Tawzalt...

...photos sent to me yesterday by Brian Reiter. Brian never fails to send interesting, beautiful images of his dogs.

Tittawen Al-Ifriqiya

I'm not sure if I've previously posted this image, one of my favorites of Tittawen. I 'ran across' this image this morning while searching for another. The Tamasheq word 'tittawen' means 'eyes'. It has always been my practice to name puppies the moment they are born. Tittawen lived up to her name. Al hamdullilah.

Tafraoute...

...in a beautiful photograph sent to me this morning by her owner Daniele Jonas. Tafraoute is the sister of Tintzirit and Adal (Amenzu X Tawinak). Al hamdullilah.

another Guy Dupraz photo...

...this one of Tiraout. Yes, I know, her tail is curled! But her legs are almost flawless, al hamdullilah! Tiraout has produced one litter for me sired by Tigidit Fasiqqi, al hamdullilah; five puppies of which I retained two for breeding, Insh'Allah; the male puppy Safdar and the female puppy Tiinaade. Tiinaade has perhaps the most beautiful head of any Azawakh I have ever bred. Al hamdullilah. None of the puppies have curled tails. Tirouat's full sister Tazrayt (owned by Brigitte Jacob Hamitouche, Reunion Island...but still part of my 'pack') as well as a third sister Melusina. Melusina was imported by Claudia Gemmato, Italy. Claudia also imported a bitch from me, Sinan Idiiyat-es-Sahel. Al hamdullilah.

thank you Guy...

for permission to publish this wonderful image of two of the desert breds I brought back from the Sahel in 2007; Tamgak and Tiraout. Both have already produced for me. Tamgak sired a litter out of Tiwul Idiiyat-es-Sahel and Tiraout whelped a litter sired by Tigidit Fasiqqi. Al hamdullilah. I find the image very evocative.

Tombouktou's Amazzal...

...is the only daughter born in Gabriele Meissen's most recent litter: Takute Al-Ifriqiya X Django (desert bred, imported by Alberto Rossi). Al hamdullilah.

Hawa

Tadaksahak

Guy Dupraz...

...with Tadaksahak and Hawa in California. Guy is the new owner of Tadaksahak and Corine Lundqvist, Azawakh de Garde Epee, the new owner of Hawa. Both Gabriele Meissen and Mimi Drake were instrumental on many levels in facilitating this exportation of two of my Azawakh to France. I look forward to the day that their unique genetics wind their way into the European gene pool, Insh'Allah. Ironically, Tadaksahak (whose dam Illi Tin Hinan Batna was bred by Brigitte Jacob Hamitouche) is the great-great-grandson of Gefell de Garde Epee. So in a way some part of him is returning home. Al hamdullilah. My appreciation to Guy for allowing me to post this image.

Nara's litter...

Nara Idiiyat-es-Sahel whelped 4 male and 4 female puppies sired by Ansongo Idiiyat-es-Sahel on November 8th, al hamdullilah. Both sire and dam are owned by Guonessa Gustafson, a Swedish-American artist living in Nevada. For me the breeding represents a very interesting combination of genotypes and phenotypes. The sire line is Mabrouk, an Azawakh brought out of southern Algeria whose line has been preserved by Brigitte Jacob Hamitouche of Reunion Island...the dam line that of desert bred Taytok, a beautiful bitch imported from the Sahel into Germany by Gabriele Meissen. The high number of 'New African/ABIS' imports in the ancestry is an encouraging idicator and presents a glimpse of the dedication and work of breeders around the world; breeders dedicated to both the preservation and advancement of the race who recognized/recognize that the inclusion of fresh desert bred stock in western breeding programs is a positive breeding strategy. In many ways these puppies represent both the result and the promise of such a strategy: crossing New African Azawakh (in this instance Agarouf, Taytok, Anubi ag Tin Akoff, Hatshepsut, C'Babasch, Mabrouk, Ejeker, Duke, Bold Billy and Atri ak Mansoufouga) into the foundation 'Yugoslavian' and 'French' lines. And maybe I'm a little biased...but the puppies already look beautiful to me. I hope you will visit Guonessa's blog to find out more about both Guonessa and her puppies. I believe there are still some puppies available.

commentary on the video below...

A short video of less than superior quality that is nonetheless interesting on several levels for its subject matter. The Azawakh bitch is Imouyene Idiiyat-es-Sahel and five of the puppies in the video are her puppies sired by Tigidit Fasiqqi (the male puppies Kidal and Sikasso as well as the bitch puppy Dori, the three I retained for breeding, and the bitch puppies Tilaberit and Nara). Both Imouyene and Fasiqqi are half desert bred. And three of the puppies in the video were brought back from the Sahel by other members of the 2007 ABIS Expedition. The red puppy with high white on her legs (Tagola) was imported by Christiane Thier-Rostaing and the two creme-colored brothers were brought out by Alberto Rossi. The two cream desert bred puppies were only a couple of weeks old when they were brought out of Africa and Imouyene, whose puppies were very close in age, accepted, nursed and raised them as her own.  Later Christiane came to pick up Tagola to take her home to Germany and the two creme-colored males were shipped to Alberto in Italy. Ansongo is the odd puppy out. He must have been in there to play with the other puppies. He was a single puppy out of Xanadu's Azzat (bred by Alison Tyler) and sired by Idi Illaman Afelahlah (bred by Brigitte Jacob Hamitouche, Reunion Island). 

Imouyene in 2007 With the Puppies...

Arakao...

...bred by Gabriele Meissen. One of the male puppies from the Django (desert bred, imported by Alberto Rossi) X Takute (Kusaylah X Iman) litter. I like this photo.

Tombouktou's Wazzaq...

...bred by Gabriele Meissen. Wazzaq's sire Amadahl was sired by Alem'nemehal and his dam by Kusaylah. Wazzaq is owned by H.J.Chmielewski, Germany. The photographs are published here with the permission of Dorothe Ebner.

Yubai

Beautiful photos of Yubai sent to me today by his owner Carlos Balestra Aguilar of Mexico City, Mexico. Yubai is a full brother of Tawzalt, shown in the previous post. Carlos is also a Board Member of The Azawakh Club.

Tawzalt

This photo of Tawzalt was just sent to me by her owner Brian Reiter. Al hamdullilah.

AZCA 2010 Calendar: Faces of the Sahel

The blog post title links to the page on zazzle.com where the new calendar can be purchased. This is the second 2010 calendar created especially for The Azawakh Club, but this one focuses on the peoples of the Sahel who breed and use the Azawakh. All photographs featured in the calendar were taken by the members of the 2007 ABIS Expedition to the Sahel. All proceeds from the sale of the calendar go to support the core mission of The Azawakh Club. To view all the products for sale in The Azawakh Club Store click here.

check out The Azawakh Club's 2010 Calendar!

The focus of the new calendar is on Azawakh puppies in the Sahel. Al hamdullilah. All proceeds from the sale of the calendar go to support the work of The Azawakh Club. Click on the blog post title to purchase the calendar. To view all the products for sale in The Azawakh Club Store click here.

Django X Takute litter

Click here to see recent photos of the litter bred by Gabriele Meissen, Tombouktou's Azawakh, Germany. Al hamdullilah.

Tagola

Tagola was brought out of Africa by Christiane Thier-Rostaing, Agg Amaias Azawakh, Germany, in 2007, al hamdullilah. Tagola holds a special place in my heart and I look forward to the day she will produce for Christiane, Insh'Allah.