COMPOUND
Rhodesian Ridgebacks
Puppies
Puppies
Future Breeding Plans
NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE / NO FUTURE BREEDING PLANS
If you would like a recommendation for an ethical breeder, I am happy do do that. I do not start a waiting list until a litter is planned. There are currently no litters planned for the next 3 years.
Follow this link to learn about: Choosing a Breeder
If you are not capable or are not willing to make the following kind of commitment, perhaps one of my puppies is not suitable for you.
I am extremely specific about where my puppies go to live. Puppies do not go to homes on a first-come, first-served basis. I will choose which puppy goes home with you based on conformation and temperament evaluations at 7-8 weeks. Puppies will not leave my home before 8 weeks. All puppies go to their new homes with a signed contract and are registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC). I do not seek out show homes, however if you are interested in showing, I am open to offering you a show-potential puppy.
The contract that you sign, protects me as the breeder, and you as the owner, so that we both know what to expect out of our relationship. Pet puppies will go home on a limited AKC registration with an expectation to spay/neuter at the appropriate time (beyond 18 months). Very few puppies, if any, will go to their new home on full registration. You can expect to pay anywhere between $2000 - $3000 for a puppy depending on how simple or complicated the whelping and raising of the litter was. You will find this price is in line with most other breeders who fully health test breeding stock and prove their dogs in conformation and/or on the field. All puppies in the litter cost the same because they are all raised the same.
I prefer that individuals seeking a puppy have breed experience, however, there are exceptions.
I breed infrequently so I may enjoy my own dogs and so that I can ensure I have the time available to dedicate to raising a litter.
I raise my puppies using the Puppy Culture program.
If you are not capable or are not willing to make the following kind of commitment, perhaps one of my puppies is not suitable for you.
Owners Must be Willing to:
~~ Must attend organized training classes with your puppy and strive to complete the AKC CGC or Puppy STAR.
~~ Get the puppy out into the world and socialized several times a week for the first year.
~~ Provide age-appropriate exercise on a daily basis throughout life.
~~ Be consistent during training and set a schedule for house training.
~~ Understand the relationship between reduced topical pesticides, vaccines, and a healthy diet.
~~ In case of an emergency where the puppy needs to be re-homed, the puppy will only be returned to us.
~~ Feed a high-quality premium diet of recommended select kibble or raw foods.
~~ If you work full time, provide an outlet for the puppy to potty during the workday (dog walker, daycare, etc).
~~ If you live in a single-family home and have a fence this is preferred. However, there are exceptions (apartments/townhomes/condos).
Owner Commitment Details
Puppy Growing Area
My puppies are raised in a clean environment with defined play, sleep, and elimination areas. I use gates with vertical uprights to prevent escapes. They have a feeding schedule and are afforded plenty of interaction with household sounds. As they grow, they are given access outdoors after meals so they can get accustomed to going outside to eliminate. Typically by 5 weeks of age, they are hitting the potty area the majority of the time.
When puppies go to their new homes they have been sleeping and eating seperately in crates and are well on their way to being house trained.
Raising a litter of puppies is exhausting. Add in the extra training and desensitization that I do, and by the time they go to their new homes, I am ready for a vacation. I use most of the protocols from the Puppy Culture program because I want to give the puppies the best possible start that I can. Puppies are raised in a clean environment (no nasty newspapers, no pee pads, no kennel run) surrounded by daily stimulation and one-on-one training exercises. Below is a play-by-play of sorts, of how they are raised here.
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Puppies are whelped indoors in a quiet room away from the hustle of household activities. They are handled and weighed daily. I do not remove front dewclaws unless there is a problem with them not being attached well. Based on research, removing the dewclaws can cause arthritis at a later age. For performance dogs, they do use their dewclaws when turning, so I feel it is important for them to keep them.
The chance of injury to the dewclaw is slim and the benefits of keeping them on, far outweigh the risks. Removing them is purely cosmetic and there is no physical need.
At three days of age, continuing until sixteen days, Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) is started, to introduce the puppies to a small amount of stress. Once eyes and ears open, the startle reflex is exercised by making loud noises, such as slamming doors, running the vacuum, and dropping things on the floor. Puppies are exposed to a soundtrack of different sounds, including crying babies, an airport terminal, a skateboard park, dog show sounds, barking dogs, thunder, gunfire, fireworks, and other things.
Between three and four weeks, puppies move to their weaning/growing room. They get started on some raw meat and eventually nursing from mom is cut back once they are eating food reliably. Their weaning room is a larger area set up with a defined sleeping area, play area, and potty area. They also have access to a safe outdoor space where they can run and play under supervision. As the puppies grow, their space gets bigger.
Between four and five weeks, depending on their development, and when they begin to take food reliably, they are introduced to the clicker and learn how to learn. Puppies learn what the clicker means, and how to ask or "mand". Show potential puppies also begin to learn how to stack and stand still for the show ring.
Visitors begin coming when puppies turn five weeks, and puppies are separated to eat in their own crates to avoid food issues and to properly portion food. At six weeks and beyond, visitors continue. Their play area gets bigger as they grow and they are exposed to more and more things outside such as cars, sirens, the garbage truck, lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and other sounds they will encounter in their adult life. They are also exposed to different footing surfaces including tile, grating, linoleum, carpet, hardwood, decking, grass, and dirt. Unstable surfaces are also introduced such as wobble cushions and an ex-pen covered with a tarp. They eat in new and different places and are challenged at mealtimes using barriers to overcome and having to walk into a new room to eat. This slightly stresses them and helps them with problem-solving. I do not help them figure things out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pJvB_L4nqc
Toys get switched out every few days so as to keep things new. They have access to a small pool with water, a small set of stairs, wooden decking, a ramp, a tunnel, and other things. Puppies will meet a multitude of different people before they are released to go to their new homes.
Between seven and eight weeks, temperament testing is done and at eight weeks conformation evaluations are done. This will determine which puppy goes to which home, and which puppy is staying. Puppies will continue to have more space to play and be introduced to things like a lure coursing bag, trips in the car, leash walking, and guests coming dressed in various types of hats, glasses, and clothing. Between nine and twelve weeks, puppies go to their new forever homes. Puppies do not leave my home before 8 weeks of age.
How Puppies Are Raised