Which are more affectionate, or better house protectors, males or females? 

There are very loose connections between sex and the above named characteristics. In general, males are sweet and goofy, and females slightly more independent. However, we find it has more to do with where the animal fits on the dominance/submission scale. Most is attributed to individual personality, not sex. 

 

When we pick up our puppy, is he vaccinated/microchipped, and what kind of food do I feed him? 

When you take a Ridishia puppy home, he has already received one of his puppy base vaccines (DAPP), and has been microchipped. We provide you with several food brand suggestions, and address the possibility of occasional raw feeding at that time. 

We will also provide you with a vaccination schedule. We do NOT want these dogs vaccinated every year, this practice is killing our pets. 

 

Is the Ridgeback a good guard dog? 

Ridgebacks are naturally ‘protective’ of their environment and people. These instincts often take about 1-1.5 years to develop, because until that time, they are still very much puppies. 

A Ridgeback will bark a few times when someone comes to the door, but generally will stop once you appear, and they trust you have the situation under control. 

 

How large do the dogs get? Are they easy to train? 

Typically, our females are about 75-85 lbs, and males 90-100 lbs. As with anything, you get out of it what you put into it ☺ RR’s are highly food motivated, and positive training methods are the only way to go with this breed, otherwise they shut down. 

 

What is a ‘Puppy Party’ and why do breeders choose the puppy for me?

When the litter is 5-7 weeks of age, we have a puppy party, where all families on the list are invited to visit the herd LOL! I will give you a clipboard with all the puppies listed on it, and you can give us your top 3 choices. Depending upon your experience with dogs, lifestyle, etc, we will endeavor to match you with one of your choices. We have 30 years experience breeding these dogs, please trust that we will choose a pup who will meld beautifully with your family! 

 

Where are the puppies raised, and what type of experiences do you expose them to? 

Between the ages of 3 days and 16 days, we expose our puppies to Early Neurological Stimulation, which was developed by Dr. Carmen Battaglia for the  US Military, to improve the performance of future military working dogs. We also used Puppy Culture protocols, conceived by the brilliant Jane Killion, 

 

 

What is health testing and why is it important? 

Health testing is NOT bringing the puppy to the vet at 8 weeks and getting a certificate saying all is ok…..that is easy. Health testing is an intensive, long process which evolves from the age of 1 to 2 years. It is the testing of the PARENTS, not the puppies. Testing includes: hips, elbows, thyroid, eyes, cardiac, deafness, degenerative myelopathy. A breeder who does only hips and elbows is not doing enough, run in the other direction. Health testing is an investment of several thousand dollars per dog, to ensure that they left the breed in a better place than which they found it! 

 

How does the deposit work, and how much are the puppies? 

Once the litter is born and alive for a week, you may put a $500 deposit on a puppy. This demonstrates our mutual engagement. The final sum will be due upon pick up. The deposit is non-refundable…..unless, we don’t end up with enough puppies for everyone. The ridgeless puppies are $2500 and aside from being born without a ridge, are still in every way a purebred ridgeback dog.  The ridged companion dogs are $2800. Show and breeding prospects are a separate category. *All companion and ridgeless puppies are sold on non-breeding agreements*