If you are considering owning a Rhodesian Ridgeback the following may be of some assistance to you.

Ridgebacks are a large strong sensitive breed of dog. They are part of the hound group and consequently will hunt and chase anything that runs away from them.
Owning a Ridgeback, which has long life span (anything up to 15 years old is not unusual), is not to be taken without a lot of thought and research.

Consider the practicalities:
Have you the time and patience to walk, groom, feed and go to training classes, if so you will be rewarded by a loving loyal companion for many years to come.
Ridgebacks are good with all members of the family if they are taught the ground rules from day one, they are good with children providing both learn to respect each other, they are a very intelligent breed and have a strong will, they think things through and if there is no point in doing something you might as well do it yourself !!!

• Take time to visit adult dogs in their home. Most Ridgeback owners are happy for you to visit and talk Ridgeback!
• Buy a good book on the breed (the breed clubs usually sell these)
• Visit Discover Dogs (Crufts in March or Earls Court in November) or some shows where you will see a large number of Ridgebacks
• Contact Breed Club secretaries - they will have the dates and venues of shows and other events run by the clubs (see Links page)
• Don't be influenced by the winners at a show! Make up your own mind of the kind you like. There is a great diversity in type, colour, size, male or female.
• Be prepared to wait for the right puppy from a respected breeder. If this breeder has no puppies available at the time, be guided by that breeder - you can either wait for another litter or be guided by them to another breeder they recommend of similar breeding.
• Never be tempted to buy two puppies together! They are twice the amount of work, twice the amount of chewing (yes all puppies chew!). You cannot do justice to two puppies, better to wait until the first puppy is about 18 months old before acquiring a second one.
• A reputable breeder will always help you choose a puppy. They have spent many hours assessing and lovingly rearing their puppies, and they know even at such a young age their differences in character. The breeder is the best person to advise on the type of puppy to suit your family and lifestyle.

The following are some questions you should ask if enquiring about a litter:

• Are both parents hip scored, and are the KCBVA certificates available for you to see?
• How old is the bitch? (most reputable breeders will not breed from a bitch under 2 years old or over 7 years)
• Can you meet the bitch, it is not always possible to see the dog (sometimes the dog lives in another part of the country or in a different country)
• Are both parents Kennel Club registered?
• Have the puppies been sinus checked? If you don't know about this condition look on the breed clubs web sites to find out more (see Links page)
• What age are the puppies when they are ready to go to their new homes? (Puppies should NOT go to their new homes before 8 weeks of age)
• Will the puppies be insured?
• Will they have been wormed?
• Will they have a diet sheet for you to follow and a supply of food for the first few days?
• Have the puppies been registered with the Kennel Club?
• Will you get a 3 or 5 generation pedigree?
• Is there a contract? Reputable breeders have contracts to protect both the buyer and seller; these contracts usually contain any conditions such as endorsements put on registration papers. The Kennel Club website contains more information about endorsements.

After all this, be prepared to "grilled" by the breeder! They will want to make sure you are going to be suitable owners of their precious puppy.

If you would like to discuss any of the above points please do not hesitate to contact me.

Finally be aware of the following statement that has been issued by all of the breed clubs in this country, which is causing us a lot of concern.