Kal & Elsa

On March 18 th we welcomed our long awaited litter with Kal & Elsa.
Watching Kal with Elsa's first litter made us very anxious to see him with his own pups.
Elsa & Kal have 4 girls and one boy! 
Kaden
Kamali
Kali
Kekona
Olivia

We want to thank all the families who took the time and came to visit prior to us having this special litter, and we enjoyed placing the puppies in these pre qualified homes.
The Takin'5 litter is now is two years old and we have been getting updated pics from them and they are all doing great! Check back to see them grow up and come home for visits!
We have been having a ball watching the litter grow up and become part of their  new families.
As a new feature of the web site we are going to post some letters we received from the new families about their experiences raising Kal & Elsa's puppies!
see the letters below:

From Elysia and Steve (Kamali)
Hey Lisa,

Well I think you know how much we love Kamali and what a great addition she has been to our family of Willa, the 9 yr old Weim, JD and Trinity, the 7 year old cats, and our newest addition Bryce, our 4 month old son.

I'm not sure if you know, but Kamali is my first puppy. I wasn't sure what to expect when we brought her home in May, but I was pleasantly surprised that she was very easy-going, easy to train, and very eager to please. Steve was thrilled, and a little jealous, that Kamali did so wonderful - Willa wasn't so easy! Kamali was house trained within the first two weeks of being home. It took some time, but Willa and Kamali are now like sisters, frequently sharing the couch for naps and enjoying their tandem walks and Kamali and JD are the best of friends, frequently sleeping on our bed together. Kamali doesn't do and hasn't done, any of those typical puppy terrorizing activities, such as chewing or biting. Not a piece of furniture has been marred. She has a large bucket of toys, of all shapes, sizes and textures, and although she frequently tears them apart, she knows it is ok to do that to toys and not to household furniture. Kamali is extremely intelligent. She learned basic commands very easily and quickly.

We were originally apprehensive about bringing a puppy home and shortly thereafter having our first child. We are so happy we took the chance, and expanded our family! Kamali has been wonderful with Bryce. Kamali was quick to learn that Bryce's toys were not her toys and she is very careful around him - not stepping on his play mat, etc. Her newest "trick" - when we say "Kamali, where is the baby", she'll go right up to him and lick his face/head. Bryce loves it! He squeels in delight. He has also started to "pet" her, which in 4 month old terms means swat her in the face and grab her ears. It doesn't bother her one bit. She nudges him with her nose and Bryce will just laugh at her. We are so thankful she is great with kids. We definitely made the right decision getting Kamali before Bryce was born - now the two of them can grow up together!

Kamali is great with other dogs. While she can be very eager to meet a dog on a walk or at the dog park, once they are acquainted, they happily run and play together. Kamali has made friends with every kind of dog, and every size! She enjoys getting exercise on her walks with Willa or spending time at the off-leash dog park where she can meet new dogs. She gets outdoor exercise everyday - unless ,of course, it is raining! God-forbid she get wet!

Mostly Kamali loves to sleep on any soft and squishy surface. She is my favorite snuggle-buddy at night (and she doesn't snore, unlike daddy!). She looks most like her mother, Elsa, but plays most like her father, Kal. She bounds and leaps around the back yard chasing her ball or a stick or tree root. She also is a great companion to just relax outdoors - whether we're sitting on the porch enjoying fresh air, sitting outside reading a book, enjoying a roaring fire at night, or even doing yardwork - Kamali is very comfortable just relaxing outdoors, not needing constant stimulation from us. Her signature "cuddle" is that she loves to sit between your legs - and specifically sitting right on your feet (just like Kal). But squeeze a squeeky toy, or make a funny sound and she will tilt her head from side to side, just like Elsa!

Kamali has been perfectly healthy, with the exception of one bout with an allergic reaction after a run in with a pest of some kind (the vet thinks a bee or a snake). She hasn't had any allergies to food (unlike our weim who is allergic to beef) and she hasn't had any health issues (unlike our weim who has seasonal allergies that manifest as a yeast infection in her ears in the spring and fall). Every vet visit, the vet comments on how healthy and happy she is, how perfectly white her teeth are, and how healthy and shiny her coat is.

To know Kamali is to know that after a day of running free in the dog park, going for a walk, or even playing fetch with a stuffed toy in the house, if you look at her panting face, you'd swear she was smiling! And the truest sign of a healthy happy puppy - after playtime, she is a very sleepy puppy!

Elysia

From Jeff and Carey ( Kekona)
If you call for Kiki, Keeks, Little Lady, Kitty, or Baby Girl, you will be quickly greeted with a wagging tail and many kisses by Kekona! Taking on the mannerisms of a cat, she will slide through your legs repeatedly while you greet her. Although we aren't sure where she learned this behavior because there are no cats in the house, she's the perfect pick me up to a long work day! She has become quite the character and we have enjoyed laughing with, and sometimes at, her for the last eight months!

Kekona's puppy training has felt like a quick trip in the express lane. From create training to potty training Kekona proved that she is a Ridgeback through and through. Kekona is a pleaser and if she could bat her eyelashes to further convince you why she's worthy of that treat you are holding because she held her "sit" command she surely would! Her favorite activities include "bumper butt" wrestling with our four year old Golden Doodle, Makua, socializing at the dog park and off- leash hiking on the trails of the local natural parks, and of course eating! She's has learned several commands in her short eight months with our family including sit, stay, down, time for bed, walk, eat, speak, and paw. She looks to her adopted big brother, Makua, for guidance especially on their tandem walks through our city neighborhood. Jeff has been working with Kekona on short, off- leash morning walks that Makua is quite accustomed with, and Kekona proved eager to try. Kekona just adores Makua and he has been patient with her from day one. I think she's growing on him more and more each day, but how couldn't he she's just irresistible! Kekona loves play time and knows exactly where her toys are and doesn't hesitate to put on a show for you with each one! Makua and Kekona love tug of war with their huge stuffed moneky. She's definitely one to test her boundaries but if it's a no-no, she doesn't try it again! Water bottles have been a new discovery to Kekona. She loves the crunching and squeaky noises they make. The upside for me is that Kekona has even house broken dad a bit better too by making sure he cleans up after himself or he knows that Kekona will surely collect his water bottles and expose him to mom! Kekona is the best snuggler. She loves a fluffy blanket and will not hesitate to curly up next to, under, beside, or on top of anyone. Her stubborness mixed with her lean muscular body makes for a losing battle when sharing the blankets!

We recently had a chance to meet up with Tony and Kaden while Lisa was visiting the area and it was great to see the mannerisms that Kaden and Kekona share from Elsa and Kal. Kekona has certainly started to take on more of Elsa's sleek body but still sports Kal's big head and broad shoulders which was even more apparent when seeing her play with her brother. She may be smaller than the rest of the Takin' 5 pack but she definitely can hold her own, and wants to be right in the middle of all the action- something she shares with her father! Zeva was with Lisa during the visit and Kaden, Kekona and Zeva endlessly bounced around the yard doing what Ridgebacks do even after the sun had set!

We have received tons of compliments on Kekona's disposition and temperament. People are amazed that she's only an eight month old puppy. We are extremely grateful that we were able to adopt one of the Takin' 5 pups. From our first visit two years ago, we knew that we wanted a pup from Kal and Elsa. They are both amazing dogs and we knew having them as parents to our puppy would be a great addition to our family. Lisa and Brian, you have created something quiet special for the Maloni Ridge families and we can't be more thrilled with Kekona! As you can see by our countless pictures, Kekona is a happy, well- adjusted city slicker but don't worry we'll always make sure she makes it back home to Maloni Ridge!

- Jeff and Carey
Philadelphia, PA



Please view Kal & Elsa's pages for pics and pedigree information.
Please contact us about Madi's upcoming litter!
814-734-7715