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Ibriz Uzume - 'Asheerah' |
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the late 90s the tight pedigrees of Western Salukis had begun to worry
me which is why I looked to Sweden for a puppy at least partly from
lines different from those that predominated in Finland. I found what I
was looking for at kennel Ibriz in -98. In the Swedish Salukibladet was
a nice picture of Ibriz Raziza and when I heard that she had been mated
with my favourite El-Cazzino Cajar my choice was clear. Cajar was a
male I had thought of as a possible mate for Akasha. His pedigree
(Knightellington/Windswift/Ibinores with desert influences from the
'70s and back) was what attracted me to him. So, when the litter was two weeks old my sister Sara and I went to Sweden to choose my puppy and six weeks later my brother Sami and I brought little Ibriz Uzume home. I had chosen the name Uzume myself, because according to legend Uzume, the goddess of laughter lured the sun back into the world with her mirth and that was exactly what I needed after Akasha's death. Little Uzume's pet name however was Asheerah after the Canaanite fertility goddess since I firmly believe in names as omens and I was hoping this pup would be my foundation bitch. The plan was to combine her lines with country of origin lines. That was not to be, but she gave me so much else during her 13½ years with us! |
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| Asheerah spent the last couple of years of her life living with my mom. She no longer felt comfortable in my pack and small wonder really, as some of the pack seemed to think that once she was past her prime, she was to be eliminated - so I kept her separated from those ones. Whenever mom came over, she wanted to go with her and knowing she would be happier that way, I reluctantly let her move to mom's place. I missed her, but it was wonderful to see how good they were together and how much they loved each other. Asheerah was always very proud and in my experience very much the Western Saluki in that she was more distant and ethereal than my COOs. Whenever she did bestow some favor on you you always felt mightily priviliged :) Whereas my COOs love to be near me and can't get enough physical contact, Asheerah thought it very rude and clingy if I went to her to hug her or even pet her - she froze, looked highly affronted and walked away :D She didn't mind being petted, admired and played with - but it had to be on HER terms, when SHE deigned to bestow you with her favor. A Lady through and through. She loved running in the woods and was a very capable huntress as well - except she never let me have the prey she caught - she considered it HERS. She was difficult to let off the lead, because she was what I call a camel boots Saluki - she went her own way ;) Every time I let her off the lead I was aware that I would be able to catch her only when SHE decided she was ready, not a moment sooner. Oh the many times I tried to lure her in a myriad ways, to no avail! Luckily she rarely ventured very far - she just had her own ideas about coming back in! This was true at home as well, where in the summer she often refused to come inside even for the night - which drove me, the consumate mother hen, nuts - eventhough oof course the yard was fenced in. We used to say you knew summer had arrived when Asheerah began sleeping on the porch - and autumn when she started sleeping indoors again! I remember once there was a terrible thunder storm and I pleaded with her to come inside - she would not. She was perfectly happy sleeping on her bed on the small porch, where the rain couldn't reach her, utterly ignoring the ferocious storm right above us. |
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| Once
when we were running in the woods, I had all the other Salukis back on
lead, yet Asheerah was again not coming along. She rarely went out of
sight on these occasions and sometimes you could see she was tired
already, but it seemed a matter of principle that she would not be
leashed until SHE said so, certainly not because I asked! And while the
others would happily come to fetch treats and then run off again as we
walked on, Asheerah would look suspicious and MAYBE stretched out her
neck as far as it would go to snatch the tidbit and then pull back,
looking at me suspiciously from underneath that lovely topknot :D
Usually I would leash the others and walk back to the car with her
following, leave the car door open and wait for her to jump in ;) Anyway, there we were, yet again, the others back on lead, Asheerah hanging back looking wary. It was getting dark and it started to rain, but still she wouldn't come along. I tried everything - goodies, acting like I found something interesting, hiding... she was supremely indifferent. Finally in an act of desperation I took off my bra, fastened it to her leash and began to run while pulling the bra after me like a lure and babbling about "chasing the bunny". The look she gave me was withering :D :D Eventually, when we were all soaked and could hardly see in the dark, she calmly walked past me to the car and stood there with a long-suffering look, as though she wanted to say "do I have to stand here waiting for you guys ALL night?!" :D The few times I took her to lure-practices I ran her last, because I knew that I would be there waiting for her to come back long after most other people had left :D Actually she only chased the lure half-heartedly (and not at all after she caught her first real hare, obviously thinking the lure a pale substitute) and really only got going after it stopped, heading off without missing a beat. At around 7 years of age she began to be a little more cooperative off lead - I'd say she let herself be caught a staggering 50% of the time from then on :D Her last few years she was much more biddable. |
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| Funnily enough, as much as she kept her distance, she also always wanted to come along everywhere - and sleep in the bed, just not too close, that was mostly a bit distasteful to her ;) She was always the only one of my Salukis who had separation anxiety. Even for all the years she was second in command in the pack and the pack functioned without incident, doggy company was never enough. She would get very agitated when I left home without her and even after she moved to my mom (who could take her along everywhere), whenever I came with them, she would cry when she lost sight of me or even if I went a few meters from her, yet if I tried to pet her she thought me pretty presumptious - unless she initiated it of course ;) |
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| On the other hand, at a moment's notice she could become an utter clown - she'd yodel and kick until she got attention and if you stopped petting her too soon and if she got really rowdy, for instance if she approved of a trip we were on or particularly liked a meal she had been served, she would go all goofy and rub herself against me or even try to mount me :D Her usual expression of joy though was what we called flopping. She would jump up on the bed and yodel until you came to her - then she would ask you to play and press her forehead against the mattress and yodel while you scratched the root of her tail, finally "flopping" over, head over heels :D |
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| A
few days before her death we were visiting my sister and Asheerah
flopped for me for the first time in ages and we played and had so much
fun - I'm so happy we got to do that one last time. Thank you for everything my love - you are always in our hearts <3 |
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sire: El-Cazzino |
Al-Yaman Malaki
(imp. NZ) |
Al-Yaman Jamil
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Al-Yaman Ishana
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Ibinores Cazzie
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Kashmanis Kebir
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Ibinores Zuleika
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dam: Ibriz |
Shaamroc Knight Companion
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Shaamroc Ghost Hunter
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Baklava's Beira-Sha-Sari
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Ibinores De'hri
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Sahrai Noah (imp.
Finland)
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Ibinores Amika el Shahana
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Asheerah's sire - El-Cazzino Cajar |
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Asheerah's dam - Ibriz Raziza
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