Zejak Rhodesian Ridgebacks
Kennel Club Accredited Breeder
About Us...
We breed Ridgebacks with really outstanding temperaments - it's as simple as that!
We only breed from Ridgebacks that have the ‘soft’ nature that is needed to fit in with family life. This, we feel, is a prime requirement in today’s society. So for this they need to be very tractable. Our Ridgebacks fit into family life very well, and this has been confirmed by the praise owners of our puppies have given them (check out Testimonials).
We feel that the main requirement for owning a Ridgeback is time. Time to spend with your dog, socialising it for it’s life ahead, and time to appreciate it’s unique character, and of course love! These are never ‘outdoor dogs’ – please do not think that they are suitable to be kept outdoors because they are not; they don’t have the temperament for it, or the coat either! Ridgebacks can & do guard, but on their own terms, they would much rather be your personal friend/guard than the "Guard dog on a chain"!!
We always recommend that you buy an indoor kennel, which is a wire mesh crate with a door so that the puppy can have its own safe place to sleep. The advantages are many with a crate, as Ridgebacks like to have a den that is warm and secure – and we like to know where a puppy is if we go shopping!
We only breed from hip-scored parents with a nice nature, one that will
allow them to fit in with a family. You can always see the bitch here,
but sometimes we use a dog that doesn't belong to us. We always like to
match dog to bitch, and not use what is here just because it is
convenient.
Our puppies are born just off the kitchen, so experience ‘life’ from the
start. We are not a kennels, all our Ridgebacks live in the house
with us. We feel it is a vital requirement for Ridgebacks as they
are such people lovers.
We do not sell puppies with the aim that
they are bred from. Our Kennel Club registration certificates are
endorsed with "Progeny Not Eligible For Registration". Breeding healthy
puppies with excellent temperaments does not come easy, and to get to
know the breed and bloodlines, and correctly choose a suitable breeding
pair takes time, patience and knowledge. A lot of people think it would
be fun to breed a litter but in reality if you did this and had 10
unsold puppies at 8 weeks old...would this be a fun situation to be in?
and if you did sell them, would you take an adult back that you had bred
for re-homing if there was a problem? What if your bitch was in labour
and there was a problem - would you know what to do? Can you recognise a Dermoid Sinus in a newborn puppy, and continue checking and recognising
them until they are 7 weeks old? Breeding a litter really isn't a
decision that should ever be taken lightly. It will change your life...
Why buy a puppy from us? It's simple - people buy Ridgebacks from us because of our reputation and
the temperaments of our dogs, something we have been researching and
perfecting for over 20 years. And the proof is in the pudding...people
come back to us time and time again, because we do what we say we do -
breed dogs with truly outstanding temperaments. If you're still not
sure, read our Testimonials page to hear
direct from our owners! We had two litters this spring, and 8 pups
went to people who had had one or two RRs from us before!.. I know that
you could go and buy a cheaper puppy from someone else, and all I will
say is that "You get what you pay for" It is a false economy to buy a
cheap dog. You could be buying more expense in the long run, than if you
spent the initial money on a good quality, healthy, well bred and raised
puppy. Vet bills for a sickly puppy will soon add up to more than you
have saved, and that is just if the pup has worms and an infection when
you buy it. If over its lifetime it is un-healthy then it will
cost you many many times the amount you initially saved.......I do not
like to talk about the price of a puppy because we charge what we
consider a fair price for our puppies, there is an awful lot of work
that goes into producing outstanding animals of any type. Your priority
should be to the buy the best you can afford, & not make false
economies. I have sometimes had people say to me that they "only want a
pet" Well, that is what we breed; good, sound healthy handsome pets,
that will be your friend for life!!
ADVICE FOR POTENTIAL OWNERS: -
Come and visit us - if you don't like the look of our Ridgebacks(!!)
then visit other breeders.
Go to visit breeders with an open mind, make up your own mind whether
they are breeding nice sound tempered dogs, if the dogs are happy to
come and meet you and the bitch is happy for you to see her pups. Dogs should be friendly to strangers
a short while after they have been introduced. Trust your own
opinions, not other peoples.
Make sure both the bitch and dog look
healthy and happy, and are happy to meet you and your family.
If puppies are available for viewing i.e. from 4 weeks old, make sure they look round and healthy and are in a clean environment, with toys to stimulate them.
Make sure that the pups are
friendly and want to meet you.
Check that they have
been wormed at 2, 4 and 6 weeks old with a preparation
from the vet. The bitch should have been done at the same time as
well.
Don’t be put off by
being questioned by the breeder – in fact if you weren’t
“grilled” I would know that they didn’t care where their
puppies went. If a breeder turns you down for a puppy, try
to understand that they have the best interests of the puppy at heart
and there must be a very important reason for them thinking
you’re unsuitable. Perhaps reconsider whether a Ridgeback
(or any dog) is suitable for you!
LASTLY AGAIN – GO WITH AN OPEN MIND, MAKE YOUR OWN MIND UP! FORGET POLITICS!
© Zejak Rhodesian Ridgebacks 2012
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