Homes with children should be highly concerned about where they acquire a dog and if the dog's parents are temperamentally sound. I encourage people with families to seek out dogs from parents that have been temperament tested. Studies have shown that temperament is mostly inherited and only somewhat formed by the environment. All pet dogs should have a solid mind. This affords them the ability to be thrown into any environment or situation and easily adapt without excess stress. This includes kids sporting events, birthday parties, trips to the park, hiking trips, walks in the city, fire engines flying past you, or any other place that you would plan to take your dog. Dogs with a poor temperament often have anxiety issues, are destructive, and their "issues" may lead to other behavioral problems. Living with a dog that is temperamentally unsound is not for the inexperienced and they should most certainly not live with children.

Many breeders are doing minimal testing or turn a blind eye to things like thyroid disease or allergies. The responsibility for these types of things (mainly cost) is then passed on to new owners. Thyroid disease is more than "just a pill twice a day". My goal is to prevent that from occurring in the first place. Rhodesian Ridgebacks should be tested for Hip Displaysia, Elbow Displaysia, Thyroid Disease, Congenital Eye Problems, Congenital Heart Problems, Degenerative Myelopathy, Early Onset Adult Deafness, and holter tested for Inherited Ventricular Arrhythmia. Dogs are not perfect and occasionally genetics allow things to sneak through. But by purchasing a dog from health-tested parents, the chance of your dog developing a congenital condition is considerably less. 

A Rhodesian Ridgeback is an athletic breed. The sport of showing dogs is not a beauty contest, it is the evaluation of breeding stock. Correct conformation for a Ridgeback is essential because it ensures the animal has the capability to move efficiently, and correctly, and the potential to run fast to be competitive or work. A dog with poor conformation is more likely to get injured. A conformationally poor animal will physically break down faster over time and suffer joint or ligament problems as they age. The Ridgeback is an athletic breed, that enjoys running. A dog who is active in performance or who has a job will have a much more fulfilled life than one that does not. This function ties directly back to conformation and structure. Structural weaknesses lead to pain and suffering. No one wants a dog to be in pain due to poor conformation.