Zabou in Memory

JCh. ALOAZABOU du Noble Nid

When nights are cold and stars are few,
I close my eyes and think of you.
A silent hope, a silent tear,
a silent wish that you were here.

Austrian Junior Champion
HD 0/0, CSNB clear (by parentage) * BGH-A * full breeding confirmation

Aug. 30, 2001 - July 19, 2009, 8:58 a.m.
Sire: Sél. Champ. OSFERATU FAUVE de la Chaume du Bois Dieu (France * HD clear, CSNB/ERG clear * Champion Luxemburg, Selected France and Belgium, Cot. 6, Elite B Belgium, Elite A France)
Mutter: Rec. REVUE du Bois d'Howis (Belgium * HD clear, CSNB/PRA/ERG clear * recommended in Belgium, Elite B France)

I imported Zabou from Belgium in October 2001. Her breeder and my friend Pascale flew her to Vienna and stayed with me for a few days. Zabou was my first fawn Briard.

She comes from an excellent Belgian-French line, and I had high hopes of continuing my breeding successes that I had with Yazoo. Unfortunately, my plans didn't work out: During the bacterial examination before the second mating, it was discovered that Zabou had a massive mycoplasma infection. This explained why she hadn't conceived after the first attempt - where she was documented as bacteria-free: She had been infected with these bacteria by the stud dog during the first mating. The terrible thing about these bacteria is that they have a spectrum similar to the herpes virus and come and go; they cannot be definitively eliminated. Mycoplasma kills the sperm, and of course, the stud dog is also infected during mating. Zabou was immediately treated with antibiotics, but since she was already in heat on the fifth day, the second trip to the stud dog was also unsuccessful, as the treatment is only effective if continued for 10 to 14 days. The question was whether I should make further attempts for a litter, or whether I should forgo breeding with this beautiful and spirited bitch. I decided not to give up immediately.

Many examinations and treatment attempts followed (for which I am incredibly grateful to the responsible veterinarian at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna). Zabou had to be examined one to two months before her heat cycle so that she could be successfully treated with antibiotics for the upcoming mating, ensuring she was free of these bacteria at the precise time of mating. The third mating attempt in May 2006 was successful, and so in July 2006 I had my first and long-awaited litter with Zabou, the K-litter. Unfortunately, the next attempt was unsuccessful again: Zabou's heat cycle shifted after whelping, and it was too late to treat the recurring mycoplasma infection. I wanted to make one last attempt in 2008, and at the time of the examination, Zabou was even free of mycoplasma...... but the stud dog I had selected was unavailable at the time of mating, as was the other stud dog I had considered. Since I am reluctant to simply use any male dog just to have puppies, I have given up and hope that I will have more success with breeding Zabou's daughter Courage.

As a puppy and young dog, Zabou was extremely spirited and "wild." She was practically unstoppable. I was the more surprised, then, when at nine months old she became the best and most gentle playmate for Oh-Lala's puppies. As she grew up, she became a confident, assured, well-behaved, and very sociable dog. She was an excellent mother to her puppies, which makes it all the more regrettable that I only had one litter with her. Zabou gets along wonderfully with all our dogs - the Briards as well as the smaller breeds. She is an excellent playmate for puppies and adult dogs alike, especially my smaller breeds. She never uses her size or strength against the smaller ones; she always lets them get away with everything and never sets boundaries for the younger ones. She is simply far too tolerant, which the little ones often take advantage of if I don't intervene and separate the rascals from Zabou so she can have her rest.

Zabou was shown here and there and always came out of the show ring with excellent results. When the shows for my Chinese Crested dogs began and they were regularly exhibited abroad, I ended Zabou's involvement in the "show business".

Even though my breeding plans with Zabou couldn't be realized and my dreams remained unfulfilled, I am grateful for every day with her and wouldn't have wanted to miss this dog for anything. I thank Pascale for choosing this particular dog for me (because I only saw the puppies online and completely trusted Pascale, as she knew what I wanted and intended).

When Zabou was taken from my life on July 19, 2009, without any sign of illness, at not even 8 years old, a piece of my heart broke again, a wound that will never fully heal, even though I have her daughter Courage with me. This wonderful dog crossed the Rainbow Bridge far too young, and the only small comfort is that I will see her again one day with all the others. And one of my Chinese Crested dogs also suffered greatly from the fact that his best friend was no longer here: Voodoo - for him, Zabou was his everything on every day that he was allowed to accompany her.

To complement the wall with drawings of my dogs, I commissioned Michaela Liegle - Tierportrait.at to create a portrait of Zabou. I had no idea that this drawing would become a tribute to her, as it only arrived after her death. And this drawing, too, is an exact replica of the original.

Zabou's special success:

• 07/12/2006 - Zabou whelps the K litter of my kennel de la Maison du Garde-Barrière
• 04/04/2005 - Zabou is fully confirmed for breeding
• 02.01.2003 - Zabou is HD 0/0
• 08.12.2002 - Zabou is Austrian Junior Champion (Diploma)

Zabou's own (old) homepage