to give a lick, a kiss, a wag of the tail, and lots of love where needed, not so the Tamagotchi – give me a Ridgeback anyday!

DIGITAL DOGS                                                                                      By   Linda Castle

I have already written about the Tamagotchi, on electronic 'pet' that my young nephew had left behind after a visit. These little contraptions occupy the time of youngsters at unpredictable times of day, when the 'pet' calls for attention. The disruption in classes led teachers to ban them during school lessons. Frustrated parents had to extricate their children from the grips of electronic pet mania, which came to us from Japan.

Tamagotchis flooded the Australian market. Other cheaper brands followed. They became the toys that every child wanted in this computer age, with various animals available in the range, dogs, dinosaurs, chickens, etc. There were concerns about how the child would cope when the electronic pet 'died' due to poor care but the pet could be re-hatched and the life cycle recommenced. The RSPCA launched an excellent advertising campaign, highlighting the responsibilities of pet ownership. Owning a pet is no game.

Now I ask you, where have all the Tamagotchis gone? Was it all a passing fad which died a natural death, or did we all make a conscious effort to teach our children more about the responsibilities of pet ownership? Is there a Tamagotchi lurking in your drawer, sitting on top of your fridge? Watch out! They are waiting for the day they are re-hatched! Tamagotchis may be quietly sleeping at the moment, but the Japanese have been busy again. The computerised dog is coming! It is about the height of a Beagle and looks like a metal dog. It can walk on 4 legs, and turn its head. The Japanese have yet to decide what sort of noise it will make. The mind boggles at the possibilities programmable. Will it have unsavoury habits, chew the lounge, your shoe, cock its leg in the house? No matter what it does, it could never be a match for the warmth and personality of an RR. Ridgebacks are always ready to give a lick, a kiss, a wag of the tail. Not so for computer dogs and Tamagotchis. Give me a Ridgeback anyday!
 

IDENTIFICATION – HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?             By Linda Castle     Aug 1998         
On 14.8.98, I went to pay my Council Rates at Tea Tree Gully Council. At the same time, I asked for renewal of my dog’s registration, (Norton). This is something I do each year. The girl at the computer keyed in my address from the rates notice and told me that “Archie” was registered at my address. I do not have a dog of this name and Archie is not a Rhodesian Ridgeback. It turned out that a dog living at another address, with a similar street name, had been matched to my rates notice for the past 12 months! It was thought that maybe there could be a straight swap-over, and my dog may be registered at the other address. She checked but it was not the case.

My dog Norton, was waiting in the car , and was wearing his disc and collar, along with other more extensive identification. I returned with it, to have the number entered into the computer, to find any address at all for him. No address for Norton could be found. His name was entered – not found. The breed, Rhodesian Ridgeback entered – still no match. Officially, he has been a nobody for the past 12 months.

I am fortunate to have never relied on this source of identification alone. This is hopefully an isolated example, but one in which the system failed to identify a dog’s owner , address or phone number, despite a current registration tag. I still have last years receipt with the disc reference number on it, the same as what is on the disc. The Council has since investigated this, has traced last years’ receipt, and found 2 ways in which the problem occurred. Firstly a “Casual” matched the other dog to my address, not checking the details properly. Secondly, the computer broke down for a couple of days after I registered Norton and he, and 2 other dog registrations were “lost”. The Council has followed up the matter quickly and I have since re-registered my dog checking the details on the spot, but will continue to rely on better methods. *
 

I have heard that last year, in the Noarlunga area, there was another example of a huge stuff up. Council areas, after amalgamation, had sent out dog registration renewal papers where every pure bred dog was listed as a cross breed, much to the disgust of the owners. Phones at the Council were running very hot indeed. In another case, a letter to the Mt Barker Messenger paper was written, thanking the stranger who registered the other persons dog! The paper renewal method in the Port Adelaide/Enfield area currently has dogs listed as having changed their names, breed type sexual status, and as having died, when this is not the case, or even brought back to life. In one example, a council worker was most insistent that a dog, (very much alive) was dead and it took some convincing by the owner, the other side of the counter, to have the records corrected. My Council does not send out actual papers due to the cost factor, but relies on owners coming in.

This raises the issue. If your dog was lost or injured, has it got enough ID to be safely returned to you? Let's look at some of the methods of identification. This can include tattooing, a microchip, or an ID disc. Tattooing is a method used by breeders where 3 letters identify the dog to a particular breeder, and the numbers to kennel records, for each dog. The tattoo is often found in the ear, but some breeders may tattoo the flank. When done professionally, it can last quite well. It is very important that the letters identifying the kennel are not duplicated, and as such, there is an Australia wide tattoo register for RR's where the prefix is chosen in this way. Identification of a dog by this method will lead to contact with the breeder, so it is important that owners keep breeders informed of their dog's address. Breeders always keep the Canine Association of their current address and are available to help with identification when required. If you are a new breeder, wishing to tattoo your litter, please contact the Club so that you can be directed to the tattoo registrar. The microchip is the newest form of identification with a relatively simple concept. A uniquely coded silicone chip about the size of a large grain of rice is implanted under the skin. This is a quick, easy and relatively painless procedure, but dogs will benefit from a mild sedative being used. When 'scanned' the microchip will read back a unique 14-character code to the scanner. There are over one hundred million, million different combinations possible and when implanted, the owner and the animals details are entered into a central computer database which is accessible by registered users, (councils, animal welfare groups, and vets), 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The chip is inert and as such, not harmful, (not to be confused with silicone implants). Access to the computer records is open to registered users only, and they must quote a user number - a bit like your bank PIN number. Not every council pound, or vet may possess a scanner and for this reason it is suggested that an M is tattooed in one ear, indication that the dog has been microchipped, and that it should be taken to a scanner.

Dog tags can provide as much information as the owner chooses, but with time, become scratched and unreadable. The hole can wear heavily, to the point where one day the tag just falls off. You wouldn't want your dog lost while not wearing a tag, if this were your only source of identification. An excellent solid brass disc which I use has full name, address, phone number and vet contact number. At $10 it is money well spent.

So what do you do? Choose to identify your dog by more than one method, the more the better. Review you identification frequently. Has the tattoo faded to be unreadable? Have you shifted house and not told the breeder? Is the microchip information up to date, since you last shifted house? Is that tag about to fall off? The chances of your dog being returned to you can be significantly increased, but only if you take the time to keep identification at it best.  Has your dog got enough I.D.?
 

6TH OPEN SHOW & 10TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION 10TH OCT 1998     Linda CastleThis year, our 6th Open Show and 10th Birthday celebration was held on the same day, to get as many members together as possible. 25 RR's were exhibited in perfect weather before our Judge, Mrs Barbara Moore, (Tiptree prefix) Our steward/show manager was Mr Paul Jennings who did a wonderful job ensuring everything went according to plan. Congratulations to Josie Chamberlain and her boy (Groberspals Kane J who won Best in Show and to Rob and Di Jolly and their girl Ch Ravvar Thalia Calliope who won Runner Up in Show. Runner up Dog went to Lorraine Sullivan's Caprivi Destnation Unown and Runner up Bitch to Geoff Lawrence's Yeelanna Shala Shamhani. Congratulations to all our winners and even if you didn't win, we hope you went home having enjoyed the day. For those of you who didn't come to our 10th Birthday celebration this is what you missed, - a great show, followed by a well attended presentation and celebration in the Marsula Room, a chance to talk to lots of foundation members, and meet new faces, a chicken and salad lunch, an abundance of bubbly, and the tastiest Black Forest 10th Birthday Cake one could imagine. Lucky Draws at our celebration saw many members going home with special prizes, while a funny photo caption competition reminded us of how imaginative RR owners can be. For the kids, there was "Pin the Ridge on the Ridgeback" with lollies for all, and judging by the line up of 7 eager participants, is sure to be repeated. Our patron of 10 years, Hilda Downey, was honoured for her support in a special presentation and Hilda cut our yummy cake for all to eat. See you all again at our next Club Show!
 

SQUEAKIES  AND  OTHER   D0GGY  TOYS                                      By Linda Castle       Dec 1998
Have you ever been out shopping, gone down that inevitable pet aisle, seen the pet toys, and thought of buying your dog a squeaky toy? What goes through your mind? My dog will love this! or the words of experience - how long will this last? - my dog will rip this to shreds in no time! Having bought a few squeakies and toys over the last 6 years, I thought I might share my experiences of squeakies and other dog toys. What I have found is that Ridgebacks are varied when it comes to their enjoyment of these noisy little devices. What is wonderful to one dog, may not be so exciting to another. Another household item, a cardboard cylinder, a box, the yoghurt container, may be immensely more interesting than the squeaky that you just purchased. Design does play a part in how long a squeaky lasts. Dogs can be determined in how they chew their toys and some designs last longer than others. I have found that the dumbbell and the doggy news last longer than the ball, the chop and hamburger varieties. This could be because of a more sensible placement of the noisemaker. I have many squeakies that no longer squeak. Maybe the squeaker was lost in the garden, maybe it just passed through the digestive tract without harm - who knows? Some dogs are very intent on removing the offending noisemaker and can find their target very quickly. Other dogs can be so entertained by a particular frequency of noise that they will happily squeak the toy, joining in with a chorus of singing. One squeaky from a showbag at the Royal was a huge success with such a result. Occasionally, it has been worth the expense, but more often, the squeaky has had a relatively short life, and one wonders why you ever bought it in the first place. A new variety of squeaky just released, is a range of political figures. Your Ridgeback can now choose to squeak the head figures of Pauline Hanson, John Howard and Kim Beazley which retail at $9.99. I haven't bought them as I believe that Ridgebacks are not politically inclined, and are quite happy to settle for the doggy news and other much more useful items, being the discerning dogs that they are! A far more useful (and more expensive toy) is the Buster Cube, a 5 inch dice with rounded corners which you fill with dog biscuits. The dog learns to roll the dice with the nose, and paws, sending the bikky box scuttling across the floor or garden, with biscuits flying out in all directions. There are 2 settings, which determine how fast the bikkies fall out of the box, fast and slow, and you can slow things down even more by putting bigger biscuits in the box. The enthusiasm this toy generates is amazing, making your Ridgeback look like a professional soccer player. You might see 2 paws standing on the box, to give double the flick of the dice, a few nose nudges, a double back leg kick, 2 or even 3 paws, all swatting that dice at once, in every direction possible. Then a Ridgeback, racing after a scuttling box of treats, flying 15 feet away, with his tail wagging, every time a little reward falls out. This is one sight I have certainly seen and my dog never tires of this great toy. At around $25, it isn't cheap, but it has outlasted its equivalent value of squeakies and has been incredibly entertaining to dog and owner alike, (and no, I don't get down on all fours, nudging the cube with my nose). There are a few other toys I have bought over the years, the Nylabone, Tug 0 War toy, which my boy has progressively cut to pieces along with the garden hose, when I was silly enough to have left it out. Also, the rope type chewing toy, which only seems to be interesting when he has someone else to play the game, "chasey". There are other toys, which I haven't bought, such as the Kong, a beehive shaped piece of very tough rubber. This is filled with food, giving the dog a degree of difficulty, but an incentive, once again, to use its mental capacity, to forage for the treats inside. Another toy, much more colourful, also works on the food inside principle, but is in the shape of a ball with funny little rubber spikes all over it. (This is Norton's next Christmas present but don't tell him, he might want it sooner). Well that is the extent of my experience with doggy toys. What's yours? Why not write in and tell us.
 

Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of South Australia      Race Day     Aug/Sept 1999

Race Day in July was the first of two planned for this year. Almost two years have passed since the last Race Day and with facilities at our previous venue no longer suitable, we tried out a new location, at The S.A. Shooting Park grounds at Virginia. This lived up to every expectation. A large open shed, with a potbelly stove, large serving areas, cooking facilities, plenty of parking along the track, a clean loo etc. The race area was a long, well fenced, mowed grass run, with an extra sandy run-off area. 18 Ridgies and 1 Saluki were delighted to chase the lure, operated from the control box by John, our helper for the day.

For many dogs, this was their first ever Race Day, but the enthusiasm was catching and all the dogs seemed to have fun, to the delight of their owners. Imagine this…. your dog's legs trembling at the start line, eyes fixed wide on that lure, happy little noises coming from your dog just waiting for that
moment when you let go of the collar…. then taking off after a useless piece of fluff, ears flapping in the wind, those
powerful legs at full speed, onlooking dogs barking, people cheering, attempts to photograph a bounding RR. laughter and fun. This is how my boy, Norton, enjoys Race Day! Follow all that with a scrumptious lunch, and you're left asking, when do we do it all again? (18th September 1999).

Lunch consisted of Josie's scrumptious pumpkin soup (kept hot on the potbelly stove) and some yummy hot dogs with all the trimmings cooked by Bazz and Sheila. Thankyou to all those who helped on the day, in setting up, retrieving the lure, and to the Stewart boys who did a great job collecting extra bits of firewood and waving the flag at the start line. It won't be long before we have a chance to do it all again, This event is well worth coming to even if you don't have a dog to race as it is good entertainment watching others.

The youngest puppies, (too young to race), had some fun too, when we gave them a special time in the run with the lure
running much slower over a very short distance. It certainly was an amusing sight when the little pack of puppies all stopped to check out their catch'. The older dogs weren't without their funny sights. There was a group of 3 dogs which all suddenly decided to stop halfway down the track, turn around and run the other way. Many dogs ran the full distance and were an
encouragement to others who hadn't raced previously while others were free to choose their own distance. One time my boy caught the lure halfway and kept running with it right to the end. Times of the dogs were not taken on this occasion. As in the past, the day was all in fun, without any serious competition intended. Race Day ribbons were available to all dogs who raced, If you missed out on collecting yours please call me.

Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of South Australia         Breakfast in the Park        Dec 1999 

Breakfast in the park this year was held on Sunday 21st November the day after a lot of rain and some thunderstorms. However, on Sunday the Gums was quite dry, and the perfect setting for a gourmet breakfast. For anyone who thought it was not worth coming because of Saturday’s weather may be surprised to hear that it did not rain at all at our location, and you can always rely on us to use shelter provided if it did.

The menu consisted of bacon and eggs, sausages, Linda's herbed tomatoes, a selection of summer fruits and the tastiest danish pastries you could imagine. (They had been baked that morning) Breakfast was cooked to perfection by our master chef, Tony Mersch, who didn't stop to eat anything himself until everyone else was well fed. All that could then be washed down with a selection from the drink range of orange juice, apple berry cherry juice, champagne, soft drinks or a combination of these. 

Our numbers were way down this year with only 13 adults and 2 children taking part, but the company was good. I must say I am personally disappointed at the poor turnout considering 6 were committee members, 5 were our own families, 2 were club members and 2 were from my social club who have nothing to do with dogs or the club.

Thankyou to those who helped on the day, especially my mother Lois. Also to Dave and Julie Foster for the loan of their BBQ. You were all appreciated. I invite members to tell the committee what sorts of activities are wanted so that we can run events with better attendance and plan accordingly.

Some of the highlights for me for the morning include:-

*                Enjoying great food in the company of others.

*                Watching Bazz and Sheila and family unpack an outdoor setting of table, chairs and umbrella to eat brekkie in style!

*                Bazz and a few others giving the thumbs up to my herbed tomatoes.

Being visited by some new puppy people who came to show off their new baby puppy we hope to see you at our Fun Day next year.
 

Linda’s  Olympic Torch  Relay  Experience.            By Linda Castle      July 2000
I was very priviledged to be a torchbearer in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch Relay. It was an amazing experience and such an honour to be selected. My selection was based on services to the community, namely the State Emergency Service (Campbelltown Rescue Crew) and Neighbourhood Watch, (Highbury Area 199)

On Friday 14^th July 2000 I carried the Olympic Flame on Phillip Highway through Elizabeth. It was the best moment of my life for so many reasons. The atmosphere of it all – my family and friends who ran with me from the footpath, the number of people who took time off work to see me, being absolutely swamped with children wanting photos and autographs, members of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of S.A. who formed a Ridgeback guard of honour. The dogs were positioned at the start of my run and were an outstanding example to the public, representing their breed so well on this special day. My heartfelt thanks to those from the RRCSA who came, Lyn, Di, Fiona, Margaret, Jerry, Bazz, Sheila and Rob. It was an experience I will treasure forever. Carrying the Olympic Flame was an honour made greater in the presence of Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
 

Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of South Australia            Race Day         Aug/Sept 2001 

Another Race Day, (30^TH June) has come and gone, a successful day enjoyed by all. Our venue, the S.A. State Shooting Park, is now a very familiar one that many faithful members are delighted to keep coming back to, myself included. The weather was  perfect, not too hot to race and once again no rain. However, it was still cool enough to enjoy a nice hot cup of  Sheila’s home made pumpkin soup and an ever so fresh hotdog. We had a little trouble with the pot belly stove. It had not been used for winter this year and housed a big birds nest (minus the birds.) There were also some suspicions regarding bees when a stray one escaped from a hole in the flue. Our efforts to get the whole thing ablaze were not wasted however and after a few smoke signals between Linda & Peter, we won the challenge to get a nice cosy little flame which kept Sheila’s tasty soup on the boil.
 

17 dogs, not all of them Ridgebacks, ran to their hearts content, whether it was in the right direction of the lure or otherwise. It didn’t matter, they just all had fun. 4 early comers, including my boy, Norton, proved that just being on the track was enough to inspire them to run flat out, up and down, like a pack of teenage hoons testing out their means of transport. At this stage there was not a lure in sight, they didn’t need it. Calli Mersch showed that younger dogs weren’t the only ones that could run and showed her obvious enjoyment to her 3 friends, joining in on the display. As the day progressed people and dogs mingled, dogs raced, people mingled a little more, exchanged stories and ate lots of hot dogs and soup.  One little dog, new to the scene, maybe wasn’t so sure that another run was guaranteed and so he carried the lure the full distance back to the original starting position to the amazement of all concerned. At the end of one run my boy did a spectacular somersault in the sand pit to catch the lure. A big dust storm later and it was one sandy dog that went home that afternoon. One thing is for sure - dogs that come to Race Day go home happy!
 

A special  thanks to Sheila for arranging  the hotdogs and soup, which was so impressive that members were asking for spoons. Also to my friend Peter and to the children who carried the lure back to many excited little faces. We hope to do it all again  next time, whenever that may be.  Hope to see you and your dogs then!

Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of South Australia           Race Day       Aug/Sept    2002 

The 1^st June was an important date on the calendar for any Ridgeback……... Race Day!!!

A day our dogs display the sheer joy of running. The last Race Day was just over a year ago so the dogs were well and truly ready for another visit. Once again, our venue was the Greyhound lure coursing track at S.A. State Shooting Park, Virginia. The weather was perfect - maybe a little warmer than last year but ideal for a good run without it being too cold or wet on owners or dogs. Our numbers also were up a little this year. There were 23 dogs racing including 4 Irish Wolfhounds and it was good to see lots of younger Ridgebacks making this race day their first. We hope many more will follow!

On the food side of things, watching dogs race is a very hungry affair but we certainly didn’t go hungry. In total we consumed 36 hotdogs, a whole pot of soup and 2 cakes, (all at a very reasonable cost.) A special thanks to Sheila for all her hard work in arranging the hot dogs and to Craig for making the yummy soup which went down very well.

Thank you to all our members and friends who supported our race day and made it such a fun day and great success.

Also thank you to the two Peters who manned the lure and flag for us.Lucky dog prizes of Supercoat dog food and boxes of dog treats were also awarded, supplied courtsey of Supercoat. All the dogs got a sample bag of Supercoat dog food just for racing. A thank you to Supercoat for sponsoring our race day.

2 RR’s - must have had their own reasons for bringing the lure back with them. We will never know what they were. Norton carried it back the full distance on one occasion to Linda’s delight, while Keysha brought it back halfway twice, placing it in just the right position ready for the younger puppies who were to chase the lure next. The rest of the time the lure was retrieved by  Judi on the motorbike. This saved our legs and was very much appreciated. In all it was a great day as Linda’s piccies here show. We hope to see you all again next time.

Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of South Australia              Race Day          Aug  2003

Another Race Day has come and gone and once again the ever faithful made their way to the Greyhound Coursing Track at Virginia to enjoy a day with their dogs as they display the sheer joy of running. An overcast day could not deter us – the dogs didn’t mind at all. They certainly wouldn’t get hot running in this weather! No lazy, sleeping dogs here either – it was all get up and go, and run for fun! We had 17 dogs (15 Ridgebacks, a young Vizsla and a Greyhound cross).We also had a selection of pies, pasties and sausage rolls to buy, fresh from the bakery. In all, we ate 9 pies, 5 pasties, 4 sausage rolls, a big boxful of huge donuts and a big pot full of potato and bacon soup, then tea, coffee or soft drinks to follow.

The shower was soon over and it was back to the running. Our lure driver John kept the lure at just the right pace to keep the dogs attention and their enjoyment was clear from the noises they made on seeing the lure. We also had a great little cheer squad making all sorts of noises outside the track. This was really entertaining.

Thanks to Sheila for organizing lunch, to Craig for the great soup, John our lure driver, and Peter who took on the job as flag waver as the dogs began their run. Thank you to Rob for the photos that show our dogs, young and old having a great time. We look forward to our next Race Day on Sun 19^th October, same time, same place.

Don’t forget if you are thinking of coming and are not too sure about the weather, then remember that even while it can look pretty bad in Adelaide, it is always much better than that where we are and the delight from your dog will be proof you are glad you came. We look forward to seeing you next time.

Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of South Australia    Race Day          Oct 2003  
This article written by Lyn Roberts but as she wrote about Norton it is included here

The weather God must be an RR as our recent race day was blessed with an absolute perfect day for racing. 26 dogs participated although there were a few old ones & a couple of young ones that would have liked to join in. A couple of Irish Wolfhounds needed to be shown by the RR's how to chase and eventually got the message, but the Greyhound, who accompanied one of the RR's, put them all to shame.

However, the star of the day was Norton Castle. Not because he chased so well, but because he retrieved his own lure, saving Linda a lot of walking. We were without Judi on her trusty motor cycle bringing back the lure to the starter, so a few humans ran the track as well as the dogs. 

So those of you who haven't yet been, come to the next Race Day & enjoy watching the absolute delight on your dogs faces when they tear down that track at full speed. They love it. PS: The foods good too!

DOG  LEGISLATION & REGISTRATION – ITS IMPACT ON YOU    By Linda Castle    July 2004
New legislation in S.A.effective from 1^st July 2004 will affect all of us regarding dog ownership. You can find the relevant information in this newsletter. To the responsible owner the most likely effect you will notice will be in the form of higher registration fees at the time of renewal but these may vary greatly between councils. The higher fees are intended to offset the additional costs in administering the changed legislation. In addition, if you are unfortunate enough to be fined for a legislation breach then you will also pay more for these than previously.

The following all have Expiation Fees of $80  if you are fined for not observing the requirements
- All dogs being walked on public streets must be on a leash no longer than 2 metres.
- All dogs must be identified with a registration disc while in public places.
- Council must be notified if your dog is removed from your property, dies has been missing for more than 72 hours or ownership  is transferred.
- Dogs must not wander without an owner.
- Dogs transported in an open tray of a utility, truck, etc. must be physically restrained.

Some additional points in the legislation are
-Dogs may be exercised off lead on Council reserves. Council may declare specific reserves as areas where dogs are required to be on Lead. The community will be involved in this process and Council has 3 years to implement this plan. Signs will be displayed.

-The minimum age for registration has been changed from 18 years to 16 years.

Councils are currently reviewing their fee structures but the maximum fee allowable for dog registrations in S.A is $45. This maximum can only be charged if your Council has gained approval from the Dog and Cat Management Board.  From the extra monies raised, 20% will go back to the Dog & Cat Management Board. They fund welfare organisations, provide training for dog management officers and pamphlets for Council to distribute to the community.

In the case of my own Council, (Tea Tree Gully) the council will raise $210,908 more this year than before from the fees but will also have to give $90,000 to the Dog and Cat Management Board. From the balance, Tea Tree Gully Council is telling us that it could go towards projects such as upgrades to the pound, establishing another dog park and having microchipping days. The full amount of money to be paid to Council for dog registration is to be put back into dog management. In Tea Tree Gully’s case they run an excellent Obedience School and Pet Expos both of which have been attended by club members including myself. However I look forward to seeing a 2^nd dog park in the future if they are true to their word.

The future for us as dog owners is that we will pay more. You are probably saying “Yes and what do we get for it?” Well I urge you to find out what your council is doing and to be involved with the improvement or establishment of dog parks in your local council area. We will all need to keep an eye on how our fees are spent. Let’s hope they will never become general revenue and that they will partly be used to create innovative parks for your enjoyment.

Now is a good time to find the info you need to qualify for concessions, - a desexing certificate if your dog is desexed, the microchip registration certificate with up to date details, obedience certificates, and unemployment concession cards. Remember that if you have shifted house since the microchipping was done then to qualify for the concession you must show that the details entered on the microchip computer are the same as your current address. You should also ask the Council as a matter of interest if they possess a scanner in their pound. It’s worth knowing. I’ve already touched on issues of identification before when I wrote my article “Identification – How much is enough?” (Oct/Nov 1998 newsletter). In that issue I demonstrated how the system dropped my dog from the system even though I had paid for and received a valid registration disc. My dog had been a nobody for 12 months and another dog was somehow matched via council computer to my house. My dog, in theory did not exist. Here is a small part of that article concerning the microchip.

The microchip is the newest form of identification with a relatively simple concept. A uniquely coded silicone chip about the size of a large grain of rice is implanted under the skin. This is a quick, easy and relatively painless procedure, but dogs will benefit from a mild sedative being used. When 'scanned' the microchip will read back a unique 14-character code to the scanner. There are over one hundred million, million different combinations possible and when implanted, the owner and the animals details are entered into a central computer database which is accessible by registered users, (councils, animal welfare groups, and vets), 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The chip is inert and as such, not harmful, (not to be confused with silicone implants). Access to the computer records is open to registered users only, and they must quote a user number - a bit like your bank PIN number. Not every council pound, or vet may possess a scanner and for this reason it is suggested that an M is tattooed in one ear, indication that the dog has been microchipped, and that it should be taken to a scanner.

So now back to the fees and concessions. You could weigh up the cost of microchipping over the life of the dog and find that microchipping after a few years will start to save you money in registration fees. There is still time to microchip your dog this year to take advantage of this. Then, there is “training. As far as training is concerned, this is open to interpretation. You need to check with your council what they will accept to grant a concession. In my own case, presentation of my dog’s Basic Obedience Certificate from TTG Dog Obedience School will earn a $5 discount off the full $45. If my dog were microchipped and desexed further discounts for each would bring the total payable down to $15. You should remember however that all councils will differ and you should check to get accurate details for your own situation

Finally you have until 30^th November to finalise your dog’s registration this year as the usual time frame has been extended given the changes to the legislation. There is still time to pass your Dog Obedience Course at your local club if you haven’t already got it. Don’t forget to check and update those microchipping details and find the desexing certificate if you have one. That way you will be able to pay the lowest amount and go back to enjoying the many benefits of dog ownership.

EGGSCAPADE                            by Linda Castle              July 2004
Recently I left my boy Norton inside while I was outside pruning. I thought he would be out of harms way of falling branches, etc. On returning inside, I thought it strange he didn’t surface immediately. I found him enjoying a FEED on a carton of 15 eggs, labelled   “THE GOOD EGG”  I had left the carton on the bench and his constitution is such that an item will be left untouched for some time but then as it is obvious you don’t want it he will lay claim to it. The carton lay flat on the carpet, only one splat of yolk and another of white marked the carpet nearby. By the time I discovered him, he had eaten 14 eggs including shells. Only a half of one shell was left not eaten as it was stuck inside the carton. Apart from the 2 splats, this egg-eating machine was very neat and efficient. The last egg (still whole) was still in the carton – I had caught him in the middle of his EGGSCAPADE and he was about to eat the last one !

He had already had an egg whole in its shell for breakfast that day so the total for the day was already 15. Needless to say, I was not impressed and he knew why when he was sprung. I have since learnt that a similar episode of egg pinching occurred at the Roberts house only a week before and that the idea may well have been shared between the dogs when we walked with Lyn’s dog on the RR walk on Sunday.

Some time has passed before Norton has been offered more eggs. He gave me a strange look today when I gave him one, double checking it was allowed before he enjoyed scoffing his googy, shell and all, as usual. His coat no doubt will be in better condition than ever. I have no idea what his cholesterol levels might be. I know he will continue to enjoy his googy eggs and will happily share his secrets as an egg thief with other RR’s on the next walk so that the mischief may continue. Guard your eggs from your RR’s. The Good Egg? Well Norton certainly thought so! Why not write in and tell us about the EGGSCAPADES your dogs have been up to over winter?


Norton eats a googy...............Egg in bowl.........Yum.......See the egg yolk on his tongue !....Googy and shell gone

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