The al-safi Kennel

A Kennel for beautiful and high performance Salukis

A Cutout from my Publication in the DWZRV Magazine „Unsere Windhunde “, edition 12, 2000

The Portraits to the “20 and 25-year old al-safi kennel anniversary” appeared November 1995 and December 2000 in the DWZRV Magazine “Unsere Windhune” in editions.

In the following there is a summary of some events in this kennel:

• 1970 the grizzle dog “Dif's Fishan Allah Mumtachir ar rih” moved into the house of Dr. Helga Renfordt-Voelkner. The black-silver grizzle dog “D'Allah's Terangie M.a.r.” as well as “Pimok M.a.r.” was added somewhat later.
• To 6.8.1975 then the first litter from “Dif's Fishan Allah M.a.r.” fell after “d'Allah's Dif M.a.r.”. To this dog Walter Brandt possessed a litter-sister, i.e. Dif's Mascha Allah M.a.r. Since this time the two breeders got friends.
• With nearly eight years the dog “Tita's Mamnouna M.a.r.” (see “family similarity”) could still reach the achievement document. She was mated to “Cesm Safid el Mashhur”, a son of Siawush M.a.r.. Of this mating the legendary D-Litter with MCh Diba and MCh. Delsadi al-safi was born, which showed much capacity in the sense of the breed-goal “beauty and performance”.
• 

  1996 I became acquainted with “MCh. El-Tha-Rih al-safi” LU with his nickname “Jochen”, when I visited Walter Brandt in Hamburg. He was a wonderful Saluki dog with a sovereign character.

  In addition, the E-Litter out of MCh. Diba al-safi after Ch. E'bolon Sharib el Riad brought beautiful and fast dogs to the al-safi kennel. The Saluki-dog “MCh. El Tha Rih al-safi” LU i.e., was mentioned before, became the German Champion for Beauty and VDH Champion. He achieved the Championship for “Beauty and Performance”, he also received the titles “Federal Winner 93”, “German Derby Winner 94”, “German Champion in Performance” and “German Champion for Beauty and Performance”.
  
• Since the beginning of 1994 the kennel community Renfordt/Brandt exists.
• From the F-Litter two bitches “Ferenike and Fayza al-safi” could reach the German Championship for Beauty - DWZRV and VDH - in each case. Ferenike al-safi kept the “German Championship for Beauty and Performance” in addition and became “DWZRV Winner 1997”. She could win about 16 times the title Beauty & Performance. Also other dogs from this litter were successful.
• 1996 after the import dog Ch. Shabgard az Piran fell the G-Litter out of Ch. Eljana al-safi. Eljana was the lady-breeder's favourite bitch (see photo here on the side). She was an elegant red grizzle dog, which had a perfect movement and possessed an enormous charisma.
• The import dog Ch. Shabgard az Piran brought many good characteristics to the al-safi kennel, the “natural sharpness”, which the dogs had up to then, was moderated something. A particularly friendly nature all Shabgard children show, also from other kennels.
• By the H-Litter (out of “Farabiah al-safi” after the dog “Ch. Dejhim el Mashhur”) it had gone back consciously into the old “Mumtachir ar-rih line” after two “outcross matings”. Hazim Ibn Dejhim al-safi received the German Championship DWZRV. Further dogs from this litter won CACs and CACIBs.
• In September 2000 then the I-Litter fell out of “Hayfaa Mamnouna al-safi” after “MCh. El-Tha-Rih al-safi” LU. All seven puppies are very similar to the D and E-litter.
• 2002 there is the J-Litter out of “Haya Baad Haya al-safi” after “Mamnouna's Barsani”. This Saluki-dog is a son of the legendary Saluki-bitch “MCh. Delsadi al-safi”, the fastest and most successful Saluki racing-bitch since ever.
• 2004 the K-Litter fell as the second litter out of “Hayah-Baad-Haya al-safi“ after “Ch Wa'sim Amadiya el Riad“. This litter is a backcrossing on the E-Litter. The stud-dog's father is “MCh El Tha-rih al-safi“ and goes maternally back to the M-Litter el Riad, that is leading pure Turkish blood over “Arkadasch Baklakiri“.
• 2006 the L-Litter saw the light of day. “Jadisha al-safi“ has also been mated to the el Riad dog “Wa'sim Amadiya“. The breeders intended to combine the genes of the most successful litter-sisters “MCh Diba und MCh Delsadi al-safi“ to the successful Turkish bloodline(see Dr. H. Renfordt-Voelkner/W. Brandt: 30 Years “al-safi“ Salukis, in the DWZRV-Stud-Book 41, page 166).

From 1975 to 2006 the “al-safi” Saluki kennel has “only” had twelve litters. That means between each litter there is a large gap, because the breeders wanted to select the possible puppy-buyers before a mating. Also they do not want to let the pack grow too large. However in 32 years 87 puppies were born in the kennel. Thus the average size of each litter is 7.25 puppies for each. I think this is a very good result, because the litter size gives some information on the genetic condition of a breed just like fertility, vitality and size growth (see Hansen, I.: Inheritance of the dog, 2001, p. 120).

One aim of the breed-community was and has been until today to breed - apart from beauty and performance – to keep an unmistakable “type of family” in the al-safi kennel (see family similarity).

The “al-safi” Salukis are not only successful on courses, coursings and exhibitions, but also find use as therapy dogs. Thus Dr. Helga Renfordt-Voelkner trained dogs from the E, F, G, H, I and J-Litter as therapy dogs and achieved with them a success in the psychological therapy of frightened children. In the German Stud Book No. 36, on the pages 51 to 53, a paper concerning this topic has been published (see “therapy dogs”).

What I particularly like at this kennel is that the breeders select homes for their puppies, where they are hold as family members, so they are able to show their typical mentality. Their interest of the bred puppies will not go out after the sale. But the breeders are always ready to hear and give good advice to the dog holder.

Dr. Helga Renfordt-Voelkner and Walter Brandt are willing not to adulterate this wonderful breed, but to keep it in its originality and unspoiled nature. Therefore they want no adaptation and to put a stop to the ruling trend of a so called “show-dog“.

Dear Helga, dear Walter, I thank you for this wonderful Saluki, who is always at my side as my best friend.

I wish you furthermore such typical Salukis and a good view to choose the puppy-buyers.

Margrit with Gorazan al-safi