A.      There is evidence that diet can prevent the manifestation of the condition. http://www.drianbillinghurst.com. There are efforts being made to deal with inherited aspects of the disease but where they have been stridently implemented in Europe the success rate was not very high and most likely not cost effective. http://www.petsurgery. com/caninehipdysplasia.html. Moreover, not only has breeding against Hip Dysplasia been mostly unsuccessful, the reduction of gene pool caused by such breeding selections may actually make things worse and also lead to other genetic problems. For an in-depth analysis, please read the following Academic Dissertation.

Q.      Are Rhodesian Ridgebacks at risk for getting Hip Dysplasia?

A.      Rhodesian Ridgebacks have a low incidence of the condition according to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). Out of 132 breeds tested there were 104 breeds more likely to have Hip Dysplasia than Ridgebacks.

Q.      If there is a low incidence of Hip Dysplasia then why are some Ridgeback breeders so very concerned about it and place all sorts of restrictions on the dogs?

A.      Even though the data indicates a low incidence of Hip Dysplasia in the general Ridgeback population, any particular breeder may have a high incidence of Hip Dysplasia in their lines. Any breeder who places undo concerns and restrictions on a pup or customer should bear close scrutiny from any potential puppy buyer. Ridgebacks were born and raised in the wilds of Africa, if your breeder expects them to be handled with kid gloves something may be very wrong with those lines.

Q.     Will getting a puppy from a Sire and Dam with an approved OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) hip rating protect my puppy from a risk of getting Hip Dysplasia ?

A.      Absolutely not, it may actually do the opposite and result in a pup with bad hips. An acceptable OFA rating of the parents, the grandparents, the great-grandparents, the great-great-grandparents and to infinity, BY THEMSELVES, is almost worthless. What is important is the status of the siblings of the pup and the siblings of all these ancestors. The following is a quote from the OFA website. “For example; a dog with fair hips but with a strong hip background and over 75% of its brothers and sisters being normal is a good breeding prospect. A dog with excellent hips, but with a weak family background and less than 75% of its brothers and sisters being normal is a poor breeding prospect”. In other words, it possible to have an excellent rated dog that should NOT be used for breeding and at the same time have a dog with poor rated hips be a good choice for a breeder. From that statement alone it should be obvious the rating, by itself, is of no use to a potential puppy buyer. In the same vein, a rating is also useless to the breeder unless they implement the entire protocol.

Q.     How are OFA rating supposed to be used?

A.      To properly use the OFA ratings, the breeder must know the OFA ratings for the Sire and Dam, for ALL of the siblings of both the Sire and Dam, for All four Grandparents, and ALL of the Grandparents' siblings, for ALL eight Great-grandparents and for ALL of the Great-grandparents' siblings. These OFA ratings must then be placed in a "vertical pedigree" and calculated to determine whether or not a dog should be bred. Assuming that each animal is only bred once and each litter has 10 pups, that is a minimum of 140 dogs with OFA ratings that the breeder must have recorded. What is important is that the mass quantity of dogs in that list be free of Hip Dysplasia. Since Hip Dysplasia has both an nutritional and complex genetic components, it is very possible to have a dog with excellent hips whose entire genetic makeup is composed of dogs with horrible hips(and such a dog will throw pups with bad hips). Its for that reason that any individual dog’s OFA rating is a worthless predictor of Hip Dysplasia and it is also the reason why it takes so much information to attempt to make the OFA protocol work. In fact, it requires such a large amount information to do the ratings properly that I doubt if ANY show breeder has successfully implemented the protocol. If you desire more information check out the following document on the OFA website BREEDERS GUIDE TO DATA. ( http://www.offa.org/hovanart.pdf )

Q.      If the OFA rating of any individual dog is worthless, why do breeders and breed clubs push the ratings?

A.      The obvious answer is that the road to hell is paved with good intentions; it’s the same path that destroys a breed by focusing on form over function. Unfortunately, very few breeders have any sort of scientific training and just don’t understand what is required to implement the OFA protocols.. Those few that do understand the science involved know they don’t have enough dogs or historical data to make the system work. However, what most breed clubs and breeders do understand is fashion and political correctness, and they want to be seen as attempting to address the "problem" (the fact that Hip Dysplasia is not an issue in the Ridgeback population as a whole is beside the point). Unfortunately, improperly selecting against one genetic component unnecessarily jeopardizes the gene pools diversity. It is just another shameful example of how selecting for "looks" and "appearances" can destroy a breed. Moreover, for the truly Evil breeders, they can find the one dog in a lineage of unbreedable dogs that has an excellent OFA hip rating and breed it. By doing so, they hide their lineages’ genetic flaws long enough to make a sale to an unwitting and uninformed customer. Eventually the offspring comes down with Hip Dysplasia, and by that time the customer is stuck with a sick dog. These very same breeders will then require you to return or destroy that pet to get any “warranty” relief, knowing full well that any loving owner would never do such a thing. And while this may be bad enough for any individual owner, should the dog be unfortunate enough to be a confirmation champion, these bad genes will be spread widely in the breed.

Q.      How can I protect my self from ignorant or unscrupulous breeders using the OFA ratings to make poor breedings or even scamming me?

A.      Fortunately if you have read all of this FAQ you know what questions to ask. If the breeder claims to use the OFA protocol, ask to see the “vertical pedigrees” and have them explain how the OFA protocol works. If they don’t know what you’re talking about and can’t provide you with the data and answers, then you can be sure they are either ignorant or trying to con you. In either case be very wary. The thing to really watch out for is a breeder who understands the system, uses the ratings on a few dogs, but does not implement the system. In such a case, the only legitimate reason to do an OFA screening on a dog is as a medical diagnostic tool to confirm a suspected case of Hip Dysplasia. Otherwise you should suspect that they are just doing it to fool the customer into a false sense of security, or in the worst case they are purposefully misusing the OFA ratings to hide bad lineages and con the customer.

Q.      What are the OFA ratings of your dogs?

A.      Our dogs don’t have Hip Dysplasia, therefore there has been no medical diagnostic reason to test them. Furthermore, we do not own and breed a huge number of dogs, hence there is no scientific method for us to properly implement the OFA breeding protocol and therefore there is no reason for us to have the dogs OFA rated. And finally, we are not going to have a medical procedure done on our dogs that involves anesthesia, constraint, contorting the dog and taking X-rays just to give uninformed customers a false sense of security.

Q.      Is there any way I can test my potential puppy directly for hip problems?

A.     Yes, there is the PennHIP method that can be used on pups as young as 16 weeks of age. Using this method will at a minimum give you some direct risk assessment of your potential puppy’s susceptibility to getting Hip Dysplasia. http://www.vet.upenn.edu/research/centers/pennhip/

Q.     What are the good lineages and what ones and who should I avoid?

A.      To answer that question would require good record keeping and access to the entire medical data base of the breed to be made public. Despite breeders claiming they only want what’s best for the breed, such a list will not happen for the obvious reasons.

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Q.      Should I buy from a Pet Store?

A.      Again another ripe political question, the definitive answer is- It depends. The primary issue with buying from a pet store is that you have really no clue on what the environment the pup was raised in; you can’t inspect the parents; you can’t evaluate the breeder; and you generally don’t know where the dog has been since it left the breeder. Those are very serious issues, but they are also the same kind of issues you may run into when buying a puppy from a “show” breeder over the Internet.

Q.      Are those really the only issues with buying from a pet store?

A.      Yes. All the other arguments against buying from pet stores pretty much just amount to one set of breeders bad mouthing another set breeders. It works like this, “show” breeders bad mouth, non-show breeders first. Show breeders badmouth other show breeders second.

Q.      I heard Pet store dogs are from USDA breeders, what is a USDA breeder?

A.      The USDA stands for the United States Department of Agriculture. A person must be licensed with the USDA if they have at least 3 breeding females and have sold at least one animal to another individual that wishes to resell that animal. A USDA breeder is inspected on a regular basis to make sure they are maintaining certain living conditions for the animals..

Q.      Aren’t USDA breeders breeding inferior animals for sale at pet stores?

A.      It depends on what you mean by “inferior” If you mean a dog that is not healthy and robust then the answer is most likely NO. If you mean a dog that won’t win a show championship or won't "hunt", then probably YES. A USDA breeder is like any breeder of livestock. If they wish to be successful, they have to breed and maintain healthy livestock. So from a health perspective a good USDA breeder may be a better bet than a good Show breeder. The primary issue for a show breeder is conformation (how well the dog fits the breed standard) health issues are secondary. In other words, it is possible for Show breeders to have top show dogs with health problems and still make money (stay in business). On the other hand, the financial costs of having unhealthy livestock (dogs) will quickly drive a USDA breeder out of business.

Q.      So, you are a USDA breeder aren’t you?

A.      No, we are not USDA breeders and we don’t sell to pet stores either.

Q.      With all these different types of breeders and issues how can I avoid getting an inferior animal?

A.      The most important thing to realize is that words like, SHOW, or USDA breeders are really no guarantee of anything. Good and Horrible living conditions exist in both worlds. The best way is to avoid an inferior animal is know what you personally are looking for in an animal and try to inspect /verify the living conditions in which that animal was raised. Also don’t forget the Better Business Bureau, they may have information on your chosen breeder.

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Q.      Is it not best for the breed to just breed for conformation (show standard)?.

A.      Far from it, breeding for conformation is destroying many dog breeds, especially working and/or hunting dogs. In fact, probably one of the reasons you are interested in the Rhodesian Ridgeback (temperament etc.) is that conformation breeding has not YET completely destroyed the RR as a breed, although some hunters in Southern Africa already consider the RR destroyed by conformation breeding. A good breeding must have prey drive as a major element. Prey drive cannot be measured by "looks". Breeding a hunting dog without considering prey drive will destroy the essence of the breed. If you would like to read a scientific analysis of how "Barbie Doll show breeding" has damaged working breeds and caused genetic problems in both show and working dogs read the following Academic Dissertation .

Q.      Have any breeds actually been ruined by conformation/show breeding ?.

A.  You don’t have to look far to see what conformation breeding has done to other breeds. The German Shepard has pretty much been destroyed by American show breeding ( see http://www.leerburg.com. ). Or in the case of the Border Collie, here is a direct quote from the American Border Collie Association- “The ABCA is a working stockdog registry and believes that breeding for conformation standards rather than working ability is detrimental to the health and working ability of the Border Collie. Consequently dogs or bitches which have been named a "Conformation Champion" by a conformation registry are not eligible for ABCA registration, even if they otherwise meet the requirements of for registration. The ABCA will de-register any ABCA registered dog or bitch should it be named a "Conformation Champion" after January 1, 2004, and will not register the offspring of any dog or bitch named a "Conformation Champion" after that date”-. Still not convinced, just ask yourself this – Would I be willing to risk my life on the Iditarod sled race with a show champion AKC Siberian Husky instead of one bred from working dog lines? Unfortunately, this is starting to be the case with the Rhodesian Ridgeback. One need look no further than the puppy contracts many breeders want customers to sign to see the evidence. Unfortunately, the end result of breeding dogs for their “looks” is not only a dog that can not work, it is a dog that has all the emotional and physical problems of all those other dog breeds out there that you are NOT considering for a pet in your home.

Q.      Ok now I know all that but I still found a puppy at a pet store that I really really want, what can I do to protect my self?

A.      Well first compare the pet store price with those you find from other breeders. The price difference alone may steer you away from the pet store. Get the breeder info from the registration papers and see what you can dig up on the internet about the breeder. Find out how old the dog is and how long it is has been at the store. The younger the pup was when it left its family and the longer its been at the pet store the more risk you have of getting an emotional cripple. If you see any sign of lack of vigor in the animal, run away fast. If you see any sign of cough, run away fast. If they say it’s a little bit sick but this free health guarantee will cover you, RUN. If all that checks out okay, find out who the veterinarian for the shop is and call him/her and get any information you can about your potential pup. Make sure that the pup has been checked for Dermoid Sinus’ by someone who knows what to look for. Check the pedigrees of the animal and avoid any animal with inbreeding. And on a last note, if you get a pet from a pet store, it should be from a reputable USDA breeder who is not breeding for show, but rather one who is breeding for healthy livestock (dogs in this case). So, if the pet shop talks about the pup ’s championship or show lineage on the pedigree, the chances are you found a pup from a show breeder who is on his/her last legs and there is no telling what kind of mess you will get from a down and out show/conformation breeder. If you make it past that list, its probably okay to get that pup.

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A.      Don’t put your trust in an organization just because it has “shelter” or “rescue” in its name. Nice sounding words are often used to con people. The same goes for words like charity and, non-profit. Don’t be conned, investigate. The shelter / rescue business can be a real money maker. One of the more recent cons is the back alley pet store, operated under the guise of ‘rescue’. Many so called rescues now operate like low rent unregulated pet stores; they actually buy their pups at dog auctions, but instead of selling them out of a store front they sell the dogs out of “foster homes” under the guise of “adoption”. Usually the more legitimate rescues/shelters will not stoop to that level but even they are often willing to import stray dogs from third world countries to meet the high demand for smaller breed pups. At the same time, many of these organizations try to limit business competition by attempting to convince people not to buy from pet stores and/or breeders. Follow this link for more information. Fortunately the import cases usually involve smaller apartment sized dogs, but large purebred dogs also make a nice market because of the amount of money they can demand. Of course, this does not mean that ALL rescues or shelters are bad, but you need to be careful that you don’t end up with a dangerous dog or scammed. Just remember your pet has value, if someone can obtain your pet at no or low cost and have an outlet to resell it (even at “no profit” ) then there will always be unscrupulous people seeking to take advantage. Check these examples. THEFT BY SHELTER and COUNTERFEIT BREEDER/SHELTER

A.      Yes, be concerned. Just remember that the adult dogs legitimately turned into shelters are there for a reason. The main reason is aggression and behavioral problems. In fact 50% of the dogs turned into shelters for these problems CAME FROM SHELTERS. If you take an adult pet from such a place make sure that they will give you IN WRITING a statement that the dog does not have behavioral or health issues. If you are interested in the actual case studies and the scientific information follow this link for the abstract and a link to the full text. http://www.petpopulation.org/research_behavioral.html

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A.      Show dogs are bred to have just two crowns and a comet shaped ridge. Early dogs also had prized violin shaped ridges with 3 or 4 crowns. Unfortunately within a few decades after the breed was "described", the show/confirmation breeders changed the "standard" to only allow for dogs with two crowns. This change, of course, meant that a fantastic hunting dog with 3 crowns would be culled in favor a worthless hunting dog with only 2 crowns. It is utterly ironic that the sole reason the breed was thought worthy of description in the first place, namely its hunting ability and all the temperament/family/pack issues associated with that ability, now no longer had any validity in regards to breeding selection and could in fact be selected against depending on "how pretty" the ridge looked. But even worse, such arbitrary selection also served to decrease the viability of the gene pool. Interestingly enough, in the other ridged dog breeds, some Geneticists use the number of crowns/whirls as an indicator of the trueness and age of the breed. The more crowns, the older and more pure the breed. So in essence breeding for just 2 crowns sort of puts the breed on the edge of extinction. This is readily illustrated by the number of ridgeless or partial ridges in litters where both parents had “show” ridges. Approximately 10% are born without ridges. Unfortunately, the frequency of dogs with no or almost no ridge will be on the increase. Currently the TOP RR show dog in the country has thrown a litter with a 30% incidence of that type of ridgelessness Follow this link to see Am Ch Spring Valley's Great Gatsby (USA) x Ch Riginal Patience ET On the other hand, finding a Ridgeback at a local breeder with a ton of crowns/whirls and maybe even multiple ridges could be the sign of severely inbred lines .

Q.      So exactly what do you mean by “SHOW RIDGES = NO RIDGES” ™ ?

A.     If one breeds a pair of dogs that each have the original fiddle shaped ridged, the odds of having offspring without ridges is quite low. But, such a mating will still result in some pups with weaker comet shaped (show) ridges. Now if one mates a pair of dogs with the weaker comet shaped show ridge, one can expect some of pups will present with even weaker ridges or no ridges at all. The mere fact that ‘show breeders’ will only breed dogs with “show ridges” by definition will produce dogs that are not true to breed (ie no ridge). And that strikes at that heart of the breed, namely because a breed that does not breed true is not considered a breed at all. To make matters worse, show breeding puts added selection towards the production of non ridged dogs. The goal of a show breeder is to breed dogs with show ridges, if that results in a portion of the pups in the litter having no ridges then so be it. It would be much worse for the show breeder if all of the pups in a litter had ridges but none had a ‘show ridge’. In the show breeder’s mind and practice they have to be willing to produce lots of frogs for the occasional prince. That selection pressure results in dogs that may throw one or two very pretty show dogs, but the rest of the litter does not breed true.

Q.      So what is the big deal if a Show breeder’s litters produce dogs with no ridges?

A.      It certainly is not a big deal for the Show breeder. A Show breeder could produce tons of ridgeless dogs and still be a big success in the show world. They really only need to breed one or two dogs with the right look to hit the big time in the world of show breeding. There is no real ‘punishment’ in the show world for the number of poor quality dogs a show breeder puts out, the money is made off the one or two princes that get produced. The less than desirable ridged dogs can be cast off on the public. The poor dogs without ridges have it worse, they are difficult to sell and much easier to just hide under the back yard. As disgusting as it may sound, the #1 REPORTED cause of Death/Euthanasia in Ridgebacks is "Ridgelessness". The only way a show breeder gets any negative pressure about a ridgeless dog is if they continuously dump them at the shelter. In contrast, a person who breeds but does NOT show can not afford to breed RR’s that don’t breed true. They don’t have the luxury of hitting the lottery with one or two dogs that will make a lot of money. They only way they can be successful is to breed dogs that themselves breed true to the original breed standard.

Q.      Is breeding dogs that produce ridgelessness really that bad for the breed?

A.      While it may not be bad for the show breeder, it is bad for the breed. A dog that can not breed true can not be considered a breed. As discussed earlier, the ridge is a pedigree and measure that indicates that the dog has the all important genes (in the right concentration) from the original Hottentot dog. It was those genes combined with the European bloodlines that made the dog successful in the bush and it is also representative of what made it such a desirable family animal. Unfortunately once gone, those genes can not be recovered. The Hottentot dog is extinct. It is the ONLY vestige of the Rhodesian Ridgeback that we can not recreate today. We certainly could still mix various European hunting dogs and come up with what the African settlers and hunters bred to the ridged Hottentot dog, but we can not come up with the Hottentot dog because it is extinct. There no longer is a dog in Africa from which we can capture the “African Instinct and survivability”. That is exactly why breeding the ridge near the margin of extinction, while financially profitable, is dangerous to the continued heritage of a great dog.

Q.      Could we not just recover the ridge from other ridged dogs?

A.      It certainly would be possible to reintroduce the look of the ridge by crossing with the Thai ridgeback. But the resulting dog would just be a counterfeit; it would not have the African instinct and survivability that made the Rhodesian Ridgeback legendary. But in some sense that would be unimportant in the show ring because there it is only appearances that matter. It probably would still be possible to heavily inbreed the remaining ridgebacks to get the ridge to breed true. But the resulting gene pool would be so tight that there is no telling what diseases might pop up. Now of course, the uniformed will certainly dismiss my answer, but those who don’t know their own history are doomed to repeat it. What I describe has already happened to the Basenji, however they were lucky in that they were able to find some of the original dogs still alive in Africa. Follow this link to read how show breeders nearly destroyed the Basenji. Remember the Basenji

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A.     In Ridgebacks they are usually small, hard to see tubes with hair growing straight up out of them. In other dogs, they are often much larger tubes. Typically these tubes reach all the way down to the spinal column. They actually tie the surface of the skin down to the spinal column. When gently pulling up on the skin you will see the skin held down where the tube is, much in a similar manner that a button holds down the fabric on a stuffed couch or pillow. These tubes eventually become infected and the dog leads a miserable painful life. Follow this link to see a video on how to detect dermoid sinus.

Q.     What’s the most important thing to remember when taking your Ridgeback to the vet?

A.     NEVER let anyone give a Ridgeback a shot or vaccination anywhere in or near the ridgeline or the top of the spine. In some cases, the needle track can cause a condition that appears similar to Dermoid Sinus. Remember, No injections any where on the ridge or ridgeline. Because a needle track can mimic a Dermoid Sinus, an unscrupulous breeder may knowingly vaccinate along the ridgeline to cover real Dermoid Sinuses.

Q.      Can Dermoid Sinuses be successfully treated with surgery?

A.      Yes, we are aware of at least one case where a skilled veterinary surgeon was able to completely remove a Dermoid Sinus. That pups name is BUZZ. Buzz came from a “Show” breeder with “champion show lines” based in Illinois and Texas. Buzz had a Dermoid Sinus at the base of his spine near where the tail starts. His owner first noticed what he thought was an unhealed tick bite. The owner investigated the spot and also consulted some books on Ridgebacks; it was then he was able to palpitate the Dermoid Sinus tube running from the skin to the spine. After a trip to the local vet, and his consultation of the medical literature, it was determined that Buzz did have a Dermoid Sinus. That vet referred the case to Dr Mark Anderson of Saint Louis, Mo. Fortunately for Buzz and his owner; Dr Anderson was familiar with Dermoids and had treated them before. In Buzz’s case the Dermoid went from the skin on the back all the way down through the bone and into the sheath covering the spinal cord. Dr Anderson Successfully removed the Dermoid in its entirety (including where it attached to the spinal cord). Buzz has been recovering well and had five stitches to show for his surgery and some minor weakness in hindquarters. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Q.      What factors contributed to Buzz’s successful Dermoid Sinus surgery?

A.      First, Buzz’s has a caring and observant owner. Buzz’s owner had noticed that Buzz would occasionally yelp when running (apparently the Dermoid pulling on the spinal column) He took very good care of his pup and kept a close eye on him.. Because of that fact, Buzz’s Dermoid was identified before it became infected. Had the Dermoid been infected, Buzz would most likely not be around today. Second, Buzz’s owner was very lucky to find a veterinary surgeon that had both the skill and experience to surgically remove every last trace of that Dermoid. Vets with that kind of experience and skill in Dermoid Sinus removal are rare. The fact that such a vet is located in Saint Louis is an indicator that there are a number of breeders in the region selling pups with Dermoid Sinuses. Apparently, most of these pups come out of the Illinois area.

Q.      Are you aware of any other doctors performing Dermoid Surgeries?

A.      We have heard of a doctor in the Chicago area, who also operates on Dermoids. But apparently he does not remove the entire Dermoid, but rather cauterizes what he does not remove. Not removing the entire Dermoid can lead to re-growth and/or infection.

Q.      I believe my pup has a Dermoid Sinus, what should I do?

A.      First, you should confirm that it truly is a Dermoid Sinus; you will most likely have to see a specialist for the confirmation. If the Dermoid Sinus is infected and attached to the spine, it is most likely in the best interests of the pup to put him to sleep. If there are multiple Dermoids, then again its probably in the pups best interest to put him to sleep. If the Dermoid is the neck, you must factor into your decision that the surgery may be very painful to the pup. IF you cannot find a surgeon who can remove every last bit of the Dermoid Sinus, including the spot where it attaches to the spine, it is probably in the best interests of the pup to put him down. If you can not afford the surgery and/or take care of a possibly debilitated pup, you should consider putting the pup down. In all these cases you should contact the breeder of the pup (contacting the AKC, CKC, or UKC is useless). The breeder should be willing to take the pup back and give you a replacement. If you wish to attempt the surgery, the breeder should either return your money or offer you a replacement pup. If the breeder REQUIRES that you return the pup to get any warrantee relief, consider yourself scammed.

Q.      What does a Dermoid Sinus surgery cost?

A.      Expect to pay at least $1000 dollars to have a Dermoid removed. If the Dermoid is infected or complex expect to pay more. If you have to travel to get the sugery done, up the cost even more.

Q.      My puppy does not have a Dermoid Sinus, is there a chance he could get one?

A.      No, a Dermoid Sinus is a birth defect, in some cases it may occur shortly after conception, in any case, if it is not present at birth, the pup will not “grow” one. If the pup does have one, it was there at birth.

Q.      How can I as a breeder help prevent Dermoid Sinuses?

A.      Feed your dogs a natural raw diet high in folic acid. Folic Acid supplements help, but they are not nearly as effective as a raw diet naturally high in Folic Acid. IF you cannot feed a raw diet, then you must use Folic Acid supplements. If you supplement, it is very important that your dogs are on the supplement at least 2 weeks before you breed and during the entire gestation. Dermoids occur very early in the developmental process, possibly very shortly after conception, if you wait till you know she is heat you have waited too long.

Q.      How do I avoid getting a pup with a Dermoid Sinus?

A.      First, don’t trust anything the breeder tells you. I have seen far too many Dermoids on pups from various “Show breeders” (who claim that they check their pups for Dermoids) to take their word for it. Educate yourself and perform your own inspection before you accept the pup. Specifically, look at the photos we have posted here. Watch the pups run and play if they yelp while they are partaking in strenuous activity they may have a Dermoid pulling on their spine. In some cases a pup may actually have a kink at the base of the tail. A breeder may try to pass this kink off as the mother having stepped on its tail, be wary of any such explanations. And finally, do not buy any pups that have been vaccinated any where along the spine. The needle track may mimic a Dermoid Sinus. A bad breeder will try to hide a Dermoid by claiming that it is a needle track. Good breeders do NOT vaccinate along the spine or ridgeline. Here is a short video , of how to inspect for and find a Dermoid Sinus.

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A.     We feed biologically appropriate raw food. We also sometimes feed Nutro or similar quality dog food. If you are interested in a good source of info of feeding your dogs find the following book by DR. Ian Billinghurst. “GROW YOUR PUPPIES WITH BONES - The BARF Programme For Breeding Healthy Dogs And Eliminating Skeletal Disease. http://www.barfworld.com .

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A.     Not removing the dewclaws on a Rhodesian Ridgeback is a BIG fashion no no. Ridgebacks with dewclaws, their breeders and their owners are often the subjects of fashion ridicule. However, if you are going to be a good steward to your pet, you have to often fight fashion, political correctness and the same kind of so called “common sense” that once said the world was flat, to do what’s best for you dog. The truth is that some dewclaws should be removed and some should be kept. It all depends on the viable structural nature of the pup’s dewclaws. Some dewclaws hang like ripe grapes ready to fall off the paw. Other dewclaws are structural to the paw like a thumb. Usually dewclaws on the front paws are structural, the dogs use them to scratch their faces and manipulate items they are chewing on. Often they are webbed to the paw and assist in swimming. Rear dewclaws are often utterly useless and represent a risk of being snagged on carpet or some such and being ripped off. Provide your dog with normal care and maintenance and he will be quite thankful he has his front dewclaws. Click here for photos of good and poor dewclaws

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A.     Once again we have hit another politically correct fashion imbued subject. The simple answer is that you need to 'properly' establish your leadership in the dogs pack. Once this has been done your pet will want to be lead and will want to follow your instructions. Of course, then the key becomes communicating your instructions in a way that is understandable or easily learned by the dog. Many people claim one way works over another or that another way is morally superior to another. It can become confusing and people defend their methods as if they were in a cult and everyone else was a heretic. The real answer can be found in one of Bruce Lee’s sayings – use what works and discard the rest-. Here is what we suggest. If you want to understand how your dog thinks and how play with it and how to train it so that it does not turn into a messed up, confused, or dangerous animal check out the following website http://www.leerburg.com. The site caters to police dogs but they offer very helpful insight and information in regards to training all dogs. Fortunately Ridgebacks are an emotionally stable breed and are NOT prone to become dangerous like some other breeds. Another very useful site is http ://www.clickertraining.com. The clicker training really provides a useful way to communicate with your dog. The important thing is to let your puppy be a puppy. Clicker training is a great way to teach and play with your puppy. However, as you clicker train your pup you should also be fully versed and aware of what is taught on the Leerburg website to make sure your not training or accidentally teaching your dog to become a problem animal in the future. If you do these things you should have no problems, and on the positive side by owning a Rhodesian Ridgeback your already ahead of the curve.

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A.     Well once again a very touchy subject full of so called experts who know in their heart what’s best for you, your dog and society as a whole and will try to impose it on you no matter what the real truth. The answer for this question will be in terms of what’s best for the dog, not for society, not for your social standing and not for your continued membership in any social circles. If you’re really interested read the works and studies of Dr Ian Billinghurst. We believe a ridgeback should be bred at the on the 2nd heat, assuming your dog’s first heat is a maiden heat and that the dog will be at least a year old at the time of the birth. If your not going to bred the dog on this heat you should either “fix” her or have the cycles suppressed until you are ready to breed. From some hormonal standpoints, once your dog has gone through a heat cycle, the dogs body will act as if it were pregnant, regardless of whether or not there actual are any pups present or not. Dogs have these empty pregnancies every time they are NOT bred. Not breeding a dog when its in heat can be very hard on the dogs reproductive system and immune system. Picture always running your car in idle at max RPM with no load and never driving it. Not good. For more info see http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P =A&A=1224. There are additional reasons to breed a ridgeback early and that is because of the hormonal issues related thyroid disorders. These disorders are much more prevalent in the breed than the typical Hip Dysplasia hysteria (see http://www.offa .org ). If you're wishing to avoid potential Hip Dysplasia issues, there are indications that it is best to breed the dog while she is still young and limber with her first heat. Some people do claim otherwise but they don’t ever present scientific evidence to support their claims. In short , for the best health of your dog, if she is in heat she should be bred, if you don’t want to breed her then fix her or have her cycles suppressed.

Q.      How do I go about “suppressing” my bitch’s cycles?

A.      You will need to discuss this with your vet. Chances are he will have little or no idea what you are talking about, but a good vet will be willing to do the research. You can give your vet a helping hand by pointing him to the following document. Cheque Drops.

Q.      My vet says no one sells the stuff any more, now what?

A.      Your vet can have the drug compounded by the following pharmacy . Premier Pharmacy Labs 1-800-752-7139 .

Q.      So how much will this cost me?

A.      Expect to pay approximately $50 to $100 per month for the prescription.

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A.      If you wish to do what is in the long term best health interests of your dog, you should wait until the dog’s hormones have cycled at least once. There is evidence to indicate that a dog’s immune system will not come into full strength until all the hormones have been expressed at least once. For females this means, they should be neutered a month or so after their first heat. By waiting until after the first heat, you are assured that the hormones have cycled. For males, if you desire to neuter them, it is best to wait until they are at least 1.5 years old. Truth be known, a male is most likely better off never being neutered. Of course, that is not an answer that will win you many friends within the socialist, “we know what’s best for you” crowd, but nonetheless an unneutered male is a healthier dog. Recent studies on Rottweilers have indicated that neutering a dog before 1 year of age increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) by four times. Supposedly, osteosarcoma is not prevalent in Ridgebacks. But interestingly enough we have met several former ridgeback owners from the Missouri area whose dogs were neutered early and then came down with osteosarcoma at a young age. This cluster of sarcomas maybe an indication of genetic issues with dogs in the Midwest region. For all the above reasons, we strongly advise people not to buy neutered puppies and not to neuter puppies before they are at least 1.5 years of age. If you would like to read the study linking early neutering to osteosarcoma please follow this link. Endogenous Gonadal Hormone Exposure and Bone Sarcoma Risk.   Another good article, that address the neutering issue in simpler language may be found here.

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A.      Yes, If you hold a valid Concealed Weapons Permit will we give you a 20% discount on the puppy purchase price. If you do not have a valid Concealed Weapons Permit, but are a member of   JPFO , GOA , or the NRA we will give you a 10% discount on the purchase price of a puppy.

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