UKC CH AKC CH Elza Valley of King’s RN BCAT TKI Date of Birth: May 10th, 2021 (5 years old) (Natchez de l’Ombre Rouge de Phrygie x N’Blue de l’Ombre Rouge de Phrygie) Bred by Mico Ilic of Valley of King’s Kennel Owned by Rebekah Farren
Sukuna is from the same pairing as Reaver and Terror, sired by Natchez. When we all discovered we had relatives, we began to share our experiences which turned into this beautiful collaboration. She is the mother of our A Litter with Soleil et Lune. We were delighted to have her contribute to the breed and love to hear her stories moving forward as a working service dog and beloved sport partner for Rebekah.
Conformation
Sukuna is a well balanced dog with an athletic build to match her tireless energy. Her finely chiseled head and string topline help to make her both striking to look at, and a sound mover. We’d like for her upper arm to be longer, and for her to have a bit more angulation overall. And while her frame is balanced, more bone and substance would also be ideal.
Temperament
Sukuna is often described as pushy and head strong, but is also the sweetest cuddly dog with her people and most strangers alike. She enjoys engaging with her people and enjoys knowing exactly what you want her to do next. She is biddable and if you know her, wouldn’t be seen without a toy in her mouth, forcing you to play fetch.
She is quite pushy with other dogs, but enjoys the company of submissive females or most male dogs. She has integrated into many packs with adult dogs she was unfamiliar with, but she does create space for herself as needed.
She is truly a confident headstrong dog and takes new environments and situations in stride, and with her temperament has excelled as a working service dog for her person.
UKC CH Nocturne of the Ruined King Des Monts Du Lac CDX RE CA CGC RATI HIT Date of Birth March 17th, 2017 (9 years old) (Jeremiah Beowolf des Monts du Lac x Litchi Ruby de la Noe d’Orient) Bred by Eric Vavassori of des Monts du Lac
Health Testing Embark (Notable: carrier for long hair) Good hips Normal elbows Normal heart Normal eyes with breeder note
Size Height: 27.75″ Weight: 86lbs
About Nyko
Nyko is owned and loved by Robyn and Leslie Salley in Augusta, GA. On top of being a wonderful family pet, he also trains and competes in a variety of venues including conformation, obedience, and herding. He is an excellent example of the breed in terms of social stability and personality. We hope, if we choose to use him in the program, that he passes those traits on to his puppies as well as his deep rust color, fluid movement, and trainability.
Nyko has been neutered, but has frozen uses available for only the perfect match.
Robyn and NykoRobyn and Nyko
Notable Accomplishments
Received a rating of “Tres Prometteur” (Very Promising) at the 2017 American Beauceron Club’s Nationale d’Elevage – the highest rating offered in his class
Completed his Rally Novice title at 9 months old
Earned his CD (Novice Obedience) with two 1st places and one 2nd place
Earned his CDX with all 1st places
Comments on Conformation
Nyko’s strongest feature in conformation is his wide, effortless movement. He shows great balance when gaiting and covers ground quickly and efficiently. This is ideal given the intended work of the breed – acting as a living fence around sheep out in the fields. In addition, he has a strong topline and great angles both front and back. His head is correctly proportioned and exhibits strong chiseling. His ear set is correct, with just enough lift to ensure an alert expression at all times. His coat is correctly coarse and thick without being long or heavy, requiring minimal grooming for proper upkeep.
With all of his fantastic qualities, there are areas we would like to improve. His shoulder ties in high on his neck, causing him to hold at the top of the standard even though his topline is a quarter of an inch lower. He has looser flews than is preferred and a lighter mouth overall. While leanness lends itself to the function of the breed, Nyko lacks a touch of substance we would like to bring into the lines.
Overall, he has strong conformation that has been highlighted in short but fruitful show career.
Note: Nyko was out of standard until he reached full physical maturity. When his chest developed, his height dropped almost a half an inch, bringing him barely back into AKC standards for height, but well within the FCI standard.
Comments on Performance
Nyko was a slow bloomer in terms of his drive. As a puppy, he lacked food or toy drive, but worked happily when it was entertaining and he got interaction with his handlers. As he has developed, his drives have blossomed. He learned much of his obedience routines for nothing more than a squeaky ball.
He shows correct prey drive for the breed – happy to chase the plastic bag, but soft with livestock while herding.
His herding instructor continues to be thrilled with the instinct and restraint he shows with the sheep, especially given his size and late start in the sport. Despite his obedience training, he is still able to function independently to make good decisions for moving stock.
Areas of Focus
Nyko is worked most consistently in Obedience. While he also shows in Rally, we find the challenge of classic Obedience to be more our speed. We plan to trial him through Utility – an ambitious plan for a Beauceron who started in the sport at the age of 3 years old. However, his debut for his Novice title gained him two 1st and a 2nd place ribbons highlighting that he isn’t just “finishable”, but is excelling against stiff competition. We followed that performance up with a CDX with all 1st placements, confirming his potential in the sport.
At 3.5 years old, he revisited the herding arena after only a bit of dabbling as a pup. He now trains weekly so both him and his handler, Robyn, can learn more about the sport. He shows great promise and trialing is definitely in his future.
