Hi Bert and Karin,
Just thought I’d email with an update now that Enid has turned the big 1! I hope all her siblings are doing as well as my girl.
Enid has overtaken Zelda in weight (she’s already 34 kg, and Zel is only 32 kg) but is still very much a baby at heart – she loves cuddles, always stays close to me when we’re out and about, and NEVER stops talking. I’ve attached some photos of our recent adventures around Brisbane – practically impossible to get a photo with the girls looking at me when there’s other more interesting things to investigate. Much easier to get a photo of them during their post-adventure naps!
Zelda and Enid spend a lot of time playing together in the rough and noisy way only Dobermanns can, and trying out their Doberstalking skills on unwitting birds, each other, me. Unfortunately we lost my beautiful Greyhound, Cav, at the end of last year, and Zelda was very unsettled for a while without him. Now she’s figured out she’s the boss and has become very protective if any other dogs show too much interest in little Ned. Whenever we are somewhere off-lead, the girls stick close together like a little Dobie gang.
I feel so lucky to have the pair of sweet-natured, healthy, tough Dobie girls that I have with Zel and Ned. Zel is almost 4 now and she’s brave and athletic, whereas Enid is more cautious and very cheeky, but both the girls are deeply loyal and have excellent instincts for guarding. I couldn’t have asked for a better pair.
10/04/2024
Hi Karin,
Everybody’s doing well. Both the girls are living their best lives, even if that means chaos for the rest of us. I should have named them Havoc and Mayhem, if I’d only known! Enid is getting very tall very quickly and she’s already 28kg. That doesn’t stop her from sitting on everybody for cuddles – only Zelda won’t let her get away with that. I’ve attached some recent clips.
No certificate for Zelda’s achievement yet, though I think we may be collecting this at the next lure coursing meet in November. Now that Enid is over 6 month she can do a puppy run at the event to see if she’s got the same chasing instincts. It’s a much shorter course just to see if pups/first-timers will follow the bag. Not sure how Enid will go – she’s more into chasing Zelda – but we can have a go.
31/10/2023
Hello again,
This is our first year being involved in the Battle of the States so I’m not sure if we receive anything for winning our breed category – if so, it’ll probably come via our lure coursing club. At this point all we have are the published results, which I am also letting everybody know about. And the photos from the event which I sent you a little while back. I’m so proud of Zel, she’s a phenomenal athlete. She doesn’t know what I’ve been cheering about but she doesn’t say no to the extra treaties she got as a celebration!
Definitely excited to see what Enid will grow up and show an interest in. And if she keeps chasing after Zelda she’s bound to be a contender for future Battle of the States sprint competitions. We shall see!
07/10/2023
Hello again Karin and Bert,
It’s official, Zelda is the fastest Dobermann at Battle of the States for 2023!! She did her 100m sprint in 8.26 second, beating the 4 other registered Dobermanns in the competition.
Just another example of the superb breeding of these Darkashadows girls – Zelda is supremely athletic and it’s magic to see her run. The way Enid copies everything Zelda does, maybe we’ll have 2 girls placing in this competition in the future?? Who knows!
06/10/2023
Hi Karin,
Fantastic to see a photo of one of Enid’s siblings! She’s got a sharp little nose, it actually reminds me of Zelda a bit.
Enid is turning out to be quite the chunky little girl – she’s already 24kg – very different to how Zelda was a string bean for so long. Zelda is a consistent 31 kg whenever we visit the vet so I suspect Enid will outweigh her before too long. Enid has already lost most/all of her puppy teeth so she’s trying out her adult teeth by chomping people on the bottom and then running away. I’m very much hoping she grows out of this party trick soon because her little croc teeth are just as unpleasant as her little baby shark teeth were. I’ve attached a few photos of Enid with her siblings and a short clip of Enid on one of our bushwalks to a nearby quarry. Enid is quite adventurous… if Zelda is nearby to show her what’s what…
In other news, Perth recently completed their 100m sprint trials for 2023 so it shouldn’t be too long until the Battle of the States 100m Sprint competition results are released and we find out whether Zelda is one of, or maybe THE, fastest Dobie in Australia for 2023. I’m keeping all my fingers and toes crossed! Zelda won’t know or care what it means, but I’m excited!
Speak again soon,
01/10/2023
Hi Bert and Karin,
Just wanted to let you know Zelda competed in her first 100m sprint trials today, getting 8.42 seconds on her first run then 8.26 seconds for her second run. I’ve attached a video of her second run, and you can see when she really engages the boosters. The sand she kicks up in the catching pen at the end is also an indication of how fast she was tracking. The greyhounds today had scores of 5 or 6 seconds, so I’m pretty amazed at Zel’s speed.
This competition is nationwide – Battle of the States 100m Sprints – so we find out in October if Zel is the fastest Dobie in Australia. Either way, I won’t try to outrun her with a lamp chop!
In Enid news, she’s a real softy and very different from Zelda! She steals shoes and socks, doesn’t care about chasing a ball at all, and can fall asleep in seconds without having to suck on a toy for 20 minutes. They’re chalk and cheese… except for their shared love of food and a bush walk! Enid pretty much follows Zelda everywhere which annoys Zelda sometimes, and we’re still working on sharing (Zel) and biting (Enid) but they’re good girls with sweet temperaments and strong, healthy bodies – a credit to you both.
22/07/2023
Hi Bert and Karin,
Going well so far! Zelda loves to play and after some initial hesitation, Enid seems to be getting into the swing of things.
Lovely to see you again this morning and have another Darkashadows girl in my family.
18/06/2023
Zelda has always been a healthy, happy little girl and my vet has never had any issues with her being desexed from a young age, so I don’t foresee any problems there.
I was thinking I would call this little girl Enid, after Enid Blyton – lots of adventures in store for this little girl too.
10/06/2023
I absolutely agree about the beautiful nature of your dogs, and it seems a bonus that Zelda and this new puppy would actually be family. The puppy is just beautiful, and if she isn’t already claimed, I would like to adopt her.
10/06/2023
Hi Bert and Karin,
Yep, this is me!
Zelda is now working towards her Lure Courser of Merit title, and finding it much easier to run in the cooler weather. There’s also a 100m sprint event coming up that will list her in the Battle of the States sprint competition. I’m keen to see just how fast she can go in a straight line!
10/06/2023
Hello again Bert,
Just wanted to give you a quick update – Zelda gained her first lure coursing title with the Qld Lure Coursing Association Inc. She’s officially a Lure Coursing Field Champion, and loves the sport, so I’m sure this won’t be her last moment of glory.
04/12/2022
“Hi Bert,
In September 2020, I purchased one of your beautiful little pups – Lady Tayla, now known as Zelda.
She’s over 2 years old now, and still one of the sweetest and happiest dogs I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning.
I’m emailing to let you know she’s also quite the action dog! Earlier this year she participated in a trail run – 11km and she could have gone a second lap (which we might do next year).
And last weekend we attended a lure coursing event for the first time. Zelda received first place in her group, and the highest score of the day – 178/200 for her two runs.
I’ve attached a video of her first run – she loves the chase, and was even faster on her second run later in the day.
Thank you again for breeding such physically and socially beautiful dogs – Zel is perfect, and the sole reason I barely contain myself from getting another pup
(which I see you have available – I must walk away!!). 😁”
16/09/2022
“I’m just emailing to send you an update on Zelda – formerly known as Lady Tayla. She’s settled in to my home very well, and enjoys playing with her toys and harrassing my 7-year-old Greyhound for as much of the day as possible. She still enjoys some cuddles, especially at the end of a long day, and I’m making the most of it before she’s too big to hang on to.
Zelda is also very clever – she already walks well on a lead and knows a few commands. Unfortunately, everything she knows goes out the window when she sees a magpie and she just wants to chase them.
Thank you for breeding and raising a Doberman with such a healthy little body and beautiful temperament, I’m so glad I was able to snag the last puppy of the litter.“
30/09/2020
Hi Bert,
I have now shown the video to everybody I know, as well! I can’t believe she has grown so tall. Thank you for sending that to me.
10/09/2020
Hi Bert,
Thank you so much for sending throught the photos – I’ve showed them to everybody I know!
Little Tayla is absolutely gorgeous, she’s grown so much, and looks like she’s quite a character. I can’t wait to pick her up soon.
07/09/2020
Good evening Bert,
She’s gorgeous, thank you for sending through some photos! Beautiful colour markings.
03/08/2020
