WARNING:
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 the ability to run every-single-day in a safe environment.
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No puppies available or planned breedings
Photo courtesy of Revelio Photography
"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
Along with the above statement, 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.
All breeding dogs SHOULD be tested for genetic disease. This cannot be done at a vet visit.
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.
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.
