About Erik

Erik is my first Rhodesian Ridgeback, and also my first purebred dog. I've had dogs all my life, starting with a beagle named Trixie that I grew up with as a child. Prior to Erik, however, my own dogs had all been adopted mixed-breeds, mostly from people who could no longer keep them. The first Ridgeback I'd ever met was a handsome boy named Kirby, who lived across the field from us in Rochester, MN, where I grew up. I remember my mother telling me that he was a show dog, but I didn't know or care what that meant. Kirby made an impression on me, however; he was a gorgeous animal. I lived and breathed horses back then, and Kirby had the same physical appeal as horses did for me – lean, athletic and strong.

But over the years the memory faded, or so I thought. After my previous dog, Thor, passed on, I was hesitant to adopt another adult dog. My ex's kids had gotten us involved with ferrets, and our ferret family had increased to seven of the little weasels (plus two cats). My dear departed Thor was fantastic with the ferrets and felines, but I didn't know if I would find another adult dog as kind and gentle as he was with them.

So we decided we would be better off with a puppy, who could grow up with the rest of the menagerie and learn to accept them as part of the family. I wanted to know what my puppy would turn out to be like as an adult, so I started researching breeds. I rediscovered the Ridgeback, and found that I liked not only their appearance, but what I read about their personality and temperament: independent thinkers, intelligent, loyal, courageous. So that was it, and I set about trying to find a Ridgeback puppy to rescue. To make a long story short, I never did find a rescue puppy, or even a pet puppy, and ended up with a show-quality pup from Spring Valley Rhodesian Ridgebacks. In retrospect, I now see that I was so lucky to have ended up with a Spring Valley dog, and my Erik in particular! He turned out to be gorgeous, intelligent, athletic and has the most wonderful temperament. Everything I could have asked for, and a great companion for my ferrets and cats as well.

I didn't intend to show Erik, but since he was a show-quality puppy, I took him to handling classes as a puppy, then he went away for a week with Jack Secrest for training and was entered in his first shows. He did well in the puppy classes, but I didn't like him being away from home, so I stopped showing him. When he was two years old, I decided it was decision time – either neuter him or get him back in the ring. Marie Cotton and Sandie Gordon both thought he had potential and they convinced me to give him another chance in the show ring. With Sandie handling him, he finished his championship easily, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Erik got me hooked on showing - well, at least on developing an appreciation for the best characteristics of the breed. We also enjoy agility competition (Erik's Canadian sire Ch. Rindurr's Day Tripper was the first Ridgeback in Canada to earn a title in agility), we've tried herding sheep (Erik earned his Herding Instinct Certification at the Raspberry Ridge Sheep Farm in Pennsylvania in 2002), and we are currently doing therapy work at the Bristol Glen Retirement Community in Newton, NJ. Erik earned his Canine Good Citizen certificate and was certified by Therapy Dogs International in 2006. He went on to earn his first two Agility titles in 2007. He became the oldest Ridgeback to qualify in the Endurance Trial in 2008, then he passed the Temperament Test and Hunting Qualifier on small game at the Ridgeback Rodeo in 2009.

In addition, Erik has sired eight litters of wonderful puppies. One of his outstanding daughters, Indy (Ch. Cataraqui Indian Summer), became the top RR bitch in Canada when she was just a year old in 2009. Another of Erik's wonderful daughters, Evelyn, now shares our home. Evelyn is my very first female dog. She is out of Ch. Lamarde Perro Nancy, a beautiful, intelligent bitch with a wonderful temperament. Evelyn has been a delightful addition to our family. She has delivered three wonderful litters of her own so far. Evelyn is a terrific mother. One of her pups from her first litter went to the family who owned Erik's mother Abigail and whelped Erik. Abigail was a wonderful girl, much loved by her family, who passed away in 2006 at the age of 12.

If you would like to contact me, please click here. For puppy information, you can also contact Marie Cotton, by email or phone 973-534-1489