No puppies available.
No breedings for several years.
This breed is NOT RECOMMENDED for first time dog owners. Rhodesian Ridgebacks have an intelligent, complex personality that can be easily destroyed by harsh handling and incorrect training.
This breed is for TOLERANT and EXPERIENCED adults, who will ABSOLUTELY take the time to properly train their dog using positive reinforcement and a sense of humor.
These are NOT couch dogs, they are athletes.
They need the ability to run every-single-day in a safe environment.
Breeders (and potential owners) should educate themselves on genetics and the pitfalls of popular sire syndrome
and inbreeding (also known as line breeding) which is a rampant practice in the
United States. Many US breeders have long practiced breeding back into their
own pedigrees by breeding together grandchildren, cousins, siblings or half
siblings, which long term can impact longevity and health of the breed.
Breeders should be striving to reduce the co-efficiency of inbreeding far
below the practice of 20% and above. Only in the US is this a popular practice
and accepted. More information about this on our Inbreeding Page.
"There is not much that we can do about genetic transmission in randomly bred animals, but for purposely bred animals, breeders must use due diligence to prevent inherited disease. Responsible breeders perform genetic testing of parent breeding stock for breed-susceptible disorders."
-Jerold S. Bell DVM
All breeding dogs SHOULD be tested for genetic disease. This cannot be done at a single vet visit. Genetic testing results should be provided by the breeder via certificates from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals... or you can look up the certifications using the dog's registration number.
Allergies are not normal.... breeders should be taking this into account... head shaking, ear infections, paw licking, hives, etc, are not the result of a healthy dog.
An AKC or other Championship does not equal quality. AKC registration or having "papers" does not equal quality.
Ask for Health Testing results from the OFA as proof of health testing, but also do your due diligence on asking about familial history. Ask for health testing results from parents, and grandparents.
