FI LC CH, PMM-11, CVM-12 Non Serviam Anax Imperator Saluki, male, neutered FIN37070/08 Born 10.05.2008 Black & tan Owner: Silja Paakkinen Location: Joensuu Heart auscultation 07/11: murmur 2 x CACIL (FI) Kafka in Pawpeds-database

Photo: Tuulia Huhtala (photo on menu: Hyde)

[ BACKGROUND ][ RESULTS ][ PEDIGREE ][ A-LITTER ]

Kafka

alias Harami, Kaffe, Kahva, Café Aroma, Nilkki = the Creep, Black Ameena

Kafka's impatient nature became evident at birth. Even before the contractions had begun in earnest, Kafka was on his way out, one hindfoot first. For 45 minutes after the sac had burst we contemplated that tiny paw, until the second protruded, soon followed by the rest of the pup.

To our surprise he was very much alive - though slightly groggy - and we began trying on pet names for him. After considering such names as Jack Sparrow and Harami, we settled on the name of the pitch black horse in the "Nummelan ponitalli" book series, Kafka (although we did later realize the birth itself had kafkaesque features). We had resolved to name a lightcolored male pup Husaari, another name from the same books, but no lightcolored boys were born.

Kafka, along with Hasina, was from the very beginning the litter's loudest and most impatient individual. He was also the first to realize the prey potential of a moving white rag. Kafka was initially a strong contender for the home in Holland, but when they chose the red boy, both black lads stayed in Finland as their owners' first Salukis.

Kafka lives in Joensuu with Silja and a Spanish rescuespitz Sami. Kafka has competed in lure-coursing quite sparingly, but has been mostly winning lately. ~ Hyde

I know it is a cliche´ to say one's dog is a personality, but in the case of Kafka it really must be said - Kafka is a personality. Kafka is best described, true to his name, by a kafkaesque,  decadent coolness, on the other hand also a zen like serenity and, to quote my live-in partner, "a bloodhoundlike melancholy".

Sometimes Kafka, like his Polish namesake, suffers from existential angst, but eventually reaches what he feels is a higher spiritual plane and shuts out the world around him. Kafka meditates in the bedroom's petrolium blue armchair, not originally meant for dogs. The chair arrived in Joensuu from my childhood home when Kafka was about 6 months old and he jumped aboard as it was moved from the hallway to the bedroom, making himself comfortable. The rest you can guess.

Kafka was a horrible puppy. Well - for the first few days he was still quite pleasant. Soon however he discovered his voice (which has become famous across the land) and trying times began. Puppy guides advice that "when the puppy whimpers, ignore it and it will stop" - this was debunked by Kafka after several days during which he wailed for several hours while I tried to restrain myself. No problem, I thought. I can always teach him the word "no" and properly implement correctional methods! I was filled with despair as I gradually began to accept facts. Kafka is not a quiet dog.

(Here I thought of adding a paragraph entitled "Kafka and the time to destroy" and "is it normal that a 10 month old dog is not yet housebroken?" but this will have to suffice:

.. and the mental imagery of waking up at 6 am on a Sunday morning to an odd thump. You get up to see what is happening and see Kafka, zen like, leaving after having relieved himself. Half asleep you fetch toilet paper, gather up the mess and take it to the toilet bowl. Next you find yourself scooping up stoolcovered pebbles from the depths of the toilet with rubber gloves, wondering "why did I get this dog?" Kafka enjoyed eating pebbles until his first winter arrived and cured him of the habit.)

Kafka's vocal range transcends a dog owner's wildest imagination - although the frequency of its use has - fortunately - been reduced with age. The adjectives "reserved" and "sensitive" commonly used in Saluki character descriptions do not apply to Kafka. Kafka does not just bond strongly to his owners - he enthusiastically greets everyone he sees and he bonds to them all - random passers by included. Kafka gives a plaintive howl to all the lost friends we pass on our walks or leave at the dog park gate. Kafka wants to get to know ice fishers; they in turn have unfortunately not yet expressed their desire to get to know the black, happily bounding Saluki that follows them for 50 meters at best.

The concept of personal space is alien to him - Kafka cares not at all if you sit on him, if you squish his face into funny shapes, if you pick him up in your lap with his legs skyward or if you tie him in knots. He does not take others' personal space in to account either, but will push next to you, on top of you, between you - no matter what the reception is.

Kafka fears nothing. This I've seen as a positive attribute - I was warned that Salukis could easily become skittish. Kafka is not afraid of fireworks, hostile dogs, gentle dogs, noisy machinery, the vacuumer, snow dropping from roof tops, horses or Great Old Ones. Unfortunately he is equally unafraid of punishment.

Kafka has a complicated relationship with bones. My partner uses the term "emergency concealment". Kafka doesn't know what to do with a bone he is given, so he carries it around in his mouth like a cigar and wanders about with it. The best solution is to hide his own bone and steal Sami's if possible. This way the greedy Kafka gets them both. As to greed, Kafka follows the current trend and ecologically sifts through garbage and expresses his desire to turn vegan by stealing packets of lentils, bags of crushed soy and flour, and spreading them on the floor and tasting them.

Kafka also has an empathic side. When my friend's Saluki was here and feeling homesick, Kafka went next to it, lay down with a paw on his friend's paw and sighed deeply as if to say "hey, don't cry, you get to go home tomorrow!" Kafka also shows his caring side to his favourite plush toy Hämis (although Hämis was eviscerated before this affectionate relationship took hold..) Kafka will come onto my lap to warm me if he sees that I'm cold and patiently and quietly stays by my side when I cry. Kafka brings plenty of humor to our daily lives and we have to stop squabbling amongst ourselves when Sami bangs his tail against the radiator like a shaman and the "Phantom Menace" arrives from the bedroom, front legs flailing - as if Kafka was perpetually surprised that humans sit on the couch like every other night.

Kafka, with his velociraptor looks, has brought more laughter, humor and bizarre situations to my life than I would have thought possible.

Thanks to Hyde and Sanja for your support and friendship - the Creep is priceless. ~ Silja

Lure-Coursing Results

2012

05.05. 2012 Iitti, Suomi-Cup - 240 p. + 236 p. = 476 p., placed 1/7, CQ, CVM-12 ~ VIDEO (final 120 fps)

07.07. 2012 Tampere INT, Finnish Saluki Club's Lure-Coursing Championship
248 p. + 233 p. = 481 p., placed 3/22, CQ ~ VIDEO 1. - VIDEO 2.

2011

22.05. 2011 Jyväskylä, Derby - 257 p. + 244 p. = 501 p., placed 2/9, CC

02.07. 2011 Kymenlaakso, Finnish Saluki Club's Lure-Coursing Championship - 248 p., placed 2/12, CC ~ VIDEO

09.07. 2011 Tampere INT, Nordic Championship
240 p. + 234 p. = 474 p., placed 1/14, CC, CACIL, PMM-11, FI LC CH

10.09. 2011 Nilsiä - 248 p. + 255 p. = 503 p., placed 1/12, CQ

2010

09.05. 2010 Kankaanpää, Mother's Day Coursing - 234 p. + 246 p. = 497 p., placed 3/16, CQ ~ VIDEO

13.05 2010 Kajaani - 248 p. + 269 p. = 517 p., placed 1/8, CC

22.05. 2010 Hyvinkää - 206 p., placed 7/11

20.06. 2010 Mustiala, Finnish Saluki Club's Lure-Coursing Championship - 183 p., placed 17/20

14.08. 2010 Mustiala INT - 219 p + 243 p. = 462 p., placed 1/20, CC, CACIL

11.09. 2010 Nilsiä - 233 p. + 247 p. = 480 p., placed 3/9, CQ

Show Results

[ Click on event for more info ]

2010

15.08. 2010 Mustiala, SVKL Club Show (unofficial) - Marianne Holm - WORKING-2 HP

2009

07.06. 2009 Helsinki, Saluki Show - Meike De Haney - JUN-3

21.11. 2009 Jyväskylä INT - Ewa Stolarska - INT VG