Each puppy placed by Kandu is a precious life that we, by choosing to breed, feel responsible for its entire life. We choose our “Puppy Partners” with care, and hope that they will become part of our extended “family.” We are always available for advice and information to anyone interested in Ridgebacks, and try to maintain contact with all our Puppy People. I wrote a 35 page puppy instruction PDF with suggestions for feeding, traveling with the pup, training and vaccinations. Every pup gets a microchip, a set of vaccines, and a well puppy vet check when 7 weeks.

Puppy Raising

This is where the pups live their first weeks, a guest apt. attached to the rear of our house.  For the first three or four weeks I sleep on the sofa bed next to the whelping box to make sure mom does not lay on any pups. There is a divider between the bed/small side and the larger exercise pen area, so that I can lock them on one side while I clean the other. The papers are hung on the exercise pen so they are handy when paper gets soiled. If the weather permits, the pups are taken outside starting at 5 weeks old, to play and walk around the 4 acers, and at 6 weeks get moved to the small pen (11 x 6 ft. indoors and 11 x 11 outdoors) attached to our carport (first day brought in at night to transition). The indoor part of the RR kennel is heated  and airconditioned, and the pups do fine indoors with large crates with blankets they can all piled up together in. They access the outdoor pen through a step and dog door/ramp. Usually by 7 weeks all pups are going outside to poop, although they still often urinate on the indoor papers at night. Raising them in that “Dog Room” with a kitchen area habituates them to normal household noises, TV, vacuum cleaner sounds, etc.  If the weather is too wet or cold, the pups stay in the room, with daily runs through the rest of the house to explore, until they leave.

As a behaviorist I make sure the pups are exposed to many different kinds of objects, sounds, and surfaces. I teach them to Sit and Come and of course they learn what No means as they try to dismantle everything in the room. I handle them many times a day and at 4 weeks start to allow friends and prospective puppy people to visit and socialize the babies. At four weeks I remove the whelping box as they are starting to be weaned, and put in large dog crates for them to sleep in with doors open. That way crates are not as scary when they have to go into one at their new homes at 8 weeks. although of course once shut in they will complain.

Contracts

Our contracts are simple, and we are always open to renegotiating them if the circumstances warrant it. Contact us for a sample. The contract includes a “return clause” which states that if at any time during the life of the dog the owners decide to sell it we must be notified and have the right to buy it back before it is offered to others. If the owner can no longer keep the dog, we will always take them back. They would either be placed in another appropriate home, or stay here for the rest of their lives.

Companion-only puppies are sold on limited registration. This means that their offspring can not be registered unless we ask the AKC to change the designation. We request that the dog not be altered until it is at least a year old as this reduces serious side effects of early spay/neuter. We hope the owners send us pictures before altering the dog, and that they would consider amending the contract to keep the dog intact for showing if we determine it is an excellent show prospect, but this is not required.

Health Warranty

Our pet puppies are guaranteed against developing clinical, debilitating hip or elbow dysplasia. Mild HD without impairment of normal activity would not be covered for a companion-only puppy. Show puppies are guaranteed against any degree of hip and elbow dysplasia, auto-immune thyroiditis, heart defects and deafness. The orthopedic warrantee is tied to the condition that the owners must keep the dog within our desired weight limit, as excessive weight wears on young joints.

Prices
Those who have been searching for a well bred Ridgeback puppy for awhile will know their usual price range. For those just starting their search, the usual price of a companion-only puppy from a dedicated NW hobby breeder like myself is between $1,500 – $2,200. Those who breed strictly as a business often get even more than that, for puppies with less certain health backgrounds and that certainly have received much less individual attention than those bred merely for love of the breed. If this is beyond your means, and your heart is set on a Ridgeback, please consider a ridgeless puppy: perfect Ridgeback except no ridge. These are usually half price, or $700 – 900. Also, there are nice rescued Ridgebacks sometimes available through the Northwest Rhodesian Ridgeback Club rescue: www.nwrrc.net

Waiting List

Kandu, like most reputable RR breeders, maintains a list of those waiting for a puppy. Usually all pups are reserved by 2 weeks of age by those on the list. If you would like to get on our list, email Janice with answers to the following questions: 1. Why did you choose the RR as the breed for you? 2. What is your past experience with dogs? 3. Do you have a fenced yard? 4. Will you be dedicated to getting a puppy out to puppy classes or otherwise make arrangements for socialization with people and dogs? 5. Where will your RR sleep? We recommend everyone get on as many lists as they find breeders they feel they can work with, as Nature does not always cooperate with our plans. There could be no pregnancy or a small litter. Reputable West Coast breeders can be found through the web sites of the North West Rhodesian Ridgeback Club, Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the US (RRCUS), Bay Area RR Club and other regional clubs listed on the RRCUS web site. Then, when you find the right RR for you, just let the other breeders know so they can take you off their lists.