SAKKARRA AFGHANS

Eric Eichenberger and Dyann Callahan-Eichenberger

5/13/04 we have updated this page below- how time flies!

3/20/98 our start

It is the advice of most breeders as a start to locate and acquire the best bitch available from a established breeder with bloodlines that incorporate the look that is closest to your "vision" of the IDEAL AFGHAN. Well, as a younster I was forced into slave labor of a sort- Junior Handling, and Kennel Help by association- my mother had afghans and with the great influence of John Rogers Morton(JOROGZ) and June Boone(Kassan) that set the look for me! I still have a bulging folder of letters from June to Mom with advice all new comers should have about how the dogs are the main item thats important and the legacy you leave. Not personal  agendas. For more on the very past click here. My father and Mother both were very active in local clubs and our local Specialty Club which sadly has disbanded.

Growing up with this wonderful breed left its mark, especially the afghan hound that was evolving at that time in type and popularity-Coastwind, Jorogz, Zuvenda, Kassan, Kabik, Shangrila. I will delve further into this later , but the last year my family had afghans (real life had a couple of turns and my family "got out of dogs"), was late 1982, I was 12, but a few months later we went to view the 1983 Westminister show at a Kennel Club annual party and I saw an afghan hound that absolutely blew me away, SBIS BIS CH KABIK'S THE CHALLENGER go on to capture Westminister and the hearts of the world! He was IT for me and I wanted a type just like him- as most of dogdom must have too!. That incredible dog's vision was imprinted in my head. At that time little did I realize how much!

Later, just after college in Arizona, I decided to move back home to Kentucky. I had two " wash and go" dogs, still exotics but low matinence, that had kept me company- a Bullmastiff and a Shar-pei (I had always wanted a horse and a pig- close enough haha) and I ended buying the house I grew up in to raise my son. The kennel runs remained empty and I thought if I just able to come across the right dog I would get "back into showing". As my career was going well(orthodonic prosthetics) and would enable a hobby like this. I had shown the Shar-pei, but they weren't AKC acknowledged at that time and she was BLUE- too rare to be popular and I had seen some afghans at shows, but none that gave me those "goosebumps" as of yet .

And as FATE stepped in within three weeks of relocating from "out West", I saw an advertisement that would forever change my life- I hadn't even unpacked and here I was going to see a AFGHAN! The owner had him "sent from the West Coast", and his pedigree was in transit, but we were eager to see him- I still remember standing there as she went to get him in and this was the month we had our blizzard of 16 inches and thats WHY I was stuck here an extra week, and being just THUNDERSTRUCK as he waltzed into the room, just staring right back at me. It had to be FATE- he was everthing that I wanted! On sight alone I had to have him. He went home with us and the owner had mentioned a little of his pedigree (mainly he was a Taco grandson) but we had no idea as to the extent his pedigree was "HIM". I remember so clearly getting a certified pedigree a little later and upon reading it tears just welled up in my eyes- I felt faint- Except for one outcross- the Taco mention- he (STERLING'S CAFE EXPRESSO) was solidly linebred on one dog- SBIS BIS CH KABIKS THE CHALLENGER, it had to be FATE.

His name was Sydney and he had been passed around a bit due to his "Hell Cat" nature and he was such a full coated dog- amazingly so. Years later, upon meeting his breeder, Colleen McDowell STERLING Kennels, she recalled the first time she was "re-introduced" to him. In the ring, 9-12 months old, her friend Debbie Alden had a black and tan puppy up in front of Colleen, and when it was his turn for the judge to examine him, he threw a hissy fit. Colleen said she and her daughter were rolling their eyes and laughing at the antics and later asked Debbie- "Gosh, Debbie where did you get that Hellcat?"- and to her surprise he was from the litter Colleen had co-bred with Debbie, and Colleen had his brother (CH STERLINGS CAFE BREVIE) on her lead. Colleen took him to work with but sent him to Starlight Kennels in Texas (home of CH KABIKS THE SUN KING and CH KABIK'S STARLIGHT RUBIE) but no one could get into his "head".

Then in a round about way he came to me. Well, being an avid fan of the Black Stallion movies, I immediately tried to rename him "Shetan" after the spirited horse "that would answer to no one" a jet black Arabian. Well, he didn't like that name, even though it suited him at the time, the Arabic name for "Devil". He didn't like to do "shows" at first, he wasn't shy- just the opposite, wanted to see everything and lord over it!

We decided we did not want to loose his "look", and at the same time we had been bitten harder by the show bug. We looked for a nice bitch that we could finish that would compliment him in the future and we could build our future on. And ran into what most people today are describing as the "Watered-Down Mediocre Version" of the afghan if you could actually find something available. In the 70's and 80's there were distinct lines that each had a "look" and upon seeing a dog, one could guess as to its lineage based on movement, type, and conformation landmarks. In accordance with this, if you had a dog that needed a stronger quality of some sort, you pretty much knew where to go to breed it to strengthen the area. Well, the emergence of only breeding to top-winning stud dogs due to popularity set in, on paper if it looked good, then I guess the breeding took place giving no heed in preserving the type. The results are a man-made manufactured show dog with function and form that differs severly than what the true breed calls for. Conformational structure changes formed to answer for the extremes people sought. Then to add insult to injury, these dogs are taken to one another and such a watering down of the type and uniqueness of certain Kennel's lines. I have always loved to pour over pedigrees and study the advertisements of winners and breedings taking place and wonder as to the thinking behind them. I love to see the dogs progress over the years in buying back issues of afghan publications. It seems now in the millenium breeders realize what had happened and are actively trying to get back to type and run true to our standard. I am very excited about going to bigger shows this year! I guess we did not realize the true extent of our luck in getting Sydney with his very old genepool and linebred pedigree. There were a few outcrosses to strengthen the line, but the type was consistant- and he has produced consistantly.

In searching for a bitch we were dumbfounded at the terms and obligatory conditions that went in getting anything that had the word "CH" in its pedigree, and after all the negotiations, to finally get a picture of the "wonder-puppy" and be astounded at the breeders thinking in considering it worth our while to invest in such mediocrocity. I remember thinking clearly, "they expect me to do THAT with THIS?"....I understood that breeders have to be careful and any novice seeking a bitch to show could be a loss of a good dog....but it was almost insulting. I guess having such a find in Sydney spoiled me! Finally, after two years- we had just decided to buy a cream bitch that 1/4 of the pedigree I thought was complimentary, the other I was unsure of, but a link to a "winning breeder" had its value. Well FATE shined upon us again, and that did not happen- Jasmyn did. Straight in from Texas to Va, we called one more advertisement and they had no female puppies , but only one older bitch that they had bought that was going back to Texas soon- I asked about her and recieved pictures. I was stunned- she looked like she walked right out of a AFGHAN HOUND REVIEW from the '70's! She looked so COASTWIND. Deep chest and legginess of a greyhound, elegance of a swan- with the silver and blue brindle domino markings! Stunning! I had to have her to take to Sydney, her elegance with his soundness and type- such a match! Again I waited for the certified pedigree and again, was floored, all four sides were built on Coastwind, Fantasi, and Jedashi- as she looked! A very intense pedigree! That was 1996, and in the age of "the big red hair machines" she wasn't popular this side of the country in the rings with her look of the past i.e. patterned and strong underjaw. I was eager to breed her to Sydney to see what they would produce(so I could get some nice pups to show) and with advice from her breeder (Baccarat Kennels TX). The first litter was four bitches (three survived) and so great in type- Saki, Shetanna, and Kymba(in Germany). We readied them for the ring and when they were about a year, we took Sydney to Jasmyn again for the litter that would set our "Look" for us. Billy and Mudgi were so distinct in type. The more and more I can acquire older AFGHAN HOUND REVIEWS I see dogs that are so similar in type that always have the same lines(dogs) behind them or mixtures that incorporate those lines and the genepools traits that are handed down generation after generation. Jasmyn had had a C-section both times, so sadly I felt she should be spayed as it was hard on her and we had what we wanted. I always wondered what else there could have been, but we were blessed with the 6 pups from the two litters so we were happy with this great start.Billy and Shetanna did alot of winning for me and we never bred either, but relish those first wins and experience they provided. Shetanna was reserve queen with 13 in a row(4 major RWB) , Billy had some great moments but at the time with school and a young child, not to mention work, it was a light hobby compared to most and he would show but not that outstanding attitude. He was   patterned and very standard but a couch potato- still my heart dog!

Enter Oceanus.

After spaying Jasmyn, we looked for about 2 and 1/2 years for lines that would complement Sydney(Cafe Expresso) but try and bring in more side movement and better details.  Sydney was a powerhouse mover and such a body!! After a two year phone tag about Cafe Expresso's papers, I was hesitant to go back to his breeder and I was trying to make up my mind as this line had gorgeous results no doubt, but it was a whole mental "game" to get them to put on a show performance- not shy but..stubborn. But I was on a merry chase by phone and sure enough- thats where I ended up calling as I was referred to a girl up "north" who has Kabik...Colleen-Sydneys breeder too! And the bloodlines were a mix of "old Kabik" through a sister of Cafe Expresso bred to "new Kabik", a Cash son. So it seemed perfect and she was so excited that the perfect breeding would be this young bitch, Oceanus, with Sydney. On paper it was, but we'll talk about that later. So I sent what was required and couldnt wait!

I was in heaven and so much a young kid with an "idolized view" of a "famous/big name" breeder that I had hoped could be a mentor.

Well my first meeting with Oceanus was to be at the 98 National, 6 months later in St Louis. I had hoped to watch my bitch being shown as she was entered and we all have those big dreams! Well poor Oceanus' first image to me...me walking in the hotel room and her breeder and daughter sitting on top of her with   matt rakes...poor Oceanus is the false pregnacy queen I guess, and was matted to the skin.  So I couldnt watch as it is torture I think if an afghan is badly matted, especially on the belly and legs. So I offered to do it when I got home...needless to say no showing for her and she spent an 90 degree week hidden in a crate by her breeder...understandingly, as at a national the last thing you want to walk around is a matted afghan in that condition. The illusions started to fade then. So I got to walk her at night and show a few friends who agreed to help me dematt her at home, as she was gorgeous and so feminine- you could still see that! Of course my mom, being a former afghan owner, was rather livid at her presentation to me. But I understood how that can happen when you are busy, and tried to look on the bright side- it was only hair! Well, we ended up leaving 2 days early to get her home to start working on her and what an ordeal! It took me, my mom and a groomer friend a full week to dematt her. And the poor thing had to get tubes in her ears as to a acute infection, I guess she developed that and kennel cough while we were there. But that and her hair were things that could be fixed!  I rememeber she couldnt get her to hold her head up and that was a big reason, as you cant show like that. But she was so gorgeous, she could have had three legs and it wouldnt have mattered to me with that    sweet face!!

I was told as I had done such a good job with getting Sydney under control and too show, that she wanted Oceanus to have a home like that, where she isnt in a kennel and is an alpha bitch, as she was not good in a pack situation with dominant bitches.  And that she got, as she is such a sweetheart and such a loving member of our family first and foremost.  We did a good job I think as she had a nice win under Pat Trotter and a major RWB under Rose Fetter within 2 months- her first shows with me. As fate would have it, she came into heat right about that time and I had promised to breed her as Sydney was older, I did. Now on paper, as her breeder said, it was the perfect breeding and looking at the pedigree to me, it was such an elegant interplay of linebreeding.

But the intense breeding was a good experience to learn with. Such extreme looking puppies! But as has been said to me TOOO many times..."you got the look, you got the temperment". And with such intense linebreeding, some faults became apparent. I look back now, hindsight IS 20/20! I love the puppies, but I really started to relish having that star quality called "showmanship". If I wanted to breed beautiful couch drapings, it was one thing....but The "pure" breeding seemed to bring out the pack animal who is suspicious of all strangers! I got 4 really nice puppies from that who the owners just adore, and my Disco, so it was a purpose...as all things are. It showed me what I wanted and what was in the line lying dormant- all lines have good and bad. I LOVED the exotic type and "Look" and wanted to maintain that but bring in atitude and details. And the dogs look ageless, right out of the magazines from the 80's! As they should, with the older lines they carried. But I wanted to be competive too, and as I was too come to learn- this wasnt a pocket of my own bloodlines tucked away up north..our area is one of the strongest and toughest quality wise in the world for afghan hounds.

It just so happens at that time in non-show happenings....I injured my hand and for 18 months had recurrent surgeries and therapy...inter-carpal ligament reconstruction to be exact.  My career as a orthodonic cosmetic restoration ceramist(cosmetic veneers/crowns/bridges etc) was on hold as show grooming was. We only had 6-8 shows here within a 2 hour drive a year. And at that time majors maybe once a year! We were pulling reserves, and 2 pt shows when we had them. Sadly though, when the Oceanus x Cafe Expresso litter was  very young about 4 months, I had taken another one of my pups to a show up north(he had done well at 6 months showing in Louisville) and brought home a new strain of parvo...it affected Disco(Axcelleration), Coffee(Coffe Break), and Morgan(Glitterati) very badly (within 24 hours) and I lost 2 dogs( not from this litter) but it was very heartbreaking. We stayed up with Gatorade and pepto-bismo, and glucose tablets in a week of hell. It was a very low point. I think it affected Coffee's size he was sold as a pet as 2 months after that it just seemed he had stopped growing then! I showed him at 6 months and he was so petite!  Disco has always been super silly, but we know it just seems he never got the bone and is winded pretty easily. At least they pulled through. I am glad to say that Ric Allan and my husband had so much faith in Coffee, I lifted the limited papers and his first show weekend he went BOWinners over major pointed competition with my husband showing him in jeans and sunglasses!

I decided then to take time out to evaluate what I had and where I wanted to go and begin to study our area for ring trends, etc. And I am thankful I did, everything seems to build full circle as we get older we come to realize.

ENTER LOCO:

Now at this time, fast forward to 2002. Ric Allan decided he and his wife Deb wanted to start showing. We met as he had had his first dog from my Mom and she had just passed away at something like 15 yrs old! He had Coffee, briefly Disco, but wanted to find a nice puppy he could start off and they could "learn together". Well it was a  few months of dead ends and a reintroduction into afghan politics. To get a show puppy is a catch 22, you should be already showing to qualify- but if you are just starting out as Ric was, then thats nigh impossible! Iunderstand breeders not wnating to squander a good dog on a newcomer, but its discouraging to saythe least. But Ric sent me to an ad on afghansonline.com and the future was there. Summerwinds had a few young "CH." to sell.  Loco had an upper pedigree that was Zuran which was based on much of Kabik's older dogs, and highlighted by Tut which Oceanus had brought in through Ariel. Loco's dam was Wynsyr in which I saw alot of the dogs locally, and that brought in that nice cobby body and great "lift"! A perfect balance for Oceanus I thought!

We ordered the tape of Loco, after much talking and conferring with Rosemary and the direction we wanted to go and what lines we had, etc. Rosemary was just an angel and I am so thankful now that someone still has faith in "unproven" newcomers. She has spent so much time with us and me, and such an inspiration!

Now I knew the points I wanted to incorporate into what I had. I wanted a strong topline, less underjaw and backskull, more leg and details- tail, neck, small eyes! And that intangible desire to show! In an area where it is jokingly called the "Ohio Mafia" above us and locally such big names as Qamari, Boanne, Majic, Windfall, with Tradewinds and Zepln too! and handlers Oh my :D...you cant just be "picture pretty"...a dog must SHOW....and a newcomer/non"face" almost has to have a better dog to do anything...but no one will put up a poor attitude- so that was a big key to a fresh start.

And the overall component I WANTED for my dogs was that Summerwind attitude! In Loco's photos it is hard to convey the raw spirit that he is and the unfathomable pride he has. And on his tape just for a moment, I caught a glimpse of that "double-suspension" movement, that just catches the air and propels the dog in flight effortlessly.....you just see the timeless generations back to the desert for a moment. Loco was that on tape.

Ric and I bought a co-ownership each into him and we 4(me and my husband, Ric and Rosemary) decided to do a lease agreement on Oceanus, as she was the yin to Loco's yang. She was ultra extreme and all angles and drippingly exotic. She showed well, but her upbringing in a kennel kind of warped her from being outgoing, and Loco was the perfect complement to stamp his enthusiasm on offspring. I read once that a great breeding is 1/3 pedigree, 1/3 parents and 1/3 luck! I couldnt believe the luck that was bestowed upon us in the blessing of this litter!

ENTER OUR FUTURE:

We had a 5 bitch litter that is a new foundation for us. Diva is everything I could want in a bitch and as a puppy just took the first weekends out by storm! Ric has Summer, and Cha Cha and Spice are with newer owner and just stunning! Halo is back at home with us and has movement I never thought possible in ground coverage!

I had dreamed of a bitch like Diva! Besides being my buddy...she rides as I take my son to school and is just a delightful housedog...she is the ultimate showman and we are forming such a bond with having FUN at shows. You ask and she gives- just turns it ON! She is so exotic and just my type in looks AND is Ms' Attitude!

I was amazed and thrilled at the puppies in this litter and the way the parents "clicked". We had bounced some ideas around in taking Oceanus to another stud so I could get a nice male to complement our new beginning...but the more this litter matured, I decided to try for a male like Diva, or any of the girls in the litter for that matter and we re-bred Loco and Oceanus. The result was 7 girls, 2 boys and lightning can strike twice! WOW- the pups are just 4 months and 8 are just waiting till the 6 month mark with owners so excited about showing them! WE were EXTREMELY lucky in placements too- just to be blessed with experienced owners who have faith in the puppies and the future looks so bright! Already at speciality matches and all-breed matches the puppies are making a statment!

The timing is great too, as we are having majors in our state again..!

In the last 7-8 years all dogs from us have been under contract and we have only had one "2nd" generation breeding 5 years ago (april 99- and all are on limited, contracts, etc except for what I want used) as I was being frugal and trying to preserve the lines I had.  I know in that time some people are on the 5th or 6th generation, or have sold dogs that are grandparents by now  in my area! But I wanted to watch development and be sure to proceed in the direction I wanted to go and have the space to support what I wanted for myself.  I am proud to announce this coming 2 years will be a new era for SAKKARRA, as owners have breedings planned with their SAKKARRA dogs!

I am so excited and this is what I have worked so hard for, to watch as others implement our dogs, dreams and hopes into their lines and I cant wait to see what the future holds! I am so proud of our dogs and it will be a great thing to see the future generations built on our babies and the potential within. The next decade will be stellar!

Thank you so much and we will be updating as much as we can!

Many people had asked about our Kennel name- I had decided on it due to its being multi-faceted. SAKKARRA. To read about its origin click here.

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